Amanda+Colburn


 * Week 1 Discussion**

No matter the time period, there will always be those who are classified as “digital natives” and those who are “digital immigrants”. Our generation is a prime and observable example of this. We were born into a world where we were using computers and “modern” technology from the time we could walk. I have memories of 4-year-old me playing computer games (primitive as they were) to help learn reading, math, and other basic skills; it wasn’t a foreign practice. Our parents’ generation didn’t have this luxury. My mom let me play with her electric typewriter when I was in grade school. I laughed because I thought it was funny that she had to write her term papers in college on that “old” piece of technology instead of just using a computer, where you could edit any mistakes or make changes before you print it out. It blows my mind to think about writing papers on a typewriter, when today I am able to write this post and upload it from my smart phone, or merely speak the words to my phone and eliminate the typing altogether! This digital native/immigrant problem has been seen throughout history with every advance of technology. Electricity, indoor plumbing, television, telephones – all of these things were native to one generation or another, while their parents and elders I’m sure had a difficult time adapting to it. It both excites me and scares me to think what the generation of my future children and students will be “native” to. Technology is advancing so quickly that sometime, not too far from now, we will be the “immigrants”, forced to learn new things and adapt to new technology or be left behind as one of those “dinosaur” teachers (like the ones who still use a chalkboard!). Keeping on top of new developments in this field is essential. In order to really reach the students and help them learn, we have to access them on their level and speak their language, even if it’s not our “native tongue”.

You bring up some very good points. I remember my mom talking about when she was in college in the early 1970's, they used to pay people who were good at using type writers to type up their papers, because it was difficult to get it just right. It's amazing to think about how outdated that technology is now, and that people can upload papers from their phones! If technology has already advanced so much, its hard to even imagine what college students will be using in the next 30-40 years. I agree with you that it is important to keep up with new technology, and take advantage of all that there is for students to use, and though we may become digital immigrants in the future, we should all try and avoid being the "dinosaur" teacher. --Lia Flammino