All of my friends are heading off to ISTE DENVER today, and I've been living vicariously through their tweets and blog posts. However, one blog post really caught my eye. Scott McLeod posted ISTE's "official rules for the backchannel." The rules included "be nice," "be clear," and "be open."
Does ISTE really need rules for the backchannel? Should we always have to "be nice" when we are pushing our learning to the next level? Shouldn't we be encouraged to question the status quo? Doesn't the entire idea of "be nice" reinforce the notion that "group think" is inevitable among our personal learning networks?
I think we should encourage teachers and students alike to maintain a healthy cynicism. You can disagree respectfully. Find the facts. Look deeper. Make a change.
Further, every time we post something rude or inappropriate on a backchannel, it's like we are screaming FIRE in a crowded movie theatre. We are spending precious social capital. Everyone who sees an inappropriate comment judges that user. It's human nature. In essence, there is no reinforcement for being "that snarky person" on the backchannel.
Most importantly, how do we teach students to spend their social capital wisely on the web? I think the consequences are natural, but public. Education is the key to helping students navigate these tricky waters
Photo from: Wes Fryer at www.flickr.com/photos/
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