How might Wenger's notions on practice communities relate to Prensky's on education?
Both Wenger and Prensky suggest that learning can be done via the internet. While they differ slightly with their theories.
Wenger's CofP applies both to face to face communication, but suggests that CofP can form online as well, as long as certain 'criteria' are met (for example, people bonding over a shared interest, and wanting to develop that knowledge). This still fits into the notion of education, as members of a CofP are wanting to further their knowledge with other people that have the same interests as them.
Prensky on the other hand is more concerned in the internet and the ways in which we can learn digitally. He believes that 'Digital Immigrant' teachers are struggling to teach Digital Natives, as they have a different way of learning: 'It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors' (Prensky).
Digital natives should therefore find it easier to learn through new 'Digital' means, such as online seminars, rather than the traditional methods of face-to-face learning. Working in groups to discuss topics and help each other to learn.
This is where the 2 theories meet. Both Wenger and Prensky see that learning can take place in a group, where people can share their knowledge and learn from others. Wenger believes groups can benefit from having a 'leader', who has more knowledge than other members of a group, while Prensky believes that Digital Natives are now more able to learn this way, and would benefit from online seminars etc (the only problem being that their 'teachers' are still somewhat Digital Immigrants and may therefore struggle to teach in this way!) If this is the way forward in terms of education, the answer seems to lie in teaching Immigrants how to use technology, in order to enable them to teach their Native Students.
Showing posts with label digital natives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital natives. Show all posts
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Week 9- Someone who threatens the notion of Natives/Immigrants
I think I may as well stick with my previous post and say that I think my Mum's friend (Tony) most threatens the notion of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. Although in Prensky's opinion, he is a 'Digital Immigrant', he shows no signs of this in the slightest.
As Prensky states 'As Digital Immigrants learn – like all immigrants, some better than others – to adapt to their environment, they always retain, to some degree, their "accent," that is, their foot in the past'
It may just be that I don't spend a lot of time with him, but from what I can see, there is no sign that Tony has any element of his 'traditional' past. He is obsessed with the latest phone, the latest Ipod, the latest camera. He spends thousands of pound on top-of-the-range computers, then tells me reasons why they're better (things I don't even understand!)
I understand Prensky's point- There must be some difference between having to learn these new technologies, as opposed to someone who is born into them. However... this is happening constantly. Even though I was brought up around the internet, and mobile phones... The Iphone is still a totally new and confusing thing to me...and I'm supposed to be a Native!
My point is....I think the notion of Immigrants and Native depends less on your age, and more on how quickly you learn things, and also to what degree you understand them. To me, Tony is muchmore of a Native than I am...he's had to learn these new technologies, and has done so much more successfully than I have!
I still think of myself as a Native, but not as much as a lot of my friends, who are much more interested in technology than me. I have no interest in the latest mobile phones- to me, touch screens just seem inconvenient! And as long as my ipod still holds 1000 songs, I'm happy! In a few years, will I have lost track of these technologies and be an Immigrant?
As Prensky states 'As Digital Immigrants learn – like all immigrants, some better than others – to adapt to their environment, they always retain, to some degree, their "accent," that is, their foot in the past'
It may just be that I don't spend a lot of time with him, but from what I can see, there is no sign that Tony has any element of his 'traditional' past. He is obsessed with the latest phone, the latest Ipod, the latest camera. He spends thousands of pound on top-of-the-range computers, then tells me reasons why they're better (things I don't even understand!)
I understand Prensky's point- There must be some difference between having to learn these new technologies, as opposed to someone who is born into them. However... this is happening constantly. Even though I was brought up around the internet, and mobile phones... The Iphone is still a totally new and confusing thing to me...and I'm supposed to be a Native!
My point is....I think the notion of Immigrants and Native depends less on your age, and more on how quickly you learn things, and also to what degree you understand them. To me, Tony is muchmore of a Native than I am...he's had to learn these new technologies, and has done so much more successfully than I have!
I still think of myself as a Native, but not as much as a lot of my friends, who are much more interested in technology than me. I have no interest in the latest mobile phones- to me, touch screens just seem inconvenient! And as long as my ipod still holds 1000 songs, I'm happy! In a few years, will I have lost track of these technologies and be an Immigrant?
Week 9- The Oldest Digital Native I know
The oldest digital native I know is my Mum's friend. Even though he falls into Prensky's category of a 'Digital Immigrant', as he is 43, I do not see how he could fall into this category in any way. He has more of a 'digital accent' than I do...even though I'm supposed to be the one that's the Digital Native! He speaks of terms that I haven't even heard of regarding computers, he has got a Facebook account, uses email constantly as part of his job, has an Iphone (something I can't even work!) and knows much more about computer programming and how it all works than I do.
