The free speech on the students’ rights on virtual platforms, written by Meghan K. Lawrence, deals with the issues concerning students’ behavior and manner of expression during online lessons. The speech belongs to the category of informative writings, whose main aim is to inform the audience about a particular problem and suggest its possible solutions. There are many examples of informative speeches since everyone uses them to talk about an object or an issue. For instance, a report on civil rights made by a student is an example of an informative speech since its main aim is to inform the classmates about civil rights. Informative speeches are usually regulated by a content-based law issued by the Supreme Court.
The present paper concerns the fact that with the development of online learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the boundaries between the formal discourse of school and the informal one have become vague. It is hard for the students and the teachers to choose an appropriate way of expressing themselves because they are technically at school but stay in the comfort of their homes (Lawrence 2250). Since online learning was not popular before the pandemic, behavioral norms for it are not defined, and it is necessary to fix it to avoid misunderstanding between teachers and students.
The author’s main aim of the speech analyzed is to inform the public about such non-evident problems as the difficulties in expressing themselves and communicating with students and teachers during online lessons. In addition, the author hopes for a governmental initiative on the matter that will include some new communication-related norms and behavioral rules for online lessons. The author believes that the problem is important because the lack of regulation on the matter prevents teachers and students from leading adequate and mutually beneficial dialogue during the lessons (Lawrence 2283). If the expression at issue was banned, the author could probably have tried to attract public attention to the issue through the use of social media. It could have also been possible to use the mass media sources of other countries where the topic could be discussed freely.
The opponents believe that the freedom of students’ speech on virtual platforms used for conducting online lessons is dangerous because students may harm each other’s feelings and even cause psychological trauma to their peers. Many teenagers often solve their problems with the application of violent and abusive methods, and if they are free to express themselves, the degree of cyber-bullying at schools will enhance. That is why the opponents suggest the implementation of reasonably foreseeable tests that will give more authority to the teachers and school administration (Lawrence 2276). However, this method may also be inappropriate since, in that case, students may face the abuse of power from the teachers.
The Supreme Court is likely to resolve the issue by suggesting a compromise between the opponents and the author of the speech. The possible way to resolve the present issue is to apply the same communication rules as there were at school to avoid any inconvenience between the teachers and the students. To conclude, the problem of students’ free expression on virtual platforms is more complicated than it may seem. Numerous factors should be considered before making a final decision since online learning is new to the educational system, and there are no legal precedents to consult when resolving the issue.
Work Cited
Lawrence, Megan K. “tinker Stays Home: Student Freedom of Expression in Virtual Learning Platforms” Boston University Law Review, vol. 101, 2021, pp. 2249-2288. Web.