After a wonderful experience at the ISTE11 Conference in Philadelphia, I finally made the decision to get away from any computer and get myself to the beach for a week to decompress. Of course, I have my Droid, so I am still somewhat connected, but frustratingly so. A mobile device doesn’t yet fully replace the speed and convenience of a loaded laptop or desktop. Yet, it is that very inconvenience with only a mobile phone at the beach that enables me to say to my family that I am, for the most part, disconnected. If truth be told I have gotten a few socially oriented Tweets off with beach and sunset pictures. I needed to share some of those moments. I guess my reality is that I am not so good at decompression by disconnecting.
During my stay at the beach, I am constantly asked by folks what is it that I am doing these days. Of course explaining my involvement in Social Media in Education is a discussion that eradicates decompression, so I try to simplify. “I am involved with using technology as a learning tool in education.” This often brings the response about how kids today know everything they need to know about computers. They are “Digital Natives!”
It is that very attitude by adults that had a generation of kids programming the family VCR’s to record shows, or to at least stop the blinking “12 AM” light. That single task may have marked the very time when adults relinquished responsibility for technology to kids. It is true that when it comes to Technology stuff, kids approach it differently. They are less intimidated, and less concerned with breaking something. They are more intuitive when it comes to technology use. Most devices and applications now have many more common bells and whistles that carry through to other devices and applications. Of course this behavior in tech use is learned through repetitive actions, as a result of this commonality of devices and applications and may suggest or give an appearance to a non-tech user that it is an example of a native intelligence for technology. However, it is, in fact, very much a learned behavior. It is that very attitude however, that is misleading to many educators.
If there is one thing that can be learned from politicians it is this: Facts do not matter! If you say something often enough, and long enough, people will believe it, regardless of the facts. That seems to be the case when it comes to adult perceptions of youth and Technology.
I have written about this before, but obviously a majority of our vast population has missed or not gotten around to my earlier posts. I now teach in Higher Education. My experience is that most students are experienced in texting, downloading music and video, creating some music and many ringtones, and having a fair knowledge of word-processing. Lest I forget, they are master Googlers (I am not even sure that is a word), as well as copy-and-paste superstars.
Primary teachers leave technology to the secondary teachers; Secondary teachers leave technology to the Higher Ed Teachers; and Higher Ed teachers assume that students are “digital natives”. Tech skills of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Research, Social Learning, and Media Literacy in general are not being taught by some educators, but rather being assumed to be mastered by our digital natives. Of course a question obvious to many is, if these are skills required for media literacy, how many of our educators are media literate? The answer to that is critical to how many educators will enthusiastically embrace teaching with tools of technology. No, this does not apply to all educators, but if it does apply to some, then that is too many.
If we are making assumptions that our students are digital natives and using Tech intuitively, then we need not require further technology education of our educators. Of course this is ridiculous. But then again, the more I speak about relevance in education by using Technology as a tool for learning for both educators and students, the more I experience resistance to do so. The objection that always pops up is we don’t need technology to be good teachers. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with that. If we are teaching kids to master skills that will make them at least productive and at most competitive in their world, which is still developing its technology then we do need it in education. As educators, how can we teach kids what they need for their world in a technologically competitive society, if we are not keeping up with it. These skills are not intuitive; they are learned. In order to be learned, they need to be taught. In order to be taught by educators, these skills need to be learned by educators. Again, to be better educators, we need to be better learners. Believing in the myth of digital natives does not relieve us of the responsibility to teaching with tools of technology. We need not teach all the bells and whistles, but, as relevant educators, we need to employ Technology as a tool for learning where it is appropriate. Technology will never replace teachers but it will change the way they teach. Content may be delivered more by mentoring than lecturing. The best content experts cannot compare their knowledge to that which becomes available on the internet. Teaching how to access, process and communicate that requires technology and mentoring skills. The creation of content may become a shared experience with teachers and students.
If we, as educators, personally use and teach with technology consistently throughout the education system, we will need not teach technology, because our kids will be digital natives.
someone tweeted your link so I checked it out. This is a great post. I agree that technology to children is more of a tool than a subject. They won’t have a point of reference to life without it, so the device will never be the focus. I’m feeling very good about the application of tablets in the classroom too. It looks like my kids may ever experience the annoying task of covering their textbooks.
Unfortunately, many of our educators are not media literate. Many of them see infusing technology into their lessons as “something else to do.” Another excuse is that “the younger kids can’t do it”. And the best one, “whenever I try to use technology something goes wrong, so I don’t use it.” At some point, we have to make them understand that technology is not a separate subject to be taught once a week in the computer lab!
