Forward:
"The idea of a technological or media-related generation gap is by no means new."-Professor David Buckingham (Thomas, 2011, p. ix)This particular line stuck out to me because, honestly, it is something that I have never given any thought. With all this 'new' digital media out now, it is easy to forget that there has always been 'the next big thing' that the younger generation embraced while the older generation didn't necessarily. This progression can be traced back (even further) than to the invention of the television. There is constantly some type of new media that is evolving and a generation that is accepting it with open arms and a generation that is clinging to the past.
Chapter 1:
"The current generation of young people will reinvent the work place, and the society they live in. We have to get used to it, accept that the flow of knowledge moves both ways and do our best to make sure that no on is left behind."(Green & Hannon, 2007 n.p. as cited in Thomas, 2011, p.3)
This quote is particularly interesting to me because it nicely sums up exactly what is happening in our society today. My generation has changed so much from the one before it, and not just in the use of digital media, but in beliefs, in work ethic, and much more. The change that we see in the generation that comes after mine will be even greater I believe. I am interested to see how (if that is even possible) we, as a society, can work to make sure that no one is left behind in this whirlwind of change.
Chapter 2:
"Technology alone will not replace intuition, good judgment, problem-solving abilities, and a clear moral compass."-Marc Prensky (Thomas, 2011, p.18)
This quote grabbed my attention instantly because it is something that I preach from the front of the classroom, it seems, almost weekly! I continue to stress to my students the importance of having your own problem-solving skills, as well as the intuition and judgment on when/how to make your own decisions. I tell them a calculator, their cell phone, or even the Internet will not be responsible for them learning the material. Technology needs to be an aid in their learning, not the main essence of their education.
Chapter 3:
"A really big discontinuity has taken place. One might even call it a "singularity"- an event which change things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back" (Prensky, 2001a, p.1 as cited in Thomas, 2011, p 32)I agree with this quote, a thousand times over. I truly believe that we have reached a 'point of no return' with our technology. We have made such great advances and expect it to be there and waiting for us at any given moment, that if we were forced to take one step back, most people would be lost. The internet connection goes out momentarily and some of us lose our minds! If a teenager is being disciplined, they aren't grounded anymore; they get their cell phone taken away. If you look on popular social media sites, it is common to see picture mocking what we do when the Internet is taken away from us. In our society today, I believe, that we couldn't function without it.
Has my thinking changed:
Has my thinking about the effects of technology on young peoples' abilities to think, learn, and socialize changed? Not necessarily. My thoughts have not so much changed as just built on the foundation that I already had. I thought from day one that technology is 'taking over and there is no turning back', so especially after reading the text, there is no way that I can say I have changed my stance. I don't think that technology is changing our ability to think, learn, and socialize; I think that it is changing our expectations of how we think, learn, and socialize. I can also say that I have increased my depth of knowledge in the realm of technology. For example, Digital Natives. I have learned this new term and have now given thought to a concept that I didn't even know existed.
Digital Generation Gap
My visual metaphor represents what it means to be a digital native by illustrating the digital generation gap. A young couple (digital natives) with cell phones in hand, and an older gentleman (a digital immigrant) with a hard copy of a newspaper. The difference of this gap is evident in almost every public setting. If you see an older couple out to dinner, they are most likely just eating and talking. But, if you see a younger couple, or a group of teenagers out, it is almost a given that at least one of them will be on some type of digital device.
Resources:
Thomas, M. (Ed.). (2011). Deconstruction Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies. New York, NY: Routledge.
Great quotes! The quote from chapter 2 caught my eye the most because it is so true. Technology alone will not revolutionize the way we learn, but it can be used a tool to facilitate this new style of learning. The picture you have conveys the message you want and this is seen everywhere you go.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, too, that we've reached the point of no return with technology. Even people who don't use it, or refuse to use it, don't realize how integral a part of the world around them it has become, and how much it really does affect them, whether they want to admit it or not. It kind of reminds me of my dad, who can't use a computer at all, has no cell phone and doesn't want one, hates the GPS in his new car because he doesn't understand it, but yet he hangs over my shoulder when I'm on a computer to see pictures I'm looking at or read emails, or he asks me to find and book hotel rooms for him...etc. I think there will come a time when people will have to embrace it to survive in any kind of meaningful way.
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