- What assumptions of the text does the author hold?
- What do you agree with in the text?
- What do you want to argue with in the text?
- What parts of the text do you aspire to?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Week 1: Article - Do They Really Think Differently?
Please provide a thought-provoking response to the Prensky article. Please use the following questions to help guide your response:
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After reading Prensky's article, I definitely agree that students now are vastly different then the students of the past. It is essential that teachers find new ways to engage students because they will not be motivated by traditional teaching styles. Children now grow up with ipods, computers, ipads, cell phones, and video games. There is no way that using a textbook for several hours a day is going to hold their interests.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I disagree with his assumption that all teachers are Digital Immigrants. I do not think that myself or other teachers my age should be placed in that category. True, I did not grow up with all of the technology I listed above, but I am savvy at ways to use these types of resources.
I have used learning games to enhance my students' engagement as Prensky suggests in the article. When I taught a problem solving course, I found numerous websites (my favorite being Hooda Math) that I could use with students on the Promethean board. The students loved (and learned from) these games. Many even told me that they started playing them at home as well. I surely aspire to continue to find and use technology resources that can enhance both my teaching and my students' learning.
~Heather
- What assumptions of the text does the author hold?
ReplyDeleteThe author of this article seems to understand the changes that brains are capable of. The author also seems to understand that environments and cultures shape the way brains react and see things. He seems to want to express his concerns regarding the skepticism involving digital natives and their need for instant gratification. Students are growing up in a fast paced world where topics are flashed in front of their faces constantly. The author discussed how the brain is capable of acquiring knowledge from short bursts of information while distracted by other objects. I believe that many adults today would say that students who are not looking at the speaker are not listening, however, the Sesame Street study done with the toys in the room proves that theory wrong.
- What do you agree with in the text?
I agree that students today are digital natives and they learn best by doing what they enjoy. I have a handful of students each year in second grade who love to play educational computer games. My students often ask to play on the computer during indoor recess and they choose math or spelling games. I allow my students to utilize the computers a few times per week. I believe that my students gain a lot from activities on the computer. I also agree with the idea that our mentality and our way of thinking is highly influenced by our environment. People who grow up in certain cultures have a different way of processing and viewing things then others.
- What do you want to argue with in the text?
I cannot think of anything within the text to argue against, so I will mention what I would argue for. I tend to argue the value of videogames and electronics in school with my colleagues. I find my colleagues have opinions that video games rot brains and a lot of my colleagues will state that they hate video games. I argue the value in them and acknowledge the use of strategy needed for most games.
- What parts of the text do you aspire to?
From reading this article I have found a few things that I desire. I would love for my students, my “digital natives” (Prensky, 2009), to be able to utilize video games during lessons. I would also love to teach my students about their brain development and how brains are able to change and grow over time. I think understanding how the brain works helps would encourage and motivate students to reach their full potential and continue to grow.
-Chera
@Heather, I agree with your statement that students today are very different from students in the past. My current students are extremely different from my own classmates when I was younger. My students have different learning styles and needs. My students face more challenges with ADHD and autism on the rise. When I was in school those two words were never mentioned and certainly not labels given to students. I also agree with you regarding the digital immigrants being the teachers. I certainly work with a few people who do not have smart phones and are not comfortable if they do not have a hard copy in their hands. However, I personally feel as though I'm a digital citizen. I may not have been born into all of the technology as most of it evolved as I grew up, but I would consider myself to be tech savvy.
ReplyDelete-Chera
@Chera
ReplyDeleteI thought the Sesame Street study was especially interesting. It is true that a lot of times we assume that if students are not looking right at us then they must not be listening. Many of my gifted students never seem like they are actually listening to what I am saying, but every time I would call on them randomly, they would immediately be able to answer. Therefore, my classroom experiences seem to confirm what was found in the Sesame Street study.
I also think it is great that you make sure your students get computer time each week. It is important for young students to learn how a computer can be used as an educational tool. It is also an excellent motivational tool to use in your classroom. Computer time can be an educational reward that students want to earn.
@ Heather While I agree with you that the notion that teachers are 'digital immigrants' is an unfair label to pin upon teachers, have you noticed any teachers who enjoy playing up this title as a means of stalling or delaying tech integration?
ReplyDelete@ Chera Okay, perhaps some of your co-workers have a valid point when they contend that video games 'rot brains'; however, Prensky seems to suggest that the notion of 'gaming' is something which needs better integration in schools.
ReplyDeleteYes, strategic games, even games like Lego Star Wars, employ problem-solving and collaboration, but in classrooms, the notion of gaming suggests working on developing lessons and projects which afford students more chances to tap into those game-like thinking / social skills.
@Ken
ReplyDeleteI have noticed plenty of teachers that are hesitant to use or experiment with technology, but I have also come in contact with many that despite their discomfort make an effort to ask questions and try to learn ways to enhance their classrooms with technology. I can understand that it can be a scary concept for many teachers, but I respect them as long as they show an effort and are willing to learn.
