There I am. Sitting on the pew at church. We have just finished singing and in the middle of a prayer—when, I hear chimes. Not church chimes. Ringtone chimes. Without looking up, I make a visual note of the general direction of the ring. Is it on the right side of the auditorium, where the teens sit? No. Once again, one of my peers has failed to turn their cell phone on vibrate or silent during church services. This has happened more often than I want to remember. And I hate to admit it, but not once has the offender been a young person.
I think we all need to be reminded of digital correctness. Because students today have grown up in the digital age, they sometimes need to hear the guidelines. According to Clark (2009), when sending an email we should:
1. Use courteous language and punctuation
2. Avoid abbreviations, slang expression and emoticons
3. Use proper punctuation
4. Proofread
5. Use spellcheck
Another matter regarding digital communication addresses the use of cell phones and the guidelines that should prevail. Clark’s views on leaving phone messages are as follows:
1. Identify yourself
2. Plan you message
3. Be concise
4. Show respect
Further, the website LetsTalk.com suggests:
1. When in doubt, mute
2. Choose ringtones you won’t regret
3. Yak, don’t yell
4. When in earshot, keep it short
5. Don’t text and drive
6. Excuse yourself before taking the call
7. Say please before they say cheese
8. If it’s an emergency, take the call
Basically, good digital communication skills can be condensed into a few words:
Be considerate.
And, as I tell my Pre-K children:
Be kind.
Clark, T. (2009). Hello? Are Your Students Communicating Appropriately?. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(3), 34. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
GetNetWise. (1999-2008). Retrieved May 21, 2011, from Internet Education
Foundation website: http://www.getnetwise.org/
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