Digital Natives

When I first read the word Digital Natives I wondered what the definition of the word was. After I read the Prensky article, I thought the word was very fitting. I believe the students we teach in today’s generation are comfortable with technology. Students now are capable of things on the internet that it might have taken me a while to learn. This past school year I taught preschool students. They were able to turn on computers, type in passwords, and click on the appropriate icon to get to the website they wanted. I was amazed at their knowledge of technology, but it also helped me to face the reality that I needed to integrate more technology into my teaching if I truly wanted to be an effective teacher.

Today’s students enjoy cell phones, iPods, webcams, computers, and much more. In the movie Digital Youth Portrait: Sam, she mentioned that she learns to use the computer software by doing trial and error. Trial and error, even though it sounds simple, requires higher order thinking skills because what she is really doing is problem solving. She was learning to differentiate between what would work and what did not work. I was highly impressed by the things I saw her do in the video. The engagement in an activity is a better way to learn than someone just sitting having the information thrown at them is a statement I heard in the video Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment. I thought the statement alone captured the essence of what Sam was doing.

If I were teaching in an ideal technology situation all of my students would have a laptop. I have taught for five years and one thing remains common. In each classroom there are various levels of learners. Computer usage will allow me to possibly assign certain websites to students and allow them to work at their independent level. They would be able to gain practice in areas where they need it the most. The text mentioned there is computer software for various skills such as drills and practice, which are very useful for both teachers and students. The pitfalls would be for the students who are not as attached to technology. They still may feel as if they are missing something that is needed for them to be successful. Another downfall would be that all students are not on the same level even when it comes to technology.

I think my students would love to have computers. I have two student computers in my classroom and often time’s kids would argue about who should be on the computer. The principal at the school where I previously worked purchased a program for the school called Lexia Learning, which is a reading based program. In the beginning I was concerned about the program. When my students first started using the program they were given a computer generated test to determine their instructional level. Then they were given lessons to assist them beginning at the appropriate level. My students all enjoyed the program and I began to see the difference in them concerning reading. Just like the databases mentioned in the text, all of my students information was stored in a database and I was able to look at the data and give students that additional help they required.

Technology is definitely a major part of the lives the students I teach and I feel as an educator it is time for me to incorporate the technology that they are most with or as Sam would say, “Their second life.”