Comments do strike the emotional sting. Positive and encouraging messages boost my confidence and lead me on to doing more. I'm no different than a child in that regard. Posting negative statements are troublesome and should be made very infrequently. They produce little in the area of results.
I received a comment regarding a picture from Flickr and the words I associated with it. My heart increase a small bit with the kind words. Yes, there is a real draw to communicating with others even when I don't know them nor will ever see.
When I have students post their works on a site such as ToonDoo, I'm concerned that they will receive a negative comment. Children have tender feelings and don't receive hostility will. While positive comments feed their spirits and spur them on to do more. I'm like that too.
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You are right. Negative comments are a real problem on many sites (have you ever noticed some of the horrible comments on YouTube?). How do we prepare students for that? How do we teach them about the impact that THEIR comments could have on another?
ReplyDeleteStudents need to learn the difference between constructive criticism and just plain old fashion mean-ness. When students share their "rough drafts" we repeatedly talk about how we are helping each other become "better" at what we do. We rely a lot on "How would you feel if someone made those comments to you?; think of a nice way to say what you are going to say before saying it; how would you tell yourself what needs to be done to improve your work?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are occasions when comments are made that are not "nice" but the other students in the class are quick to offer suggestions and comments that takes the sting out of any negative comments that have been made.
Leaving comments is another facet that must be addressed and discussed with all students starting at a very early age when using computers.
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