Week 1 Readings Blog

As I read the article, I could not help but laugh. As the parents in the article asked their children for technology advice, my mom called me about 5 minutes before to ask me a question about uploading pictures onto Facebook. The first thing I do in the morning is turn on my laptop and while it warms up I brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. In Chapter 1, the authors make note of the fact that older children use more than one digital medium at once. As I write this blog, I have a TV screen literally 8 inches from my laptop on my desk so I can watch a Dirty Jobs marathon. I have a lot in common with the Net Generation, but if I accept the authors definition that they have not known life without the Internet, than I just missed the wave since it was not until 6th grade that I experienced the Internet.

When reading about the characteristics of the Net Generation, I could not help but think of MMO's that likely conditioned these behaviors. Massive Multiplayer Online games link thousands of people together in various environments and force random groups to work together to achieve goals. Achieving goals lead to various forms of reinforcement, which strengths the behavior. I consider my reaction time superb and I can directly link my honing of these skills to a game I played for about 5 years. On the downside, I note that I am very impatient and hate to wait for something. Like the paradox of progress of the 1930s, I believe technology has simply allowed us to complete more tasks, which means downtime has again come under attack.

However, I find this paradox can be good if used to one's advantage. One of the primary functions of the Internet for me is First-Person Learning. I find inspiration from various sources then use the Internet to find information. In my spare time I am researching the crisis of higher education in the early 1990s and its lasting effects.

I found the section in chapter three about the students wanting teachers to incorporate technology into their classes. My grade school teachers were highly opposed to technology. First, when my school first has Internet, we were just learning MLA citation for printed sources. Many of the students wanted to learn how to cite websites, but the teacher refused. This was frustrating since our library did not have the strongest collection. It was not until 8th grade we learned how to critically assess Internet sources and cite them.

I also liked the part about PowerPoint. Taking notes was terrible as a child because some of my teachers' handwriting was atrocious. Also, my health was not impeccable so if I missed a day of class, I had to copy my neighbors' notes and no one took notes like I did. PowerPoint eliminates both these problems since they are typed and not erased with the swipe of an eraser. I also wish to learn more about interactive presentations since they allow for greater student participation.

Chapter four really did not appeal to me being it simply outlined contemporary problems I already know exist without proposing any solutions. Incorporating technology is an awkward dance for any educational institution. With technology evolving at a rapid pace, its risky to invest in large projects since they may become obsolete quickly. Also, choosing between brands can be a complicated task as well. I remember all the MAC users complaining about the lack of IT support from Albright my freshmen year.

In response to the Digital Natives articles, I believe that children are learning in a different way. I do not agree with Prensky's belief that their brains have necessarily changed. I think that our youth are simply developing faster. Whether that is good or bad is left to debate. Overall Prensky's argument is sound since it follows a the basic structure of society. The youth who grew up with the change in society assimilate easily because its the norm, whereas the the older generation must learn to incorporate the change into their norm in order to function. I actually believe the immigrants have an advantage in that they know more fundamentals than the natives and can fall back on them when need be. For example, the ability to read an analog clock is becoming a rare skill, but analog clocks still exist. Therefore, the immigrants have the advantage because of the skills they developed while young.