LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY Engaging the Digital Natives Are you a digital native or a digital immigrant? According to Marc Prensky who coined the term, digital natives have come of age within the digital world and are proficient with computers, video games and the internet. If you were born before 1980, chances are high that you are a digital immigrant, because you were exposed to computers and the Internet later in life. As result, you may speak DSL (Digital as a Second Language) and think differently from your younger students (Prensky, 2005). What does this mean for college educators? Many students already have access to a wealth of information and learning outside our classrooms. They are already communicating (texting and instant messaging), sharing their thoughts and experiences online (blogs and wikis), buying and selling (EBay), exchanging documents, images and media files (peer-to-peer), and searching (GOOGLE). Teachers will need to move from being the provider of information to being a facilitator, as our role changes to one who explains, provides context, explores meaning and helps students to evaluate knowledge (Prensky, 2006). Involve students in active learning, and find out about their passions to provide empathy. Richardson reports that a recent study showed that “80% of young people who are online are networking and that 70% of them are regularly discussing education-related topics”. Students will need our guidance in the best way to participate in online networking so they are creating their online “footprint” safely and ethically. It is our role to help them make sense of the vast array of knowledge and lead them towards wisdom (Richardson, 2008). Ian Jukes and Anita Dosaj (2003) outline the following differences between the thinking patterns and preferences of digital native learners and digital immigrant teachers. Faculty should consider these changing thinking patterns and explore ways to engage students. See this online article for more information on these differences. (Continued on Page 2) References Jukes, I. and Dosaj, A. (2003). InfoSavvy Group. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5). Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8-13. Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights: Use of technology in school to make education future oriented. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45. Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 16-19. Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown up digital: How the Net generation is changing your world: McGraw Hill. Volume 3, Issue 1 January 31, 2009 Resources for Technology and Learning The ITS Department is developing resources for incorporating technology into instruction. See our new webpage on this topic . If you have technology ideas or resources to suggest, please contact Diane Jacobs or Ross Donehue. 1. Learning & tech 2. Learning & tech 3. Get to know us 4. Coming Changes 5. Technology Tips 6. Your Helpdesk 7. Help for Students Printer-friendly Version
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LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY
Engaging the Digital Natives Are you a digital native or a digital immigrant? According to Marc Prensky who
coined the term, digital natives have come of age within the digital world and are
proficient with computers, video games and the internet. If you were born
before 1980, chances are high that you are a digital immigrant, because you were
exposed to computers and the Internet later in life. As result, you may speak
DSL (Digital as a Second Language) and think differently from your younger
students (Prensky, 2005).
What does this mean for college educators? Many students already have access
to a wealth of information and learning outside our classrooms. They are
already communicating (texting and instant messaging), sharing their thoughts
and experiences online (blogs and wikis), buying and selling (EBay), exchanging
documents, images and media files (peer-to-peer), and searching (GOOGLE).
Teachers will need to move from being the provider of information to being a
facilitator, as our role changes to one who explains, provides context, explores
meaning and helps students to evaluate knowledge (Prensky, 2006).
Involve students in active learning, and find out about their passions to provide
empathy. Richardson reports that a recent study showed that “80% of young
people who are online are networking and that 70% of them are regularly
discussing education-related topics”. Students will need our guidance in the best
way to participate in online networking so they are creating their online
“footprint” safely and ethically. It is our role to help them make sense of the
vast array of knowledge and lead them towards wisdom (Richardson, 2008).
Ian Jukes and Anita Dosaj (2003) outline the following differences between the
thinking patterns and preferences of digital native learners and digital immigrant
teachers. Faculty should consider these changing thinking patterns and explore
ways to engage students. See this online article for more information on these
differences. (Continued on Page 2)
References
Jukes, I. and Dosaj, A. (2003). InfoSavvy Group.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8-13.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights: Use of technology in school to make education future oriented.
Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.
Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 16-19.
Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown up digital: How the Net generation is changing your world: McGraw Hill.
They have developed the following CCAC applications that you may know:
Additional information on these web applications can be found on our website. They are currently working on the following projects:
Adding postal address resolution to the Inquiry database Developing SOSO’s for the Distance Learning student population Developing a “shopping cart” experience for community education online registration Time and Attendance systems
Do you need a technology solution within your service area of the college? Call Don Broderick at 412.237.3152 to discuss your technology needs.
Getting to Know… the Integration Team
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Beginning this term, faculty are receiving an email notification whenever a student
adds, drops, withdraws or de-registers from one of your classes, once the section
has started. These email notifications will be sent at end-of-business each evening
and will reflect registration activity from that day for each class. This project was
developed at the request of faculty. We hope these notifications will enhance your
ability to keep track of your students’ registration status. If you have any