Excellent piece! You captured my feelings and thoughts much better than I could have. I wholeheartedly agree!! The resistance that you wrote about is one of the most frustrating things I encounter professionally. Some years back, I was fairly tolerant of instructors with minimal computer literacy skills. Now, my patience is wearing thin, and I’m weary of the excuses and lack of personal responsibility to learn, to try something new, to take risks, to try to figure out something to make it work….some of the very skills that we want our students to have. Ok…rant over!
Every educator has the right to choose to live in a cave. They do not have the right to drag students in there with them.
Thanks for writing about this topic, Tom.
LOL, that is what I offer to my students who are reluctant to use tech in their learning. I will gladly show them a cave and even help them create a spear. “The rest of us are going forward”, is the comment I leave them with.
Well written post. I agree that we need to be teaching our students on technology as a (production) tool (not putting them on website after website allowing the websites to teach them math, reading, science, etc.), and feel that if we fail to teach our students to be digital citizens we are doing them a great disservice. Expecting our students to be digital natives and that they’ll figure it out, is like saying to a gifted child, ‘you’re gifted, therefore, I don’t need to teach you any of this stuff, you’ll figure it out!’ (Sorry, another soapbox of mine!)
I feel there is a certain amount to be said about our students and children not being intimidated by technology, not being afraid to push buttons. For many students, this is all they have ever known. But, as the technology teacher at school, I’ve also seen a great number of students who come through my tech lab that have never been on a computer being, never held a mouse, never touched a keyboard, or never went on the Internet. These are the students that are completely lost when I tell them to type in an address of a certain site. These are the students that google to find Google.
I would consider my own children to be digital natives as we have raised them so. My 10 year old grew up creating his drawings in photoshop (doesn’t even know what MS Paint is), and creating songs in Garageband from an early age. He now helps his teachers at school with some of these applications. But, I also know my children are the exception to the rule. Not all children live in such a geeky household.
As the school’s tech, part of my job is teacher education in technology. I host numerous workshops each year, and post step-by-step tutorials (with “color glossies”) to our BBS, but many of the teachers say they just don’t have the time to attend, or to read my emails. What more can I do, but say, “job security”?! I do what I can teaching those that want to listen and learn (teacher-wise), and teach the students that come through my lab, which is most of the school, to use technology as a tool, following NETS, and hope they bring their knowledge back to their classroom to share with their teachers.
Your description of your students/staff sound very much like mine.
Hi Tom,
Yes, you’re right about this. I find it frustrating how it’s like it’s just common knowledge – almost a part of the American way of life… in our very cultural fabric; that kids take to technology easy, and with no problems.
I’ve heard it too, as we plan to go one-to-one next year. Some say “Oh… 99.9% of the kids get it.” Well, no, I disagree. There is much to learn and many skills to build.
Great post Tom!
Adam Chiocca
“Mista Chocka” on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail
adamchiocca.blogspot.com
Bravo! You are so right. Young people today certainly know how to use technology but they do not necessarily know how to use it with purpose. I am 50+ and my young children and teacher candidates may show me how to use the tool but I must facilitate and create the activity that requires them to use the tool for purpose.
I am currently taking a second masters (Masters of Educational Technology). Why? I have 10 years left to teach students and to teach teachers. I need to be out of that cave you referred to in an earlier post.
Denise
I’m 20 years ahead of you and I feel the same way. It’s never too late.
[…] the posts particularly interesting because they reminded me of this course. These posts are:“Digital Native Myth Buster”and “A Digital Social Media Educator in an Analog System.”I’m planning on […]
Thanks Tom for a great post – a timely reminder. I agree that students lack a deep understanding of the skills to use technology to its full potential…unfortunately many teachers have an even shallower understanding.
Tom,
I whole-heartedly agree with your post. I would like to offer another perspective if you will. Often times in education, it is easy to become frustrated with educators whom seemingly put off teaching 21st century skills to this generation. in my opinion, it is time we start looking for a solution to this disconnect. What is it that holds teachers back from most innovations and risk taking in their classroom?…Time and lack of meaningful, relevant ongoing training. It is fine and dandy to go to a conference and learn about all the latest and greatest in technology, but if teachers do not experience how to effectively integrate these tools into their lessons, all that time is waisted. Therefore, administrators and campus leaders should make it their mission to ensure that their is time and resources allocated so that teachers can train and learn from each other how to create effective lessons using 21st century skills. Educators should insist that this be a part of the mission and vision on their campuses. Make it happen through collaboration at the teacher level. We can connect with others throughout the globe in ways that we could never think of. Maybe that’s just it. This is new and requires out of the box thinking, not only from our students, but from us..but it all takes time and ongoing reflection and tweaking. It is an investment that is well worth the time and effort.
