Although I consider myself to be a digital native (there are more computers in our house than there are people), I found myself disagreeing with Prensky and agreeing with Straker, Pollock, and Maslen. Prensky seems to assume that every child today is a digital native (p. 1), when in fact not all students have access to a computer or internet at home. So while I believe it is important to integrate technology into our classrooms and keep up with the rapid changes of the 21st Century, I think it is imperative that it is done in such a way that is sensitive to the needs of all of our children. I also believe that we need to teach our students that they do not need the instant gratification (Prensky, p.2) offered by technology today. After all, I would not appreciate it if during a doctor's appointment my physician took time to check his or her Twitter updates. There is also a need to develop and teach etiquette in regards to technology use. I admit that I take my cell phone everywhere I go, but I try not use it to the point that it is an annoyance to someone else. I think we all get annoyed by the person who answers their cell phone in the movie theater. Teachers can be just as guilty of being rude with technology as their students are. I have seen veteran teachers answer their phones during instructional time. As part of technology education, we need to model proper use and show our students that there is more to life than instant messaging.
As Straker et. al. discusses in their article, it is important to weigh the positives and negatives of technology usage amongst children as there is still much we do not know. Technology has the benefits of increasing social interaction. Students are able to collaborate on projects with students in another state or country, thus enhancing the learning experience by allowing children to develop their social skills. There is also of course the added benefit of access to information. Students are no longer limited to reference sources found in their school and public libraries due to the vast amount of resources found on the internet (Straker et. al, p. 1388). At the same time, use of the internet comes with its negative aspects such as child predators and identity theft (Straker, et. al., p. 1390). As more studies are conducted and more children grow up in a technological environment, it will be interesting to see what physical ailments, if any, come about as a result. I think after reading both articles, that it is important that educators take both sides into account. We should encourage our students to develop the technology skills necessary to thrive in the 21st Century and create meaningful learning experiences. At the same time, we should be mindful that not all aspects of technology are positive.
I also consider myself to be a Digital Native. While I do not have more computers than household members (yet), I have grown up around the Internet, computers, and also the entertainment side of the rapidly expanding technology market. I also agree that it is unfair to characterize every kid as a digital native. Do I think you can help a child progress to becoming a digital native? Absolutely. If, as teachers, we assume that all children have the same level of knowledge, we are bound to lose some. We also cannot assume all students have access to the same technology at home that they do in a classroom. One larger discussion question that came to mind as I was reading was this: as the generation who has grown up around the rapid change of technology, will the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants naturally disappear? I also agree with Michelle that while we should help children be more comfortable around technology, I think we would be doing them a disservice if they came to believe that instant gratification is what they should expect.
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