Hi all,
watz yr opiniN on txt spk n d clsrum? shd it B allowd?
For those who are struggling to read my questions click here to translate!
This leads me onto this week's discussions; What place do textspeak and hypertext have in the classroom?
I personally cannot stand textspeak and will only embrace it in a text message to limit character usage and save me from having to send two messages(yes I lose my morals to save a buck!) But there are many people out there that adore this new literacy, so should we cater for their needs?
I think I will struggle as a teacher ever educating children on textspeak. That said in certain scenarios I may not penalise or hinder the use of this modern literacy. For example textspeak for informal note taking or when using chat/instant messager in education is acceptable. However if a child hands me a written piece for assessment littered with textspeak the page will soon change from white to red! Red due to marker pen not blood, I am not that anti textspeak!
Hypertext however, I find a very useful tool. I have seen these used in websites such as wikipedia but never known how to embed them into my work. Things have now changed, and I fear I may become a hyperlink addict. As a teacher I think they could be a very useful tool in a lesson. Clicking on a word during teaching to explain/emphasise a topic will help to deepen knowledge. For the children it may encourage them to search for additional information to beef up an assignment that they might not have otherwise done.
For example a child may write: kangaroos come from Australia.
This link to information about Australia means they have put more detail into the statement thus hopefully increasing their knowledge.
What is clear is that literacy is changing as a result of new technologies and probably my opinions, like literacy, will change in the future.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Technology is changing constantly and this will continuely change the way embrace txt speak. I too use to adopt txt speak when writing txt msgs however with the introduction of the iphone that automatically writes the entire word i have found I am using less and less txt speak. Because I am not practising using this type of literacy Im finding I'm not even using it in my note taking anymore. I wonder if, with the introduction of these new advanced technologies whether txt speak will decrease in popularity?
ReplyDeleteI think hypertexts are useful as well - but only in the right amount. When I read websites I like the idea of being able to link to other sites to obtain more info, but I often feel obligated to follow a lot of the hyperlinks because I think that maybe there is some important piece of information that I need to read in order to deepen my understanding. If there are too many hyperlinks, then after a point it just gets really annoying. I think in the classroom context I would teach students to be selective about what they choose to hyperlink (get them to consider whether hyperlinking a particular phrase will benefit or hinder the reader).
ReplyDeleteMary, I agree that the over use of hyperlinks can be annoying and if over used become obsolete as the reader will not bother 'clicking'. Teaching the students to use the hyperlink effectively is wise; it is only beneficial if it adds value.
ReplyDeletei dnt mind txtspk. it has its place. i wonder wat ppl thort wen we stopped spking 'ye olde english language'? language evolves, its adaptable and its generational. i dnt think it should b ignored quite so quickly.
ReplyDeleteam i saving time with dropping some of my ltrs - not right now coz im trying 2 hard with it.
i think it has its place, and i think that place can exist in the classroom and in a teaching capacity. the irony behind a students attempt to right an entire essay in txtspk may have served an essential service if it were supporting a message on technology in the modern world, or generational change, societal attitudes. the new trend must be viewed in context, students are quick and extremely able to do this. most will not speak to their teachers or parents the way the speak and interact with their friends, similarly i dont think it would take a series of rules or instructions for students to know when and where it is appropriate to use txtspk.
i think some openmindness is they key to this issue. to serve not only an educational purpose, but to assure students that there is an understanding from the teacher that what they are doing is not wrong but perhaps fitting with the times.
I think the iphone/ipad is certainly going to mean less textspeak. Someone laughed at me for owning an ancient Nokia the other day! I'm feeling behind the times. Anyway, yeah, I think that hyperlinks are helpful but it can also increase that "partial attention syndrome". I often have many pages open at once & forget to read any of them properly. I'm sure kids are going to fall into this trap. How do we encourage kids to focus when there are links everywhere? Sometimes its more fun to click, click, click than actually read anything in depth!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Kate, that it's all about context. A codeswitching approach would attempt to raise students' sensitivity to the boundaries around appropriate uses of textspeak, and help them see when and how they need to switch out of it.
ReplyDeleteYour final point is an important one - it is a good idea to recognise and validate students' pre-existing knowledge, recognising openly that textspeak has its place ... and then building on that knowledge as you train them in how to move towards more standard language.
There is definitely an art to using hyperlinks - and part of what we will increasingly need to teach students is how to use them effectively to enhance the message of a text without distracting the reader's attention unnecessarily.
ReplyDeleteI think when reading text on a computer there are so many distractions anyway that a few hyperlinks are not going to be a problem. I seldom read a text without a break to another site on the net. Arguably they provide a distraction that is at least semi relevant, much more so than Facebook.
ReplyDeleteBut like most things, they are enjoyed best in moderation.