Digital Immigrant Article:
With the fast pace that technology is changing, how important and realistic is it to incorporate it into the classroom?
Do you agree that digital natives have a different way of thinking than digital immigrants? If so, does this mean that there should be a shift in the way students are taught? (i.e. focusing more on "future" content more than we currently do)
"Bonk" article:
If technology is such a great educational resource that can be used to engage learners and share information, what are some useful ways that we as teachers can incorporate it into our classroom?
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1. I feel that it is important to incorporate technology into the classroom even though it is constantly changing. Technology is all around us and almost every single job requires a basic knowledge and use of technology so it is important for our students to be exposed to and learn how to use technology so that they can succeed in the future.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that digital natives have a different way of thinking than digital immigrants. Digital natives have grown up with technology and need to be constantly stimulated or else they get bored. We as teacher do not have change the content we are teaching, but instead should develop new ways to teach the old conent.
3. Technology can be used in many different ways in the classroom. Students can participate in blogs where the teacher posts questions and the students can respond. Skype and Videoconferencing can be used to talk to students in other countries to learn about the different cultures aroound the world. Teachers could also use Skype to set up presentations with state officials or other types of guest speakers who can't physically come to the classrom. Online games can be used to reinforce skills being taught in a fun and interactive way. The internet can be used and is a great resource for students to use when researching a topic.
1. I think it is very important to incorporate technology into the classroom, but I feel that students and school systems need to be realistic in how it used. It is expensive, so school systems need to be careful and choosy as to which technologies they would like to invest since it changes so often. I also think students need to be realistic in their expectations of the classrooms, because every classroom is not going to have the most up to date technology.
ReplyDelete2. Digital natives do have a different way of thinking than digital immigrants, but I do not feel the classroom should completely shift the focus to the future. I think it is important for natives and immigrants to meet in the middle on some things. Students need to understand that everything does not have immediate gratification and that some things are worth waiting for. I think that it is important to look to the future for many aspects of technology. Students have so much more information available to them that it is important to make them aware of that and useful in the classroom.
3. In my history classroom, technology can be incorporated for research. it can also be incorporated o allow students more interesting projects such as documentaries and powerpoints. Students can also make songs and videos using technology. It is helpful for students to use technology that people use everyday. Even cell phones can be used to get a message about homework out to students or blogs can be used for classroom discussions. It helps students learn how to use technology and appreciate it in the area of history.
Digital Immigrant Article:
ReplyDelete1. Technology needs to be integrated into the curriculum, but it must be done in a realistic manner. Teachers cannot be expected to master every new technology that is available. My suggestion is that teachers receive training on selected forms of technology that best matches the information they are presenting in their content areas. For example, it may make more sense for a math teacher to implement use of a SMART Board to illustrate how to solve a problem while an English or history teacher may prefer to download podcasts of influential speakers.
Also, teachers should maximize on their students' knowledge of technology. If students are excited about using MovieMaker for a project and are already experts at this type of technology, why not allow them to put that knowledge to good use?
2. I am not an expert on this topic, but I do believe it is possible that Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants think differently. I don't think this means that Digital Immigrants should necessarily focus on "future" content, but they should allow students to explore alternate routes to arriving at the same knowledge and key concepts. For example, if students don't memorize MLA format for an English class anymore, teachers could at least make sure that students know where to access this information online so that they can correctly format papers in college.
Bonk Article:
3. I have really begun embracing technology by allowing students to use what they already know in classroom presentations and projects. Students have thoroughly impressed me with their knowledge of MovieMaker, YouTube, and I-Tunes. I have assigned projects in which students have researched educational topics and presented their research using links to YouTube videos; the videos work nicely to spark discussions with the other students in class regarding their presentations. I-Tunes has become immensely useful for downloading podcasts and educational videos that aren't always available on YouTube for free. I can purchase educational videos for a small fee on I-Tunes.
A new resource I recently discovered and am planning to use is Authors@Google (http://www.google.com/talks/authors/index.html). This website boasts links to videos of modern writers reading and discussing their works in interesting and entertaining ways.
