Digital Blog F

 

During my first two years working for the school district, having a school email served little to no purpose for me. My first year, spend with an afterschool program, I was not even told I had an email address. When I returned as a part-time lunch/recess aid, I found literally thousands of emails from the previous school that I didn't even know I'd had access to (and boy did those take a while to delete)!
This school year, my first year as a full-timer, I couldn't imagine the day without the use of email. I send at least ten a day for all sorts of reasons. In the media center, I let teachers know when books are ready for students, if a student made bad choices with me, or what their students' progress reports for tests they've taken on books. Email is essential for schools to run effectively. In my observations, I have also seen that it is a big part of the educator's day as well. Teachers communicate daily with parents to let them know how their child is doing, what is going on in the school, or even what was learned that day. Many parents are unable to volunteer in their child's classroom due to work or other priorities. Email keeps that important element of communication open for those with little extra time on their hands.

https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/dqug00u0Fd3/communication/

Something many people dislike about email, however, is how it is an asynchronous communication. When communicating via email, text message, or through other online sources, there isn't a guarantee you will get your response right away. Many times, email is a waiting game. While it's contents may be of importance, it is not dire that the receiver read it the second it is received. A phone call would be an example of the opposite! When being asked a question on the phone, an answer must be given right away, known as synchronous communication. Both types of communication are great for many different things. Asynchronous is great for asking a question you know will take some time to get or for making announcements that don't even need a response. Synchronous communication is great for that face-to-face feel and for relaying urgent, time-sensitive information.

Sending physical letters is what I like to call extreme-asynchronous communication!

Something I found very interesting in the reading was how researchers have found texting to be a positive influence on children's reading proficiency. While some abbreviations made through text and email by youngsters seem a bit ridiculous, it does promote the freedom to write words as they hear them and practice the phonetics they might have learned in class. Being able to communicate through text is fun and interesting to children - let's face it, most children do have smart phones today! Communicating outside the traditional face-to-face or phone call methods can give children control of their conversation and might even prove to be educational to them. They will further learn the ins and outs of their phone, as well as begin to remember where certain letters are on a keyboard (a must for adults wanting to type without frustration!).                                                                                                    Jan V. Pixabay


Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Smith, K. (2015, October 11). Communication. Created with PowToon. https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/dqug00u0Fd3/communication/