I strongly agree with the first part of this quote from the Forward chapter. When people are growing up around something they are more comfortable when using it and become more familiar compared to someone just learning about it. For example look at sports, children that take up a sport at a younger age usually become better at it than people who join in high school. Technology could be looked at in the same way. People that are growing up around using the web and a cellphone will have shortcuts and different ways of operating those tools compared to those who just become familiar with using the web or get a cell phone. I think that your environment and what you grow up with has a big impact on what you can do. I don't think the difference can be surpassed when looking at different generations and technology. I think that people can start becoming better at using it but usually not as good compared to people who have been around it all of their lives.
Chapter 1: "This discourse takes a number of forms in different contexts but is popularly based on three main assumptions in which young people --those typically born after 1980--are said to:
1. constitute a largely homogeneous generation and speak a different language vis-a-vis digital technologies, as opposed to their parents, the "Digital Immigrants"; 2. learn differently from preceding generations of students; 3. demand a new way of teaching and learning involving technology" (Thomas, 2011, p.4).
I think that looking at people that are only born before 1980 means that they are "Digital Natives" is a little bizarre, because not everyone is the same. I do agree with the three things that people that are born after 1980 share. When comparing how my parents speak and how they utilize technology with how I speak and use technology there is definitely a gap between us. I like using the internet and always try new things to get more acquainted with what it has to offer, but my parents are always asking for help and won't try to figure anything out on their own in case if they make a mistake. I know that I learn differently compared to others born before me, but I think that it varies as well. No one has the same learning styles and I have seen that in my classroom. Every students learns in a different way, whether it be visually, or writing something down a number of times until you remember it. As a teacher, I try and implement technology more and more everyday. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom and share ideas on how to complete an assignment using technology. When I was in school, some of my teachers didn't want to use technology and had no desire to learn how to use it for us.
Chapter 2: "Technology alone will not replace intuition, good judgement, problem-solving abilities, and a clear moral compass. But in an unimaginably complex future, the digitally unenhanced person, however wise, will not be able to access the tools of wisdom that will be available to even the least wise digitally enhanced human" (Prensky, p. 18).
I strongly agree with this quote, because I think that technology works hand-in-hand with other skills that we use throughout the day. I think that to become successful in the 21st century, a person must have good judgment, great abilities to problem solve, and know how to use technology and the resources and tools that it has to offer. By having all of these abilities and skills then you can be untouchable as an employee. Having great technology skills is coming in handy when it comes to finding a good job in this day and age, but you also need to be able to work without technology as well.
Chapter 3: " Each generation is exposed to a unique set of events that defines their place in history and shapes their outlook" (Tapscott, 2009, p. 16).
This quote goes back to the first quote that I picked. I think the person that we become (Digital Native or Digital Immigrant) depends on how we grew up. What events took place when we were growing up, what types of skills did we learn, and how did we utilize new technology that was coming into play. How we grow up and how our environment was shapes how we live and think for the rest of our lives. For example, a person that grew up in poverty and never had any luck with anything usually has a negative outlook on life for the rest of their life. Now there are people that change their outlook as they go through life depending on what they have been through and how they let it phase them. Growing up with technology has helped me become familiar and comfortable with using the resources and tools that it has to offer and try and learn new skills as well.
I think that technology has a positive impact on young people today. They are learning new ways to communicate (blogging, instant messaging, etc.), think, and learn. By using technology they are using skills that are helping them learn how to find answers to questions that they are searching. By using the web people have to think about how to find that answer. While using technology they are learning and thinking in a different way. They are reading and writing in a different way as well. I think that technology really does have a positive impact on todays learners as long as they use their skills in a positive way.
Technology then and now. We need to embrace the changes.
I chose this metaphor to show that technology is not the only thing that has changed throughout the years. Being "Digital Native" means that we use what we are given and adapt to everything new that comes to us. We embrace the changes with technology and learn new skills while doing it. We need to continue to utilize and take advantage of the resources and tools that it has to offer. I also think this could show "Digital Immigration" vs. "Digital Native" because both were born with different things around them.
Brianna, your thoughts on being a digital native are very interesting as you explored the fact that "not all digital natives are created equal." It's so imperative to recognize this, because every individual born after 1980 is going to have a different SES background, culture, education, etc. When we over-generalize an entire generation we risk losing the individual nuances of the people.
ReplyDeleteI, too, feel that I did not have teachers that were even interested in using technology. I assume that we came from the same generation that relied on the whiteboard and occasionally a powerpoint, which was hardly revolutionary. I admire the fact that you are trying to incorporate technology into the everyday life of your students. The more I read about this generation, the more I realize that connecting their 21st century lives to school is the first step. Keep up the great work!