21st Century Learning

Digital Natives?  Digital Immigrants?   How does an Immigrant Educator Find the Proper Balance?

Okay, no one is going to be surprised that I’m a digital immigrant. (At least according to Marc Prensky’s Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning!) I’ve been in the tech country awhile, but I still can find myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to new technologies.  I definitely still suffer bouts of culture shock as well.  When I first discover a new technology, I can be in the classic honeymoon phase and love the possibilities it all brings – but I often get homesick for my old ways pretty darn fast when I start to get frustrated when learning takes more time than I seem to have at the moment. (Which is often!)  The good news, though, is once I find the proper use – I typically feel at home again.   Why is it then– that I’m beginning to rethink the level of my technology travel as an educator?  

After reading Prensky’s viewpoints as well as other materials and opinions regarding digital natives and immigrants – I found myself with many points to ponder.  I work with college students all day.  I am acutely aware that they often seem to have a different way of looking at things. Sometimes, I’ll admit, it makes me a little crazy.  They often want immediate feedback; they won’t answer an email as fast as a text or IM, etc.  Everything should be in app or infographic form – they often don’t prefer anything with heavy text.  Also, I’m told they make fun of people like me on airplanes who still carry and read hard copies of books. (I have a fear of being trapped on a long flight and my technology stops working – leaving me with nothing to read.)  This thought, they tell me, would never occur to them.  They have a trust in technology that I may never have – in fact, after completing this reading and others on the subject – I have begun to ponder the idea that they have trust in a lot of things that I don’t have.  I knew the digital age made them perhaps a little more efficient than I was in completing a task such as getting a study group together (via texting or IM), or quickly finding the cheapest place to buy an item, etc., but I don’t know that I ever really thought too terribly much about how they are really truly approaching their lives differently and even may hold different values because of the new technology. They see the world differently. It is smaller and larger at the same time. Though they may not necessarily know how to use every technology tool out there, many do seem less intimidated by the thought of giving it a try, and think the world is a better place because of it. 

Having said this, what’s the bottom line for me?  I’m hoping that I don’t have more questions than answers.  I’ve always realized that I need to reach my students where they are – but - after this week’s readings and research - I believe that I may have a better understanding of how important it is to use 21^st century learning techniques to do just that.  Not to say that old (immigrant) techniques don’t still have value - but I may need to be more student centered than I have been…and blended classrooms seem to make more sense to me now.  I need to utilize, and actually sometimes embrace, the technology that students bring to class with them every day.  But where does one start?  How does a teacher discover and then learn to use new literacy technologies that makes sense to the content they are teaching– making sure the students are truly getting the basic fundamentals that they need?  How does one ensure that students know how to critically think about all of the information that they have coming at them 24/7?  How can they be taught that reflection can be necessary? What about teaching morals and empathy that often are learned by spending real time with real people?  What about truly having interaction with those from other cultures and all walks of life to gain heartfelt insight necessary for global citizenship?  

I know there is a balance to strike between the old and the new and I suppose I’m on a clearer journey now to find it.  As I said, it’s no surprise that I’m an immigrant - I just thought I’d been in the country a little longer than I had.  

Speaking of Digital Immigrants, be sure to check out my Infographic below -