Luddite No Longer

What is a digital native? A digital immigrant? In his article, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1 , Marc Prensky identifies the new generation of students as "native speakers" of the digital language of computers, video games, and the internet. Prensky labels those of us who were not born into the digital world but have dabbled in it as digital immigrants. His article explains that teachers, as digital immigrants, have to adjust in order to teach their digital native students. This is not the first time I have heard of the digital immigrant vs. digital native argument, as a teacher of mostly K-3 graders I am significantly more advanced in years. My students were born in a different time, things have certainly changed since I was a Kindergartner. Students are now required to use technology at younger ages. Often times we assume they come to us with knowledge of technology and computers that they don't have. Yes, they maybe be digital natives but that doesn...

"Life is like a box of chocolates" and Learners are like Teachers Connectivism in Education What is connectivism? Connectivism is a learning theory that sees knowledge as networked and outside of an individual learner. "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical." (Siemens)   In traditional educational models teachers filled their students with knowledge, knowledge that didn't change or adapt. Students were empty vessels waiting for knowledge to be dumped in by their teachers. Image Not Mine In today's system, or at least in my classroom, that belief of teachers as gatekeepers and holders of knowledge has changed. Teachers are no lon...

Coming back to teaching in the States has been in some ways very relieving. Youtube isn't blocked. I can access my g-mail. Internet speeds are fast. And I am no longer covered in chalk. If you take a look at the picture you will notice lots of things, but I want to focus on the large green monstrosity in the center of the image. China has one of the largest populations on the planet. It also has some of the most cell phone dependent people I have met in my life. Not a day went by where I didn't witness someone run into something or someone, trip, or fall because of their focus and dedication to whatever was happening on their phone. So how come a country with billions of people and a culture full of dedicated cell phone users has no technology in their classrooms? Now that isn't true of every school or every classroom. The universities I taught in had projectors and occasionally internet access. Training schools are also well equipped. For the most part, however, most o...