Digital Natives: Reflecting on the Myth

Chapter 1: On page 6 of our text you will find the views of Tapscott as the eight requirements and opportunities of the digital  age (Thomas,  2011, P.6) 

What really hit me when I read this was that it was written in 1999. I've seen some of these changes, but I really don't like the language in #7  "learning as torture". I have never felt that true learning was torture. If you are truly learning it isn't torture. If you are refusing to learn, the process you find yourself in can be torturous.  

Chapter 2: "Why so many adults in developed countries felt, around the turn of the century (and still feel today) "at sea" when confronted by new digital technologies, whereas their children didn't or don't." (Thomas, 2011, P. 16) 

I am struck by the words "at sea". I think adults still feel this way today in 2016.  Technology is changing so fast it is hard to learn. Once you start feeling comfortable with one piece of technology, a new one comes along. For the adults that didn't grow up in the digital age or with the technology available to them, it takes longer to assimilate this knowledge with what we have  previously learned. 

Chapter 3: "The brains of wisdom seekers of the future will be fundamentally different, in organization and in structure, than our brains are today" (Prensky, 2009, P. 3) as quoted in our text. 

I agree with this quote. I think technology causes us to re-organize our brains. I think some of the "digital natives" will be more adept with this than others, much like we are today in our "old school" organization. 

If we think about the term Digital Natives as referring to people growing up in a digital world, then we naturally think these people are "better" with technology, when they are actually just more comfortable with technology. It is easier for them to use it than it is for a non Digital Native. This, however does not mean they are better equipped to learn or be productive with technology tools. They do know how to use social networks, but that doesn't mean they know how to be safe on a social network site. And I'm not sure that the majority of Digital Natives are using their ability to think while using technology. It is too easy to find something immediately. 

We are having some trouble with students at my school and their credit recovery courses. We don't have a lock down browser for it yet and students are googling answers because the answers are, of course, out there word for word and they are quite certain they are. It is still amazing to me that you can type part of a test question from a test bank and the answer will show up with the exact question. They know how to Google an answer, but I don't think this is really thinking or learning. It is part of their comfort with technology that allows them to do this. It is like me belonging to the "look it up" club. I know where my dictionary is and I use it. Of course, I now use dictionary.com if I can't figure it out with spell check. 

Along with their comfort with technology and ease at gathering data, this generation needs to be able to use the technology and information gathered with it in a productive manner not just for things I feel they should know. I am always amazed when I go to the check out and the cashier, usually younger than 25, can't make the correct change without putting it in the register. They are some what confused when the bill is $10.51 and I give them $11 and a penny. But this goes beyond the "Net Generation". 

I do feel that this generation lacks socialization skills in a face-to-face situation. I see it with my youngest, who is 21. My older two, 27 and 25, are much better with face-to-face socialization skills. They are also more likely to leave their technology for extended periods of time, so I wonder if this is something that affects people of a certain age and that we will still see a lot of changes in people now in their 20s. I talk to my children about the readings in this class. The feedback is interesting to say the least.

 Thomas, M. (2011). Deconstructing digital natives: Young people, technology, and the new literacies. New York: Routledge.  

Prensky, Marc (2009) "H. Sapiens Digital: From Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom," Innovate: Journal of Online Education: Vol. 5: Iss. 3, Article 1. Available at: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/innovate/vol5/iss3/1

So at ease with this technology. Bring it on!

This student looks so at ease with the technology around her. If you look closely, she is not physically touching any of it at the time the picture was taken. I don't think many of us would look this at ease if we were in her spot.