Using Instagram to explore literacy practices in a study abroad field experience
Abstract: Instagram is a popular social media tool used to post visual images and captions for a global audience. This study explored how preservice teachers used Instagram as a reflective tool during a study abroad field experience. Instagram was used throughout the four-week field experience to reflect on literacy practices and document literacy across the curriculum and throughout the classroom. Results of the study suggest that Instagram provided a way for preservice teachers to critically reflect on their own conceptions of literacy, while also extending the conversation about literacy and literacy practices with peers in both seminar and in the digital space. This digital platform also served as a documentation tool and a space to collect and share ideas. Implications for Instagram as a tool for teaching and learning are discussed.