Summary:

In the peer-viewed article, “Wiki literature circles: Creating digital learning communities,” Elizabeth Edmondson discusses her adaptation of literature circles to a digital forum. Using wikis—online forums for collaborative authorship where multiple users are granted access to add
and edit content—student learning becomes more peer-based and self-directed and less teacher-focused. The collaborative and co-creative nature of Web 2.0 technologies combined with students’ computer fluency helps to generate intrinsic motivation for digital literature circle
communities. In addition, the digital forum fosters a sense of community and agency—qualities of interdependence and independence important to encourage in adolescents. Each student has a choice of role in their group and the group sets goals collectively. The sense of meaning students derive from community-building in and outside of class assists goals of literary analysis. Moreover, because students are active in their roles as knowledge contributors and their audience reaches beyond the teacher, students learn greater self-efficacy. Their contributions to the group may be self-monitored for quality control in light of an unwritten social contract (Edmondson, 2012, p. 48). In other words, students may feel greater responsibility to group members and even the public. By validating adolescents’ preference for digital communication, Edmondson argues teachers can increase student motivation and agency while enhancing collaboration and community.

Reaction:

This article helped me understand the implications of teaching English Language Arts to students fluent in a language I am largely unfamiliar with. I’m not a digital native. I was a late adolescent when Web 2.0 technologies were only beginning to emerge and I was reluctant to adopt them as my cultural right. Technological advances signaled greater disconnection from my peers and more barriers to real interaction—or so I thought. This class has been a wake-up call, a paradigm shift. My way of thinking or being in the world isn’t the only way or the correct way; there are multiple ways to make meaning and to connect. I am learning I need to meet students where they are at in order to be the most effective teacher I can be. I need to put myself in their shoes; to use the technology they are using; and to experiment. In order to bridge school-sanctioned curriculum that features centuries-old canonical works with relevant issues that affect adolescents today, I need to design lessons that integrate technology in creative, innovative ways. Digital literature circle communities are an exciting idea to facilitate community-building, literacy development, and self-efficacy. I want to help shape self-motivated, empowered learners and give them the tools to build knowledge and direct the conversation. This article gave me tips on how to position myself as a teacher: not as the director of the class but a facilitator. By sharing responsibility and giving students more choice—and more power—I believe teachers foster a sense of competence, community, and belonging, all of which improve student learning outcomes.

Conclusion:

I strongly recommend this article to both pre-service and in-service secondary ELA teachers. Edmondson describes specific assignments in two detailed charts and includes thoughtful recommendations for individual and group assessments. I appreciate Edmondson’s use of scholarly sources and personal observations while discussing the numerous benefits of incorporating digital literature circles into the curriculum.

Reference:

Edmondson, E. (2012). Wiki literature circles: Creating digital learning communities. English Journal, 101(4), 43-49.

The article source can be found at the UMKC Library.

Copyright 2016. Robyn Allen. All Rights Reserved.