Social Media Literacy as an IEP Intervention for Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

Media literacy and special education communities have largely ignored the impact of digital media use on special education students with Autism spectrum disorder and Emotional and Behavioral Disorder. This paper investigates the possibility of using social media literacy education as part of an individualized education plan (IEP) intervention for improving the social and emotional learning outcomes of students with disabilities. Using the example of a "provocative selfie" as a form of media production and consumption, this paper provides a framework for using the NAMLE key questions to teach specific CASEL Social and Emotional (SEL) competencies and address IEP goals and objectives of students with social and emotional deficits. By using the key questions of media literacy to teach the CASEL competencies, educators can provide special education students with strategies for analyzing, evaluating, creating, and acting responsibly in the digital world while remediating poor social and emotional skills commonly associated with many social, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Keywords: media literacy, social media literacy, special education, autism spectrum disorders, emotional behavioral disorders, IEP Social and emotional learning (SEL) in the education environment is widely accepted as an important aspect of a Fair and Appropriate Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Howey, 2012). But what does social and emotional learning look like for the 21st century (21C) student with disabilities? While social skills training has been a staple of individualized education plans (IEP) for students with autism spectrum disorders and emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) who have deficits in social and emotional learning, conventional interventions have failed to address the way in which modern