Digital Natives: Navigating Literate Worlds

Quotes

"At the same time there is a public and political awareness about the importance of digital literacy related to education and not such a strong emphasis on testing as in many other countries." -- Digital Natives, Chapter 7

I found this very interesting.  There is a great deal of criticism over standardized tests in the United States, and the fact that teachers often "teach to the test".  Yet, here is an example of a country that doesn't emphasis standardized tests.  Instead, they focus on project-based learning and providing media to students.  I'm curious as to how well the students in this country do.  We're told that project-based learning is the best way to approach education.  We want to use project-based learning because it's fun and has the most benefit, and who likes giving tests anyway?  I found it very interesting that there is an importance placed on digital literacy, because sometimes I don't think we put enough on it.

"The Internet has brought about major changes in many aspects of culture and society.  It has fundamentally changed the ways in which activities and exchanges are carried out across sectors...While numbers of our old routines have remained, in many instances these routines have been added to, augmented, and in some cases, supplanted by applications of the Internet." -- Digital Natives, Chapter 8

The Internet is a monumental thing.  I remember being in elementary school without it, and now I can't imagine not having access.  I wouldn't be able to go to school or communicate with people like I do now.  What this chapter had to say about the presence of the Internet in our daily lives is so accurate.  I would even say that this could apply to technology as a whole.  We all have cell phones.  Most of us have Smartphones.  We still perform the same tasks as our parents or grandparents.  We go to school, go to the store, talk to friends, only instead of picking up the landline or getting in our cars and driving to campus, we pull out our phones or log onto our computer or open up Facebook.  Because the Internet and technology are such huge parts of our lives, to ignore their importance is not benefitting anyone, especially the students who don't know how to probably search for information when using it.

"Older citizens tend to feel more obligated to participate in elections and government-centered activities whereas young citizens tend to favor more personally expressive or self-actualizing politics." -- Digital Natives, Chapter 9

I found the discussion of young people in politics incredibly interesting.  I agree with a lot of what this chapter had to say on the issue.  People in my generation and younger don't participate in politics the way that the older generations do.  I feel as though a lot of us are more informed, because we have such easy access to what's going on in the world.  Social media has connected the younger generation in ways that they have never been before.  After the Supreme Court ruling this week, I could not log onto Facebook without seeing something about it.  People have been adding the rainbow filters to their profile pictures to show their support.  This is part of the self-expressive politics.

The Role of School

Schools and teachers should be responsible for the development of digital literacies, because the development of digital literacies does help with reading and writing.  As we've said before, today's people are interacting far more often with text.  Just because that text happens to be digital doesn't mean it's not an important part of education.  One quote from the book reads:  "The results show a strong relationship between students' digital literacy, their general school performance, and the educational background of the parents."  Students who have developed their digital literacy skills do better in school.  Another piece of evidence to this is when the book talks about the doctoral student who was observed students type an entire question into Google to find an answer.  These students have clearly never been taught how to search for information on the Internet.  Whether or not they have been taught how, students are going to attempt to find answers through the Internet.  If they're going to do it, then we as teachers might as well teach them the proper way to do it.

Meme

I feel as though we're all guilty of this at some point.  Whenever we're not sure of an answer to a question, we immediately pull out our phone or open up our computer and type it into Google.  I've been guilty of doing this even when teaching when a student asked me a question I was certain of.  I've seen other teachers do this as well.  Students, obviously, do this too.  When working on homework, if unsure of an answer, or unable to come up with an idea, will type the question or topic into Google.  I'll admit that I even searched digital literacy memes tonight to try to come up with something for this metaphor.  As a society, we are very reliant on Google.

The Civic, Social and Multi Modal Lives of Digital Natives

Quotes

"During the last decade increasing attention in both the academic and policy spheres has been devoted to the possibilities offered by the Internet and digital communications technologies for involving young people in political deliberation and civic action."  --Digital Natives, Chapter 4

We've obviously seen a great deal of evidence in relation to this.  While reading this, I thought back to the 2008 election and how Barack Obama used the internet to raise money and support, and it was seen as such a revolutionary thing.  I remember everyone talking about how his use of the internet got the youth involved, and it did.  As the technology changes, it always comes into the political spectrum, from radio to television and now the Internet and social media.  The same can be said for civic action.  Information is spread so quickly through the Internet and social media.  The site Change.org has the sole purpose of developing petitions.  Now people can post and share links to petitions and have people all over the country support their cause.  Kickstarter is great for raising funds in support of projects and causes.  It would be irresponsible for policy makers and even academic institutions to not address the benefits that can be had through the use of current technology.

