The dangers of online chat

Parents teachers, and school counselors are concerned about the fact that many teenagers visit online chat rooms and chat programs such as ICQ, Yahoo Chat and MSN to chat to their friends and even to strangers.

As with any issue, those concerned have different viewpoints.

Your job is to discuss this issue within your group and try to think from the viewpoint of the interest group you have been assigned. Each group will have a teacher, a parent, a school counselor and a teenager. You will need to identify yourself and speak in the first person role playing the role you have been assigned

Example: Interest group:

John Walker: Computer Technician, Hong Kong West Secondary School

You say that:

 I am a computer technician at Hong Kong West Secondary School. I am not worried about teenagers using online chat rooms  I feel that students know the dangers of chat rooms. They are very sensible.  Students can talk to their friends while doing homework.  I am a computer technician at Hong Kong West Secondary School. I am not worried about teenagers using online chat rooms  I feel that students know the dangers of chat rooms. They are very sensible.  Students can talk to their friends while doing homework.

Students have very little chance to chat during school hours. Online chat is good for teenagers because they can stay in contact with their friends and do so from the safety of their own homes

Interest group: Teenagers

Teenagers say that they like to use chat rooms. They say that:

Interest group: Parents

Parents are concerned about teenagers using chat rooms. They say that:

Interest group: Teachers

Teachers are concerned about teenagers using chat rooms. They say that:

Interest Group: School Social worker/counselor

School social workers/counselors say that:

There will be two observers, who move between groups and listen to the discussion. `

The role of observers is to help the discussion along when it stops and to bring any questions for help back to the teacher.

Observers will need to listen and make commenting about the quality of discussion for each group.

You will be marked on the following:

How well you participate within your assigned role.

How much you contribute to discussion

How much you attempt to keep discussion going.

How much English was spoken.