The wild west of policy making : a discourse analysis of primary and secondary schools' social media policies

摘要

Social media has become a technology that is increasingly shaping howyoung people connect, socialize, and learn (Ahn, 2011). Many educators andadministrators endeavour to understand how this communications tool has evolvedand is used. While some steer clear of it as a tool for teaching and learning, othersgrapple with how to employ its interactive, participatory potential in the classroom.Primary and secondary school administrators around the world have begun tocreate policies to delineate the use of social media in classrooms. However otherscontinue to struggle with how to do so and many others have not even begun.Through a qualitative analysis of four distinct social media policies from the UnitedStates, this thesis examines extant discursive themes and discourses, anddemonstrates how more schools, boards, and districts can develop their ownpolicies to implement this potent teaching and learning tool for the benefit ofstudents, the overwhelming majority of whom are already engaged in social media.