"Thus it was not only the actions of Kato but also those of witnesses that caused widespread shock and criticism both inside and outside of Japan."  --Digital Natives, Chapter 5

This happens a lot today.  No event can take place anywhere in the world without it being shared on the internet.  I can't help but think about all the events that have happened this year, and how social media sites blew up with information about these events.  During the events of the Boston bombing and Fergueson, I couldn't log onto Facebook or Tumblr without seeing something related to those events.  It's interesting to see that this sort of thing doesn't happen just in our country, but everywhere.  It's not just an occurrence here in the United States.

"Generally speaking, off-task work was not portrayed in a negative light on the basis that, it contributed to social cohesiveness... In fact, learner interaction with tasks can change the nature of the envisaged tasks, both in terms of outcome and process."  --Digital Natives, Chapter 6

I found it very interesting that conversations considered off-task were included in this study.  Many educators hate off-task conversations.  They often think that students should be completely focused on the assignment at hand.  While the majority of the focus should be on the task at hand, I have to agree that the conversations that happen otherwise are equally important.  I've also learned that just because two students might be having a conversation about something else doesn't mean they aren't working on the assignment they've been given.  I myself happen to be a major multi-tasker.  I can easily write out notes or answer questions while holding a completely different conversation.  I like that this particular study didn't portray off-task conversations negatively.

Meme

I loved this image when I found it.  In the image, the girl is eating breakfast, reading a book, and doing something on her phone.  She might even be doing more than one thing while on her phone.  The ability to multi-task and work with multiple mediums is a large part of being a digital native.  I included the part about 2011 because that was when this book was published.

Digital Natives: Reflecting on the Myth

Quotes

"Contemporary children have many of the same interests, concerns, and preoccupations as children in previous generations -- even if the ways in which they manifest these through their use of technology is likely to be rather different."  -- Digital Natives, Forward

This quote stood out to me as I was reading.  It takes me back to when I was ten and I was obsessed with Pokemon.  Those who know me well will know that I still kind of am obsessed, but that's not the point.  Back then, we played the games, traded Pokemon cards, and watched the television show.  We would even play games centered around the whole experience.  I still have the binder I collected my cards in at twenty-four years old.  Why am I telling you this?  Because I see the same things happening with kids today.  I've watched fifth and sixth graders trading Pokemon cards at the lunch table and I've overheard them talk about the games and their strategies for accomplishing this and that within the game.  I've watched a kid's eyes practically pop out of his head when he saw me carrying around a 3DS and I had to explain to him that it was mine and not one that I confiscated from another student.  This is just one of the examples I have related to shared interests across generations.  Even though I was born into the start of the digital age, the technology I played the very first Pokemon games on is so much different than what is out today.  It's grown and changed.  Even the Pokemon cards kids collect are different than when I started my own collection.  But at the heart of it, we both (teacher and student) have an interest in the same thing (Pokemon).

"It is not unusual to see self-proclaimed "digital luddites" lamenting the need to escape the control and disruptive interference of email or hear them telling their students to switch off their mobile phones and laptop computers as they enter classrooms.  Some have banned the use of Google, Wikipedia, and social media applications in classrooms."  -- Digital Natives, Chapter 1

The author's tone in these two sentences suggests that this sort of attitude is a negative thing, which I disagree with.  As far as the classroom is concerned, technology always has a time and a place.  Should we, perhaps, use more of it?  Yes.  Should we allow students to keep their phones out at all times and respond to tweets, texts, emails, etc.?  No.  And that, of course, is exactly what they're doing.  I've seen this far too many times to think otherwise.  I've been guilty of it myself from time to time.  I think we all have.  Any device with internet access is a temptation, especially if the subject matter being discussed in class is not of particular interest.  I do think that these devices can be useful in the classroom, though.  I've often had students use their phones to look things up instead of taking a trip to the computer lab or borrowing the mobile lab.  It's easier and more convenient.  In this way, though, the technology use is structured.  The other part of this I have issues with is the mention of Wikipedia.  Wikipedia is usually considered the most "evil" site out there.  It's not that the information it provides isn't good, but that it can be changed to anything.  None of the reasons mentioned in this section of the book are really why teachers forbid the use of Wikipedia.  It is forbidden because it's information cannot always be counted on.

"Having grown up with digital technology as toys, Digital Natives are much more at ease with its use than the generation that did not."  -- Digital Natives, Chapter 2

This was another quote that stuck with me as I was reading, because I have a story to go with it.  Not too long ago, I was sitting in a team meeting with a group of teachers who were discussing their frustration over the four weeks it took for them to complete their testing.  One of the teachers, and one that does not belong in the Digital Native category, said something then, and it reminds me of this.  She questioned why they couldn't also make use of the school's iPad labs for testing as well, because it would allow more students to test and cut down the amount of time taken away from class.  She also pointed out that while "we" (as in some of the older teachers) were not as comfortable with typing on the iPad keyboard, that many of the students were more familiar with it because they had grown up with it.  I think this is a great example as to what this particular chapter was trying to point out, and that's that children today have grown up with the technology, and so they're far better at using it.  It's natural to them.

