In Our Schools: Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 11/11.9.2
From WITTIE
Contents |
Teaching Digital Natives
By Christi Girvin
| Using hands on projects and technology as a learning tool will keep students involved in their education. A sense of community success and a focus on creativity is important to reach and teach our digital natives. A good example of this can be seen in my multimedia project Getting Students Involved. This project was created through Windows Movie Maker, with the use of still photography and a recorded video. |
Learning Targets
- Students should have a better understanding of what a Digital Native is and how teachers are preparing themselves for the changes in their classrooms
- Students should be able to identify some of the advantages and disadvantages of this generation of learners
Digital Natives
Wikipedia says that, a person who was born after digital technology existed and grew up surrounded by it, in the forms of computers, cell phones and internet are called Digital Natives.
The person who came up with this phrase, Marc Prensky has said there are two groups in the technology world the digital natives and the digital immigrants, for this article we are discussing the former. But to give a definition of the latter, a digital immigrant is simply someone who did not grow up in the digital era, someone who is learning technology as a second language as an example.
| Article on Marc Prensky's ideas of digital natives in the classroom http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/digitalnatives/index.htm |
According to Prensky the digital native student has numerous resources at their fingertips and the jod of an educator is to turn this access into knowledge. So with the responsibility of teaching with this dynamic in mind teachers have begun intergrating technology into thier classrooms. In a study published in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education, based on a teacher follow-up survey from 2000-01, they say that the number of public schools with access to internet increased from 35 to 99% over a period of time from 1994-2002. In that same survey a majority of teachers said that World Wide Web access and teachers' computer stations with email campability was more important than having a phone in their room. Also, roughly 32% "somewhat agreed" that computers and other classroom technology was sufficiently available.( SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), 2000–01, Questionnaire for Current Teachers.)
It is one belief that a lot of the newer teachers coming into the workforce now will be more comfortable with technology and its integration into the classrooms as they themselves are part of the digital native group. This theory seems like an obvious observation but even the most competent 'techie', will have to not only know how to use the technology but how to
| Click here for Examples of Technology integration by Teachers and Public Schools (This is an excellent video) |
implement it. This means that even the educators how grew up with technology will need training, though they only have half as far to go in this area as the digital immigrant educators do.
This information shows us that the teachers' understand that the teaching styles need to accomadate the learners and in schools filled with digital natives the learning must be fast paced and cutting edge to keep their attention. They are used to instant gratification and immediate answers to questions. Many schools are getting password protected websites to give students and parents immediate access and involvement in their eduction, by posting upcoming events, assignments and grades. They no longer have to wait 8 weeks to find out how a students is doing in a certain subject or class, with this immediate knowledge steps can be taken to aid the student before grades officailly come out or Mom might find out that there actually is homework tonight. Instant consquences also come with instant gratification.
| Click to see a student-made video on traditional learning materials |
The digital native won't be able to keep interrests in a linear lesson plans or cirriculum their brains have been programmed to multi-task, they become bored and uninterested in the information, when it is slowed down to dial-up speed or slower. This may be the reason for an increase in the amount of A.D.D. cases being seen in children. We are seeing a lack of focus and attentiveness when in all actuality it could be an issue of instruction being tuned out by the child due to boredom. We do this as adults even, its just that we hide it better.
To keep students interested we need to be interesting. We have to have an understanding of the needs of students now and be prepared to construct our classrooms around them. We already have the information, the job at hand is to transfer it to our students. Collectively it seems that teachers are heading in the right direction and with continued support and advances in technology, everyone can stay on track.
| Click here for a PowerPoint video showing the advances of Technology within recent years. |
Bibliography
U.S.Department of Education. (2005). Institute of Education Services. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from National Center for Education Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005083.pdf
Prensky, Marc (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/
Culligan, M. (2003). Digital natives in the classroom. In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/digitalnatives/start.htm
Ash, K., & Kennedy Manzo, K. (2009, April 3). Digital Education. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from Education Week : http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2009/04/will_digital_natives_revolutio.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_native (for definition) Retrieved September 28, 2009
Multiple Choice
1. What is the best description of a digital native?
A. Someone who did not grow up with technology but still knows how to use it
B. A person who owns a computer and cell phone and knows how to text and email
C. A person who is accustom to technology because they have been exposed to it their whole life
D. All of the Above
2. If a teacher was a digital native themselves, why would they need additional training?
A. They may still need to learn how to use their knowledge of technology in a classroom
B. Just because they are familiar with technology doesn't mean they know everything
C. The computers in a school system are different than personal use computers
D. They don't
3. If you were a principal of a school and you wanted to enhance learning through technology, what would be the best use of technology?
A. Show more Media, like movies and television in the classroom
B. Make the card catalog in the library digital
C. Encourage teachers to assign projects that would allow students to use their technical knowledge
D. Have laptops for each student in all the classrooms
4. You are an English teacher for an 8th grade class, which project would you assign that would be appealing to a digital native?
A. A short essay allowing them to use the computer to write it
B. A PowerPoint presentation on the subject matter
C. No English project is appealing to an 8th grader
D. Allowing them to watch a movie pertaining to the subject and write a summary
Answer Key
1.C 2.A 3.D 4.B
Cgirv001 11:45, 28 September 2009 (UTC)
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