Question: Do you think students should have Email accounts at school?
The IT Guy says:
Yes, absolutely, but I think schools should take prudent steps to both teach students about Email netiquette and Internet safety in general, as well as monitor student Email activities.
One great way is to use Gaggle.net as the preferred student Email solution. Gaggle offers three different versions, including a free option, a subscription version, and a licensed server version which your district can run and operate. The main benefit is that it does not subject students to online advertising when they access their Email.
For resource suggestions on Internet Safety, refer to my Internet Safety Portal.
Schools have an obligation to prepare students for success in the real world outside the classroom, and helping students learn to safely and effectively use Email is a key literacy skill in the 21 st Century. School districts who are not actively helping students acquire Email literacy skills are missing the boat. Gone are the days when the primary communication skills students needed to learn in school were how to write personal and professional handwritten letters. “The World is Flat,” as Thomas Friedman has insightfully observed, and our schools need to be responding appropriately. Teaching Email skills is just one way educators can help prepare students for this flattened world.
Next Tip: iPods in the classroom?