"Each generation is exposed to a unique set of events that defines their place in history and shapes their outlook."  -- Digital Natives, Chapter 3

There wasn't a lot in this chapter that I found particularly interesting.  This happens to be the first quote that I flagged in my reading, and I happen to agree greatly with it.  Every generation, or era if you will, is defined by something.  When we think of the 60s or the 80s, we think of music and fashion trends.  Kids in my generation are always reminiscing about the 90s, and how everything is just not quite the same.  In ten years, the generation after mine will be doing the same.  It's a trend that never changes, and what we grow up with defines how we see the world.  90s kids will always complain that TV today is awful in comparison to what we grew up with.  I'm sure that older generations could say the same thing about my generation's taste in fashion or music.  The current generation will undoubtedly be defined by their use of social media or something of the sort.

Digital Natives

The concept of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants is an interesting one to me.  I had never heard that terminology before.  To me, this is actually a really good metaphor for what is occurring in our Digital Age.  I feel as though I am a Digital Native.  I was born near the start of technology taking off (or at least it feels that way).  I remember life without the Internet and Cell Phones.  I actually remember when we first hooked our computer up to the Internet, and of course it was the painfully slow Dial-Up of the past.  But because I was at the beginning of the era, I grew up with technology, and so I'm really good at working with it.  My Mom, on the other hand, is far from the Digital Age and has difficulty even checking her email most of the time.  So, where I would be a Digital Native, she is most definitely a Digital Immigrant.  Unfortunately, unlike some, she has not quite integrated, and maybe she never will.  My Grandmother certainly won't.  I don't feel like my thinking on this and how people think, learn, and socialize has really changed, because I'm still a "young person" in my own right.  I might understand the concepts just a little bit better, but I've not seen a revolutionary change in my thinking.

The Digital Generation

I don't know that this is much of a "visual" metaphor, as it is a quote, but I felt like it hit on what I've been talking about in this blog post, and sometimes I think words are the best way to go.  This quote, to me, is the definition of a Digital Native, and the Digital Age we live in.  Kids today aren't just surfing the web or chatting or playing games, but they're also creating, which is the point.  Growing up with technology means that kids today not only know how to use that technology, but they're also improving it and creating their own things, whether it's videos or games or even webpages.  They're creating.

Texting and Multi-modal Texts

The important things I learned from the video are text reflects casual speech, someone has always been concerned over people's inability to write "properly", and texting has it's own linguistics.  But the most important thing I learned is that texting is not language at all.

I'm not sure that I see myself really using Blabberize in the classroom.  Though simple enough to use, saving and sharing the results have been difficult for me.  I had to remake mine several times before I could get it to save and share at all.  The only potential I see for it would be to introduce characters from a story or figures from history, but I'm not sure that the effort to actually get the site to work and save the material is worth it.

Digital Media Effects on Conventional Reading and Writing Practices

Quotes

"The writing we produce is not getting worse.  Instead, it is simply adapting to the modern world."  -Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers?

I found this quote very interesting.  I've heard often that students, and in general people, today can't write.  I have personally seen the opposite in many classrooms.  There are many different ways in which to read and write.  Video games often require basic reading skills for them to be completed.  Almost any activity completed online involves reading and/or writing.  Children are learning and engaging with text in a different way now then they used to, as this quote points out.  It is not so much that writing is getting worse, but that's it changing.

"One early study showed that giving home Internet access to low-income students appeared to improve standardized reading test scores and school grades."  -The Future of Reading

This I found interesting as well.  By giving low-income students access to a computer and then internet, their reading scores improved.  Often, it is low-income students who don't have as much access to books and reading, and it reflects in their ability to read and write.  However, by having access to the internet, they were able to improve.  To me, this shows that having access to something to read, even if it's on the internet, helps improve those skills.

Web Evangelist vs. Traditionalist

I feel that I fall more of the Web Evangelist side of this argument.  Reading is reading, whether it's something read online or a classic novel.  The same can be said about writing.  When people engage online with writing, they are improving their skills.  I do, however, believe that reading books cannot be ruled out as useful.  Those who read and write regularly tend to do better with those subjects in school.  Reading books can lead to a desire to search for information and engage with others who enjoy it as well.  Both can work together.  There are some great sources of evidence that support the benefits of children reading online, such as the study showing that low-income students who recieved computers did better in reading.

Visual Metaphor