I say all of this as a recent Master’s graduate, specializing in Technology Integration. I invested my own time 2 times a month and host short and sweet collaborative meeting’s called, Techie Tidbits, on my campus. I viewed it as a way to share web 2.0 and ways to incorporate technology into daily lessons. The amount of teachers that came varied. It was difficult for some to come, because of tutoring or after school intervention conflicts. Again, time was a factor.
That being said, I teach Kindergarten at a technology magnet school and realize the importance of early exposure to creativity, communication and collaboration. By the end of the school year my kiddo’s are creating newscasts, keynotes, working on group projects and I function as a facilitator to their learning. It is amazing, but it all takes TIME…a priceless resource.
Time-ly post Tom,
Christina Carrion
Kindergarten Teacher
https://gblog.garlandisd.net/users/cmcarrio/
Tom – great blog post! Glad to see you making the distinction between students being “digitally comfortable” (my words) and “digitally literate”. I liken this to their comfort using a microwave oven – it doesn’t mean they know how to cook a meal.
I have to also add that I’m not at all in favor of using the phrase “Digital Natives”. We tend to hear this in the context of “age”, as though it is simply a new type of generation gap. I see digital “comfort” being more a function of socio economics (you can afford to own or have access to the technology) and attitude. Neither of these is related to how old you are.
Examples:
* Teachers who work with students in low income areas often remark (with surprise) how some students struggle with using a computer – for lack of familiarity.
* Low income students in other countries face similar (or greater) challenges.
* I know an 86 year old ex-marketing person who loves building websites for friends; taught himself javascript at age 75, and does all his html on Notepad.
It’s not about age.
Thanks for a thoughtful piece, Tom!
– Jim V
Thoughtful piece.
‘In order to be learned, they need to be taught’ hmmm. Is this logic secure?
Will technology changing the way teachers teach? I don’t think it will take someone who thinks their job is delivering facts and turn them into someone who uses facts to engage students in critical thinking. Technology won’t change a teacher’s basic pedagogical practices. I will put a new face on their current practices. The lecture with PowerPoint slides can be just as deadly as one with foils on an overhead projector. Teachers focused on preparing students for standardized tests, will not all of a sudden start having student do self-selected projects in collaborative groups. To change pedagogy, you have to take it head on.
“…as relevant educators, we need to employ Technology as a tool for learning where it is appropriate.”
This is so true. My colleagues and I have our high school students complete a survey at the beginning of each year. The survey asks which tools are students familiar with and what do they feel confident using. Most freshman are confident in texting, Facebook, downloading music and a few edit photos. However, the vast majority are tech illiterate and very few are on Twitter until they’ve been in high school for a bit.
For me, it takes about 4-6 weeks of scaffolding tech tools for students to really fly on their own. I used to assume much more than I currently do.
“Primary teachers leave technology to the secondary teachers; Secondary teachers leave technology to the Higher Ed Teachers; and Higher Ed teachers assume that students are “digital natives”.” I love this, and am astounded at the number of teachers who don’t spend a single on teaching the tech tools; especially since I have dozens of hours of learning cursive and Cornell notes. Teaching the tools is crucial.
I agree. Most of my freshmen are really not as tech savvy as one might expect. Facebook is about it for most of them, and interestingly, more and more seem to take a certain pride in being “not into technology.” I’ve also been surprised that most of my younger colleagues are rather technophobic! The people really pursuing these tech tools, in my experience, are “boomers” like me!
I still believe in digital natives, in terms of children being raised around a world reshaped by technology. The difference is felt in cultural norms, a lack of fear and a general positive self-efficacy with regards to tech.
It is no different than Oral Natives who come from an oral culture or Print Natives who were shaped by a print-based culture.
Yet, just like any native, they still need literacy, education and citizenship. Thus, Digital Natives doesn’t automatically equal Digital Expert. Like any medium, the skills take years to refine.
I love this article! You describe a serious problem that I have observed, as well: “Tech skills of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Research, Social Learning, and Media Literacy in general are not being taught by some educators, but rather being assumed to be mastered by our digital natives.” Technology provides many opportunities for meaningful learning, but parents and educators must be familiar with the tools for this to occur. More thoughts here: http://meganjakse.blogspot.com/2011/05/facebook-for-kids.html
Sometimes we even assume that students are all intuitively adept with all the software out there. As an OCT I find that not to be the case. Many students are very good at a very limited number of applications but are neophytes and extremely tenuous when it comes to others.
Hi Tom,
To echo the other comments here, I wholeheartedly agree.
