An educational aspect of ICT– from a Digital Immigrant`s point of view

Children and youngsters of today are often called Digital Natives or “digi-kids”. They were born in to the digital world and have always been surrounded by computers, videogames, cell phones, the internet and other digital tools and gadgets. Digital immigrants, like myself, were born prior to the digital revolution, the internet era, and have had to adjust, learn and become acquainted with the new way of thinking, communicating and processing information. Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants are specific labels derived from a series of articles written by Mark Prensky. I understand the two terms to be based purely on time of birth, not on interest or technical skill. I would argue however, that the gaps between the two or gaps within in the same group are due to either lack of skill, interest or understanding of what is new and hot in the digital world right now. 

 Digital Native pupils and Digital immigrant teachers.

According to Mark Prensky, and I quote:

“…the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital immigrant instructors, who speak an out-dated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.”

Digital Natives feel that too many Digital Immigrant Teachers tend to teach, use methods, learning styles and language of the past. The multitasking generation think that their teachers are outdated, ineffective and that they are struggling to motivate and acknowledge their long acquired and perfected interests and skills. Some pupils feel that they don`t fit in to the world appreciated and emphasized in school. It is also argued that the rapid rise of ICT has made new generation gaps within the Digital Native group. Many early Digital Natives already feel outdated on many areas and left out of their “own” culture.

At the same time, it seems as if Digital Immigrant teachers tend to expect that ALL Digital Natives are confident and expert computer users.For that reason alone they feel insecure and unwilling to use ICT in learning processes. Many of them feel that as soon as they succeed in handling a new digital tool or gadget, it is already “so yesterday`s news” They were taught to handle and use the computer like a modern typewriter. For many Digital Immigrants the computer will never be anything more or else than just that; a modern typewriter. Some use the new technology like something old and familiar and do not feel the need to amend their teaching strategies. Despite their own insecurity and lack of experience with the new technology they are now obliged by the Norwegian curriculum to use ICT like pen and paper.

The generation gaps result in much frustration. I think both Digital Natives and Immigrants need to appreciate the potential of new technology. We need to use the technology in ways that enriches the learning processes for all.

My impression is that many youngsters are experts on cell phones, videogames and all forms of Internet interaction. The internet is replete with websites that allow them to self- express or self- promote, chat and so on.Despite this, I am often surprised that so many of them don`t have the basic and often necessary skills needed to complete, or hand in schoolwork, for instance. It also seems to me that they think that words like “clicking” and "learning" express the same. 

A while ago I asked some 16 year olds to write about a Norwegian Author born after 1850  and then orally present him or her to the rest of the class. They easily found the information they needed on the internet. In order to check their basic skills and use of sources, part of the task was to hand in all their sources on paper. It turned out that 12 out of 25 didn`t know how to print out pages from the web. Despite the fact that they were all given clear objectives for the task, many of them ended up simply “reading” exactly what they found online, no processing what so ever, in my eyes; no learning. These presentations were of course poorly graded. The pupils in question were outraged and couldn`t understand why. Even though we had discussed and explained this a thousand times before, we had to use quite some time to get them to understand that it there is no learning in just reproducing other people’s texts. In addition to that we had to, as for all tasks involving use of the internet, repeat why it is wrong and illegal to pass on whatever they find on the internet as their own. It seems to me that we still have things to learn from each other.

Personally, I don`t think my job as a teacher is to learn Digital Natives how to access the internet, most of them master that a whole lot better than me. I think my main job is to make sure that I try, in every way I possibly can, to reach each and every pupil. That will, and must, involve me getting to know and getting more acquainted with “their world”. I will have to challenge myself to be a connector, a coach, a content creator and a true collaborator. I think my focus has to be on how I can make them use all their know- how, experience, perfected skills and engagement in such a way that they learn new skills, construct new meaning, take full advantage of their opportunities, feel that they succeed and stay the one, and only, King in their own life. 

Sources: 


Prensky, Marc(2001): "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants"   http://www.marcprensky.com
Richardson, Will (2009) "Blogs, Wikis,Podcasts and other powerful web tools for Classrooms", Corwin Press, California, USA.