Blog 1: Do Digital Natives Exist?

I do believe that Digital Natives exist. These are a group of people that have been brought up in the digital age they can also be referred to as Millennials. It is clear that students today from kindergarten through to university have all grown up or are currently growing up being surrounded by some kind of technology whether that be television, video games or iPads. We are currently living in an age where instant messaging is not only common among younger children but adults as well, the desire to stay connected instantly has become a crucial part of our daily lives. Marc Prensky a writer and speaker on education describes how digital natives think and act differently, he suggest that the brains of people born around this time in the digital age are physically different as a result of technology (Smith, 2012). As they are currently living in a fast paced world, I believe that Prensky has a point. In saying this as Digital Natives prefer to receive their information rather quickly and are good at multitasking. Since they have grown up with images on their screens such as on television, computers or iPads they are mostly visual learners which is why they prefer looking at the graphics and analysing it before reading the text that accompanies the image As an educator I strongly believe that it is critical for us to continue on teaching young students about technology as it evolves over time. Digital Natives will continue to play a key influence on higher education especially in the area of Educational Technology ( Smith, 2012).  Even though there has been much speculation and denial on whether or not Digital Natives exists, through the article I have read, the research I have conducted and from what I have observed over the years there is no doubt that Digital Natives do exist and will continue to exist as technology evolves these Digital Natives will continue to evolve with it. 

References:

Smith, E. ( 2012). The Digital Native Debate in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Literature. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ999218.pdf

Accessed 28/08/2018 

Introduction and Purpose

My name is Clarissa Chia, I am a pre-service teacher currently in my second year at university. Born in Malaysia, I moved to Australia in 2010. During High school I studied Film and Television for three years. I enjoy surrounding myself with creative people, I have grown up with a passion for the creative arts travelling to New York with my family every alternate year to watch a variety of Broadway shows as well as supporting local theatres and productions in and around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The main purpose of this blog is used as a reflective platform. This blog will explore and respond to provocations regarding technology, more specifically the impact of technology and ethical issues. Each of the blog post will explore four separate issues regarding the use of technology, it will reflect on the Driving Question of the week and include a response to the question. It is important to note that all the blog posts housed on this site is authentic and contains my own work and research. Except where appropriately referenced.