1. Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants are terms I had never heard before. The article described what they are and introduced a problem that is happening in schools. “Today’s students – K through college – represent the first generations to grow up with this new technology” (Prensky, 2001, p 1) The students have always had technology in their lives. The current teachers did not grow up with technology and are learning it as they go. This is creating issues within the schools with the digital natives (students) and digital immigrants (teachers).

2. There are now two different kinds of content in schools. The legacy and the future. The legacy is traditional subjects that are taught in schools. “Future content is to a large extent not surprisingly, digital and technological” (Prensky, 2001, p. 4). The current educators are having a difficult time with the future content. It is causing the teachers to learn a new way of thinking and teaching.

3. “We need to invent Digital Native methodologies for all subjects, at all levels, using our students to guide us” (Prensky, 2001, p 6). Students are capable of learning facts for each subject, they just need a way to learn it that they understand.

2 sides.

1. It seems that video games are a popular way for teachers to get students interested in a topic or subject. The students are excited to play the games and they are learning at the same time. Having the students do their lessons on a computer and them having everything at their fingertips so they can research is what the students are used to and what they like. From a teacher’s point of view, this is a great way for them to learn.

2. As a parent and digital immigrant, I try everything I can to keep video games at a minimum at our home. I try to get my children to read real books (not tablets) and build with their blocks or toys, play outside, etc. I don’t want them in front of a screen all day and all evening. Kids are used to using the computer for homework and submitting assignments on them while at school. So, as a parent if they are on laptops all day at school, I want them to have a break from “screens” once they are home from school. It does make things challenging as a parent when that is not what we are used to, but I do also see the advantages and it is what the world is changing too.

1 question you still have.

My question for this article is what is being done to make sure students are still able to research, do homework, learn if a computer is not available. What happens if the internet goes down for a long period of time. How will the students be taught?

Prensky, M (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants part 1 on the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (mvnu.edu)

1.      Students are being taught by a generation that did not live in a digital world.  The students are always in a digital world outside of school. “They then come to school where they’re often confronted by the awesome power of an overhead projector or dry erase pen and a whiteboard. It’s absolutely not preparing kids for the world they will graduate into” (21^st Century Fluency Series). The students’ future employers will expect them to be able to work using technology, so they need to be introduced to that during school.

2.      There are several examples in the article describing situations in the past where teachers and schools did not want to change the way they taught. One example is, “The National Association of Teachers reported in 1907 that students depended too much on ink and no longer knew how to use a knife to sharpen a pencil” (21^st Century Fluency Series). These examples show that society has always been leery of change. Living in a digital world is scary for some adults because it is different than how they were taught, and they are not familiar with it. It takes time to accept these changes.

3.      Students in the digital age need to collaborate. They need to multitask because that is what they are used to. “They can do 5 things with 5 different groups over the course of one evening that we might not have imagined being able to do in 5 weeks” (21^st Century Fluency Series). Students working together can get a lot done and learn more that way.

2 sides.

1.      Some schools have banned cell phones and certain digital devices from the classrooms. Each school should be able to see if they are a distraction and if so then they should not be in the classroom. “Most school districts have created rules governing, or banning outright, the use cell phones and other digital devices, and online activities such as chatting, instant messaging, bulletin boards, blogging, wikis, sending, and receiving email at school, RSS readers, educational video games, or the use of social networks” (21^st Century Fluency Series).

2.      While some of these digital devices are being banned, the classrooms are using more online tools for homework or research. “School may be missing a huge opportunity to leverage digital and social networking tools as powerful learning resources for after school homework help, review sessions, and collaborative projects to enhance the educational experience” (21^st Century Fluency Series).

1 question you still have.

              With the students and schools relying more on the digital world to help with schooling, how are the educators monitoring all of that? How can the teachers know that each student is doing their own work and not buying it or sharing it with others?

21^st Century Fluency Series. Understanding Digital Kids II 21st_Fluency_Project (1) (1).pdf

3 things you learned.

1.      With blended learning becoming more popular, students are doing more schoolwork on the computer and not as many worksheets. The teachers do not have to print items for class, they just have to post assignments or announcements onto their online classrooms.

2.      The author believes that, “blended learning cold fundamentally change the system and structure of school, and provides students with a more personalized, active learning experience” (Holland 2017).  The students would be able to learn at their own pace and have some control over the learning.

3.      Blended learning could be a good idea for classes that are more difficult. The classes that the instructor might need to give more information on or teach it in different ways for different students would be possible with blended learning.

2 sides.

1.      Blended learning seems like it has a lot of possibilities for students and teachers. I like the idea of teachers being able to give one on one time to students that need more time on a topic/subject while the other students already have work to do on their computers. I also like the idea of having different types of teaching a lesson available online.

