Forward Quote:
“The problem here is not with the natives themselves, but
rather the rest of us, the “Digital Immigrants” who remain obstinately tied to
older media, who are failing to catch up with the times.”- David Buckingham.
Chapter One:
“Interpreted in this
light the discourse of digital natives springs from the wide critique of an
education system in which innovations are portrayed as a site of struggle
between tendancies to centralize pedagogical and teacher control and
decentralize learner autonomy by encouraging situated, authentic, and
collaborative learning.” – Gee and Weller
Chapter Two:
“In the case of Digital Natives/ Digital Immigrants
metaphor, the point is about why so many adults in developing countries felt,
around the turn of the century ( and still feel today) “ at sea” when
confronted by new digital technologies where as their children don’t. “ – Marc
Prensky
Chapter Three:
A really big event has taken place. One might even call it a
“singularity”- an event which changes
things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back.”- Marc Prensky
Different Thinking:
After reading the forward and three chapter
assigned about the digital natives and digital immigrants. I now have a new
perspective on how the digital immigrants may feel. I am not one to be
comfortable with the use of technology, but as
I read it seems that the digital immigrants have an even harder time. I
found it interesting that there is really no set age on who belongs to which
category as well. I also agree with the text in saying that technology use in
kind of mundane although I had not considered it. It’s just so normal to me,
that is it part of my everyday life without evening thinking about it.technoevangelist: Second Nature
The quote that you chose from the forward was an interesting choice. Is it a statement that you agree or disagree with? I find that referring to “digital immigrants” as stubbornly unable or unwilling to keep up with technology underscores the divide between technoevangelists and technoskeptics and undermines continuity. To an extent I see the divide and understand it as well, we each have our preferences on how we adopt technology. For me, I typically incorporate new technologies that enhance my life in some way. I would hate to be considered “failing” because I opted to not spend time and resources on a technology that didn’t provide improvement in some way.
ReplyDeleteI liked your metaphor choice. I can see why technoevangelists view technology being second nature to youth, since they appear to pick it up much more easily. I equate it to children learning two languages growing up and the adage that additional languages are easier to learn as a child than as an adult. When it comes to technology, adults have a lot of preconceived ideas and apprehensions about technology. For example, when I first started using the internet, I was convinced I was going to break the computer. In retrospect it seems laughable, but at the time it restricted what I did online. I was a teenager at the time, but I wonder if I had been younger, would I have been much more adventurous in my explorations of the web?
I agree with you; after I read the forward and chapters 1-3, I had a new respect for the “digital immigrant.” Although I technically fall into the “digital native” definition, I relate more to the digital immigrant. I am not very techno-savvy, yet I was born after 1980, so I am considered a digital native. My technology use is mundane; cell phone, social media, email, and Google are my main destinations.
ReplyDeleteI like your visual metaphor also. Although, technology isn’t “second nature” to me, I can usually figure things out.