Comments on: Does Facebook promote bad rhetorical skills? http://teleogistic.net/2008/12/does-facebook-promote-bad-rhetorical-skills/ Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:49:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Boone http://teleogistic.net/2008/12/does-facebook-promote-bad-rhetorical-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Boone Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:48:00 +0000 http://boonebgorges.com/blog/?p=6#comment-4 <p>Kalynne, you said something in <a href="http://phdwithninekids.blogspot.com/2008/11/uncut-facebook-interview-part-iii.html" rel="nofollow">the third section</a> of the (very enjoyable) interview you linked to that responds directly to Joe's concern. Some students don't want professors in their space; others think it's cool to friend their professors. Using Facebook the way you do, namely in such a way that it's not required for the class, lets both kinds of students have their way. So, unless every student in class is cool with it, low-stakes integration is the way to go.</p> <p>This makes me think about how it's hard as an instructor to find the right attitude toward FB. It's easy to be too eager about it, because you want to be the cool professor (though of course this is not a problem for me because I'm so naturally cool that I don't need to try). On the other hand, some profs take pleasure in being as uncool and curmudgeonly as possible. But that's probably a way worse mistake, since it rules out all sorts of possible avenues of communication with students. Kalynne, the attitude you describe in that interview strikes me as a pretty good middle ground.</p> Kalynne, you said something in the third section of the (very enjoyable) interview you linked to that responds directly to Joe’s concern. Some students don’t want professors in their space; others think it’s cool to friend their professors. Using Facebook the way you do, namely in such a way that it’s not required for the class, lets both kinds of students have their way. So, unless every student in class is cool with it, low-stakes integration is the way to go.

This makes me think about how it’s hard as an instructor to find the right attitude toward FB. It’s easy to be too eager about it, because you want to be the cool professor (though of course this is not a problem for me because I’m so naturally cool that I don’t need to try). On the other hand, some profs take pleasure in being as uncool and curmudgeonly as possible. But that’s probably a way worse mistake, since it rules out all sorts of possible avenues of communication with students. Kalynne, the attitude you describe in that interview strikes me as a pretty good middle ground.

]]> By: Kalynne Pudner http://teleogistic.net/2008/12/does-facebook-promote-bad-rhetorical-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Kalynne Pudner Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:01:32 +0000 http://boonebgorges.com/blog/?p=6#comment-3 Our student newspaper did a story on profs using facebook (there are several dozen, plus staff, with various degrees of activity). The reporter interviewed me (my website link here goes to Part I of that three-part intereview), because I seem to be the one with the largest student base. It is a different style of communication, giving rise to a relationship of a different "flavor." Some of my students feel as Joe's do, but more seem to think it's novel and fun. I can't help noticing, however, that I get a rush of friends requests from students every semester AFTER final grades have been posted. Our student newspaper did a story on profs using facebook (there are several dozen, plus staff, with various degrees of activity). The reporter interviewed me (my website link here goes to Part I of that three-part intereview), because I seem to be the one with the largest student base. It is a different style of communication, giving rise to a relationship of a different “flavor.” Some of my students feel as Joe’s do, but more seem to think it’s novel and fun. I can’t help noticing, however, that I get a rush of friends requests from students every semester AFTER final grades have been posted.

]]> By: Joe http://teleogistic.net/2008/12/does-facebook-promote-bad-rhetorical-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Joe Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:27:59 +0000 http://boonebgorges.com/blog/?p=6#comment-2 Oh, it definitely should not be ruled out--but there's another issue which is worth considering. Every time I've discussed this question with students, they give the same answer (a couple of times they've actually come back to me after thinking it over for a few days, and then given this answer). "We don't want you on facebook. That's *our* space. If professors start using it, we're going to find somewhere else." Oh, it definitely should not be ruled out–but there’s another issue which is worth considering. Every time I’ve discussed this question with students, they give the same answer (a couple of times they’ve actually come back to me after thinking it over for a few days, and then given this answer).

“We don’t want you on facebook. That’s *our* space. If professors start using it, we’re going to find somewhere else.”

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