'Digital+Natives'

"There are claims that this generation is different than any that has come before - that their brains have actually developed differently, and certainly that their learning habits are different. The claims also state that their education needs to be different if there are to achieve their full potential and if our country is to compete and grow. The education system must change, and us as teachers must change - dramatically! That's the 'news' version" (Teacher & Technology, Course Outline, 2010). What I want to do is expand on these ideas as they pertain to recent research about the brain, learning and teaching, and look at 1. how digital native individuals are different, 2. what teachers must keep in mind in better serving these kinds of students in the classrooms, 3. how technology can be used to create an effective learning experience and finally, share my perspectives on this concept.
 * Digital Natives** - this is the term commonly used for people who have grown up in an increasin[[image:born-digital-native.jpg width="348" height="297" align="right" link="http://larsegeland.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/digital-natives-%E2%80%93-a-review-of-two-books/"]]gly digital world and have not known life without it. Most sources which define digital natives state that this group of individuals are made up of anyone born after the late 70's to early 80's, or more generally any one who grew up in the 21st century.

__**//So, how are these students really different (generaly and looking specifically at dealing with fake sites)?//**__

Certainly the comics displayed on this page would not have even been considered 20 years ago. This is now reality however, and more and more we see students confused, disturbed, annoyed, and sometimes even angry about schools or educational experiences in general that do not use technology in any of its various forms. These students simply can not understand what life would be like without technology.

Research by social psychologists (They include Alexandr Romanovich Luria (1902-1977), Soviet pioneer in neuropsychology, author of //The Human Brain and Psychological Processes// (1963), and, more recently, Dr. Richard Nisbett of the University of Michigan) shows that people who grow up in different cultures do not just think about different things, they actually **//think different//.** The environment and culture in which people are raised affects and even determines many of their thought processes. "We used to think that everybody uses categories in the same way, that logic plays the same kind of role for everyone in the understanding of everyday life, that memory, perception, rule application and so on are the same, says one. ―But we’re now arguing that **//cognitive processes themselves are just far more malleable than mainstream psychology assumed"//** (Quoted in Erica Goode, ―How Culture Molds Habits of Thought, New York Times, August 8, 2000).

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We now know that brains that undergo different developmental experiences develop differently, and that people who undergo different inputs from the culture that surrounds them think differently. And while we haven’t yet directly observed Digital Natives’ **brains** to see whether they are **physically different** (such as musicians’ appear to be) the **indirect evidence for this is extremely strong (**Marc Prensky, 2001). Although the vast majority of today’s educators and teachers grew up with the understanding that the human brain doesn’t physically change based on stimulation it receives from the outside—especially after the age of 3— it turns out that that view is, in fact, incorrect. Based on the latest research in neurobiology, there is no longer any question that stimulation of various kinds actually changes brain structures and affects the way people think, and that these transformations go on throughout life The brain is, to an extent not at all understood or believed to be when Baby Boomers were growing up, massively plastic//.// It can be, and is, constantly reorganized**. **(Although the popular term //rewired //is somewhat misleading, the overall idea is right—the brain changes and organizes itself differently based on the inputs it receives.)======

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Digital Natives **crave interactivity.** Many people think that digital natives have a very short attention span and can not focus in general. Attention span is not the issue, rather its the traditional methods of teaching. Students in todays technological era are all about activity and interaction. They need something hands on and therefore technology must be used to engage the students and certainly keep there attention.======

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One key area that appears to have been affected according to Pensky is **reflection.** Seemingly digital natives have lost the desire to reflect upon information and situations as opposed to those before their time who considered reflection a very valuable tool in learning and understanding.======

Finally a major difference, that has to do with possible issues faced with technology, is the digital native's **ability with, and knowledge of, technology.** When the average joe or someone who is not a digital native deals with technology the succeptability to issues arising are substantially higher. The majority of people who did not grow up with technology do not know even the basics of using technology. Simple programs like Microsoft word, publisher, excel as well as sites used for communicating like hotmail, gmail, skype are in themselves a dilemma and issue for users who have not grown up with technology. I myself can think of numerous individuals only a generation older than myself who are scared to open or close certain pages for fear that all information will be lost or that some form of virus or problem will arise. It is often this unknowing fear that ends up causing them to create greater problems with the technology they are using. Digital natives for the most part are smart with technology. In saying this I mean that they tend to know the signs of valid sites or fake sites and are much more likely not to be scammed or hoaxed through the use of technology. Even if sites pop-up or appear to attack their computers they have the **ability to recognize them for what they're worth and know how to get out of the situation they are in**. Often times those who are not technologicaly literate will just click o.k. or believe whatever the ad or site proposes and in doing so will create for themselves a time of great confusion and frustration.

