The Change in the Digital Age..From My Perspective
The paradigm between Millennial and Gen X are indeed
pragmatic. As someone who is respectively aligned with the Millennial age group,
I can in many ways relate to what some theorists like Prensky are describing
about the change in the digital age.
With the endless sales of technology at your
fingertips.., be it cell phones, gaming systems, computers or other high-tech
devices alike, students are learning at a difference pace than their predecessors.
However, students are taking what they’ve learned from such new-aged technology
and becoming more advanced than the Gen X group respectively.
Certainly, as Prensky states students today “process
information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.”
Whilst there is no denying that this change is shifting the pattern of the
old-aged phenomenon of obtaining information directly through textbooks.
Technology today is increasingly sharpening the minds of youth today and helping
them within their perspective career fields.
I mean let’s be clear, how many
of us has been asked by a recruiter or shall I say “online job application” if we are
technology advanced??? I’m more than 99.9% sure that many of us would answer yes
to this question. Why is this example important you might ask? Because having
technology at your fingertips is used in many career fields today. In hospitals, law firms, schools etc. Technology
is helping to shape our nation.
Prensky makes a valid point
when he talks about the legacy of our predecessors. We have not forgotten about
the past ways of obtaining information, (i.e. reading textbooks, writing, arithmetic etc) it is very much still important. Today however, we are
learning about many things differently in the 21st century.
Damon
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a major difference in regards to learning between our generation and generation edge. However many of the people in our generation learned to become tech-savvy so the difference to me isn't that big of a issue, that is if we are willing to adapt and implement some of the new age technology into our lessons. I also think that one of the biggest obstacles is not necessarily with our generation and generation edge but with generation x and generation edge. Mainly because many of them were not taught technology and so the divide between the two is so large it may be hard to find a common ground.
During your continued discussion this week, perhaps consider focusing on the statement you made: "Technology today is increasingly sharpening the minds of youth today and helping them within their perspective career fields."
ReplyDeleteThere's been plenty said about this idea, such as this article (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/) to more generic statements regarding how depth of thinking is reduced when limited to 140 characters.
Good afternooon. I read the Prensky article too and I remember it saying that learners today "learn" differently and their brain almost functions differently too. When I read that article it reminded me of something. Every generation fully believes that the next generation is "lazy" and "thinks differently". And every generation fully believes that the previous generation is "out of touch". I also surmise that if science or at least scientific publications were as far reaching 20 years ago we would have had scientists from the 50's saying the brains of the 60's or 70's kids were "different". I am not totally sold by Pensky. Too much of the article said just the right thing. I believe we are focusing too much on the "generational differences" and not enough on teaching the right way. Sure, the technology we have can help us collaborate between countries but there is also something to be said for having students disconnect and learn how to depend on themselves. What if the world lost power? What if an Omega Worm got into software and nuetralized them all? We are doing our students a disservice if we focus too heavilty on technology regardless of the generation. One of the main goals of education is not just educating the intellect but also the person.
ReplyDeleteDamon, I here you and understand what you are saying about how the ways of the past are still important and still being used. However, to read about paradise and imagine what it looks like is a wonderful thing. To actually click into a virtual tour of paradise is a wonderful thing, as well.
ReplyDeleteTracie, you make a really valued point. The fact is that we must be willing to adapt in order to stay on par and current within each generation.
ReplyDeleteThank you Professor. I have read your comments and have added that source to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteMr. Wettstein,
ReplyDeleteCertainly, you've captivated me by your response. The fact of the matter is, we cant rely wholly on technology. There has to be another means of staying in touch as well. So, if someday we lost our source of technology, then there would without a doubt be no choice that people would have to revert to the old version of doing things...like writing letters to stay current and up to date.
Hi Regina,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. It is most imporatant to have both parallel paradigms. The visual of imagination is profound. Technology as a source is also very important.