I agree that it is important to incorporate technology into the classroom. However, more and more schools are being required to make budget cuts and the latest classroom technology might be in the new, reduced budget.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem to me that digital natives might get a little too set in their ways when it came to the advancement of technology while digital immigrants would be more inclined at learning new things. It would be nice to be able to teach students about the newest trends in technology, but it was seem more reasonable to work with whatever the school has in place at the time.
I think if there is an opportunity in the lesson where a presentation or project would be better understood by the students by using technology, then yes, technology should be incorporated into the lesson. However, I do not believe that we should use technology in a lesson just to say we did; there should be a valid reason and purpose behind it.
Digital Natives:
ReplyDeleteI think digital native and immigrants absolutely think differently. Digital natives are conditioned to fast-paced, multi-modal, and graphic representations of any material. (Their cartoons even look different.) As Prensky says in the article, I think it makes little sense to try and force the old traditions on these students because they won't be able to make sense of them. Not only that, but they alos won't be able to use the old methods outside of school--why try and force the outdated on them when, as soon as they leave school, they are immediately confronted with the new again? I don't really know how I would incorporate the "future" into my classroom... I think I would probably have to google some ideas... or ask my students, since they know more about technology than I do.
Bonk:
In English, I think technology could be used to create digital narratives or oral histories, where students could voice-over slide shows, home videos, pictures, etc. Obviously, technology could be used for research papers. I really liked the video pen pals we watched last week, and I think some aspect of it could be incorporated into Language Arts. Blogs like this one could also be used for students to make sense of poetry or other literature. There are several possibilities, but I think speical time would have to be set aside to sufficiently prepare myself for implementing any of them.
1. I think it is important and realistic to incorporate technology into the classroom. As educators, we are preparing our students to manage and survive life without a teacher. Because technology is the norm now, our students have to be able to know how to use it effectively, and it is part of our job to teach them.
ReplyDelete2. I do believe "digital immigrants" and "digital natives" think differently. I do think students will have to be taught differently than "digital immigrants" were taught. I especially believe this as a special educator. I feel that my job is to be with the child where they are and bring the curriculum to them, and I think this applies with technology as well.
3. I think technology can be a great tool to use for reinfocing, reviewing, and maintaining previously taught skills. Also, I feel that there are many technology resources available to students with disabilities eye-pointing systems, voice output devices and touch screens.
Digital Immigrant Article:
ReplyDelete1. It is extremely important and realistic to incorporate technology into today’s classroom. As teachers, we are supposed to be preparing our students for the future and their employment and with today’s society technology is everywhere. The pace at which it is changing may make incorporating technology seem unrealistic to some but it is only constantly building on what is already there. It would take longer for someone to learn everything from the very beginning than to mace accommodations to what they already know.
2. I think that digital natives think differently in the way that we process information. It is more rapid and in a different format that digital immigrants have been taught to think. I don’t think the shift in the way students are taught necessarily means content, I just think it is more about the media in which we choose to teach. If content is touched at all it will just be added to not detracted from.
Bonk article:
1.I think a great way to incorporate it into the classroom, especially for early childhood, is to use it as a research tool (the internet, that is). When we as teachers do not know the answer to something we need to look it up with the student. It shows that we are not the ultimate source of knowledge and it teaches them how to go about finding answers to questions themselves. It puts the tool in their hands to learn anything and everything they can think of. Something that I have been very impressed with is elementary students creating video blogs on topics they have learned. I think that is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom and to share it with others such as parents who could not be there personally. It also provides a means of reflection and self-evaluation for the student. In my experiences, the students have wanted to view their own video as well as classmates over and over again well into the summer and next school year.
1. I think that it is very important to incoperate technology into the classroom. The problem many teachers face is that thier school, or classroom, does not have the necessary resources to fulfill all that they would like to do with technology. Technology should be incorperated, if you have a school that has the available resources.
ReplyDelete2. Digital natives think totally differently than digital immigrants. Natives use technology at a rapid pace and are also more willing to learn new evolutions of that technology (upgrades, versions).
