But does it really mean anything? I don't actually know any of these people, so can I really say I'm connected to them? I don't know their favourite food, the name of their dog, or whether they like tea or coffee better?
I wonder if maybe in this time of global community we are actually becoming more isolated. We think we are more connected because we can message someone in China, but in actuality we spend more time in front of a screen than in front of other human faces, using memes to communicate emotion, emojis replacing words, and sarcasm as the universally accepted mode of communication.
Don't believe me? Look at the comment section on YouTube, Yahoo answers, or pretty much any other site. Trolling is becoming a revered skill. (Trolling: to submit a deliberately provocative posting to an online message board with the aim of inciting an angry response.)
How does this impact the classroom? First of all, if this is how students are communicating out of class, a school will be hard pressed to mitigate the effects of this in the classroom. The aura of bravado and sarcasm can directly influence the atmosphere in a class - perhaps this "global community" is harming our local community.
Secondly, a question. How ought a teacher, wanting to use technology in the classroom, incorporate some of these media while trying to reduce the negative effects (cyber bullying, for one)? I think the answer to this lies in the parameters set around technology use, and the way that it is presented to the students. A teacher who carefully thinks through the platform they will use (blogs, facebook, twitter, class website) will analyze the pros and cons of these platforms, and in this, will be able to come up with appropriate boundaries for students, to minimize the cons. Secondly, if the use of technology is modeled well by teachers, and the parameters set have a distinct purpose that students can understand, they are more likely to follow them. Perhaps the parameters can be brainstormed together (depending on the atmosphere of the class and maturity of the students)? Students are also more likely to follow the procedures set if they are made aware that the technology is a privilege, not a right, and that their use and access to technology for education will be increased or decreased depending on how responsibly they use it.
One final thought, back to the global isolation - while technology can be a great resource, it is still important that students are having those face to face connections, to promote true and authentic interaction that is not just electronic.
P.S. Remember how I said in the second sentence that I was three people away from batman?
No joke, I just found out that I am, in fact, three people away from this guy...
As I read this post, it ties in to your previous one quite nicely. Thanks for the reminder of how close our relationships are in relation to online, local community and global relationships.
ReplyDeleteSarah- great ideas. It's almost sad to think that people have this notion of being so connected without any face-to-face interaction. I sometimes think that society is slowly starting to lose their people skills...
ReplyDeleteLove the Batman story!! Also, you had some great ideas in your post! I really enjoy reading it. I definitely agree with your last point about face-to-face communication. I feel the generation coming up now will have a harder time encountering people and communicating face-to-face. They will be use to using technology as a way of communicating. Very similar to Cassie's reply to your post too. We need to make sure our students have these people skills and are not losing everything to technology.
ReplyDeleteLol! I'm actually 3 people away from Rachel McAdams! My aunt used to work for her dad and often went to their home for work parties! I agree with your post. I was having a conversation with a coworker the other day about the lack of community in Canadian society and the consequences that has had on children. We agreed that children who are part of a close knit community usually adjust better in society than those who are not so fortunate. As mentioned above - we, as teachers, need to make sure we are encouraging our students to engage with their communities - whether religious or ethnic, etc.
ReplyDeletehahah love the batman story!
ReplyDeleteIt's weird to think how we've become so connected and at the same time incredibly disconnected from each other.
On the topic of trolling, I'm not an expert, but it sounds like this could cause more bullying issues if people were to gang up on these "trolls"?