Overall in considering the differences, when it comes to the use of technology specifically the issue of fake sites arising, between digital natives and what I will call the remainder of the population; digital natives having grown up with technology and developing through their interactions **have a better understanding of how to use technology effectively and efficiently** not entrapping themselves and causing grief by becoming victims to fake sites.

__**//Why is this important for teachers?//**__

Recognizing that digital natives are different from the remainder of the population is absolutely crucial for a teacher. As the many differences above suggest, digital natives certainly learn differently than the past 'traditional' learners prior to them. Teachers who are aware that students are developing differently in this technological era understand that **the way in which lessons are planned and information is proccessed and learned has to be at the forefront of every learning experience.** Providing students the oppurtunity to use the technology they have and that is provided by the school will allow students to be interactive and take ownership of their learning just one of the characteristics of a digital native. additionally, a teacher being able to recognize that the typical traditional lessons must be changed or atleast spiced up with a bit of technology will make a much better overall class atmosphere and interactive learning environment as the students feel comfortable with the methods and tools they use to learn.

If teachers don't use technology the chances of the average digital native student being interested and interacting within the lesson are significantly reduced if not entirely. Students use technology everyday in so many ways;l so in knowing this teachers should also allow its use in educational settings as well.

Prior to the digital natives era being involved in the teaching process the 'traditional teachers' certainly were unknowledgeable and even at times ignorant in their use of technology in the classroom. This has changed however; even the majority of students understand how to use basic communication and educational programs and sites without fear of what might happen. **Having students that are able to use technology effectively has allowed teachers to give an ever widening array of interactive methods to complete assignments.** Certainly there is a concern in allowing students to use technology as the risk of fake sites and virus' are just one of the many evident issues that exist in schools today. **Again, most digital native students will recognize potential risks in visiting fake sites yet some students who are not as familiar with technology, or individuals who are not digital natives, will fall prey to the sites.** Many teachers are over concerned that students do not know how to use technology and in some cases this is true. Yet, there are many students that have knowledge and understanding far beyond that of their teachers when it comes to the use of technology. It is safe to say that teachers can not just assume that all students know how to use technology and that they are not succeptible to dangerous or faulty sites, but also teachers should not assume that students are ignorant and are all much more vulnerable to 'bad' technology. This is why teachers and students alike must know the signs to detect fake, hoax and pottentially harmful sites.

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There are a number of ways in which technology can create an effective learning experience. Technology can allow students to listen to, communicate with, and receive feedback from various sources. Through the internet there is numerous oppurtunities for students to research, analyze and critique information. Technology allows for an interactive learning experience in which students are actually involved in the learning process as they navigate through the process of learning. Allowing the students to actually have hands on experiences in which they are able to manipulate and develop understanding is much more effective than having them always look at the black board and write out an answer. Certainly, some argue that even a pencil is a form of technology as you are able to write with it... Well, I will argue that it is NOT! or atleast is not anymore. As technology develops each and every year the older technology becomes nearly obsolete, why is this? users want the best! the funnest! the most interactive! So, why are we taking this away from our students?======

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Technology can throw a twist on the learning experience that makes it fun and interactive. One example is within a poetry unit for Language arts. Rather than just getting them to write out a poem on paper and hand it in you could actually use a gaming system or online program like Wii, PlayStation, Smartscore transposer, etc. to get your students to write a song or poetry and then put it into a game like guitar hero or rockband. This also works great for those who take music class. Essentially the use of a gaming system or technology like this could be cross-curricular when writing poetry to a musical tune. Now doesn't that sound slightly more effective than having your students sit at their desk and drone on and on about writing a poem that they are not even intested in doing. Many other technologies can be used as well within classes, its just that many times people do not put in the effort or consideration to do so.======

For a further look into digital natives please refer to Don Tapscot's excerpt [|'Grown up Digital'] as well as information written by Marc Prensky, the man who actually coined the term Digital Natives. []