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. Teaching in a Digital Native classroom can be challenging at times as children are constantly distracted by the screens in front of them. According to Kidsmatter.edu 95% of children aged eight to eleven have access to a handheld digital device such as an iPhone, laptop, iPads which allows them to gain access to the internet. Schools need to be aware of what their students are doing online and in some cases be aware of changes in behaviour, decline in school work and less interaction with their peers ( “ Kids online: The Statistic” , n.d) . However, teaching in a digital native classroom can have benefits as it allows the children to unleash their creative potential and learn about different uses of technology in the classroom, it can also help the students to communicate and connect through a different media platform. 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
Kids online: The statistics. Retrieved from https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/health-and-community/enewsletter/kids-online-statistics
Accessed 4/ 10/18
Feedback on Blog Post 1 by Ella Richards
Blog Post 1: Original Critical Reflection
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
