The History Teacher - Link

The History Teacher by Billy Collins Presentation

"It's Complicated"

In Danah Boyd's book, "It's Complicated", she explores the complications of assuming today's youth are inherently digital natives, whereas older people are considered digital immigrants. I believe that to a degree this is true. Young people today are born into a world where they are surrounded by technology and media and grow up with a "twitch speed" mentality. Whereas in past generations people took the time look information up in a book, or write each other personalized letters, now most people "google it" or send a quick email or text, expecting an immediate response. However, just as with learning a language or culture you cannot acquire all of the necessary skills some of them need to be taught. Especially when it comes to safety on the internet or higher level skills, such as coding and programming. So while some skills are acquired as part of technological culture, such as speed, interconnectedness, or parallel processing there are also skills that can be learned through interaction, practice, and instruction.

I also think there is a socio-economic component to this. People who have access to use computers, tablets, or smartphones at home have more time to "play" and discover how to use various tools. However, there are both children and adults who are lacking in this free time to discover and learn new technology. As a teacher of emergent bilinguals, especially in an inner-city neighborhood, I have seen this first hand. I have had new arrival students who are expected to keep up with a demanding online curriculum in English, when they have never seen or used a real keyboard before. Not all children are growing up exposed to this technology revolution, some are struggling to keep up just as much as their parents are. Here is an infographic that shows some of the digital divides between who uses the internet and how.

Finally, although I don't feel like being a digital native vs a digital immigrant it is as simple as age, there is a relationship between the terms and how people are able to relate to digital technology and media. I do feel as though learning about technology is learning a new culture. There is a lot of language that is unique to various forms of technology and coding, and there is a new communication system. A friend of mine comment recently on how an older woman said look at those kids just looking at their phones and not communicating, but what she didn't know was that they were texting and sending pictures and communicating in a way that was completely different to her. So I think there is a lot of communication barriers between the new and the old ways of doing things, and there is a lot to be learned.

Digital Native or Immigrant?

I was born in the mid-'80s and grew up at a time when the concept of home computers was still new but not unheard of. Like Dr. Bogad we had a computer that we got from my uncle who was a teacher, and I remember the floppy discs and the printer paper that you had to feed in with the holes on the side and then tear apart (see example here). However, I also had a cell phone almost as soon as I knew how to drive and I remember getting my very first text message from my very first boyfriend and walking around asking my friends (here at RIC) if they knew what it was?! THEY DIDN'T!!! We all figured it out quickly and within months, if not weeks, we couldn't believe we had ever lived without texting.

In some ways, I feel like a digital native because I did grow up as many modern technologies were being created, I used computers in school and at home, and I am much more tech-savvy than my parents and even older cousins. However, I also feel like a digital immigrant because there is so much I don't know, and I tend to rely on the forms of technology that I am most familiar with. I feel like I learn things quickly when exposed to new technology but I am also hesitant to try new things. For example, this is my first attempt at blogging and at first I was like this isn't so bad...then it took me about 20mins to add a photo, haha!! But I think I've got it now? I think like most of us, I fall somewhere in the middle. (marc prensky)

First Blog

Hello!

My name is Courtney O. Although, I have used many types of online communication this is my first ever blog!! I am an ELL teacher in Providence and have a love of baking. In the past week my students who I have had for several years now "graduated" and are going on to high school, which was a very bittersweet moment. I was also able to attend my nieces pre-K graduation which was adorable!

Friday was my first day of vacation, so my husband and I went to Boston for the day and although it was very cloudy we had a wonderful day roaming around the city and checking out some beer gardens. I am really excited about this class because I know I have a lot to learn about digital literacy. I think it will be fun to have time to experience new tools and learn to think more deliberately about how and why we use digital resources in the classroom.