Text Box: Volume 2, Issue 4

SCHOOLING OUTLOOKS

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Text Box: Does it rlly sho? Students txt msg all tha tyme nd nw the teachers c all their txtn outside of skool reflecting n their skool wrk. Iz dis rlly bcomin a prblm? We can all admit that we have written a little of our text messaging lingo in some of our school work, but we’re only teenagers and our teachers must understand that we make mistakes sumtymes. Senior Levi May thinks that students’ text messaging reflects in their school work: “You shouldn’t do it at school. You should use that lingo [only] when you’re on the phone or on the Internet. Whenever you get to college it’s going to be unacceptable, and plus, it’s just good to have practice in proper grammar.” Some of the teachers may argue that our professors won’t accept any work of this sort when we go off to college, but there are still some advantages to text message-speak. So what if we use the ampersand symbol instead of writing out the whole word “and”? We all know that teachers understand what we mean when we abbreviate some of our letters. Text message-speak is an easier and faster way for us to write. “I feel that it’s…an easier way of writing and [the teachers] understand what I’m trying to say,” says sophomore Matthew Stimson. “First of all, it’s easier to write that way, and they shouldn’t put limits on how we should write…they understand it anyways,” says sophomore Andrea Champion. We can also get a little confused when teachers give us permission to write in short-hand on our notes, but then when we turn in a paper that has a few abbreviations, teachers mark off points. It wouldn’t hurt to learn something new from us…would it? “I think it is okay…the teachers know what we’re talking about and if they don’t, it would be a good thing to learn,” says freshman Alex Greenwell. Text message-speak is our own way of speaking, it’s faster, it’s easier, you understand what we are trying to say, and it’s part of who we are. These are pretty good explanations for why our texting is okay to use in our school work. So teachers, wuld u plz hear us out?!

     

 

 

Texting, instant messaging, e-mailing; many teens will claim that these are just easier ways to communicate with one another, using abbreviations such as IDK (I don’t know), OMG (Oh my God), and LOL (Laugh out Loud). But many teachers fear that these “new and improved” means of communication are in fact affecting the students’ writing abilities.

     Amanda O'Connor, a spokesperson for New Horizons for Learning states that "there are those who see the use of so-called ‘Internet English’ as a breakdown of the English language. Conversely, there are those who regard this same ‘Internet English’ not only as an example of how language is constantly developing and changing, but also as a type of literacy in and of itself, which can be capitalized on to engage students in more traditional learning." That said, if the use of this so-called “Internet English” is causing students to become poorer writers, is it really worth it?
     O' Connor also states that, "several articles indicate that students who use messaging on a frequent basis often use [incorrect] grammar, poor punctuation, and improper abbreviations in academic writing.” This is what makes texting such a controversial issue among teachers and administrators.
     English teacher Mr. Stevens stated that at the beginning of the year, he did see some text and IM-speak in the blogs that students would turn in, and he took points off for this. But Mr. Stevens also stated that although he does view text and IM-speak as a sign that language is always evolving and changing, students still need to always take into consideration "WHO they are writing for." This means that students need to be able to make the switch between outside-of-school and inside-of-school writing.
      Theology teacher Mr. Schnitzius stated that he, too, sees the text and IM-speak in the online blogs, for which he also takes points off, depending on how major or minor the infraction is. He feels that "texting technology in some cases causes students to be poor writers because their sentence structure becomes less fluent.” Mr. Schnitzius also states that text and IM-speak are okay when you are sending a quick message to a friend, but never okay when you are writing a formal academic assignment."
     Are IM and text-speak friends or foes to the very students who use them? There really is no sure-fire way to determine the specific effect that messaging has on students. However, if your teacher continues to take off 30 points every time you put the letter “u” on
your paper instead of “y-o-u” or a “b/c” for “because” or “2b” for “to be,” then it is probably best that you leave those messages outside of the classroom.

     Silent bullying is not picking on someone or beating them up—it is much worse. Silent bullying is a common issue in schools, and it comes in the form of rumors, gossip, cyber bullying, or judging, and then ends in hurt feelings. The way in which you handle the situation will affect how you will be viewed by your peers after the drama is over.

     The Social Issues Research Center reported that the average guy’s conversation is taken up 55 percent of the time by gossip and 67 percent of the time for girls. Pretty bad, huh? Sometimes teenagers can’t even tell if they’re gossiping. However, maybe you should think before something comes out of your mouth because you wouldn’t want to be the center of someone else’s conversation. The truth is, everyone gets talked about in school. As bad as it can be, you can’t rewind time, and you can’t hide from it either.

     “I heard she has six toes!”  Rumors are very rarely true. Most of the time they are twisted and changed into a completely new story. Most people can relate to being a victim of a false rumor. Senior Marybeth Carlough talks about how her senior class is not as bad with rumors: “Maybe it just comes with being a senior; you’re like a family. You don’t care to spread rumors about someone.”

Oh No She Didn’t! Gossip Is the Worst Type of Bullying

     Cyber bullying occurs when a person is attacked, threatened, hassled, or embarrassed by another person, usually on the Internet or by some other form of technology. Cyber bullying is most common among teens through the use of violent threats and condemnations. Cyber bullying can be a remark about someone in a Myspace bulletin, writing something degrading on someone’s Facebook wall, or even sending a threatening text message. This is not to say that you shouldn’t have a blog site or be able to text people, but if you’re using those forms of technology to bully someone, what is the point? With hormones and emotions flying all over the place, high school and middle school can be a vicious time, but bringing someone else down does not make you any cooler. Even here at Dunne, cyber bullying has become an issue.

     Middle school teacher Ms. Kearney said, “There has been a problem with the eighth grade girls. They have been calling each other names on

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Cell phone. Courtesy of photobucket.com.

By: Kelli Grashel

Text Message-Speak Not Appropriate in School Work?

PRO: Jessica Cooksy                                                                                    CON: Keana Pratt

Text and IM Lingo                                                                            

LOL = laugh out loud · IDK= I don't know · OMG = Oh my God
TTYL = talk to you later · TMI = too much information
BTW = by the way · BFF = best friends forever · GR8 = great        
THX = thanks · XOXO= hugs and kisses · L8R = later                          
J/K = just kidding · ROTFL = rolling on the floor laughing               
w/o = without · 2nite = tonight · 2moro= tomorrow                                  
ne thing= anything · BRB = be right back · ILU = I love you

CaN U WriT3 m3 nOW?