This discussion on pseudonyms was a very good one with solid points on both sides. Because of this I think that this has to be done on a case to case basis. For kids in elementary and middle school I don't think that students need to be using their full names. Part of the reason is for safety, however, to what extent is that truly effective can be debated. The main reason I think that I would vote this way is that these kids are still developing and they don't need to start something for the world to see that can later be criticized. When they are older and start producing quality work that they can be proud of and can be confidentially shown to a prospective employer, then that is when a real name should be used.
That brings us to these cases, primarily to those in high school. Students in high school can produce very quality piece of work. They should be able to take credit for them. That is why I think in some cases high schoolers should sign with their name. However, some students won't want to use their name throughout all of high school maybe because they are not ready. That is fine. Give them a pseudonym and let them enjoy posting work free of fear and judgement. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Mark Twain, signing off.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I have to say I believe that students in elementary school and middle school should not be using their real names online. You made a great point that these students are still developing, so they should be publishing something that can criticize them later. I also do agree that students that are in high school are mature enough to publish their work, using their real name.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should have a pseudonym, just like you, Mark Twain. Even the high schoolers should be able to partition part on their online identity off from the rest of their lives, in fact, I would even be in favor of having the students who are comfortable using their real names still use pseudonyms. I'm not sure I'd want any of my high school work visible to a future employer.
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