Share Paper: Digital Inquiry About and With Words

  1. Tina Heafner, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States
  2. Nicolas Triplett, UNC Charlotte, United States
  3. Dixie Massey, University of Washington, United States
Tuesday, March 7 1:45 PM-2:15 PM Capitol F

Abstract: For over a decade, linguists and publishers have designated “Words of the Year” (WsOY) to highlight how current events influence public interest and drive Internet word search behavior. In this study we examine how WsOY can foster critical digital literacy and illuminate essential aspects of inquiry and disciplinary thinking within social studies. We contend WsOY and online dictionaries are fertile ground for simultaneously supporting academic language development, digital literacy, critical historical literacy, comprehension, and disciplinary learning. We also examine how vocabulary instruction based on WsOY can encourage situated word learning as the non-linear, generative processes embedded in technology-mediated word learning ...