Prensky assumes that teachers are Digital Immigrants when compared to their students (Digital Natives). I have to disagree with him. Although there are teachers who fear the use of digital media, many teachers have found ways to use it in their daily instruction. However, I agree that students do not learn in the same ways that their parents did at that same age. Children are used to video games, iPods, iPads, laptops with internet access so they can play their favorite web-based games. Teachers need to find and use those resources that validate the curriculum while tapping into the Digital native’s brain.
ReplyDeleteI have found a few sites that I like to use to enhance the math curriculum. These sites use games to provide practice with many different math concepts. My school subscribes to Study Island. While the site is a site that is based on review skills, there is a game section. Most teachers do not allow access to the games until the student reaches a certain level of accuracy with the content. However, I leave the games turned on all of the time. My reasoning is that the students are more likely to log on to the site on their own time at home if it is something that appeals to them. What get the students’ attention better than a game? The students are still practicing the skill but in a way that is more appealing to their digital brain. Rote practice of skills, although it has its place in education, is not the best way to reach today’s learners.
@Chera
ReplyDeleteI can see why the other teachers in the building say they dislike video games. I find that children spend too much time playing games and being still for far too long when they should be getting more exercise. However, I do see the value in tapping into something that interests the students. So I can see your point as well. Video games can be a means to tackle a topic that may be “boring” to the students after they have received the proper instruction.
Susan
@Heather
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that not all teachers are “Digital Immigrants.” I would even go farther and say that many teachers who are much older than you or I are very much into using all of the technology and web-based resources available to them. I have seen this in my own school. Maybe it is just the nature of my school being that it is a technology school and the majority of the teachers there are very much looking for new ways to reach their students. Of course, every school has those teachers who are stuck in their ways and do not want to change. But I think it is a necessity in this day to reinvent your teaching and incorporate what we can to engage the children.
Susan
@Susan
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked in Philadelphia, my school used Study Island also. I agree with you about access to the games on there. Although I understand the thinking of these teachers that limit access, I think it actually limits the effectiveness of the resource. I worked on Study Island with a few students that needed a lot of extra reading practice. Unfortunately, their classroom teachers limiting their access to the Study Island games negatively affected them because they, for the most part, felt that they would never reach the level they would need to be able to play the games. Therefore, this policy ended up discouraging them rather than encouraging them. While it might cause some students to work hard to get proficient scores, these students decided it was easiest for them to just guess and rush through each activity.
@Susan you mentioned "Prensky assumes that teachers are Digital Immigrants when compared to their students (Digital Natives). I have to disagree with him. Although there are teachers who fear the use of digital media, many teachers have found ways to use it in their daily instruction." I understand what you are saying, but I must say that I was thinking more along the lines of kids today just get it, they understand how to navigate new technology. I find myself in the middle, not completely sure all of the time, but definitely not afraid to try new things, where the older generation acts like cave men at times and does not have the natural knack for understanding how things work. For example the iPhone, this is something I have been using for the past four years. The phone just makes sense, I have had no problems, but I find that a lot of older people who purchase the phone have little to no clue how to use the phone. I showed a colleague how to set her alarm and the image disappeared and she reacted as though she lost her puppy. It was comical, but I can definitely see a difference between the youth today and their ability to work technology without being taught and the older generation who need to be shown over and over how to work their cell phones.
ReplyDeleteChera
-What asuumptions of the text does the author hold?
ReplyDeleteThe author acknowledges that children today are growing up in a vastly different world than their parents did. He expresses his thought that people who grow up in different cultures do not just think about different things but that they think differently all togethor. He also portrays children today as having very short attention spans when it comes to things that do not interest them.
-What do you agree with in the text?
I agree that students today (digital natives) learn differently than other generations and that they may choose to pay more attention to learning through video games than more traditional methods. I also do see the many benefits of teaching through video games and other technology.
-What do you want to argue with in the text?
The author makes a lot of good points in the article and supports his opinions very well. However, he states that, "the many skills that new technologies have enhanced are almost totally ignored by educators." I think that there is a growing trend in education today to use new forms of technology in the classroom and help students strengthen the skills that technology has helped them develop.
- What parts of the text do you aspire to?
I aspire to strenghten my own skills in regards to using technology in the classroom. Many of the tools that we discussed in class and that I have read about in these articles are new to me. Hopefully, I can become familiar with these tools and enhance my classroom in the future.
@ Heather
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are many teachers today that are savy with new forms of technology. The school where I work there seems to be a divide between teachers who want to continue to do things the "old school" way and teachers who are incorporating technology into their classroom. From what I have observed students seem to have more fun and get more out of classes that use technology.
@ Chera
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more that students learn better and are more active in class when they are doing things that they enjoy or even things that are new to them. My school does not allow students to use their cell phones unless their teacher gives them permission. Only one teacher that I have observed has allowed her high school students to use their phones to help them in class. She has informed me that the kids behave much better and have used the phones to do research on their science projects. I think it is important to find a good mix. I still like lectures and notetaking, but I think we can all agree that technology has to be integrated into the curricullum.