What are some characteristics of digital natives? (What are they good at? What are they poor at?)
After watching the video and reading the article which is only Part II of the Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. I decided to look for the Part I of the article and the link is:
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
By reading these two articles, it got me to start thinking about the issues that is been mentioned in the articles. How would a digital immigrants such as myself teach the digital natives of today? It is essential for me to understand the characteristics and profile of digital natives as an educator:
Digital Natives
- Highly creative (especially with the use of technologies)
- Short attention spans (They only choose to pay attention to what they want to learn)
- Teacher centered teaching which are single tracked/linear are deemed to be boring
- They are 'hardwire' to process informations from multiple sources
- They are highly savvy with the usage of technologies
- They are able to self learn and self taught through web surfing
- Multitasker
- Less structured
- Impatient
- Thrived in a virtual or electronic environments
The list can go on and on. However, I will like to refresh our memories of the video that Dr. Ashley had shown us at the starting of this ICT courses
This video pretty much summarised the characteristics of digital natives. I guess what they are good at has been mentioned above. But what are they poor at?
In my opinion, they are less etiquette in socialising and conversing with people on a face to face situation. When there are less structures due to the exposure to multiple sources, students tend to overload themselves with informations. At the same time, they are too indulge in the activities online that they might develop bad habits, behaviours over time due to insufficient guidance.
I chose Dylan after browsing through edutopia:
http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-dylan
When he was young, his mum exposed him to the computer. He practically learned his alphabets through the use of technologies. A huge portion of his personal time is spent by using technologies such as playing games with friends, videoing friends using his flip cameras and doing podcasts in schools. He also spent a great deal of his time communicating and collaborating with people from all over the world.
This is pretty much similar to the upbringing of Singapore student. Nowadays if you notice, every child will be holding on to a handheld devices such as NDS, PSP, mobile devices etc. At home, parents are exposing the children to educational softwares, online multimedias, websites etc at a young age.
In the case of educations, schools are also promoting the use of ICT and also trying to re-connect with the students of todays. Students spent most of their times watching TVs, web surfing, facebooking, twittering etc. It is very common for them to possess a mobile device with the ability to surf web anytime and anywhere.
Cultural and behaviours also help to contribute in the shaping of the digital natives in Singapore. The IT shows annually always attracts huge crowds and even in time of crisis, Singaporeans will still buy electronic devices such as HD Tvs, Laptops, GPS, DSLRs etc. Technologies has definitely become part of our lives in Singapore.
How might teachers in Singapore today engage and teach our digital natives?
Bearing in minds of all this factors. Teachers of Singapore today would first need to understand and adjust their teaching methods to suit the digital natives. We need to devise strategies to bring across the definition of meaningful learning to the students. Game Based Learning as introduced by Dr. Ashley is definitely one of the solutions. The introduction of industrial applications and concepts could also be brought into the school to entice the students learning. Example, the concept of film making and video editing using softwares such as Final Cut Pro are normally taught at tertiary levels. However this could be introduced to the students as young as upper primary and secondary to cater to their interest. The relationships of subject to real world applications can be conveyed to them. Examples are art development for storyboarding, language skills for scriptwriting, literatures and dramas learning for acting etc.
I have a video response that I found in youtube:
The Digital Native's Future
As you look into the possible future of the educational landscape, what sort of impressions, fears, or possibilities crossed your mind?
In the years to come, technologies will greatly defined the educational landscape. Students need not be in school physically in order to gain knowledge. Teaching could take place in a Global Classroom where the teachers and the learners could come from different parts of the world. The school in this case would be a Cyberworld in the form of a virtual learning environment. Students would have the flexibility of leaving the 'classroom' anytime and join in with another 'classroom' at will. The process of learning will not be enforced by method disciplines instead it will be encouraged by learning what might interest them or be useful for them. There will not be a conformed period of learning as in a physical school - 7:30 am - 2: 10 pm. Instead, students could decide when and where they want to learn and it will be easily accessed by technologies. The importance of learning will not be determined by examinations or assessments. Rather the students will be placed with more problem scenarios and coursework based assessments. Educators will be there to provide structure and facilitates the students learning.
What might living, learning and working be like in the future?
The lifestyle of living will be very much connected to technologies as seen in the "Future of Singapore in 2015". The community are closely knitted and monitor and informations are easily assessed and shared among one another.
In a Global classroom situations, the expectations of the students would be higher. As they demand for higher learning and in depth knowledge, educators have to ensure the presence of a structure that will keep the students on task. Educators have to be a learner themselves and constantly revised and refine their teaching methods and strategies. However with the absence of the physical environment, it will be a much more challenging and uphill task to build rapport and relationships with the students.
