The Digital Natives are Restless

Discussing the students we are teaching today is an interesting and necessary activity.  In order to teach effectively we need to know who our students are, and their preferences for learning. Our students today have been immersed in technology since their appearance in the world.  Many theorists believe that our children today are different thinkers because of their reliance on high-speed, visual, and quickly accessed information. If this is true, keeping their attention will be a challenging and pivotal task. They need visual stimulation infused with graphic images, pictures, and the chance to share information with others.  They enjoy playing video games and watching T.V. more than reading.  Finding ways to accommodate their preferred mode of media will be a task for every teacher to strive for.  

Our net generation students are not getting what they should.  Marc Prensky writes "today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach" (Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants).  Our new students are more immersed in technology at home than in school. Many teachers do not incorporate technology into their lessons, which affects our student negatively, and leaves them unprepared for the future.  Whatever the reasons for not using technology, the more we use the happier everyone is.  Still, students need to learn how to focus on one issue instead of multi-tasking many things at once.  They have to acquire skills that help them focus and think deeply about things.  Using technology to teach Bloom's higher order thinking areas--analyzation, evaluation, and synthesis--to induce the type of abilities students may be losing in their quick-paced multi-tasked world.  

Another important aspect that I want to address is the net generation's need to collaborate and share information.  We have to allow them to work in groups but at the same time make sure the work is shared and they are on task instead or chatting (we know how people love to talk).  They should be able to talk, but only about issues pertinent to their assignments.  Using instant messaging, and games to teach better is a good way to capture the attention of students of this generation.  The business world is big on instant messaging.  I don't know why teachers are not.  They probably do not want to be interacting with kids after their assigned classroom hours.  E-mail is probably a better way to communicate.  

Another impediment that I think affects students from using technology is that not everyone has the same access to computers.  For instance, if two students in your class do not have computers at home it makes it hard to assign homework using technology.  It will not be fair if certain people do not have the same access to technologies.  Still, we have to try to understand what the net generation needs and will need in the future.  Teachers have to design and advocate programs that enhance technological skills.  If not, we will be failing our students.