Chapter 2
Chapter two explains how different today’s students are in comparison to when we were students. I agree that today’s youth consists of “digital natives” because technology is second nature to this generation, yet we are “digital immigrants” because we are trying to catch up with our students’ familiarity and use of technology.
Why are we so far behind? This chapter suggests that one reason because today’s schools are lagging behind. The Department of Education issued an educational technology plan in 1996 that said access to technology was defined as five students per computer.
I looked online to see if there was a more recent educational technology plan. The U.S. Department of Education released a revised plan in 2004 which addresses a more drastic change in student/ teacher access to technology in the classroom. I could not find how many students per computer they suggest, but I was hoping to see the goal being one or two students per computer. I know… I’m an optimist! The new plan says, “All students and teachers will have access to information technology in their classrooms, schools, communities and homes.”*
I think in order for our students to be prepared for today’s world where businesses take advantage of the digital applications offered, they need practice using them.
*http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/reports/e-learning.html
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I liked the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” as well. I thought I was pretty tech savy and had grown up with access to lots of technology but compared to how adept some of the students I see now are at navigating technology I feel like I might be a “digital immigrant” after all. I think, like you said, we as teachers need to really work at bridging this gap.
–Laura Messinger