Theme 3 of 9 is digital communication. This is a biggie! For some of us, we might communicate electronically with others more than we even do face to face (whether this is good, bad, or otherwise is a discussion for another post). Since digital communication is so common, it stands to reason that there is some etiquette behind that mode of communication. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to explain and reinforce with the kids in our class.
One thing to consider is choice -- what is the best way to communicate with someone? There are so many forms -- email, phone call, text messaging, instant messaging, chatting on collaborative work, Skype/Google Hangouts/FaceTime, gaming, social media. Even though all these types of electronic communication are pretty readily available, they aren't all created equal. For instance, a supervisor who needs to let his staff know he won't be in the office one day probably wouldn't choose a phone call to each employee as the best way to communicate that. Students working together on a project who need immediate feedback might choose to use a chat feature instead of email. And a teacher who wants to invite the principal to visit his or her classroom probably won't choose to send that invitation via Snapchat! (Although that might be fun....)
A simple discussion with our students whenever they are faced with communicating electronically with someone else can help them decide the best way to initiate that communication. A discussion about the purpose of the communication and with whom they are communicating can generate ideas about the most and least effective forms of communication.
The other consideration is etiquette. Questions to consider:
- How should I address the other person?
- How formal should my language be?
- How long should my message be?
- How often should I be in communication with this person?
- What information is okay and not okay to be shared electronically (ex.: email address -- okay to share; passwords, account numbers -- not okay to share in electronic communication)?
Again, before initiating any electronic communication, we can simply have a discussion with our students about the above questions. This will help them understand that different kinds of communication require different modes and different behaviors.
How can we help students practice their electronic communication skills? Here are some ideas:
- Encourage students to send you an email if they have questions.
- Find a virtual pen pal for students to communicate with.
- Have a guest speaker visit your classroom via Skype/Google Hangouts.
- Offer students the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects in your class.
- Seize teachable moments, whether they come from within the classroom or from stories we hear in the media.
- Host online discussions through Google Classroom.
- Create activities where students collaborate and comment on each others' work using something like Padlet.
Finally, it's worth reminding students that whatever form of digital communication they choose to use, they're going to be governed by some terms of service. Here at school, on the job, at home using their personal email accounts or social media -- all of their communication is monitored in some fashion. All electronic communication can be vulnerable to being intercepted or hacked. All methods of electronic communication have items that are prohibited from being shared (i.e., using the communication for anything illegal).
Want help with this in your classroom or more ideas how to encourage improved digital communication skills with your students? Just let me know -- feel free to send me an email or a Snapchat :-)
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