In terms of working in future, the idea of the Global Classroom can be applied to. With technologies, it will enhance efficiency and help promote collaboration throughout the world as communications and informations are vital in the advancement of any working environment.
How is NIE preparing you to prepare your students for this possible future? How might you prepare yourself?
I felt that the modules that I am going through in the Education psychology I and II and ICT are inter-related. It helps us to question and look in-depth into the meaning of teaching. At the same time it encourages us to reflect and learn from our past experience as a students. By introducing teaching strategies and methods with the implementation of ICT. It helps to broaden our horizon as educator and exposed us to ideas and concepts that we have never thought it is possible. At the same time, the modules aims to allow us to think about what our students wants to learn and not what we as educators want them to learn.
I will continue to learn and relearn. At the same time, I will form a collaborative environment with colleagues, students and even friends that are not in the teaching industries. I will keep myself up to date with knowledge and informations that might help me improve my teaching. Always have the mindset that what I have learned and understand might not be the best and keep my options open. We as educators can also learn so much more from our students!!
As you look into the possible future of the educational landscape, what sort of impressions, fears, or possibilities crossed your mind?
In the years to come, technologies will greatly defined the educational landscape. Students need not be in school physically in order to gain knowledge. Teaching could take place in a Global Classroom where the teachers and the learners could come from different parts of the world. The school in this case would be a Cyberworld in the form of a virtual learning environment. Students would have the flexibility of leaving the 'classroom' anytime and join in with another 'classroom' at will. The process of learning will not be enforced by method disciplines instead it will be encouraged by learning what might interest them or be useful for them. There will not be a conformed period of learning as in a physical school - 7:30 am - 2: 10 pm. Instead, students could decide when and where they want to learn and it will be easily accessed by technologies. The importance of learning will not be determined by examinations or assessments. Rather the students will be placed with more problem scenarios and coursework based assessments. Educators will be there to provide structure and facilitates the students learning.
What might living, learning and working be like in the future?
The lifestyle of living will be very much connected to technologies as seen in the "Future of Singapore in 2015". The community are closely knitted and monitor and informations are easily assessed and shared among one another.
In a Global classroom situations, the expectations of the students would be higher. As they demand for higher learning and in depth knowledge, educators have to ensure the presence of a structure that will keep the students on task. Educators have to be a learner themselves and constantly revised and refine their teaching methods and strategies. However with the absence of the physical environment, it will be a much more challenging and uphill task to build rapport and relationships with the students.
In terms of working in future, the idea of the Global Classroom can be applied to. With technologies, it will enhance efficiency and help promote collaboration throughout the world as communications and informations are vital in the advancement of any working environment.
How is NIE preparing you to prepare your students for this possible future? How might you prepare yourself?
I felt that the modules that I am going through in the Education psychology I and II and ICT are inter-related. It helps us to question and look in-depth into the meaning of teaching. At the same time it encourages us to reflect and learn from our past experience as a students. By introducing teaching strategies and methods with the implementation of ICT. It helps to broaden our horizon as educator and exposed us to ideas and concepts that we have never thought it is possible. At the same time, the modules aims to allow us to think about what our students wants to learn and not what we as educators want them to learn.
I will continue to learn and relearn. At the same time, I will form a collaborative environment with colleagues, students and even friends that are not in the teaching industries. I will keep myself up to date with knowledge and informations that might help me improve my teaching. Always have the mindset that what I have learned and understand might not be the best and keep my options open. We as educators can also learn so much more from our students!!
Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteYou've mentioned several things that the so called digital natives are poor at. What should teachers do then?
The main concerned that I personally addressed in my entry are:
ReplyDelete1) Etiquette in socialising
2) Cyberwellness issues of cyber addiction and nettiquette
3) A lack of structure in the learning environment
4) Lack of contact between teachers and students
I will prioritised the organising of a structure framework of the learning environment for the digital natives. The learning environment must first be governed by a set of rules and regulation for the students to comply to. Examples:
- All students are prohibited to sign in with a fake Identity
- All students who uses vugalrities or displays bad behaviour in the Cyber world will be awarded with demerit points
- The learning environment will be programmed to block invasive or intrusive contents
- etc
At the same time in the real world context, students will be required to clock hours in Community Involvement Projects (CIP) or CCAs. Thriugh CIPs and CCAs, students are able to develop their interpersonal skills and communications skills. A monthly meet up sessions would be initiated by the school counselor to prevent the issues of cyber addiction and netiquette.
The schools will work hand in hand with the parents to draft out a well planned schedules for the students to conform too. There should be proper allocation of time for the activities.
Last but not least, teachers should try to engage themselves with the students in the cyber world or the real world context to build relationships. There should also be opportunities of a one to one session with the students to understand and learn more about them.