3. Teachers can use technology to engage students. Some ways to do this are to have students create digital assignments such as podcasts, videos, ebooks, etc. that allow them to focus on content but allow them to use their knowledge of technology to present information.
1. I believe it is both important and realistic to incorporate technology into the classroom, even though it is constantly changing. We are preparing our students for life beyond high school, where jobs become the goal. Many jobs today require you to have technological skills, and if we do not immerse our students in technology, it will be very difficult to obtain these jobs.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that digital natives think differently than digital immigrants. They grew up with technology, and therefore tend to need to have consistent stimulation in order to focus. They tend to get bored with lectures, and tend to learn more from computer games, or anything that requires them to interact with something. I think this makes learning more fun and enjoyable for the students.
3. As a special education teacher, we use technology almost every day. We use Smart boards to present material during circle time, and we also use the smart board to teach lessons because it allows the students to interact and it helps focus their attention. We also allow students to play games on computers that help them learn the alphabet, numbers, colors, etc., and they also can listen to read-alouds on the computer. Teachers can also use computers to allow students to do research, to do job searches, to complete resumes, to work on Microsoft office skills, to work on typing skills, to creat presentations for the class, etc. Teachers can incorporate technology into the classroom to teach the content while at the same time also teaching fundamental skills that might be needed in the workplace.
Digital Immigrant Article:
ReplyDeleteI think that it is an absolute must to incorporate technology into the classroom. We as teachers have a responsibility to prepare our students to succeed in every aspect of their future and technology is a component that is inevitable. We live in a technological savvy world and our students must be prepared. We have to work with what is given to us, but don’t limit your students to the bare minimum. There is always a way to introduce and show students technology. Whether writing grants or taking field trips, teachers must be willing to find these external resources.
I believe that some have different ways of thinking, while others may not. Some digital immigrants have had extensive training and education on technology and have become just as familiar with it and rely on it just as much as digital natives. Other digital immigrants may rely on other methods first then technology. Either way I do believe we have to examine the way we teach. I believe that we (digital natives or immigrants) can always better ourselves by reflecting and speaking with others.
Bonk article:
Technology is such a driving force in today’s classroom. It can be used in so many useful ways. Students can use blogs to share thoughts on assignments, ask and answer questions, and even share work with parents and friends. Teachers can incorporate wikis into their classroom, so if the students have a project and each group has one part, they can put it all together through the wiki. I think that skyping is also a great tool to use when you have pen-pals. It allows students to see and talk with one another when otherwise they wouldn’t have that opportunity.
1. It is very important to use technology in the classroom. Kids have grown up using technology and use it every day. Many kids have cell phones at a very early age and many play video/computer games several hours a day instead of reading. These kids prefer to see things visually and the addition of short clips and images in addition to text. It is realistic for teachers to use things such as computers and TV’s to teach, but not everyone has the luxury of a smart board. Most schools have TV’s and computers and these two tools can really enhance a lesson for the digital natives.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that digital natives think differently from digital immigrants. Digital immigrants were mostly taught by a teacher that would stand up in the front of the class and lecture the entire class rarely using any technology. Students during this time could learn because they were used to it. This maybe because students that grew up without advanced technology rarely watched TV and spent most of their spare time reading. This allowed them to have the attention span to sit and learn during a lecture. Digital natives cannot sit in a classroom and just take notes while the teacher stands up and talks. This will guarantee students will not be engaged in class.
3. There are several ways to integrate technology into the classroom. The most basic way is to create power points for a way to lecture. In these power points you can insert maps, pictures, short videos, graphs and charts so students can visually see some of the concepts/points you are trying to get through to the students. A blog or class website can allow students to ask/answer questions they may have about a project or assignment. It can also allow students to share notes the week before the test. Technology is also very useful while doing projects; students can really show their creativity and knowledge about using technology while sharing their project with the class. There are good websites that have educational videos and images that are good to use instead of popping in an old VHS to show the students.
