Technology has become a vital part of our modern world and has influenced all aspects of our daily lives. Marc Prensky breaks the world down into two different groups, the digital natives and the digital immigrants. I think my generation is somewhere in between the two of these groups. We did not grow up and go through our early years with most of the current technology however we were exposed to it and used it regularly once we entered college and in the workforce. Although I am not a digital native I feel I have adapted quickly to this new environment that technology has created.
In Prensky’s article he states that “Digital immigrants think learning can’t (or shouldn’t) be fun”. I have experienced this point of view in the school I teach and among my fellow teachers. I am not sure that I agree with this opinion but I am also not sure that I disagree either. To a certain extent I think learning should be fun especially at an early age, however going to college requires hard work and the sooner students adjust to that regime the more successful they will become in college. After all we are supposed to be preparing them for their futures and not all aspects of any job are enjoyable.
All teachers young and old should learn how to communicate with their students regardless of how fun they make their curriculum. “Today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students.” Digital natives have their own language that is continually changing with each new technology or resource created. Teachers need to tap into this language to help create a relationship with their students.
The real question however is if education needs to change with the way students have changed? I think education is no different then any other industry and does not exist in a bubble and so therefore must change and adapt. More and more education programs are starting to include technology in their curriculum to prepare teachers for this new generation of students. What really needs to happen however to see any major changes is a re-education of the teachers who have been teaching for years and are considered to be the “digital immigrants”.
In my department there is a teacher who has been teaching for more then 20 years and does not use technology on a regular basis. He was come under fire by the administration for not using more technology and not updating his teaching techniques. I understand the administrations position however training must be provided to him in order for him to truly embrace the technology at his disposal and he must be trained enough to feel confident using it. It is simply not enough for schools and districts to require the use of technology they must also provide good training to the digital immigrants that will be using it. Prensky says this about the digital immigrants “They will succeed in the long run – and their successes will come that much sooner if their administrators support them.”
It is no mystery to me that the brains of digital natives are different then those of their predecessors. I do believe however that fundamentally students do not change much and still struggle with the same issues of previous generations. Although their thought process might be different the problems they face and struggle with are the same. Any parent who has dealt with discipline can tell you that what works for one child doesn’t always work for another child. So the task educators have does not change because of technology. A good teacher gets to know their students’ individual needs and styles and then adjusts to them.
Education cannot afford to ignore the changing environment but must embrace the changes and provide training and support to the teachers in the classroom. Students will continue to change and technology will continue to advance to better cater to these digital natives. The sooner education catches up the better for students and for society at large.
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As an art teacher I am fortunate to have fun in my classroom more often than not, without the pressure of a standardized test. However, I completely support and admire your attention to the core subjects and the seriousness that needs to take place at times. I think you make a true statement when you say that although students brains have changed according to technology, they still deal with the same “issues,” as they did years ago. We obviously do not need to alter what we teach but maybe how we teach it. You are absolutely right that we need to train our teachers, young and old, in how to use technology effectively in the classroom. Technology in the past, today and in the future means nothing if we do not evolve the way that we use it to be successful for our students and if it does not continue to ENGAGE our students. Teachers are not there to entertain, but to engage. If used correctly, and if users are trained appropriately, technology can do just that; engage our students!
ReplyDeleteI like your points on this topic...as a fellow math teacher I get frustrated with trying to incorporate technology. I feel students sometimes just need to sit down and hammer out problems in order to remember them. Sure technology can assist with math, maybe making it more fun, but in the long run they need a lot of practice.
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