Are You A Digital Native Or Digital Immigrant?

I remember listening to Rupert Murdoch address the American Society of Newspaper Editors. It got me thinking about teachers and how they are dealing with the digital age. It struck me that journalists and teachers have much more in common than I realized.

* Both groups have a message to get out.
* Both have been accustomed to using monolithic approaches to compiling and delivering that message.
* Both have been less than successful in reaching their audiences.

Old Wine in New Bottles

Audiences have expressed their opinion by seeking alternative forms of delivery. Blogs and podcasts are replacing paper journals. Why? Because you can get the information you want whenever you want it. Not just when a newspaper is published or on the 6 o'clock news. Vouchers are giving parents freedom to seek alternative education paths. Small parochial and charter schools offer sound alternatives to over-crowded classrooms in the public sector.

Entertain Me!

Digital natives - children - have grown up with electronics. They thrive in the digital world. Cell phones, iPods, Instant Messaging, text messaging and the Internet are their world. They demand an interactive approach to learning. They don't read newspapers. They want to be entertained as they learn because that is how they have been brought up. Thirty years ago my daughter Heather squealed with delight at the antics of the Sesame Street cast. In 2006 her children watch DVD's which teach the principles of algebra - well, I exaggerate - while she fixes them supper. Don't give these children, or any other children for that matter, conventional classroom lessons. They demand graphics, audio, Internet, interactivity and much more.

Are You Adapting?

So my question to every teacher is a simple one: how are you using technology to transform your teaching? Start with 20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have and work out from there. If you are a digital immigrant, it won't be easy. But you can and must do it!

Let Us Know What You Think

Please take my poll which asks "Are you a digital native or a digital immigrant?"

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