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Welcome to the Digital Native/Immigrant feedback page.

 

All of the staff comments that were collected during the first e-conversation can be found here.

 

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Students all different Some students fit the digital natives model Some fit the net gen module Some students have limited technology.

The digital native theory will sell the idea that computers are a more effective educational tool than anything else.

digital natives are kids that have the time and access to computers and playstations.digital natives are not born.

Hard wired differently early experiences influences the way this occurs Control panels seem to be present on many household apppliances Aspects of both the articles have ideas we agree with Not afraid of making decisions

Ways of communicating have changed. kids aren't forced to learn how to interact with others to the same extent. they can avoid personal confrontation, communication etc. by using texting or emailing

Brains are the same, but the contexts are different.

The older generation are not digital natives but they have become digital adapters

We believe the learners are different. THey live in an environemt where there is less personal contact -most communication is through texting, emailing, beebo, i pods (sitting with them in their ears not talking)

The concept of there being only TWO groupings, 'Native' and 'Immigrant" is totally simplistic and facile. I refuse to be labelled according to thinking that lacks robust evidence. If anything, my experience of Technology is as a "digital Missionary' - One who heard the good news and then took it to the people. We like this

Natives first reaction is to learn via discovery whereas immigrants will look for 'rote' learning options as a first stage. Not happy with this - ie particularly the"rote" learning bit

Communication is mobile, anywhere, anytime. Has changed childrens perceptions (and adults). students need skills and strategies to sort out information, and discard some.Students need to know where and how to access information.

Accept that the environment is different but the conclusion that they actually think and process information differently needs much more investigation

Physically brains won't have changed but the way people process things may have changed.

Are 21C learners different? Learning is same - the process has changed - new tech. offers additional tools to add to those already used or sometimes replace them.Expectations need to be clear that students use range of sources for gathering information so they don't automatically go to Internet first, and only.Greater range of access now - some have no acces, others continually uograding. How are they different? Much more immersion in ICT. Texting a daily fact of life for majority. Modern ICT tech. is the norm. Virtual experience is more available, wider. But so is travel for "real" experience, eg language trips, history, etc. Do we need to teach them differently? Need to teach them how to access all tools available. Schools can make learning "level" for all students by providing new tech. tools and learning even if they don't have it at home. At TCS this is harder, so school needs to promote use and upgrading of new tech. or provide it.

I acknowledge that keeping up to date with the latest IT is important. However I am concerned that many of my students do not have access to every IT update (including hardware), and even if they , did, do I as a teacher try and use all of the latest gadgets or do we as a school focus on doing a few things well. Let's make sure that we have the best learning/teaching materials. Communications should serve the message not the other way nround.

Are students losing control of their lives - is the technology or advertising about the need for technology dictating to then,

sometimes technology gets in the way of the task

Children grow up in different environments and are able to assimilate technology faster. Humans evolve for the urban environment. Reply I think we need to give up some of the control and let the kids innovate because they will need to push the boundaries of their creativity

As teachers we can still determine the what but the kids determine the how

dont think brains have changed at all...its just the ready access to technology that is different. There may be a parallel with the introduction of a car. this reduced the amount of walking and bike riding but people could still walk and ride bikes but more as a leisure activity ..

We don't believe brains are wired differently. We do use them in different ways and maybe different parts of the brain are more or less developed because of use/lack of use.

IT technology is a tool which should only be used as appropriate to the learning of the students. It is a means not an end and learning should not be driven by IT.

students are able to adopt computer skills easily and still be kids. They are naturally inquisitive and interested in new things like all kids students is the operative word here as students can be any age and aren't we being inquistive here trying a new softwre?

kids are ultimately the same as previous generations. They are more willing to learn and explore the world without fear of failure. Adults are less willing to learn/explore new technology. I don't agree that they are the same as previous generations

Brain wiring depends on the environment that individuals are exposed to. The environment and genetics as well.

Kids haven't changed. They are surrounded by technology which is different from that used by the last generation., just as previous generations had other environments, like music & war REPLY Disagree - is ICT changing kids' behaviour? REPLY Whatever the current environment is, kids will still make choices. The more informed their choicesware the better.

We don't think the brain is wired differenly. Children are not afraid of new technology and play and learn how to use it quickly. They can work out themselves. For example it's like skiing or learning a language, children pick things up quickly without fear.

Are students losing control of their lives - is the technology or advertising about the need for technology dictating to then, REPLY isn't that a relevant comment about all of us in respect to consumerism?

teachers today must tune into the understandings of their students or the message they give risks being dismissed as irrelevant AGREE STRONGLY

What is more important the content and subject expertise or delivery?

New ways of using language have been developed eg texting. This can cause difficulties with communication between groups who do or don't understand the short versions of words.

Students read just as quickly on screen as off.

Two issues - 1) secondary schools aren't set up for digital learning 2) students don't want to spend their school days in front of a computer. They enjoy being together talking and we want them to continue doing this- learning to socialise face to face.

The key is quality resources not how the resources are delivered.

Students multi-task and switch easily between virtual and real worlds

E-teaching can be great but it does need more time per student. Is TCS going to alter the student / teacher ratio?

