discourse. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved 7 30, 2009,
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In Don't Feed the Trolls, Karen Richardson expresses the need for education regarding civil discourse, especially since online communication and blogging have become a widely used tool in the classroom. Blogs and other online communication tools have advantages such as the fact that students can post and share their work with peers and receive feedback. In addition to the positive attributes of online communication and postings, certain problems have also presented themselves. For example, some students spread gossip and post inappropriate messages on others' pages. Mean comments are left on blogs and social networking sites, and negative messages are also posted regarding teachers and schools as well. Some suggestions for teaching civil discourse include reviewing the rules, putting the rules into practice, encouraging students to monitor their activity, and being a model of civil discourse.
How might teachers show students the connection between the rules they follow every day at home and at school and rules of civil discourse online?
I think that teachers could give students scenarios and concrete examples of things that happen in the real world and in virtual interactions that are similar and call for similar, responsible action. For example a teacher could act out a disagreement with his or her students and show them how disagreements are different and similar when carried out online and face-to-face and why both situations call for civil discourse and what that looks like.
What might be some challenges of teaching civil discourse?
Despite a teacher's attempt to help students see the connection between online communication and the real world, some students may fail to take their online action seriously. They may fail to see the consequences of their actions because they are not as tangible as face-to-face interactions in which they take part in. When group discussions regarding civil discourse are not enough to make the connection for a student, further discussions perhaps on a one on one basis may help. Other challenges might include students who, even though they see that their actions might be inappropriate, continue to abuse online communication tools because they like the attention, whether it is positive or negative, that they receive because of it.
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