You are a middle school teacher with numerous computers in your classroom. You keep catching your students spending class time receiving and answering instant messages (IM) instead of working on class assignments. Your students say that the IMs are a great way to keep in touch with friends and ask questions about class work. To them, IM messaging is totally cool! Should you allow your students to use instant messaging during class time? Is this a misuse of classtime? If you think that is is a misuse of class time, what can you do to prevent your students from sending and receiving IMs in your class? Can filtering software programs prevent instant messaging?.
.
I do not consider myself a "cool" parent or teacher. But I am fair and fun. However, Instant Messaging would not be used during my class time. This is a tool that will totally take control of your class room, along with PDA, Cell phones, beepers, etc. This is a misuse of class time unless there is a specific project involved utilizing this technology. All of this technology is wonderful and powerful for everyday use. However, put in the hands of our kids, especially those who are not taught well at home and are not interested in education, should not be permitted in class unless it is monitored by the teacher.
The students are claiming that this is a great way to keep in touch with friends, not in my classroom!! Keep in touch at home, in PE or at lunch time. We are losing alot of our children's interest to some of today's technology that are being misued and not teaching them to study or learn. Please don't get me wrong, I think today's technology in the classroom is a remarkable tool. I wished I had it growing up; however, some of these tools need to be monitored or done at home under parental supervision.
The url: http://www.scsite.com/tdc2/default.cfm'module=issue&chap=2 directed me to the Media Awareness Network, Instant Messaging.
