I am thinking of a "teaching moment" here - I return such e-mails with a note asking the student to use college level English (I do not read or respond to the content - simply let them know that if they want me to read and respond, it must be suitable for college level). I also teach online and in my classes I refer to postings as "essays" and "essay responses." While the student "should" know this, I consider it is a teaching moment. I do not respond to "no subject" e-mails - students in my classes learn this quickly. I ask students to put the course and section in the Subject line and sign the e-mail with the first and last name. (Sometimes I give a brief lecture on why [EMAIL PROTECTED] . . . is not cute - it is risky.)
Susan St. John-Jarvis, Assoc. Professor of Sociology
Corning Community College
1 Academic Drive
Corning, NY 14830
(607) 962-9526 or secretary 962-9239
> lulled into thinking that all people of this younger generation
> communicate this way. Though many do, effective communicators do
> not. My 26 year old daughter, a "starving artist" devoting her
> life to Shakespearean theatre, never has communicated with her
> peers in that fashion; not does my 10 year old daughter, even when
> other kids ask "why are you talking that way" when she does not
> abbreviate on Instant Messaging. I have never point blank
> instructed them on this matter -- but they've picked up the
> message somehow that communication is everything -- so let's
> communicate beautifully and effectively.
>
> My husband, who works in public relations, says the communication
> styles of many of the young people interviewing is appalling. The
> ones who are hired are articulate. We can't send students out
> into the world, with 10s of thousands of dollars of college debt,
> only to find they can't get a job.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jack Estes
> To: Michael Klausner ; [email protected]
> Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 12:28 PM
> Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: An e-mail from a student...
>
>
> I've mentioned such things in class, broadly, in discussing
> things like impression management, but I never have (or very
> seldome have) to an individual student. I don't want a student to
> be worrying about being "correct" in his or her communication to
> me. Just as I wouldn't comment on correct English in a classroom,
> or comment on the way the student dresses, or combs his or her
> hair, or walks. We might raise these things in general in a
> discussion in class, but I really want students to contact me. In
> this case, since this student has apparently failed your class,
> you might be able to subtly suggest to him or her that all these
> things add up. Probably not, though. I keep thinking about what
> I'm in it for. It's really to help a student feel as good about
> school, about the class, and about life as possible. If the
> student learns something about sociology in the process, so much
> the better.
>
> That was a quick off-the-top end-of-term response. It's a
> serious issue, I think.
>
> Glad you asked.
>
> Jack Estes
> BMCC/CUNY
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael Klausner
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 12:14 PM
> Subject: TEACHSOC: An e-mail from a student...
>
>
> I received this e-mail from a student who was in my class last
> term. I replied that the horrendous punctuation, grammar, spelling
> was not appropriate when communicating with anyone except friends,
> perhaps.
>
>
> Even then, it would not be appropriate. Should I have been
> "harder", "easier" on him?
>
>
>
> Comments welcome
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> you were right when u said u wanted to see me again ahaha.. i
> was wonderign when ur classes were for fall semester so i can see
> if i can retake ur class.. get back to me when you can
>
> sincerly,
>
>
>
>
>
>
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