Have more choices about how to access information, communicate.

-still an economic divide -high expectation that resources will be fun, exciting, - these take time to create -students and teachers can be limited by their ability to solve technical difficulties -need IT specialists

In Mathematics it is difficult to do everything on line. It is difficult to type maths quickly on line. So, pen and paper work with reflective learning still needs to be done.

They are used to getting information quickly. This is an expectation they have, that a response shouls be available quickly.

21 Century learners often want to use technology. They want to use technology because they get an instant response. They are comfortable and confident using all technology and prepared to experiment. Start using it from an early age.

There is no use in using technology unless it enhances learning. Technology has to be used really well. Good graphics and well presented. Art video site is really good. Some students with internet access are not interested in online earning.

Students have choices of how they do their work and how they deliver.

We need to remember that half of the New Zealand population do not have access to the Internet according to the last census and that not everyone has enough money to purchase a computer. This means that if TCS is going to use electronic learning means must be found of making available to all students computers and an Internet connection in their home. This a big funding issue and therefore a political issue. What strategy will be followed to address these issues?

Students readily explore the latest technology -have heaps of confidence. Want the "latest" now!

Elearning and teaching demands a lot of teacher time. WQe need much reduced student numbers per teacher to make a success of online teacher. PPTA says reduce claas sizes to one third of what they currently are for a convential class.

Large volume and speed of change is hard for everyone to keep up with. Need to target on the right tools to get the task involved done.

Being a digital native can expand horizons but its not the whole answer. Students still need the basics eg know how to do basic maths. Story - student runs his own computer company but can't do NCEA level 2 algebra. Therefore can't get into Uni.

Want to have well rounded individuals not just concentrate in one area.

hands-on experiments can be more fun and satisfying - but simulations can be useful, too

Technology changes quickly and we need to keep up with the latest. Although not everyone can grasp the changes as quickly as others.

Maybe teachers need to take the lead from the students & get them to say how they would like to use techology in their learning.

How about people living in the virtual world, e.g. Second Life - is this life copying fiction/art all over? (Matrix)

We need to think carefully about the concept of digital natives - we don't need to immediatey accept this language. We can still approach it with a critical mind. E-learning varies between our secondary-duals and full timers. Takes time to develop IT skills.Access to technology is still a challenge. We should be thinking about teaching in 2010 and how kids will communicate with the world. As a distance learning institution - ICt is a key platform for TCS !

What happens to those students who can't get broadband. Note - pilots are in the pipeline to connect students that are disconnected

How are the new forms of communication - text, chat.. affecting verbal communication? Teenagers used to spend hours on the telephone talking - in sentences. now they communicate in truncated short bursts.

developing games for learning is a time resource heavy issue but teachers need to consider ways how engage kids learning

What does this mean for our culture? The more you depend on technology the higher the impact it will have when it "falls over".

Most students, even us, spend the session adding backgrounds and making things pretty. I'm still waiting for the Physics lesson to start.

We are NOT digital immigrants. We are digital Creators. We are the makers of this world we are passing onto our mokopuna.

We now live in the world of technology and we are learning to adjust with the changing times.

there are so many programmes around to use for creating resources, communicating to others etc that I am totally confused as to waht to use. help!

We need to consider that not all students have access to the new technology. How can we help them access new technology? Will they be left behind? Should there be educational grants, extra funding, learning centres (technology pods) that they can access in nearby towns?

It is very likely that our students brains have physically changed - and are different from ours - as a result of how they grew up: This is an important area to watch. Any new research carried out in this area should be carefully considered when devising programmes of learning.

Kia ora, Ko wai to ingoa? I cannot find the Māori language menu options. Don't we have Māori students who could rightfully expect that? Today's teenagers are being socialised into a society complicated by shifts in the public and private. New social technologies have altered the underlying architecture of social interaction and information distribution. They are embracing this change, albeit often with the clumsy candour of an elephant in a china shop. Meanwhile, most adults are panicking. They do not understand the shifts that are taking place and, regardless, they don't like what they’re seeing. This leaves educators in a peculiar bind. More conservative educators view social technologies as a product of the devil, bound to do nothing but corrupt and destroy today's youth. Utterly confused, the vast majority of educators are playing ostrich, burying their heads in the sand and hoping that the moral panics and chaos that surround the social technologies will just disappear. Slowly, a third group of educators are emerging - those who believe that it is essential to understand and embrace the new social technologies so as to guide youth through the murky waters that they present. This path is tricky because it requires educators to let go of their pre-existing assumptions about how the world works. Furthermore, as youth are far more adept at navigating the technologies through which these changes are taking place, educators must learn from their students in order to help them work through the challenges that they face.

brains have been wired differently People who are more with it, use Firefox: as it is more secure & easier to use than Internet Explorer! It is interesting about email - at one time my closest friends were people I had never met face to face, but I knew them via communicating over the Internet. Via email, talk, and multiuser chat software.

As with all technology most of the lesson ends up being how to use the technology. When do I get to start studying the physics lesson I came to class for?

