Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
using these types of technology. If we think of
the digital natives as speaking a “language” then
the digital immigrants are generally speaking
a language that the native may not understand.
Today's students are used to receiving informa-
tion very quickly. They can multi-task much more
efficiently. They prefer to work randomly, want
to see pictures before the text, and function best
when they can network with others. They prefer
instant gratification, regular rewards and playing
games. This creates a struggle for today's teacher
to reach students who have different outlooks and
think in an entirely different way.
What this means for today's educators is that
our students are fundamentally different than what
we have ever experienced because they think dif-
ferently. Research has shown that their brains may
even be “wired” differently. It is highly unlikely
that today's students will adapt to traditional teach-
ing methods so it will need to be the education
system that changes. Just because today's teachers
need to start “speaking” the students' language
does not mean that the content needs to be altered.
The content needs to be presented in a different
way. This can be done through using software,
computer programming, robotics, etc. This can-
not be done without also teaching the ethics that
goes along with it (Prensky, 2001a).
It is widely believed that today's students'
brains are not exactly wired differently but that
they have more “connections” (Prensky, 2001).
This is due to the fact that they have been raised
in a digital age where they are more likely to have
been playing videos games, watching TV or talk-
ing on cell phones instead of speaking face to face
or reading topics. This observation has brought
about a new concept called “Neuroplasticity”.
The idea behind this concept is that as a result
of the different types of stimulation the brain
has received, it does not necessarily “re-wire”
but reorganizes itself. Our brains are compared
to plastic. It has also been shown that different
life experiences can change thinking patterns.
This has great significance when looking at the
current generation. They have grown up playing
video games and using computers. Their minds
jump around; they do not think sequentially
but in parallel. Researchers believe that today's
students' brains are psychologically different
(Prensky, 2001b).
Since today's students are accustomed to inter-
activity, they seem to have short attention spans.
It's not that they cannot pay attention to traditional
teaching practices; they are most likely choosing
not to. Unfortunately it appears that a sacrifice
has been made because of this. It is difficult for
students to reflect and create “mental models”.
The biggest challenge facing educators is to find
a way to present the content in such a way that
reflection and critical thinking skills are built in
to their lessons. Educators of today can do one of
two things. They can either pretend that the new
type of student is not learning in a different way
and persist in presenting material in traditional
ways; or they can adapt their teaching methods
and be more creative in how content is presented
by finding other ways to present the material
(Prensky, 2001b).
examples of innovative instruction
Theories that emphasize the importance of social
interaction in cognitive growth (Vygotskii, 1978)
suggest that successful collaboration involves
learning that is contextualized in a social setting.
This learning may involve verbal interaction, col-
lective decision making, conflict resolutions, peer
teaching, and other group learning situations that
are characteristic of a classroom setting.
The NICE (Narrative Immersive Construction-
ist /Collaborative Virtual Environment) Project
provides opportunities for very young students to
learn collaboration in a unique way through some
very sophisticated technology. NICE implements
a persistent virtual garden in which children may
collaboratively plant and harvest fruits and veg-
etables, cull weeds, and position light and water
sources to differentially affect the growth rate of
Search WWH ::
Custom Search