Comments on: So digital natives don’t exist?

By: Kari

Kari — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:35:08 +0000

I also feel that districts need to support their teachers by providing somewhat of a technology coach if you will. Classes should also be offered but many teachers are not going to seek the education unless required.

By: Alecia

Alecia — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:32:37 +0000

I have enjoyed reading all of the ideas for how teachers can improve their technology savvy. I am currently trying to better my understanding of Web 2.0 and I am excited about all the ways it can benefit my students.
The thing that I think is a problem, though, is that school districts (at least in my area) are not helping teachers with technology education training. Unless teachers are self-motivated to seek out these new uses of technology, their students will not have access to it. I would like to believe that all teachers would want this new knowledge, but we all know this is not true.
Our education system is being slow to catch up with the newest technologies.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:05:35 +0000

Do you ever update this?

By: marie

marie — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:02:57 +0000

Hi,
It’s so refreshing to see that I am not really alone. I am one of those novices trying to move along the trail of tech-related world in education. Would it be possible to have access to the article you mentioned?

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:12:51 +0000

Tim,

Another piece on the topic:

http://orweblog.oclc.org/archives/001773.html

The author talks about “residents” and “visitors” – I seem to be a hybrid.

~Nathan

By: James

James — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:09:52 +0000

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By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:43:05 +0000

Tim,

The author of the book “the Googlization of Everything” has something on the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s web site today (9/16) that looks at the idea of a “digital generation” from a pretty critical perspective.

He makes some good points:

http://www.googlizationofeverything.com/2008/09/my_essay_on_the_myth_of_the_di.php

~Nathan Rinne

By: Bookmarks about Pdf

Bookmarks about Pdf — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:15:30 +0000

[...] – bookmarked by 6 members originally found by psychloke on 2008-08-17 So digital natives don’t exist? http://technosavvy.org/2008/07/20/so-digital-natives-dont-exist/ – bookmarked by 4 members [...]

By: Angie French

Angie French — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:45:45 +0000

I want to take the concept “initiating a way to solve a problem” rather than waiting for assistance on a problem and develop it further.

It doesn’t really matter your age or generation, rather your level of experience with the equipment at hand. It can be a bulldozer or a software program. The user develops has more confidence with how things work. Just so happens that children gain their confidence earlier than adults ever had the opportunity to when it comes to technology.

I am forty-some years old and I find myself just pushing buttons to see what happens!

By: Jean Tower

Jean Tower — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:34:36 +0000

I agree with the idea that digital native – digital immigrant is a false dichotomy. I suggest that those younger people refered to as digital natives (by some) are simply more familiar with technology. Familiarity may appear as some kind of native intuition or gift, but could also be explained by experience – more time immersed in using technology. It certainly does not automatically translate into being a critical thinker about how technology might be used in education.
From my point of view, all educators need to become more familiar with technology – they need to develop into “natives” by participation. There is no substitute. Standing on the sidelines observing and commenting will not create true expertise. This is accomplished by doing. One of the comments mentioned the old driving a car example to show difference between expert and novice – the good thing about that example is that it is a clear example of earning expertise by participating, by driving. Educators need to drive technology themselves to become experts, to look like “natives” and then to join that new expertise to their educational expertise to lead students in using technology for learning, communicating, creating, and sharing.