Lia+Flammino

I believe that as time passes there will become fewer and fewer digital immigrants. Younger generations are born into an age where they know how to listen to music, find information, and communicate with one another using only a few clicks. As technology continues to advance, people who are already familiar with, and use technology on a daily basis, will most likely learn how to continue to use more and more advanced versions of technology with little difficulty. However, I think we do need to consider the fact that there are many people who do not have access to all of these new technologies. All of my pre-student teaching, field experiences, and the school where I am currently volunteering have been/are in low-socioeconomic neighborhoods in West Philadelphia. Many of these students do not even have backpacks, let alone iPods, cell phones, and computers. In addition, these same students who have seriously limited access to technology at home, more often than not, attend schools that have few computers and limited access to other types of technology. We would be wrong in assuming that students from these neighborhoods would be as digitally advanced as students from middle class areas who have cell phones, ipods, and more than one computer in their home and classroom. In this aspect I believe that there may be digital immigrants in the future, as some people are not fortunate enough to have daily access to many of the things we take for granted. I do realize that in many years to come, the price of these technologies may drop, but at the same time, not all students are growing up using the same technology.
 * Discussion: Digital Natives & Digital Immigrants**

I think that this is a very good point that you bring up. I have also been teaching in poor socioeconomic areas. However, even thought they do not have it, I still feel that they can use it. I do not have a lot of the things that I could use or am familiar with. This I think is the meaning of native. Natives will know how to work their own things. I think the biggest challenge is us adapting to the technology even though we have our own. -Joseph Scarneo

I agree with most of what you've said here! As time passes, those of us who are digital natives nowadays will likely continue our pursuit of knowledge and advancing technology for the rest of our lives. Because we are already so familiar and adept at using these technologies, I'm sure we will have minimal, if any, problems adapting to things as they change. This will drastically decrease the number of "digital immigrants" in comparison with our current generation. I also agree that not all students have equal access to technology, but in my experience, they pick up the practices very quickly and naturally once they are exposed to them; much quicker than adults! - Amanda Colburn

I think you brought up an interesting point about those students who are less fortunate and can not afford all of these new, expensive technologies that middle and upper class students use every day. I went to Catholic school my entire life in the suburbs with predominantly middle class students, so I have very little knowledge about city schools and the students who attend them. I hope to learn more as I do my Co-op and student teaching in the future. However, will these technologies be so commonplace and cheap one day that these poorer, city schools will be able to afford them and have them for their students in the classroom? But then will these technologies be out of date and of little use to the students? -Casey Sneider