Instant Messaging
Students in today’s world instant message and text regularly. The article explored the relationship between IM and formal writing. There seems to be an emerging out-of-school literacy and teachers are faced with the dilemma of how to and if they should incorporate.
I’ve wondered how to handle the situation of text literacy/language and the formal/traditional writing. When I taught, it was at the third grade level and before cell phones became an issue in schools. The article suggests that children are able to separate genre in writing and function in multiple literacy environments. I had not thought of it in that way. We ask students to read different genre and react appropriately and self-monitor. Why couldn’t students do the same with written literacy forms? The young lady in the article viewed IM as talking not writing. I wonder if we approached traditional writing in the same way would students view writing as form of talking?
I do not text. At this point, I haven’t had a need to learn how to text. I can see this is a weakness for me. In order to best assist my students, I need to be literate in their languages. It would be a powerful message if teachers took the time to understand the language of children since we expect them to understand the language of adults.
Jacobs, G. (2008, November). We Learn What We Do: Developing a Repertoire of Writing Practices in an Instant Messaging World. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(3), 203-211. Retrieved April 14, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.
Instant Messaging and texting are becoming more and more popular with students. I would agree that making these two forms of writing to a teacher’s advantage would be helpful. If more students are able to connect and use these types of informal writing, why not use them more in schools? On the other hand, I still feel that more formal writings are necessary but informal writing using IM and text features would not be a bad thing in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteRE- When student teaching in my fifth grade class, my students were crazy about texting and IMing. Through different activities, I just had to try and help students understand the different language we use in school, and what is appropriate for home and for texting and iming!
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