Lesson: Forms and Norms (6-8)

Introduce

EXPLAIN that when we communicate using the Internet, cell phones, or mobile devices, it is sometimes hard to know what is appropriate to say or write, given our different audiences.

PROVIDE this example: You would probably use a different form (email, IM) and a different norm (standard and expectation for communication) if you were emailing with your teacher than if you were texting with a friend about an assignment.

REVIEW the Key Vocabulary with students, making sure to define the words “form” and “norm.”

In short, people communicate in different ways depending on:

• The form used
• The norms that are expected
• The audience (to whom we are speaking)
• The purpose of the communication

PAIR students to do a short role-play exercise in which they explore norms of communication. Have one member of each pair role-play how someone their age might greet one of the following people after not seeing him or her for a long time. Students can take turns playing different characters. When students are finished, ask for a few pairs to demonstrate.

• Grandmother
• Best friend
• Teacher

ASK: What are some general characteristics of how kids might communicate when they are:

Texting their friends? Sample responses:

• Lowercase letters
• Informal tone and incomplete sentences
• Abbreviations and Internet slang (e.g., LOL)
• Emoticons
• Assuming kids know what’s being referred to (incomplete context)

Writing assignments for class? Sample responses:

• Paragraph structure
• Standard grammar and spelling
• Formal tone and complete sentences
• Need to explain fully what’s going on (complete context)

Making a comment on a public message board? Sample responses:

• Would identify who I’m responding to by pasting in their post before my response
• Probably not be too familiar in tone
• Would reveal little or no personal information

Teach 1: Analyze Transcripts

GUIDE students to analyze written transcripts of communications that have taken place over digital media. Pass out copies of the Mystery Transcripts Student Handout, which is a set of three transcripts. DIVIDE the class into pairs, and ask each pair to fill out the Mystery Transcripts Student Handout, in which they must identify who the speakers in the conversation are, identify communication forms and norms, and figure out the purpose of the conversation. Refer to the Mystery Transcripts Student Handout – Teacher Version for guidance on how to analyze the three transcripts. For each transcript:

• Invite students to read the script aloud to the class
• Call for each pair to analyze all three transcripts, identifying how different speakers, forms and norms, and purposes create completely different kinds of communication
• Ask students to consider the ways they agreed or disagreed about the identity of the communicators, codes and conventions used, or the purpose of the conversation

Teach 2: Modify Transcripts

GUIDE students to modify their transcripts. Ask students to alter one of the three transcripts to another form and with another audience in mind. Refer to the Mystery Transcripts Student Handout – Teacher Version for direction.

Wrap Up & Assess

Use the modified transcript that students have produced to assess their understanding of the lesson objectives. Review the following key points with students to assess their grasp of these objectives.

ASK: What factors should we consider as we communicate in online settings? The standards and social norms given the form or type of communication.

ASK: How might your communication change for a blog entry for class? Might include complete sentences and no personal information, but with a tone that is a bit conversational and inviting for others to participate.

• How might your communication change for an email to your teacher asking for help on homework?  Polite, including greetings and official signoff.
• How might your communication change for a text to your mom or dad asking if you can stay after school? Conversational, but with only the simplest Internet abbreviations.
• How might your communication change for an instant message to your best f riend asking what they want for lunch? Shorthand, informal, incomplete sentences.

Explain that effective communicators change, shift, and adapt their forms and norms depending on the audience, purpose, and context of their message. People online generally cannot see your facial expressions or hear your tone of voice. They have only two ways of judging what you’re thinking: One way is by the words you choose; the other is by the manners you use. It is therefore important to choose what you say wisely.

Extension

EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Students translate common online shorthand and “text speak” for parents and teachers. They brainstorm five to seven phrases that kids might text or IM to one another that might confuse parents. They “translate” these phrases for parents or teachers and provide definitions for terms. Phrases should be longer than just “TTYL,” for instance, since we want the translation not to just involve spelling out an acronym.