Wanderings…

Good writing and references to the “cannon” remind me of the power and the beauty of reading and writing – and why I became a librarian in the first place.  The Power, the Truth & the Immortality of Words

It has also started me thinking about  communication on the interactive web – ranging from email, to forums, to blogs, to Twitter etc..

We teach expository and creative writing in English class all the time.  How much do we teach about communicating in public?

My questions:

• Are we teaching students how to communicate effectively ONLINE?
• Are there writing conventions that we should be teaching to increase the quality of that discourse?
• Do we teach students how to express their ideas in a compelling and succinct manner?
• Do we teach students how to express disagreement/dismay/disgust respectfully through powerful language, free of expletives?
• Do we teach kids the power of using common  literary & cultural references in their writing outside of English class?
• How many teachers give students the opportunity to practice these skills authentically through blogs and such?

At the risk of being a curmudgeon, when I read the opinions posted on YouTube et al, I despair for the fate of rational discourse in the internet era.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, specific units taught in your school, opinions on how to keep internet communication civil and meaningful, references to articles….anything you would like to share with me – and the small number of folks that wander into this blog now and again.