“Technology will never replace teachers but it will change the way they teach. Content may be delivered more by mentoring than lecturing. The best content experts cannot compare their knowledge to that which becomes available on the internet.” I blogged about this with some simple classroom examples, too http://bit.ly/g2uazc and http://bit.ly/i2m8wy .
There are aspects of kids today that hint at the notion of “Digital Natives.” For example, my 7yo was playing Penn State-opoly (a Penn State version of the Monopoly board game) a few days ago with some neighborhood kids. He drew a “Campus Mail” card which is the equivalent of a “Chance Card” in the regular board game. Card required the player to play the Penn State fight song or lose a turn. While he may have been able to do a good bit of it (as we are avid PSU fans), he whipped out his iPod and played it from his iTunes account. No turn lost there. While some may consider this cheating, it serves, albeit at a primary level, of how important it is that kids learn at an early age how to retrieve information in the exact moment of need.
I teach 12th grade government and history and you are right in saying that the best experts can not compare to the vast amount of information on the internet. Fluid, ever-changing content within subjects such as these require that students are able to access the information and reuse, produce, publish, etc. The beginning of each school, despite teaching primarily 12th graders, is very frustrating as students struggle in learning to use tools for productivity versus simple socialization. Can they access the internet? Yes. But most have no idea of the capabilities at their finger tips. It might be safe to generalize, too, that educators, in turn, can be equally frustrated and just give up. Despite frustrations with our state-wide public school system here in PA, my administrators have been fantastic in giving me the leeway to do just about whatever I want regarding technology.
So, what I can offer is encouragement to teachers who are trying this, but experience frustration along the way. If you keep with it long enough, the students catch on and they are thankful in the end. But, it takes persistence and a lot of time.
Thanks for sharing a great post. It was nice to meet you at EduBloggerCon and ISTE’11 in Philly!
Fresh perspective and great points, Tom. Too good to resist – you’re up on The Daily Riff. Plus, check out today’s “Got Jobs?” story – related. http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/believing-in-the-myth-of-digital-natives-does-not-relieve-us-of-the-responsibility-to-teaching-with-709.php
Tom, I found your post via. a tweet from Suzie Nestico and it echoes my experience with high school students in my district. To use technology as a crucial tool for expanding learning our students need direction; it is not a native skill any more than knowing how to do good primary source research or craft written analyses would be. I split my time between working with teachers in grades k-4 on the initial experiences that will teach creativity, communication and collaboration at those grades and then grades 9-12 where our goal is to expand the options that teachers will accept as demonstrations of learning that are innovative and reflective of 24/7 access to technology at home and at school.
It is a struggle to educate others to the notion that the personal technology skills for students born into a digital environment will not translate into expanded possibilities for learning unless educators shape those experiences in appropriate ways. My own “children” are now 24 and 27. One uses technology in ways that expand the learning options in her high school English classes and the other has changed the digital practices of a gubernatorial campaign and now is using his time as a social networking native in college to assist a college admissions office in marketing to and accessing potential students. The technology skills they are using were not learned in their school settings when they were growing up as their schools didn’t embrace laptops or internet access; largely they learned at home and then applied their own curiosity to job settings asking me for help when no one in their occupational settings had the background to answer their questions. It is our job to embed the curiosity and the sense of possibilities that technology can offer, our young people will then apply them in ways we can only begin to imagine.
[…] Digital Native Myth Buster […]
great writing Tom. I’m interested in the lines ‘we don’t need technology to be good teachers’. I wonder how long this ‘inclusive’ statement can be sustained.
In the past 25+ years the teachers in the vanguard of learning innovation were a ‘type’, risk takers, people prepared to take on an adventure in which the outcome was not certain.
I feel positive about the future for those who have until now been technophobic. Times have changed, the tools actually work, the rate of change is changing and is now so fast that nobody can keep up by reading the manuals. Instead software engineers and designers have to make their Apps intuitive with an up-skilling time measured in seconds. This is the answer, fast and effective application and implementation.
Its up to us, those that read pages like this, to lead the reluctant to these new tools. What an exciting time to be a teacher and to be in the vanguard of such innovation. Guiding colleagues to small but significant changes in their pedagogical tool kit will have a huge impact.
Thanks for giving us such a coherent and beautifully crafted guidance Tom
regards John
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Tom, wonderful post. It also follows that just because new teachers tend to be young does not mean they are natives at teaching these skills. Here at Learning.com, we’ve been happily surprised with the high degree of interest we’ve received to adding NETS-T curriculum to our technology literacy curriculum. Teachers are telling us they are delighted to have support to comfortably use tech in the classroom, and to know how to model and teach challenging skills like innovation and creativity.
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