What evidence do we have that the social and technological changes that have been made over the last 10 years have any greater effect on the social, economic and other changes have in the past? c.f the development of the transistor did portability start with that...miniturisation? choice? or was it the development of the jaquard loom which ultim ately led to the development of the computer. We don't know now any more about the implications for learning, or living than we did before. If the issue is of the rate of change then who can say that former generations were not as slow/quick on the uptake than those of today..what do we want social interaction

As we, the older members of the group, have been introduced to technology from its inception, we have the edge on those born later into the technological age.

Techology has changed the language , environment and thinking of all. It has become a universal language. It crosses all boundaries and has globalised the universe.

There is definately a generation gap when it comes to digital technology. For the older generation, it may be to do with fear of the unknown, difficulty with learning something new.....there are certainly many members of this older generation who are excited about digiatl technology and who want to learn, but the gap is still obvious....

Labelling people is not helpful. better to treat the ethnic group/culture as valid and relate to it. Students that have these kind of skills may be shifted in other areas.

I thnk that a political or musical animal always remains that rather than transposing into a technical animal

they are faster at learning new things and technology. They read faster on the screen and pick up things like clicking the buttons and so on. they are also used to use their fingers.

A digital native ,unfortunately, has a very narrow focus of the world, games, music and cell phones. Their general worldly knowledge, mental processing skills, comprehension have been severely limited.

NATIVES - 'SOME ARROGANCE' IMMIGRANTS - MANY IMMIGRANTS QUICKLY UPTAKE TECHNOLOGY

How are we suporting students to get online?

Not necessarily a new generation, but attitude to technology. Give it a go, experiment, try it out, persist.... ICT gives immediacy How healthy is it for developing social skills?! How do we develop the skills so that searches are relevant and studnets can discern quality of information

Pace of ICT progress means gaps between those who have the latest computers and those with older systems

Being too digitally involved means there is a trade off; kids lose the social skills necessary for day to day interactions with peers

Concept of 'natives' captures the essence. Teachers need to work within the framework of pupils experiences We need to teach how to work within a dirversity of information e-learning has huge potential to enhance academic learning

Digital natives - marketing his games is important. Not all students want to play games, learning needs to have a balance - respect different learning styles and needs. The change to the brain might be real and it might be in a negative way - cell and cordless phone.

Information skills are an issue even with digital natives. - how to discriminate quality info There is a huge gap between skills and the interests of studnets and teachers Paper is still useful

Immigrants have to make a concerted effort to show interest and commitment to developing their studnets computer skills

Digital natives - marketing his games is important. Not all students want to play games, learning needs to have a balance - respect different learning styles and needs. The change to the brain might be real and it might be in a negative way - cell and cordless phone.

My son is a digital native and has been using computers since he was 3. He builds computers but when he is researchingfor school assignments he comes to me as I am able to handle Google searching and scanning of articles for relevance more easily than he can.

Most students have access to a cell phone. There ICT learning is linke dto what they can afford. However when you have youngsters at home who use the internet/computer you become more aware of the scope, range of possibilities and benefits (and dangers!).

Blended learning should be the approach as there are exams at a senior level. Costs to students is a concern to ensure equitable access.

The computer is only a tool for communication and task completion. Tecahers ned to impriove their own skills and ICT capability Immigrants have to make a concerted effort to show interest and commitment to developing their studnets computer skills

It is important that we don't lose sight of the basics and the kids of today need to be able to read and write and be numerate before they become digitial learners.

The pace is getter faster and faster. Where will the process end. ? Technology is constantly changing. How do the older generation / this generation keep up with the pace?

eye strain oos

It is second nature to the younger generation.

21C is a visual learner - grown up with many quick images - many changes of images, almost flashing, making focusing for any length of time impossible for some students. Attention span very brief; easily bored, need to be entertained and find traditional methods slow and irrelevant to their world. Instant gratification is a necessity for them.

1. more empowered - intuitively use computers 2. access to info worldwide and communicate at speed 3. cultural differences e.g. blogs, email - less formal 4. can be more distant from consequences e.g. repercussions, bullying 5. coordination skills e.g. simultaneous use of two cellphones, any research into brain wiring ? 6. health e.g. up late 7. students need to focus on verifying transitory info. 8. pressure from peers, marketing - need higher degree of selectivity 9. less influence by family on youngsters' viewing

Kids have different experiences from the previous generation. They have grown up with different tools and expectations. They have been exposed to a digital world and the expectation is that they can master technology and be in continuous "touch" with others here and around the world.

21C learners have a need to learn "people skills". Digital communication often precludes any kind of emotional involvement so there is a need for these learners to think about how they communicate on an emotional/human level. Linked to this is the need for our digital learners to be aware of the sedentary nature of this technology. Are they spending equal amount of time exercising as they do on the computer/net etc?

digital natives have spent all their maturing years using technology. digital natives want instant gratification, quick sound bites for everything.

They are exposed to knowledge through being able to search websites for information and so become accustomed to using technology to their advantage.

How does the constant use of technology impact on the younger generation? Do they ever need a break?

They are faster learners and very good at using their fingers. They read fast on the screen.