Digital Communication

This week the topic is digital communication. This is one of the most important of the nine elements of digital citizenship. So many people rely so heavily on text messaging and shorthand that the art of writing is declining. Students have a hard time writing complete sentences and using correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

One of the things I used to say when I taught college classes was, “I am your teacher, not your friend.” This was always said on the first day of classes when discussing with them how to send an email. I always requested that they put a descriptive subject and that they include their full name and what class (day, time, course number) they were in. Otherwise, I would not answer their question. I also used to tell them that if they wrote in short hand, I would not be able to reply without asking for clarification.

The reading this week talked a lot about that in the article about whether students are communicating appropriately. It is important that students understand how to write emails now to their teachers because, in the real world, they are going to be writing emails to bosses and co-workers and inappropriate language, shorthand, and email is a cause for termination. In some instances, it can cause you to not even be considered for the job.

I really like the video for this week, as well. I loved that it showed both the negative side and the positive side of how to use social media. I also think this is a very timely message, both for students and for anyone using social media. Students are not the only ones who are missing opportunities due to inappropriate posts on social media. Employers look at that now, as well.

Resources:

Clark, Thomas, PhD. “Hello? Are Your Students Communicating Appropriately?” Learning and Leading with Technology (Nov 2009); 34.

Privacy and Reputation Online: Video from iSafe