Digital Generation Reflection

           If I had to choose, I would probably put myself into the “digital native” category. I wouldn’t say I’ve “immigrated” into this new age of technology, but I was certainly born into it. I’m barely older than that cacophonic dial-up internet tone, so I have grown up with texting and Facebook and all these fun technological do-dads. I would make the middle argument however, that I have adapted to my environment that just happens to be more technologically advanced than my elders. Our parents grew up in a time where phone calls were the “thing” and they would much rather pick up the phone and call the cable company when something goes wrong where the younger generation would probably look up an e-mail address on the company website. It is not that the older generation is incapable of learning technology; it is just that they learned something else during their early learning years.
 

              I think that teachers of all generations need to keep in mind that they are teaching to a younger generation. It is important to incorporate the most useful technologies of the children’s age so they will be exposed early and learn to navigate it knowledgeably. It is equally important to use the technologies our generation is comfortable with so that we are able to share our knowledge with them. 

              I would argue completely that this “digital native” generation has become highly dependent its technology. Take a moment next time you are walking to class and notice how many people walking around you are listening to music, texting, or otherwise messing with a phone. How many people are walking in crowds like gossiping school girls like we’ve seen in movies like Grease and High School Musical? I’d be willing to bet you find more people plugged in to technology than not. Face to face conversations are now second to a quick text message or a Skype call. A grounding for our parents meant staying in for the weekend or no phone calls for a whole week. Now? Take a kid’s phone away for just one class period and all hell breaks loose. We digital natives thrive in cyberspace.

Jamie McKenzie’s argument is very believable in that Prensky’s evidence is not only incorrect, but invalid. What McKenzie fails to argue is his own point. He counters Prensky’s with little evidence of his own to negate it. His argument is summed up in his statement, “Real fifteen year old humans are quite different from each other.” Really? Gosh, what a broad and bland comment. Where are the statistics about the lives of 80s kids compared to the lives of 90s kids, compared to kids born after the new millennium? What about statistics of Facebook usage? Cell usage for teens compared to data usage? I’d like to see some numbers or some case studies or some sort of believable research before I believe either argument.  

      I think something that would be highly beneficial is asking the students what technology they use at home and what they expect to use in the classroom. It is important to draw parallels in their lives so school isn’t just “textbook” learning and home isn’t just electronic brainwash.

Class of 2025:

• You will never see a phone with more than three buttons
•  Books had paper pages instead of electronic tablets
•  The radio used to have six pre-sets and you would be listening to the same twenty songs if you listened for more than two hours straight
•  You will never have a video game controller that gives you no strategic or directional advantage when moving/learning the controller to the right or the left with your whole body.
•   You will never see a phone with an antennae.