In our school, the students in grades 8-12 all have their own laptops. They carry them around with them and use them as appropriate in every class. This means that when they have a question, they can ask it via email at any moment during the day.I love that they can do this and will reply as soon as I am able. Sometimes I am teaching, and can't answer right away. Other times I respond in seconds because I am online working anyway.
What strikes me is that although they think to send the email, they rarely think to check to see if I answered. Every day a student will stand in my doorway and casually ask, did you get my email?
My response is always the same, "Yes. Did you get my response?"
I have never been more connected, more accessible to my students... and still we are disconnected.
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It seems that as technology becomes more and more prevalent, my generation becomes better at talking and worse at communicating.
ReplyDeleteInteresting... do you think you are better at talking? What about your life promotes that?
ReplyDeleteAm I better at talking? Well, I try my hardest to think before speaking, making sure my thought will come out cohesive at the least. I never want someone to misunderstand me.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I refuse to do is have an argument or a serious conversation via text or Facebook. If we can't speak face to face, I will pick up the phone and call to have that discussion. There is so much room for miscommunication when you can't hear voice inflections or see body language.