The Civic, Social, & Multimodal Lives of Digital Natives

How about that meme? I just couldn't resist.

Chapter 4

"There is a danger that the fetishization of cutting-edge technologies by civic organizations may reinforce inequalities."

"However, they need to be aware of an over-optimistic or utopian approach: the use of networked technologies is not inherently democratic, nor does it automatically have democratic consequences."


Oftentimes technology is regarded as the "holy grail" of the future, and Chapter 4 discusses how it is fueling political change and civic engagement.

This particular chapter made me think of the current presidential candidates vying for their spot in the primary. Most notably, the oldest candidate and self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. (Independent senator from Vermont)

Technology and social media have become a prominent theme in campaigning, and Sen. Sanders is currently leading the way on all platforms.  He strategically hired President Obama's digital operations team to assist with his campaign.

(If you're interested, here's a pretty good video below.)



The point I'm trying to make here is that Senator Sanders knows how to reach people-he understands that the political climate is shifting under his feet. Technology is not here temporarily; it is here to stay.

However, it's important to recognize the biases of technology so we don't risk losing people in the process. Prior to the technological age, we had socioeconomic inequalities that existed and we still do. Not everybody has access to digital tools or has been educated on their applications, therefore we run the risk of losing the same disenfranchised group of people as before.

Chapter 5

On the term "digital native":
"The criticism centers around the idea that this term overemphasizes differences between generations and undermines diversity within the generation in question."

The Baby Boomers.
The Woodstock Generation.
The Digital Native.

What do all of these terms have in common?

They are terms used to classify and over-generalize an entire population born in a specific area. However, we see diversity and individualism within each group of people--they are not the same.

When we use the term digital native, we are over-generalizing and making the assumption that they all know how to operate, synthesize, and create within the digital realm. But this is simply not the case. As educators, we have groups of students that range in economic backgrounds, cultures, and ability. We have much more variance in generations than is suggested.

Chapter 6

"The essential nature of traditional skill development for students further indicates that today's students are not so different from previous generation: they still need to learn the same basic skills."

Never did a quote ever ring so true. 

I think many older veteran teachers feel displaced in a world consumed by the digital. Too often, I hear that teachers are not offered nearly enough professional development on how to properly use digital tools. This leaves the teachers feeling disconnected from their students, thus creating a rift from the beginning.

The fact remains that students today still need to learn the skills of yesterday. Students still must learn how to write, use literary devices, and properly synthesize information. The primary difference now is that we have much more efficient manners in which to do so. 

Whereas we used to teach things one thing at a time, we now have the opportunity to develop technology-integrated projects that utilize 10 concepts at once.

When differences are so apparent, showing people just how similar they actually are almost always results in positive effects.