Evan Selinger’s recent piece, E-Etiquette in the Classroom, is not necessarily groundbreaking. After all, what is deemed appropriate or inappropriate in our new reality, namely the over-teched world where we try to electronically co-exist, has been a topic of conversation for a while now; and I’m guessing it will continue to be something we talk (or post or tweet or email or Facebook) about for years to come.
The great thing about Selinger’s article was that it simplified the so-called rules of using technology in the classroom. The basics: don’t cheat, always address an instructor in a formal manner and by all means, change what was once a funny personal email address to something more appropriate. As Selinger points out in regards to emailing a professor: “If you forget to include your name, you can expect a reply like” ‘Dear always-stoned@___.com, I guess we know the real reason you missed class.’” I laughed out loud after reading this. But using good tech for classroom evil is no laughing matter.
For those of you out there with college students, take a peek at the article here. Then you can forward it. Or link it on Facebook. Or forward my blog post. Or – gee – print out the WSJ article and send it to your favorite student in a care package. Remember care packages? The old fashioned box full of M&Ms, magazines, a new toothbrush, and maybe a little cash? Sometimes the tried and true methods – like scheduling a face-to-face with your college professor and opening a care package from your mother, still work best.
