All about Email!

Do you remember who taught you how to use email professionally? If you're anything like me, you probably learned the tricks of email right alongside its evolution. If the daily emails I receive from students are any indication, they haven't been taught how to email professionally either.  Yet, unlike today's students, I never had to code-switch between the languages developed for text or IM and the more formal language of email, I just treated email kind of like the "thank-you" letter I'd send to my Aunt Helena.

Considering just how much I, along with most professionals I know, use email on a daily basis, it seems that this is a skill we need to be teaching to our students.  With the widespread use of Google Apps for Education (GAFE), most schools provide students with email addresses as early as 1st or 2nd grade, but seldom take the time to educate them about this powerful tool.  Think about all of the unfortunate "reply to all" and "all staff" group emails that could be avoided with just a little instruction!

 As educators, it is our responsibility to prep our students to develop good email habits because this life-skill will serve them well in every facet of life to come. The resources below are great to use with students, and you might even find a helpful hint or two as well.

• Check out Alice Keeler's insights and crowdsourced slide deck of great email etiquette tips for students.
• eEtiquette: 101 guidelines for the digital world contains hundreds (more than 101) of tips for successfully navigating things like email, social networks, blogging, IM, and more.
• This video outlines 5 important email tips for students.

• With more of a business focus, this video provides some good workplace email tips, but students would be well served to learn this information early.