Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to them, Digital Immigrants.
Digital Natives. Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.
The article in question can be read here.
However, I started to wonder as I listened to the presentation and what was being described to me...
They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age.This may be true, but are today's students really digital natives,
- it has only been in the last five years that they have been using cellphones, ok, that may not be true, but txting and pxting has really only been available at lower costs so that they can use them, thanks to telecom's $10 txting plans (introduced 2004 with 500 txt for $10, unlimited txt introduced 2005?).
- Ipods, only in the last 2-3 years has the price drop allowed students to purchase them, before that there was the portable CD players.
- Cellphones with mp3 players in them, last two years.
- Internet access, broadband has only really been available at decent speeds, (still debatable) in the last 3-4 years, the power of the Internet and changing atmosphere of downloading music and making it available for everyone (thanks apple and itunes)
These are digital users, not digital natives, you may be asking why i have used this, well what do they use there cellphone for,
number 1 txting, being able to have that quick txt to say hi to someone in a another room, ask a question, get a straight away answer, abuse them if they do not respond within 5 seconds.
number 2, pxt, small digital camera to take those pictures of there best mate, or use the video recorder to record an event, eg, look what happened with the fight in Hastings, fight, record, youtube, within the time it takes to order a mcdonalds burger.
number 3 phone calls.
number 4 play games, and now with some it is there portable music player, what else does a cellphone have on it, do they use it?
Ipods (released 2001), Not really made available to students price range until 2006, Music player, what else does the Ipod do, do they use it, probably not, just the extra hard drive space it gives you to take homework home to complete a piece of work, or backup (have to be reminded to do that)
They are somewhat addicted to their personal websites, bebo, myspace, a quick way to communicate with someone, do they really use the full function of a computer to do this, no, they are users, not natives.
To be a native, don't you have to understand what is going on, how things work. Just because you turn a dial with your thumb and select your music file and can change the volume, does that make you a native? Can you speak the language, or is this a new form of pigeon language because they can't speak the real language?
Today's txting language, this has been around for many years, previously with Internet relay chats, (irc.undernet.org.nz used to be the one I went on), the geeks talking online with the old "BBS" bulletin board service, the "digital immigrants" were once the original "digital natives" and paved the way for today's students. Have today's trendy teenagers picked up what the "geeks" were doing many years ago?
What about the digital integrator, digital innovator, digital administrator, or the digital developer without these people there would be no digital native or digital immigrant.
Some resources for future use on this subject
The monkey wrench conspiracy
Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives Part 1
Pay attention - youtube
T4
ted.com
Notes from the meeting, Just found in autorecover - 2 July 2007
ICT PD Thursday June 28, 2007.
Thought provoking ICT professional development
Approach with an open mind
Think about it, listen to the thoughts, and how it relates to your own teaching
Digital immigrant, digital natives, based on the work by Marc Prensky.
Students now the technology, cell phones, ipods…
Students are digital natives
Teachers are digital immigrants
Look at text language and what students are using
Students Today:
“Our students today have changed dramatically, Today’s students are no longer the people our education system was designed to teach.”
Students don’t want to do one thing at a time,
Digital technology has caused today’s students to think and process information differently.
Students thinking habits have changed, we have to cater for the students thinking habits, and we have to change our teaching.
Students are digital natives; they are native speakers of the digital natives of the 21st century.
What is happening today, msn, bebo, txt, skype, ipods, im, surfing, all being done when they get home.
We are not digital natives; we try our best to assimilate to our new environment. Some of us we do a better job than others. But the majority of us will always speak with an accent.
Do you print our your emails
Do you print out information you want to highlight or edit?
Do you ask for a manual when you buy new technology?
Do you dread daylight saving because you have no idea how to change all the different clocks in the house?
Teachers are speaking a different language to their students.
Digital natives can multi task
Thrive in instant gratification
Digital immigrants
Are used to waiting
Do things slowly
Take things one step at a time
Complete only one thing at a time.
In the classroom, this can lead to conflict. In the classroom we don’t understand each other.
Educators blame students for not paying attention
We need to adapt and make changed to suit our new environment. Technology is not going to move backwards
Students are just as capable today as we were at that age.
They just learn and process things differently
We need to translate
We need to work though the changes as individuals and departments
We need to learn the technology available to us
Knowledgenet
Hot potatoes
On line surveys
The ICT committee are available to help you avoid getting “lost in translation”
Use the practical sessions after this meeting to guide you and come to us for help when you need it.
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