Digital Natives, the Net-Gen, Screen-agers...

Marc Prensky wrote this paper in 2001 and he obviously had a good grasp on digital natives perhaps his own children were part of his study so I can understand why this article was so influential.  

I am not a digital native but I love to use technology and learn from my students and children.  My sons have taught me more about technology than any lesson, text book or course in passing comments and in the “How do you not know this mum?” moments.  I am definitely not a digital immigrant because I believe children can learn in a variety of ways and it should be fun.  

My students are definitely digital natives.  Five and six year old children are so comfortable using smart phones, iPads and tablets so when we use them in Kindergarten they are engaged and love to learn using games.  I have found that while they are comfortable using these items they are not as comfortable using computers and keyboards.  Keyboards are challenging to Kindergarten children as the letters are all uppercase and some children find it difficult to identify uppercase letters unless they are in the child’s name. It appears the children have less experience using computers and keyboards so we need a little more explicit teaching of the keys and skills on this type of technology. I think the variety of experiences of technology is just like any other subject.  Teachers need to know their students prior knowledge to plan and program for the needs of their students.   Like other subjects there will be a range of abilities and teachers need to be able to cater for all the learning needs at whatever level their students are at.

After reading this article I wondered about the differences in our brain.  The sentence “..students think and process information differently from their predecessors” really helped me understand the differences and the challenges I face in the classroom. It also makes me feel better as a mum when my children tell me that I just don’t get it. 

I can understand that some teachers have issues not being the “expert” when teaching technology but most of these teachers are digital immigrants and do not value learning from children. This issue has been discussed at school but until these teachers change their way of thinking or retire the issue will unfortunately remain.

http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1108/10748120110424816

http://www.agent4change.net/resources/research/1088

Digital Literacy

I like Josie Fraser’s definition of digital literacy = digital tool knowledge + critical thinking + social engagement. Yoram (2004)defines Digital literacy survival skills in the digital era. Sue Thomas defines Digital Literacy as an important part of transliteracy: to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media.  The literature varies; some restrict the concept to the technical aspects of operating technologies, while others apply it in the context of cognitive and socio-emotional aspects of work in a digital environment. Digital Literacy it is more than teaching skills it needs new social practices for the skills and strategies to be used effectively. Its relevance to teaching and learning in the classroom is vast as new skills need to be practised for the students to maintain that skill. There are negative and positive attitudes to digital literacy including:
Limitations/Negative attitudes
Teacher skills/attitudes
Skills not taught explicitly to teachers and students
Insufficient hardware
Loss of past work if not backed up or saved correctly
Slow/unreliable internet access
Resourcing digital literacy support in an on-going and sustainable way

Positive/Effective attitudes
Children are familiar with technologies
Supports and helps develop traditional literacies
A life-long practice
Skills, competencies and critical reflection
Social engagement
Recognising and helping learners integrate their prior conceptions and practices
Teacher skills/attitudes/engagement
Children like to receive recognition for work completed and many apps, websites etc have instant rewards that the children respond well to.  This keeps them engaged in the task longer and they enjoy these “games”.
Individual scaffolding and support

http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1108/10748120110424816

Technology Can Wait

What an interesting article.  When reading this I thought this was a drastic approach at first but some of the arguments do have merit.  

·         Studies do not clearly show better test scores or gains using computers

·         Extensive training for teachers to ensure physical activity and learning through creative, hands-on tasks

·         Inhibits creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans

However data from studies can be manipulated depending on what side of the debate you are on.  Extensive training of the teachers I think is the most important message from this article.  Empowered well trained teachers would be confident to incorporate any approach and create a strong sense of mission in any school. What if we compared this school to a school that used the same techniques to incorporate technology?  That would be an interesting study. Teachers who are passionate about physical activity or creative teachers always incorporate their passion into their student’s lessons. Also teachers who genuinely cater for all their learners will have activities that allows their students to learn in physical,  creative and hands-on tasks.

This article states that technology is a distraction when the basic skills are crucial but also acknowledges that young people who are used to technology will not tune in without them so it is a fine line.

The parents play an interesting role in this article. They acknowledge great teachers with interesting lesson plans are more important than technology and they also plan to teach their children technology skills at home when they are ready. I agree great teachers are well prepared and make every lesson engaging and interesting for their students.  Some of these children would get better technology training from parents who work at Google, Apple etc but what about families with limited technology expertise? Surely these children would be disadvantaged by this no technology policy. Without explicit digital literacy skills I believe the majority of these children will be disadvantaged. Perhaps it is time to create a scope and sequence of technology skills that are planned and explicitly taught from Kindergarten to Year 12 and beyond.

