DIGITAL ABILITIES AND DIGITAL LEARNING STYLES OF MY STUDENTS

DIGITAL ABILITIES AND DIGITAL LEARNING STYLES OF MY STUDENTS

There is no doubt that students these days have changed so much that (Prenskey, 2001) described them as “Digital Natives” and (Dede, 2010) called them “Millenia learners” because of their unparalleled exposure to all forms of technology and all forms of media, this exposure according to many experts has changed the way they access, consume and use information which is showing no sign of slowing down. Because of this exposure, the way students learn and use information has radically changed and is causing a sort of disconnect between students and their teachers that are mostly using styles that are designed for students before the age of technology.


This blog is about a mini inquiry carried out to determine the place of my students on the “Digital Technology” continuum and place them where they belong appropriately. Students responded to some pre-determined questions to determine whether they are indeed “Digital Natives or Digital Immigrants.” Based on their several responses, it became obvious that 98% of the students legitimately belong to the digital age, they have all used and are still using all forms of technological tools for personal, social and academic work, they are familiar with all the tools and they are not afraid to use them. As (Prenskey, 2001) and (Dede, 2010) described them as web and video thinkers, they think about graphics before they think about texts, they enjoy collaboration, and they are not afraid of taking risks. They both advocated for a form of media based learning and speak to students in their native “Digital Language” without fear of contradiction, my students belong to the “digital planet” and therefore will benefit from using digital language in my classroom.

REFERENCES

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Program number 14: Debate: Digital natives and digital immigrants [DVD]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Program number 16: Spotlight on technology: Learning with podcasts [DVD]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classroom (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California 91320: Corwin A SAGE Company.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5). Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?index=1&did=1074252411&SrchMode=2&sid=1&Fmt=6&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1296434139&clientId=70192.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part II: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6). Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?index=0&did=1074252431&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=6&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1296433947&clientId=70192.