AMANDA HYNAN FINAL THESIS PDF

Twitter did not seem to be as popular with the participants as Facebook and email and
was described by Moira as “different”. This may indicate a preference for using
online social media sites that support more social interaction and self-representation
opportunities which links into the self-representation and online social ties categories
(sections 4.10 and 4.11).
4.5. Describing support
Participants described educational staff, personal staff, family and friends have often
introduced them to the internet and helped set up online social media accounts and
Olivia describes requesting to use Facebook herself.
4.5.1. Introduction to and training to use the internet and online social
media
Olivia describes how she asked to use Facebook after finding out about it. She
thought this was through school, but couldn’t quite remember.
Amanda: How did it [using Facebook] start with your carer?
Olivia: “I asked”
Georgie describes how she learnt to use Facebook in her class at school,
Amanda: where did you learn to use Facebook
SLT: down here
Georgie: yeah
SLT: give me a colour, (name of class), so it was in (name of class)
Georgie: yeah
SLT: yup this corner, give me a colour (name of teacher) red
Georgie: yeah
SLT: (name of teacher) Georgie’s old teacher.
Simon is being taught how to use email at his special college
Specialist Teaching Assistant (STA): Simon can I tell Amanda about the
computer and how you like the computer, yes or no (choice of hands)
Simon: ‘yes’ (looks at left hand)
STA: Simon really likes the computer and he really likes doing jobs on the
computer sending emails, don’t you, but he finds it very difficult to access the
computer
Information about two specialist teaching tools emerged from the interviews within
three of the special college settings,
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