In the world of technology, there are some very clear lines drawn in the sand. Many divide the generations into Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials. The differences between those three levels are huge. The technology gap was huge for these three shifting from being aware of technology - like television - to being immersed in it (to the point of constant consumption).
Mark Prensky refers to this technology exposure as its own language in his article here. If you were born into it like Millennials you are a digital native. If you had to acquire the skills afterwards you are a digital immigrant.
I grew up with technology - but was not completely immersed in it. Social media came to rise while I was in college - and I didn't jump on the bandwagon at the time. However, I consumed video games, film and all the other traits found by a traditional native. This means that because everything I consumed at that time was NEW there was no guides and I learned to troubleshoot, search and fix things on my own.
This skill set is now highly desired! So I come equipped to teach digital natives because I am not afraid to get in the mud and muck around. This means I don't give answers! I just teach them how to FIND them.
Just like any teacher - I plan to continue learning the language of multimedia every day. I am not afraid to ask questions and I am clearly not afraid to tell students:
I Don't Know! While traversing this digital world I'll have take a few steps to make sure video content is safe. First thing is teaching them responsibility. If they are responsible, they won't be searching undesirable content. Second, when showing materials I'll screen it myself first and not pull it up on the fly. The biggest resource I'll use for media sites are: The Education list on Youtube here, Schooltube, or the organzied lists at WatchKnowLearn. Who else finds they are in the gray zone between the generations?
3 Comments
Nicole Rogier
7/6/2017 08:35:35 pm
I also find myself in the gray zone between the "digital natives" and "digital immigrants". One thing that really stuck out to me in your blog was that you aren't afraid to tell your students, "I don't know!" With any and all information available in our pockets means that our students are able to learn and gain knowledge faster than ever before. Taking advantage of the opportunity to find information of something we do not know is such a great teachable moment for our students to learn how to utilize their digital tools in a responsible and effective way.
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David Hendershot
7/7/2017 08:21:08 pm
I try and be honest with my students Nicole. There are times when everyone makes mistakes and that is ok. It's part of the Growth Mindset - that all teachers should have instilled in them and their students! I find that sometimes I feign ignorance even when I do know just so they can say, "I know more than you now Mr. H."
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Jory Murry
7/16/2017 06:37:53 pm
I was not surprised to read that Nicole and I both felt like we belonged a bit to both groups as we were both born late 80's/early 90's. It was a surprise to me that even a person a little bit older like yourself would feel immersed into both worlds. It really opened my eyes to how technology can similarly impact all of us! I love that your students dont even ask you "googleable" questions anymore. It takes so much self control as a teach to not just blurt them out!
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AuthorI am a 2nd Grade teacher with years of experience in digital editing and film. I have a 2nd Degree Black Belt, am a professional wedding photographer, and instruct fine art painting classes. Archives
July 2017
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