Again this particular article was written in 2006 limiting its reliability to 2009 which is one criticism towards its findings. This article is a blog from a well known University. The article goes on to define what it means to be ‘digitally native’. The writer also questions the idea of how we can create digitally native universities and schools. He then goes on to justify the positive aspects of the wider use of E-learning or ‘learning technology’. This can relate back to the ideas of distance learning and E-learning from the previous week. The article also explains where the writer heard the term ‘digital native’. Once again Marc Prensky is mentioned. From researching digital natives and immigrants I think it is right in saying that Prensky is a very influential theorist of the digital age.
The writer then goes on to outline where he thinks the University will be in five years time and defines what thinks it means to be ‘digitally native’. He then comments twelve characteristics/skills which the digital native apparently has to have. When I can add the link in week 9 I would like you all to look at these 12 skills and tell me how many you guys think you have, as I personally feel I have 6 or 7 of these characteristics. I myself agree with most of what the writer said in this article. It is very easy to read and to understand and makes you question whether you consider yourself to have all the characteristics of a digital native. The writer then goes on to conclude his ideas of digital native and immigrants and leaves a finale conclusion suggesting “perhaps becoming digitally native is more difficult than we expect”. What do you think?
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By saying 'becoming' digitally native, isn't this going against what Prensky really said. The fact the 'digital natives' are set aside from 'digital immigrants' is the fact they aren't necessarily learning to become 'digitally native' it's an ability because they have grown up with because of the surroundings of technology. As I've mentioned in one of my blogs I think the opposites of 'natives' and 'immigrants' are notions more apparent to 'digital immigrants' because they are more aware of the change of in influences over the last few years.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good point Cara. Would you say that 'digital natives' have an advantage over 'digital immigrants'? or do you think that being able to notice the effect that digital technology has had over a group of people is an added advantage? I personally feel in this day and age that i'm happy being digital native, as it might feel quite daunting being introduced to all this new technology.
ReplyDeleteDo you think in some way or another that 'immigrants' are actually 'natives' to technologies that they were brought up with, which would mean we were 'immigrants' to them? or am I just confusing things a little bit lol?
I do think however that at some point in years to come we the 'digital natives' may become 'immigrants' in some way or another, as I can only imagine what kinds of technologies will be around. Sorry if i've confused people x
lol it hasnt confused me, i get what you're talking about. And I totally understand and agree with where you're coming from. By the time we're older, we'll be immigrants to all these new technologies that will be emerging.
ReplyDeleteI already feel like an immigrant with these i-phones etc!!
Well maybe not that extreme, but I think there are definately different levels of immigrants and natives, so much so i think it's hard to put a label on a lot of them!
A red hot thread! Excellent!
ReplyDeleteYes, that's another aspect of Prensky's 'theory' isn't it -maybe we won't all become 'fluent native speakers of ICT' but we'll all become pidgin speakers except for rich kids aged 12-17 who are "the only natives in the village" (or should that be "nerds"?)
I think Prensky-ites would say that no-one can ever learn to truly speak with the combination of ease and fluency of a native. And that this is true of the ability to swim in the digital waters presented by modern new media. What do you think Sonia Livingstone would say?