MOOC Series #eTeacherTOOLThis post is one in a series for a MOOC. You can find similar posts searching under the Category MOOC or searching for hashtag #eteacherTOOL for more about this particular MOOC.


Not everyone comes knowing proper netiquette or how to even compose a proper email. Let’s explore the proper manner for communicating effectively via this medium.

When was the last time you considered the below ideas when attempting to communicate with someone?


The Quest:

  • How have your individual communication skills changed as with the innovations in technology?
    • I now have multiple email addresses now, in 1998 I had to make one.
    • I maintain separation between my personal and professional social media accounts currently. I did not create a MySpace account until 2006/7/8? Now I have (personal) Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Posthaven Photo Blog (professional) Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn accounts.
    • I can share with you an embarrassing number of sites to help you condense your thought(s) into 140 characters or less. embarrassing.
    • I utilize a service to connect all my accounts to make chain reaction postings.
    • I have been blogging since 2006, first a personal and then a professional blog.
  • How have advancements in technology altered classroom communication? Will these change further?
    • Unlike the technology in our personal lives, technology has not been embraced at the same rate in education. The education establishment has not changed much or often in such great lurches as would be this digital revolution of the last ten years. Whether it is fear of change or transparency schools are often the last to embrace and often send mixed messages:

    • Parent communication seems to be the propelling force in accelerating use of technologies. First email accounts, electronic newsletters, and school (more recently teacher) web pages. Now, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for schools, but often students are not allowed to use this powerful services on the school campus
    • Those in presently in charge of schools and districts did not come into their present positions using technology to teach and/or learn. This might result in fear of the unknown, fear of being replaced, lack of respect for the learning and teaching power of these new technologies, fear of transparency – – – I believe many of the current leaders in school will need to leave the profession before education can catch up to the private sector.

 

Sherry Turkle’s “Connected: But Alone?” was uncomfortable for me. I understood what she talked about, but I found myself feeling disagreeable about her topic. The real shame of the situation is every person is learning each new technology at once. Adults have no way to gain more experience at the newest technology in order to better equip their offspring with a better approach.  I found the message somewhat hopeless and sad. If technology is constantly changing and one might argue the older generations may even have a steeper learning curve than the younger, how will we ever learn enough to properly advise the younger generation?