As far as I'm concerned, the fact that the only thing that defines him as a Digital Immigrant is his age, personally, is not good enough (and of course the fact that the has learnt this technology as opposed to being born into it). But Prensky has generalised this far too much, and although it is true that he has had to learn the new technology, rather than being brought up with them, I still feel like he understands it and relies on it much more than I do, which should mean he shouldn't carry the 'Digital Immigrant' label just because of his age.
As far as I'm concerned, the fact that the only thing that defines him as a Digital Immigrant is his age, personally, is not good enough (and of course the fact that the has learnt this technology as opposed to being born into it). But Prensky has generalised this far too much, and although it is true that he has had to learn the new technology, rather than being brought up with them, I still feel like he understands it and relies on it much more than I do, which should mean he shouldn't carry the 'Digital Immigrant' label just because of his age.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Week 8- Overview of Digital Immigrants.
Digital immigrants is a concept proposed by Marc Prensky to explain the ways in which different generations view technology. He sees today's younger generation as 'Digital Natives', which basically suggest they are all 'native speakers' of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet, compared to the older generations, who have had to learn this new technology (as opposed to being brought up with it as being 'the norm'. Prensky calls these people 'Digital Immigrants'.
The main concern that seems to have arisen from this native/immigrant divide is that teachers are no longer able to teach students due to their varying attitudes with technology. Prensky believes that digital immigrants still have 'one foot' in traditional methods of learning. This can be as small as editing work by hand, rather than on the computer, but it is believed to have created a divide between the students, who now prefer to work digitally, and who, as Prensky believes, 'are used to receiving information really fast, like to parallel process and multi-task'- something that digital Immigrants are unfamiliar with, and who prefer the traditional ways of learning.
There are many criticisms to Marc Prensky's concept, and there is always the issue of whether immigrants should learn the digital way of learning, or should Natives be prepared to learn the old way? Most believe that it is unlikely that Digital Natives will ever go backwards, and that technology will keep on changing, and those who were once natives will soon be immigrants to the new technologies that are appearing.
Prensky, M. (2001) 'Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants', On The Horizon, Volume 9 (issue 5), http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf. [accessed 13/3/09]
The main concern that seems to have arisen from this native/immigrant divide is that teachers are no longer able to teach students due to their varying attitudes with technology. Prensky believes that digital immigrants still have 'one foot' in traditional methods of learning. This can be as small as editing work by hand, rather than on the computer, but it is believed to have created a divide between the students, who now prefer to work digitally, and who, as Prensky believes, 'are used to receiving information really fast, like to parallel process and multi-task'- something that digital Immigrants are unfamiliar with, and who prefer the traditional ways of learning.
There are many criticisms to Marc Prensky's concept, and there is always the issue of whether immigrants should learn the digital way of learning, or should Natives be prepared to learn the old way? Most believe that it is unlikely that Digital Natives will ever go backwards, and that technology will keep on changing, and those who were once natives will soon be immigrants to the new technologies that are appearing.
Prensky, M. (2001) 'Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants', On The Horizon, Volume 9 (issue 5), http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf. [accessed 13/3/09]
Week 8- Harvard-Style Article Links
The articles used for this weeks blogging were:
Article One:
Article Two:
Article Three:
Article Four:
Article Five:
Article One:
Nalder, J. (2006), “Passport To Being a Digital Native”, Primary & Middle Years Educator, Vol. 4 (issue 2), Page 19-21, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=4&sid=39fbd415-7e18-4747-a5ed-f83a9d7f0f0a%40sessionmgr2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=22069509#db=afh&AN=22069509 [accessed 13/3/09]
Article Two:
Naish, R, (2008), “The Digital Ages of Man”, e.learning age, Vol. n/a, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=4&sid=39fbd415-7e18-4747-a5ed-f83a9d7f0f0a%40sessionmgr2 [accessed 13/3/09]
Article Three:
(na) (2007), “Are You a digital alien or a digital native?”, Credit Union Executive Newsletter, Vol. 33 (issue 21), http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=4&sid=39fbd415-7e18-4747-a5ed-f83a9d7f0f0a%40sessionmgr2 [accessed 13/3/09]
Article Four:
Hemingway, M. (2008), “Going ‘Digital Native’: Putting eLearning to Practice with an Emerging Workforce”, Utility Automation & Engineering T&D, Vol. 13 (issue 9), Page 32-33, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=4&sid=39fbd415-7e18-4747-a5ed-f83a9d7f0f0a%40sessionmgr2 [accessed 13/3/09]
Article Five:
Kern, A. (2007), “Get A (second) life”, B&T Weekly, Vol. 57 (issue 2606), Page 12, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=4&sid=2690c59f-81c9-4cbc-9176-4d7b9faacb25%40sessionmgr3 [accessed 13/3/09]
Please note I have also included the URL's at the beginning of each post for easy reference :)
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