Through the course of my action research project and in setting up the technology club, I have noticed something completly different about the avenue today's new generation's (our kids) approach technology. Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives are the current buzzwords for technology knowledge and usage today, but what do we term today's students.
Digital Immigrants are people that were not born into technology, merely saw it evolve before their eyes. As Marc Prensky states: Digital immigrants learn to adapt to their environment (various technolgical mediums), like most immigrants to a new country need to adapt to their surroundings. Adapting to these new technolgoies can be challenging, as many immigrants tend to be hesitant and resistant to the new change and ease of life that technolgoy brings. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants are reluctant to change their ways for fear that the technolgy will fail them. One such example is using email. Oftentimes Digital Immigrants feel it is important that even when they use technology, like sending an email, they should phone the reciever to make sure that the email was received. Digital Immigrants can become Digital Natives as their comfort level and technolgy use broadens.
Digital Natives, on the contrary, view technology as a natural part life. In other words, they cannot live without it. Digital Natives have grown up with the technologies and feel very comfortable incorporating them within their daily lives. Digital Natives also rely on technology to make their lives easier. Marc Prensky, the person who coined the term Digital Native, states "kids born into any new culture, learn the new language easily, and forcefully resist using the old." While there are two contrasting sides, it is important that Digital Immigrants understand that there is no turning back when it comes to technology.
My generation (the twenty-somethings) feels very comfortable being Digtal Natives. We have grwon up with all of the latest gadgets and found means to master new technologies. We continue to troubleshoot problems and look for answers to help make the technology work with our lives. We are now able to survive in today's society and are even stepping up the ladder in the business sector fasterand even surpassing the Digital Immigrants. Today's Natives are more apt to work collectively within their business sectors, rather than work individualistically.
As a new generation enters the technological revolution, my colleague and I have observed that there is already a change in their beliefs about technology. This generation was born into technology and understands how technolgoy is "supposed to work." As part of my action research project, I am working with students in a technology club. These studnets are given learning adventures and they have to "solve" the problems on their own. The are to troubleshoot and work with peers, and ask the experts (the teachers) if as a last resort. Through my observations, many of the students get frustrated when the cannot solve a problem right away. They don't go and search through the "HELP" section and they do not embark on the trial and error methodology. They merely come to me and ask for help. My colleague and I have been struggling to coin a new phrase. What do we call the next generation of kids that knows how the computer should work for ease of use, yet the computer is not capable of meeting those nees yet (ex. drag and drop technique). After discussing this observation with my colleague, she termed it "Digital Progressives" The kids seen how the computer "should" work, yet is not capbable of meeting the needs just yet!
Digital Natives are people that
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment