Digital Natives

"...the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language." (Prensky, 2. 2001). Education is changing, and unfortunately some educators are not. Is it their fault? Not necessarily.

In Prensky's article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants", he takes a deep look into the ever changing role of technology in schools. This generation's students have never known anything other than technology-- referred to as N-gen (Net) or D-gen (Digital), these Digital Natives speak the native language of technology. They've grown up with computers in every household, televisions in more than one room of the house, and video games being the norm for after school activities. 

On the other side of the spectrum are Digital Immigrants; I am a digital immigrant. When I started school, computers were not part of the daily lessons, after school activities involved playing outside "until the street lights came on", and I did not have a cell phone until I went to college. Like me, many teachers are "immigrants"... they don't speak technology as a first language; they don't instinctly search online for the answer of a question, they call to see if their email arrived, and they print documents to edit instead of editing them on the computer. 

Digital Immigrant teachers do a  disservice to their students by thinking the way they were taught will still work for students now. That is not true. One point Prensky made was that Natives often have a hard time focusing in class- but maybe the fault doesn't lie in the students, maybe the fault lies in the lesson plans. If the teacher is not making a lesson plan that teaches as much, if not more, knowledge than what is being taught to them in real life situations, can they really be blamed for not paying attention? 

In this, lies the ultimate question: do the digital natives take a step backward and learn the way their successors were taught, or do the digital immigrants "get with the times" and learn how to properly teach the kids of today, using the technology available to them? To me, the answer seems simple... the times are a'changin' and it seems so should the ways of teaching. How do they do this? By going a little faster- having faith the students can and will keep up with you; less step by steps, and more parallels- how can you help the students relate?

Week 2- Navigating Social Networks as Learning Tools

The face of technology is ever changing, just as the role of teachers is ever changing.  What might have  seemed  like an excellent way of teaching  in 2002, is not necessarily wrong now, it just might not be the most efficient. A lesson on “Today’s Weather” could be taught using an almanac, taking a walk outside, or tuning the classroom TV (if there is a classroom TV) to the local weather channel; or you could simply set up your smart board to create a tally/graph/poll of today’s weather, which would also help the kids keep a running record of the month’s weather.  Simple tasks like that can change the way children actively learn and become more comfortable with technology in the classroom.

One point Richardson makes is that in order to do it correctly, you must incorporate technology into the classroom daily. Just like anything else, the more you use it, the more you understand it and become accustomed to it; this is said for both teachers and students alike. When it comes to network literacy, many teachers do not welcome the idea with open arms. To them, the Web is not something that comes smoothly and easily. This is probably the biggest challenge that educator’s face- how can you make something seem easily, comfortable, and welcoming… when you don’t even find it to be any of those things?

Personally, I think educators should be required to incorporate technology into their classrooms daily. On page 297 Richardson makes a point that in order to do this correctly, we must view teachers first as students, then as teachers. They must be taught before they can teach. Why wait? This should begin now—and what better way to learn than do it hands on? As I’m working in an elementary school, I’m noticing it is much easier for me to understand what my professors are referring to when they talk about many different aspects of teaching.  Sometimes the easiest way to learn, is to closely time learning and teaching.

Tech Biases and Beliefs

Many kids growing up today have an advantage over past generations, one that could not have even been dreamed of 20 years ago. Many kids start kindergarten and within weeks have a full [five-year-old] understanding of the smart board, a computer, or even an iPad. Today's generation can often be found teaching their parents, and elders, how to correctly program computers/televisions/tablets. I believe that the programs available to these kids can set them ahead tenfold, and should be utilized to their fullest extent when appropriate. 

What do I mead by "when appropriate?"... Do I think kindergarteners should learn to type before they can write full sentences? Do I think teenagers should be so familiar with technological programs that instead of having a conversation face-to-face with somebody they depend on texting? Absolutely not. I believe there are many disadvantages that go hand in hand with teaching children how to use such complex devices at such young ages. I believe there a loss of character, a loss of social skills, and a loss of figuring things out the right way (and not just always depending on google). As evident as the benefits are to technology, there are many negatives that aren't always as apparent. 

During the 2012-2013 school year I was fortunate enough to work in a kindergarten classroom; more specifically 1:1 with a non-verbal little boy. During that year, "Matt" and I learned together how to use his iPad as a form of communication between he and other students... and between him and myself. We were able to evaluate his understanding of certain areas, and progress throughout the year. Through the use of different programs on both the Smart Board, and on his iPad, a level of communication was available that might not otherwise exist. "Matt" will not be mainstreamed his entire education, but his parents wanted him to experience the social aspects of school, the same way all children do. Without his iPad, he might not have had the chance of making friends and communicating with his peers as well as he did. 

Like any topic, given the task, I could argue either side of technological benefits vs. negatives. Used the correct way, I believe technology in the classrooms creates a new level of what can be taught! Throughout this semester [and next] I hope to learn how to utilize technology in the classroom to it's fullest extent. I hope to use it to push my future students further than they thought they could be pushed. I hope to use it to teach lessons that weren't as available 10 years ago. I want to do this, and more, in the right way. I don't want my students to lose the intimacy of personal conversations, or the feeling FINALLY conquering the cursive "Z".