2.      Although there are good reasons for blended learning, there are also some negatives to it. This could eventually lead to all online classes that can be done outside of a school. If there is a valid reason that students cannot attend school, this is a great option. I do feel that students should attend school for social reasons. They will also more than likely be employed after graduation outside of their home. If the students are always doing classes online and even just at their homes, they might not be emotionally or socially able to work outside the home.

1 question you still have.

If students are all given laptops or iPads to use for their schoolwork, what happens if the student does not understand the electronic devices? Even if the student has been given “classes” on how to use it and to find their assignments, what happens if they just do not understand it all.  

Holland, B. (February 22, 2017). Are We Innovating, or Just Digitizing Traditional Teaching? Edutopia. Are We Innovating, or Just Digitizing Traditional Teaching? | Edutopia

1.     The article, Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities, has multiple examples of ways to help students learn. “Assistive technology ranges from low – to high – tech” (Young, MacCormack 2014). There are items that are added to pencils to help students hold them to computer programs that help students write papers by using speech to text and other software functions.

2.     The article mentioned that assistive technology can be used to support students and to help students bypass tasks that are more difficult for the student. I had never thought of assistive technology as helping students bypass parts of the work that they are not able to do. Having the technology to read to the student or spell for them is making schoolwork less stressful and more enjoyable for them.

3.     The Pentop computers can use text to speech to help students learn. “Pentop computers are also useful because they utilize instruction strategies such as providing auditory feedback during composition or math work” (Young, MacCormack 2014). I had not heard of this program before reading this article. There was an example given where it can give reminders during math work if the student forgets to do something. It is amazing everything that has been developed in order to help students.

2 sides.

1.     Having computers and iPads for students to help them learn is a great idea. It allows the students to work on their own instead of having a teacher read to them or help them answer math questions. The students can become more independent and learn on their own, which might help their self-esteem and make them want to learn more. There are so many different programs that this article mentioned that are available for students that need assistive technology.

2.     Giving students their own computers and iPads can be helpful for the students, but they can also become distracted by other things online. “In order to prevent the technology from being a distraction, students need to be taught how to use technology to support their learning” (Young, MacCormack 2014)

1 question

The article mentions that there is not a lot of research for some of these programs. It can take a lot of time to see if these programs are helping students or not. By the time the research is completed, there are other newer programs out there. The schools are just reading what the inventors of these programs are saying about it rather than using data. Is there a way to get the research done and the results to the educators faster so they do not possible spend a lot of money on programs that might not work for their students?

3 things you learned.

1.     The article Digital Citizenship in the Curriculum states that there are three different visions of citizenship that are within our democratic education program. There is the personally responsible citizen, participatory citizen, and the justice-oriented citizen. Each of the different visions enables students to research in different ways. “Personally responsible digital citizenship has dominated what is taught in schools, as students are encouraged to be responsible, obedient, and productive netizens” (Krutka. Carpenter. 2017). These students need to be leery of the sites they get their information from and not just believe a site because it has high search engine rankings.

2.     The participatory digital citizens “understand government, know how it works, and actively organize community efforts as a regular part of their lives” (Krutka. Carpenter. 2017). These students should be taught safe ways to respond to others online.

3.     Justice oriented citizens seek to make changes. “Helping students grow as justice-oriented citizens requires raising their consciousness of oppression and identifying an array of adaptable strategies that are often needed in the face of institutional resistance” (Krutka. Carpenter. 2017).

2 sides.

1.     Some schools are banning social media in the classrooms. This could be good for the students and teachers. It can keep students from not paying attention in class and playing with their phones/laptops. It can allow students to do research by going to libraries and reading books, newspapers and articles without using the computers. It can give them a break from social media and being “online” all the time.

2.     On the other side of banning social media, when the students graduate, they will more than likely be using online tools, their phones and computers to do their jobs. Times have changed in the last 15-20 years and the world depends on social media and being online. Employers will expect the students to know how to do research online and how to respond on social media for their company. “When school leaders ban social medica and fail to develop powerful visions for digital citizenship, they neglect to educate students for our digitally connected world, where citizenship is digital” (Krutka. Carpenter. 2017).

1 question

Being able to communicate online and do online research properly is important since our current world is digital. Now that schools are teaching this, what is it taking away from? Have they shortened English, math, art, etc. in order to add this into the curriculum? Are the students still getting the same education now that the world is digital or do the other subjects need to be shortened to add this to the schedule?

Krutka, D., Carpenter, J. (November 2017). Digital Citizenship in the Curriculum. Educational Leadership. DigitalCitizenshipInTheCurriculumKrutkaDGCarpenterJPEdLeadership2017.pdf