# Speaking Up in Class, Silently, Using Social Media



## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/education/13social.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Comments Section:
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/education/13social.html



> Now, Erin Olson, an English teacher in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, is among a small but growing cadre of educators trying to exploit Twitter-like technology to enhance classroom discussion. Last Friday, as some of her 11th graders read aloud from a poem called "To the Lady," which ponders why bystanders do not intervene to stop injustice, others kept up a running commentary on their laptops.
> 
> The poet "says that people cried out and tried but nothing was done," one student typed, her words posted in cyberspace.
> 
> ...


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Some comments to the article:



> As a university professor, I disagree with the students who believe the technology "gives them a voice." It allows them to hide behind the technology and provides a false sense of security. Part of our jobs as educators is to teach effective communication in multiple forms - listening, speaking, and writing. If technology allows a substitution for verbal communication, it is a failure.





> Educators should stop with the gimmicks and superficial, and step back and work on the fundamental principles we have that do not required technology. And yes technology 'is going away' if you ban it from he classroom, period.
> 
> Want to get your kids to get comfortable talking in class? Ban phones and laptops, even at college level (I do and the class loves me for it). Require participation from the get go and make the environment psychologically safe to express any opinion. Go around the room, from day one. Everyone has to talk. Cold call. Get students to make small on their feet presentations. Require them to stretch a bit.
> 
> The point isn't just to get them to participate, but to get COMFORTABLE participating. That will stay with them for life, and be actually useful in real life where one can't just participate in anonymous forums or behind a screen on twitter.





> No. Just...no. Simply because something is easier doesn't mean it is preferable. This is especially true in academia. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach these children how to communicate in an adult fashion; how to own up to your ideas and defend them in a public setting. Allowing students the passivity of such tools inhibits their development as mature thinkers. Whether in high school or college, students must learn these skills. What are they supposed to do in job interviews? There are few professions for which a command of spoken communication is not central.





> The comments to this article are just more proof of how this society condemns introverts. To all of you who think, what's so hard about raising your hand and speaking up, you clearly have no concept of what it's like to go through life as an introvert. You should take the time to read up on it and see it from another's perspective.


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## Marooned (Feb 20, 2004)

The NY Times' comments are always insightful, and all of the perspectives you quote have merit. I'm sure you'll find that many here are of a similar mind to the one who authored the last comment, but though this type of interaction was a source of great terror for me while in school, I am inclined to agree with the others. Being able to verbally express one's ideas is a fundamental part of what it means to be educated. It is a skill which I greatly regret never having acquired, as it becomes much more difficult later in life once we've become stuck in our ways. Even the most cogent writing cannot compensate for an inability to articulate one's beliefs. Giving voice to thought helps us to clarify our ideas, shatters our often unwarranted confidence in them by exposing them to scrutiny in a more personal setting, and overall makes for a more agile and capable mind. 

That said, an entirely different approach needs to be taken if we are to successfully impart this skill to all and not just those predisposed to speak out. This cold calling and presentation business does not make those like us more comfortable but only reinforces the idea that speaking out is something to be dreaded and avoided. Rather, it should be done in much smaller groups, with those less inclined to speak grouped together, or even on a one-on-one basis with the teacher to gently ease them into the process. Each student is different; very few of us learn best in large classes where individual needs go ignored. Our education system is really in a shambles, and there are too many who would have us believe that technology is the answer: Throw more computers in the classroom and all will be well. It is a misguided approach. We need less distraction, more compassion and engagement. Unfortunately, we have a culture whose values have become so debased, it leaves one with very little hope that things will ever improve.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Marooned said:


> The NY Times' comments are always insightful, and all of the perspectives you quote have merit. I'm sure you'll find that many here are of a similar mind to the one who authored the last comment, but though this type of interaction was a source of great terror for me while in school, I am inclined to agree with the others. Being able to verbally express one's ideas is a fundamental part of what it means to be educated. It is a skill which I greatly regret never having acquired, as it becomes much more difficult later in life once we've become stuck in our ways. Even the most cogent writing cannot compensate for an inability to articulate one's beliefs. Giving voice to thought helps us to clarify our ideas, shatters our often unwarranted confidence in them by exposing them to scrutiny in a more personal setting, and overall makes for a more agile and capable mind.
> 
> That said, an entirely different approach needs to be taken if we are to successfully impart this skill to all and not just those predisposed to speak out. This cold calling and presentation business does not make those like us more comfortable but only reinforces the idea that speaking out is something to be dreaded and avoided. Rather, it should be done in much smaller groups, with those less inclined to speak grouped together, or even on a one-on-one basis with the teacher to gently ease them into the process. Each student is different; very few of us learn best in large classes where individual needs go ignored. Our education system is really in a shambles, and there are too many who would have us believe that technology is the answer: Throw more computers in the classroom and all will be well. It is a misguided approach. We need less distraction, more compassion and engagement. Unfortunately, we have a culture whose values have become so debased, it leaves one with very little hope that things will ever improve.


Yeah, cold calling is the worst. It would be nice if presentations or discussion were done in smaller groups. I can handle 5 people or so but 30 is way too nerve-wracking. The one-on-one thing with the teacher is probably not possible because of time constraints.


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