Twitterotopia and the rise of a tweacher: towards a (post)critical ontology of #edutwitter, the tweacher society, and a teacher who tweets

Lane, Stephen R (2021). Twitterotopia and the rise of a tweacher: towards a (post)critical ontology of #edutwitter, the tweacher society, and a teacher who tweets. University of Birmingham. Ed.D.

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Abstract

I am @sputniksteve. This grammatically simple sentence carries a discursivelyloaded statement that has taken a number of years to formulate. Even then, the formulation of this statement remains incomplete as what constitutes @sputniksteve is fluid, dynamic, and ever-growing. This thesis sets out to explore what it means to be @sputniksteve: a teacher who uses Twitter. It does this in two parts. In the first, it employs tools from Foucault to theorise eduTwitter as a heterotopia that people ‘visit’ and in which they are transformed. I consider the extent to which tweets may be considered as statements that may be analysed from a Foucauldian perspective, and explore Foucault’s notions of the Author in relation to twitter identities. In the second, I turn an analytical lens upon the birth and rise of sputniksteve through three key points of development: the first year or so of tweets; my involvement with ResearchED; and the publication of my first book.

I conclude by reflecting upon how participation in the tweacher society could be seen as an ethic of Foucauldian self-writing which could provide a potent improvement upon teacher ‘continuing professional development’.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ed.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ed.D.

Supervisor(s):