Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Hello? Are Your Students Communicating Appropriately?

The article, “Hello? Are Your Students Communicating Appropriately?” by Thomas Clark is all about making sure that your student has the proper etiquette for phone and email. The article lists the do’s and do not’s when contacting a teacher and helpful tips. These tips include identifying yourself, planning your messages ahead of time, being concise, and to also show respect. The author even provides an example of a student sending an email and a voicemail to their teacher in a professional manner. The author also stresses the importance of helping students “learn the importance of leaving messages that are clear, concise, and respectful” (Clark, 2009). In a day and age where we are all about getting our message out quickly with as little typing as possible, we need to teach kids how to construct a complete thought. Professionalism is very important, especially if you are contacting an adult such as your teacher, future employer, or some other formal contact. By following these three items, you can ensure that your contact understands what you are trying to say because you explained  your ideas. Nowadays there are so many verbal shortcuts that we have learned over the years from instant messaging and texting. These abbreviations have even found their way into our everyday conversations and vocabulary.  This article relates to the digital citizenship category of the NETS-S standards. It also relates to the communication standard of the NETS-S. By teaching kids to prepare their thoughts, they are able to effectively communicate their ideas clearly. By teaching kids to be polite and respectful when they are communicating with others, we are teaching them digital citizenship. Is this something that a teacher should focus on? Or is this a topic that parents can teach their children effectively without influence from the teachers?

References

Clark, T. (2009). Hello? Are your students communicating appropriately?. Learning & Leading with Technology. 34.

2 comments:

  1. I think we are all guilty of using abbreviations for words and phrases because it's how society is nowadays but I completely agree that we can't let future and current students get sucked into society's ways. It's so important in general to know how to speak and in a respectful manner. Teacher's should definitely incorporate it into their lessons and parents should continue to encourage them in a positive way at home as well.

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  2. When it comes to texting and emailing, i do try to use little words as possible. I think this is a great concept to use especially for the younger generation because their world is entirely revolved around technology and it is important for them to understand the right way to communicate with teachers through technology. When contacting a teacher, it is especially important on how to contact with them in a polite and professional manner.

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