Digital Natives: Reflecting on the Myth

"A technoevangelist's fortune"

Preface

"Proponents of the digital natives argument typically overstate the extent and effects of technological changes and ignore elements of continuity. Yet the history of technology suggests that change, however rapid, is generally incremental rather than revolutionary."

I enjoyed how the author presents both sides to the digital native argument. He is correct in his quote that sometimes proponents of digital technology may exaggerate the positive effects, often to their advantage.

Change is natural, and we accept that it occurs over a period of time as opposed to overnight. We didn't introduce iPads to education the moment they were released, but rather we waited until research was conducted and their advantages were proven.

I think it's paramount to keep this quote in mind when the discussion or implementation of technology for educational purposes arises; the purpose of technology is not to replace but to supplement and enhance pedagogy.

Chapter 1

"Advocates of technology integration in education must therefore attempt to understand the discourses that drive it, and in some cases, harm its acceptance, and find a balance between the technological innovations that can be sustained by sound pedagogy, and those driven more by commercial interests."

To me, this quote is all about educating yourself. It is imperative to understand the discussion from proponents as well as opponents, in order to successfully integrate the best forms of technology. Additionally, America remains a capitalistic society where we see corporations influencing various industries, in particularly education. Just as we have seen corporations influence the content we teach by which textbooks are designated for use, in the future we will see them(corporations) attempt to dominate the technological market.

Therefore, it is critical to educate oneself on all facets.

Chapter 2

"Digital wisdom is a two-fold concept, referring both to wisdom arising from the use of digital technology to access cognitive power beyond our innate capacity and to wisdom in the prudent use of technology to enhance our capabilities."

As I re-read this quote it reminds me of the recent movie Lucy, starring Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johanssen. If you have seen the movie then you're aware of the connection I'm making-the main character, Lucy, is able to access beyond the average 10% of her brain. (Which is a myth, might I add.)

But the digital wisdom that the author is referring to arises from the use of technology that enhances our already human capabilities. I like to compare this to an already "wise" person. What makes a person wise in this day and age? Typically it is somebody with a wealth of not only knowledge, but also experience under their belt. Often times, this happens to be an older person because they have had a longer time on earth to acquire this boundless information and perspectives.

So, it is only natural to assume that once we are able to hasten our knowledge acquisition and experiences, we too will become "wise." Or as the author calls it, digitally wise.

As philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers argue, "extended cognition is a core cognitive process, not an add-on extra", as "the brain develops in a way that complements the external structures and learns to play its role within a unifies, densely coupled system."

So, I admit it-chapter 2 was so great that I couldn't just settle on one quote. However, I promise to keep this as brief as possible.

When considering technology we don't consider it a part of our body, but rather an external apparatus that we rely on--and quite often, might I add. But philosophers suggest that one day we will accept this technology as a part of us, and we will learn how to it works in tandem with humans as not two separate entities, but one.

There are numerous conspiracy theories out there that suggest that one day technology will overtake us all. And these are obviously skepticisms, but I've always felt that a little skepticism is healthy. But what  they might not have considered is that technology cannot replace the human brain, but it can enhance it.

The author explains that advancements are not always widely accepted-most notably today is the "calculator" issue. However, if we look throughout the course of history there has always been a trade-off. When the art of writing developed, we were shortsighted because we were concerned about the impact it would have on our memory if we began to record things by writing them down.

There will always be a trade-off. There will inevitably be a function that we lose, but just imagine what we can gain! The calculator outsources mundane tasks and creates room for the mathematical ideas with much more complexity. When we delegate the mundane to technology, our minds advance to the "bigger" ideas.



Chapter 3

"In some ways, students today are ahead of their elders. Technology is second nature to them and they accept it without question. Schools lag behind."

This quote was too great of a note not to end on, and boy does it put everything into perspective! Our "digital immigrants" are ahead of us; they accept technology and mold it to their needs while schools do the polar opposite. We have some instructors that implement technology by requiring their students to create a Word document rather than a handwritten report.

This isn't a novel idea-it's basic at best. In order to successfully reform our education system to serve us we need to begin with assessment. We must redefine our assessments to include technology implementation of the highest caliber, followed by redefining our content and method of delivery to reflect these changes.

Learning is changing because of technology. Students no longer need to sit in a row of desks while they listen to the teacher impart knowledge to them. Because let's face it, kids can stay at home and and watch a lecture via the internet.

In this technological age, the very job of a teacher is transitioning to a facilitator-somebody that rather teaches students how to learn, and how to create knowledge for themselves.