1. Many Enlightenment-era figures began arguing centuries ago that the only focus of education should be on topics and skills that are useful. Enlightenment thinkers like Benjamin Franklin argued against the efficacy and point of teaching Latin in a world that no longer used it. Given that the world is changing rapidly with regards to technology, it is incumbent upon us to shift our focus away from knowledge that is not utilitarian to truly useful knowledge. This truly useful knowledge invariably involves a greater focus on technology education.
ReplyDeleteAs a social sciences teacher, it is impractical for me to expect that my students will remember everything I teach them. However, if I can teach students to utilize appropriate technology to find the answers they need, they have been taught that which is most useful for their future. Technology should be first and foremost among our teaching goals. While some shun teaching it because of its quickly evolving nature, this is precisely the reason we must teach technology alongside traditional content.
2. Digital natives and immigrants do think differently. However, I believe the author believes the immigrant and native divide to be a little too age-based. In my low socio-economic school zone, I am much more of a digital native than many of my students. That being said, I do believe a fundamental shift is necessary.
I remember asking a math teacher in middle school why I had to learn content in a certain way when calculators could complete the same tasks more quickly. The answer was that I "would not always have a calculator." Today, however, technology is everywhere at all times. Students should still be taught in some of the traditional means, but the ever-present techonology should be incorporated and not shunned like some sort of passing fad.
3. We can incorporate technology in a number of ways. Students can use it for both process and product. In other words, they can research and learn via technology, or present their products. I have long used self-created Power-point presentations for notes and lecture in my classes. Recently, I experimented with giving students the unit topic, sub-topics, and basic instruction in the program before letting them create their own notes with my assistance. This took a great deal of scaffolding and supervision, but worked well.
1. I definitely think that technology should be incorporated into the classroom. If we are aiming for authentic learning experiences, we should automatically include the technologies that are part of everyday life. How can we prepare students to go out into an technological world if we ourselves are unfamiliar with it? Yes, technology is constantly changing, but it our responsibility as educators to keep up with it to the best of our abilities.
ReplyDelete2. Prensky presents a valid argument that there is a difference between digital natives and digital immigrants. The two groups have grown up as members of different generations. The immigrants have seen the world transform into a technological centered one which has not always been so accessible to the average person. The natives on the other hand, were born into this online age and are skilled in keeping up with the constant changes. They expect technologies to grow and improve, thus they are always looking for something newer and better. This is the fundamental change, I believe, between the generations. I think there should be a shift in teaching to help future teachers adapt to the changes in pedagogy before they are taught the traditional methods.
3. There are numerous ways for teachers to incorporate technology into the classroom. The most common use of technology in English classrooms is that in which students use the Internet as a research tool. They can search various databases to find needed information.
Sorry. Coming a bit late to the discussion, and I do apologize.
ReplyDelete1. Like everyone else said, it's terribly important to use technology within the classroom. In today's day and age, when new technology is rapidly updating and progressing on a (seemingly) daily basis, we have to adapt to what the rest of the world is doing and using. If we don't, we run the risk of looking horribly out of touch. Kids today, and we're talking toddlers here, are learning how to the computer mouse through children's books (The World of J.J. Mouse by Elizabeth Yarborough, I believe?). Even at that young of an age, kids are learning how to use and incorporate technology into their everyday lives, and we have to adapt.
2. Digital natives already have a leg up over their immigrant counterparts because they are at least familiar with the basic levels of the technologies being used. However, digital immigrants would probably be more open to using newer and updated systems than the digital natives, who are more likely to have favorite programs, systems, and ways of doing things. I could see where natives would be very resistant to change, whereas the digital immigrants, since they are seeing the technology (for the most part) for the first time, would welcome a new skill or tool.
3. There are many great ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, but, like Kelly said, there should be a governing purpose or principle behind its usage. Getting a school subscription to the online Oxford English Dictionary would be a great way to show English students not only the meanings of words, but how those words have been used in the language throughout the centuries. Rather than looking through bound volumes, students can access this information at their computers, a place that, these days, you are far more likely to see a kid reading.