Journal 6: Don't Feed the Trolls

Citation:
Richardson, K. W. (2008, May). Don’t feed the trolls. Learning & Leading with Technology, 35, Retrieved July 27, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfmSection=May_No_7_&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=3972&ContentID=20817&DirectListComboInd=D

Summary:
This article talks about how to educate students about the proper way to interact on the internet. This means that it shows students the correct ways to act civilly in a blog, message board, forum, etc... Since the internet has become such an important tool for students and educators alike, it has become more and more important to educate everyone on the correct way to interact with others through those mediums.This is broken down into reviewing rules of interaction and then putting those rules into practice. Also, students must be taught that they should be aware of what they post and to review and reflect upon them to see if they are appropriate. And finally, teachers and parents alike must effectively model those rules of social discourse and show the children the correct ways to interact online. It is ultimately the responsibility of the adults in charge to be positive role models for the students.

What is a troll? And how do you avoid one?
A troll is defined as “a person who posts rude or offensive messages on the Internet, such as in online discussion forums, to disrupt discussion or to upset its participants." These types of people dont have anything constructive to add to a conversation, they only serve to cause havoc and disruption to online communities and forums. The article says that the best way to avoid a troll is to ignore one. Anyone that posts disruptive material does so in order to get attention. Though it may be hard to ignore him, that is the best way to discourage them from interacting any more.

How can teachers educate students on effective online communication?
Teachers must show students the rules from various message boards and forums so that they can understand the types of things allowed or forbidden on the forum. Students can also take a netiquette quiz or explore the StopCyberBullying.com site in order to understand what constitutes inappropriate behavior online. Also, a teacher may have the class come up with their own rules for proper behavior online so that they can reflect as a group and decide what is appropriate or not online.