Why so crucial still? Is it me or are students more and more casual today? This can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. Good casual is when it translate into students feeling they can approach me and engage in a real conversation with me - that would be my definition of a good casual. Bad casual would be...let me give you an example...a student email:
xosweetsugarxo@emailname.com wrote: [slightly changed for anonymity]I'm sure you have received many, many emails of similar nature or let's be honest - far worse! So in my conversation I found myself recommending she consider establishing netiquette or Etiquette rules from the start. Then - like always - I started to reflect on this and think about other perspectives...is this a good idea? I've always held to the idea that it is our job, as educators, to teach students that they need to know how to address people appropriately given their situation - its a life skill. Technology- given its now transparent existance in our relationships is no different. Addressing a prospective employer demands certain context, a best friend another, a teacher another, and so on. When you get down to it - its not even a technology skill per se - its a communication skill its just that the technology is beginning to consume a great deal of our communication and yet there is a presumed casualness about it that needs to be considered. Also, in my defense of why its our job to teach our students these things - its in our mission statement - is one of our colleges core values.
i can't get my username and password to work.
We acknowledge that accurate, clear, concise, respectful and transparent communication is fundamental to enhancing relationships, developing shared understanding and assuring the long-term success of our college.So then why do I wonder if its the right thing to do? In gathering resources for this faculty member I came across an article and a student asks...are we in fact hindering students from contacting us? Are we putting up barriers to communication? This is a good question. What do you think? Is there a happy medium? Can we have guidelines without barriers? What would that look like?
2 comments:
I don't see a student email whining about not having a username and password as "bad casual." I think it's a necessity to be accepting of those types of emails especially when colleges don't have proper help desks. If we don't, are numbers dwindle fast in online classes. What I find as "bad casual" is when student think they can send you "information" or invite you to things online using your email address. Or even worse when they feel the need to respond to your class announcement email with their own personal comments, like "that was a good message. You're funny. This one time I was..." They just start chatting like we're old friends. lol. That's bad casual.
dr. coop i agree your example is an excellent one. admittedly, my example was weak or more so about context than content. In this case the "casual" was in the email address from sweetsugar something with no opening or closing, no information, such as their name nor a context for the email - like what class they are in, where they are trying to log into into for that matter, and really, a "thanks for the help" goes a long way. You know - all those things we learned in 7th grade english about how to properly address someone - especially if you need their help. You're right though - the more "bad casuals" are the ones where the content itself is - bad - I am constantly baffled by how they write such an email to me as if they were im'ing their best friend.
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