WEEK 1: I am a Digital Immigrant who is trying to understand Digital Natives

(Engagement 3)

I write birthday and Xmas cards, and I would call my friends if I end my marriage… I feel uneasy about posting “Life Event” on Facebook. I am amazed how “online” this GDLT course can be. I am a digital immigrant.

After completing my first degree in 1990’s, I spent over 20 years in financial services in global scale.  My recent role was a Client Relationship Manager in one of the share registries in Melbourne. I spent 80% of my working time in front of a computer.  I had a colleague who was approaching his retirement. He had a very limited computer skill,   and couldn’t often do what his clients asked him to do.  He had a (very nice) assistant who could do his job until his retirement. So I should know the importance of technology and digital way of doing things.

Ask me “what is the biggest change, in last 2 weeks, as a pre-service teacher?”.   My answer is the way I think and approach ICT.  As a teacher, I would have to “engage” and “motivate” students’ learning experiences. I am not there to force my ideas and thoughts.

I have to accept that children today live in the digital world. It is impossible to separate the two.

I have to be creative. Yes, I need the content knowledge but I won’t be able to deliver it effectively if I don’t have the correct method of presentation. I refer “correct” as relevance to the audience.

If we want to ensure that children are ready for tertiary education, work, and life, then we must embrace technology and help them realize the power of technology and how they can apply it.  

“Do children/learners demand technology in the classroom?”.  I don’t know whether they do, but I believe they can. One of the purposes to educate children is to help them survive in the working world, and to compete in any meaningful way.  If the education is not up-to-date, learners can voice their concerns. Why should some students miss accessing resources which are available to their peers?  I believe that an effective use of technology can eliminate the gaps that traditionally existed, i.e  - remote vs urban, high vs low socio economic areas.

In relation to Prensky (2005)’s “engage & enrage” argument, I don’t feel the “enrage” is the appropriate word.  If it is “enrage”, that’s a good sign – I feel that there is a space for gaining the “engagement” back. Prensky (2005) says that “All the students we teach have something in their lives that’s really engaging – something that they do and that they are good at, something that has an engaging, creating component to it”. If we don’t identify that “something” or way to engage to do the “something”, we are potentially destroying the “something” very special in children.

My 5 year old son will not have homework today. So I said to him this morning “Hey! Let’s play with VOKI when you get home.”. I explained to him what VOKI is. His face brightened up! He thinks his mum is pretty cool! (Thanks Greg)

Finally, I would like to share this article with you – Power of Technology.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/16/man-uses-google-earth-to-track-down-long-lost-family-in-india/