When reading this article I thought the Waldorf school had a similar philosophy to Steiner Education Australia and a quick search showed that there are 40 Steiner/Waldorf schools in Australia. Like Waldorf schools, Steiner schools delay the formal integration of digital technologies until high school. An ‘unplugged’ experience in primary school is seen as crucial for children to develop an uncluttered self- image and the ability to develop rich communications skills.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=0
http://www.steinereducation.edu.au

The Role of Technology Use in the Classroom

We should use technology in the classroom to help engage the learners of today. The children in Primary schools today have never known a world without technology and most of them have been using technology from a very young age.  It surprises me the amount of children in prams who have their parent’s smart phone, a tablet or iPad playing games or watching YouTube clips while they are shopping or at sporting events. Children are comfortable using technology and don’t realise they are learning using these teaching tools.  Learning is therefore fun and entertaining and the children feel they are having fun just playing while learning.  Using technology is useful in most Key Learning Areas.  Introducing concepts using Interactive whiteboards, showing YouTube clips to whole class, children listening to modelled reading, learning maths concepts, visiting websites, using apps on tablets or iPads, the list goes on and on.  There are times however when technology is not the most effective learning method and should not be used for creative and hands on tasks.  When children measure, experiment, design, build or any other hands on activities that technology cannot give the same learning results. Sure there are many apps that can help children learn to measure but without hands on experience the children can only speculate on how much liquid could fit into a cup or if that jug does hold more liquid than that mug. Technologies are tools to be used in conjunction with hands on experiences to deepen the knowledge our students can gain during their lessons.  

Reflecting concepts, hopes, beliefs and attitudes.

There is no doubt that technology drives change, achieves higher academic results and personalises learning (Smith & Throne, 2007). Our students are also innately multitaskers surrounding themselves in multiple devices and sources of information (Livingston, 2009), so using technology in the classroom is catering to their needs and wants.

Paul Saettler (1990) said "Computer information systems are not just objective recording devices. They also reflect concepts, hopes, beliefs, attitudes" (p. 539). I believe our "concepts, hopes, beliefs, and attitudes" are reflected in our current approach to educational technology through various ways. Using of technology in schools helps our students become lifelong learners with the skills to make informed choices, perform all tasks needed now and in the future using the skills they have learned in an educational setting.  The concepts taught at school will give a solid foundation for our students in the future so when a new concept is encountered they will have the past experience to help them conquer new challenges. Students of today are confident users of technology and they are often seeing a future using technology in their careers. They focus on the technology and skills that they will need for that future which helps them plan ahead.  Unlike older generations our students believe anything is possible and technology is no different.  Children do not fear they will “break” technology by playing with it.  They confidently discover many features of technology that most adults were unaware of. Therefore Paul Saettler was right computer information systems are much more than recording devices. They do reflect concepts, hopes, beliefs, attitudes of all users.

Is technology a waste of time? - Greg Whitby

Greg Whitby makes some valid points and technology could be seen as a waste of time because:

1.      devices have a short lifecycle

2.      software and apps are the future

3.      teachers need to focus on the nature and quality of the learning

4.      good teachers need to equip their learners to be socially critical and participate in society

5.      contemporary learning is the main game or the central issue.

The message I believe Greg is trying to portray is we should not get bogged down in the purchase and maintenance of hardware because all we need is the software and the apps to deliver contemporary learning. Also most children have access to a mobile phone, iPad or tablet. All of these devices are mobile and can link into the wireless networks of our schools so the software and the apps could be available to every student on a handheld device.  If we take the focus away from the device teachers can get on with delivering quality learning that is student centred.

While I agree with him in principle I think it would be difficult to stop wasting time on purchasing and maintaining technology unless your school had a BYOD policy.  Most teachers do not have to waste time purchasing and maintaining the hardware, software and apps as they are usually handled by either an eLearner or a Technical Officer at their school.  However teachers could waste a lot of time researching and understanding the technology they want their children to use.

We focus on technology for a number of reasons.

1.      Equality – All children have access to the same hardware.

2.      Convenience – All software and apps are loaded onto school purchased devices.

3.      Promotion – Prospective families (enrolments) may be impressed by the quantity of devices your school owns.  

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog. 

I can't believe I have a blog.  I thought blogs were only used by people with too much time on their hands or something significant to say (I don't have either). How wrong I must have been. 

My name is Laurel Newton and I currently teach in an open Kindergarten classroom with 52 children. I am also part of my school's executive as the eLearner. My education journey started 12 years ago when I was a teacher's aide. I was encouraged to go to Uni and as a mature aged student and I successfully completed my degree and graduated at the youthful age of 40.  

I was motivated to do my Masters of IT as I started in the role of eLearner without much of a clue (still don't have much of a clue probably).  I always used the IT available to me in my classroom to the best of my ability and the eLearner job just landed in my lap.

I live on the beautiful north coast of NSW in a village called Alstonville.

I am keen to explore technologies that have a practical application in the classroom.  My classroom has small netbooks, tablets, Chromebooks as well as an interactive whiteboard so we are often looking for apps or web based games as an alternative to hands on activities in our group activities.