"The Evil Internet"
Many of us use the internet in our day to day tasks, but what do you think might help us as employees and possibly any of our staff from being tempted to explore sites that are not relevant to our goals?
Keri,
The best advise I can give is to set "appointments" to do email and other web-based activities. Whenever possible, get away from your PC.
Jeffrey Schillinger
The interent is the wave of the future, it has it good qualities and it's bad qualities, it how you use it.
Ruth,
What are some positive ways you use the Internet to achieve course and program objectives?
Jeffrey Schillinger
You have to allow time for employees to check outside emails or Facebook..it's the same as if they were taking a smoke break or taking a 5 minute break to talk with co-workers. Expecting employees to work 8 hours straight will make for unrealistic expectations and reduced quality of work because employees will be unsatisfied with their job expectations.
Michelle,
Many studies of net generation workers have shown that work and personal life tend to intermingle. It probably is not counterproductive to allow employees some leeway relative to facebook, twitter, etc. during the day.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I think we definitely need some time to check thing related to our personal lives on the net during the day. But, we should be aware that time can quickly get vacuumed away on the computer!
James,
Consider setting a timer. It helps.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Because of our curriculum and the tasks students need to learn I absolutely will not let them access the internet during classtime or the lab time on their phones unless we come accross something in the lesson that needs further clarification. I then use this opportunity as a learning tool for the students to teach them to find what they need and then stop looking and go back to the task at hand.
From a personal perspective I have internet access all day at work. I only go to the net for news during my lunchtime or to research something specifically for work. I am very disciplined in staying on task when using the internet. I would never access any social media site from my work computer-it opens up the intranet structure to whatever virus, worm, trojan horse, etc. is out there. Its my opinion that personal stuff is done on personal time and work stuff is done when someone is writing a check with your name on it. This is a work ethic I teach my students time and time again and it pays off with excellent post graduate placement rates and employer satisfaction with our graduates.
Rose Ann,
Thanks for this post. There are some folks who believe it is better to allow Net Generation students and workers to spend more time online as they do not have the clear division between "work" and "personal" that you and I may have. Thoughts?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I think that is the problem with our educational system and why so many new graduates are having a hard time finding and keeping jobs. They didn't go to school to learn they went to school and played. They never learned to dress appropriately and continue to do so in the workforce. Students never take it seriously. I owned a business and I hired these people; things needed to get done and they are busy on Facebook.
All of my students, from the first day of class until they are finished their preceptorship learn what being professional and having (and appreciating having) a job is all about. My students can't get hired fast enough at their preceptorship sites and those that don't because positions aren't available get hired easily somewhere else because PART of their education was to focus on why they are at work. Employers are not paying them to play, they are paying them to work and in this work environment if they want to do social media they will stay home without a job because someone else is willing to turn off their phone, roll up their sleeves and get the job done.
Rose Ann,
Thank you for this post. Net Generation students do not always share the same views relative to work and life separation that their employers may have. Teaching them expected work behaviors is important to there success.
Jeffrey Schillinger
