This week really focused on the concept of digital natives and their abilities with technology. Overall, my takeaway is that instructors, educators, and teachers must make space to teach digital natives how to effectively use technology. Many kids of today do not grow up with computers- they are expensive and not accessible to all families. I think it is similar to how not all kids grow up being read to- everyone has a different experience in their home and educators, especially at the elementary and secondary level, cannot make assumptions that their students will already know how to use a laptop or Chromebook. However, I do think it is important to acknowledge that many members of younger generations do engage in produsage through their phones. They create TikToks and social media posts on a daily basis, they just have to be taught the skills needed to translate these produsage skills through more technological mediums. It is up to the instructor, no matter what level they are teaching at, to meet their students where they are at, and instruct them on how to be successful in using technology.
Thoughts on the Education of Digital Natives As M ay comes to a close, I am finishing my 8 th year as an educator in the public education system. I have worked as an ELA teacher for grades 6-12, taught Creative Writing and Journalism, and am finishing my second year as a media specialist in a middle school. I consider myself to be a digital native- we got our first computer when I was around 7 or 8 years old. However, I do think my experience with technology has been very different from my students because I have lived through the hyper-speed evolution of technology. Computers look very different now from when we got our first fa mily computer in the early 2000s, but the biggest difference is that most of my students do not start their technology journey with a computer, but with a cell phone. One of the biggest gaps in digital education I see at the secondary level is a lac k of direct instruction on how to use technology effectively. I think that because our ...
The gulf between a TikTok and a spreadsheet can be huge, eh?
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