Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Overview
This article talks about Digital Natives (Gen D) vs. Digital Immigrants (DI). Digital Natives are students grades K-College who are computer and technology wizards. Digital Immigrants are people who are trying to catch up to the Digital Natives as far as understanding the technology we are confronted by in this technology era. Students minds this day and age are different, they are a challenge to try and teach. It seems like the education system today is not working, why? It is a "discontinuity" or a "singularity" which means the arrival of digital technology. It is evident that Gen D think differently compared to DI who are also the teachers trying to teach the Gen D. I often hear it in our school today, "these kids are so different compared to us when we were in school, they are so hard to teach." Gen D are kids who grew up with MTV, iPod, Itouch, iphone, cell phones, mp3, Xbox Live, Play Station - 1,2, and now 3, internet, library on their computers, networking, etc.

I laughed when I read this, but this is so true. We as DI would rather print out a form that is on the computer to read it or to edit it. DI would make a phone call to have someone look at this interesting web site rather than sending the URL. On the other hand, Gen D recieve information and process information fast. They network, multitask, they can not stand step-by-step teaching methods. They have little patience for lectures and would rather do somthing on the computer. So what can we as teachers as digital immigrants do to teach the digital natives?
more

Being an Anthropologist

Our Chevak School is the first school in the Nation to be a single sight School District - The Kashunamiut School District. Another first, our School District is the first School District in our region to start using technology to help our students with their education and our teachers with their instructions.

Here is how:

• Compass Odyssey - Computer based instructions, assignments, quizzes, testing, and assessing

• Power Teacher - Computerized grading, progress reports, attendance, absent warning letters, provides contacts #'s for students and their families, missing assignments, provide assignments, and staff directory

• Smart Boards

• Elmo's

• Flight School - flight simulators

• Issued laptops to all teachers and students grade 10 - 12

• Software Includes: Microsoft Office Sweet - word, excel, power point, etc., iWork, iLife, Comic Life, and Notetaker

If I did not have this assignment I would not have been aware of the technological advancement our school had over the past two years. I am amazed at the confidence and knowledge our students have in technology. I also looked into some of the software our school uses, while researching for this assignment I looked into some of the computer programs we use here in Chevak to educate myself. I found out that even though the computer programs are advanced compared to my days in high school, the programs are very simple and self-explanatory to use. I find this class is very helpful in teaching me how to use our computers and programs here in Chevak. EXCELLENT!!!

to view my work press here

to view KSD Technology Policy Manual click here

to view KSD INTERNET USE AGREEMENT click here

to view KSD Technology Plan click here

Futuring

How would you grade or assess Fox Beomes a better person, and School Train?
Fox becomes a better person is educational in a way that the message is for young ones to become better people. Native folklore's talk of animals and how they are in nature, some can be mischievous, some can be serious and focused, and some can be disturbing, just like fox.
If I were to grade this I would look at the cultural background and how the play was organized. Here are some of the main points I would use to grade this play:

• Subject knowledge: Traditional/Cultural knowledge
• Organization: is the story clear, does the story get to the point
• Graphics: are the graphics used in the play helping the story
• Presentation: was the student presenting the information with clarity

I would grade this play with an "A". The play gave good advice, advice was for young and old to be nice and helpful others and they in return will be nice and helpful to you. The story was organized well. Drawings, music, and acting were all on the same page. Drawings helped us to visualize the play. They way the girl was acting out using body language was well in tune and easy to follow. The information was is good order and message was given with great clarity. I like that the girl used her traditional clothing while presenting the play. I would say this was a well planned and well acted play.

School Train? HMMMM, let me see? How would I grade this one? How about with a "D". First of all the music was giving me a headache, I wanted to put the sound to mute but I could not because I might miss some important information. Which brings me to the information. What was the information they were trying to give?

• Stay in your seat - takes a very long time
• Testing - pull hard
• Dining cart - cafeteria

Stay in your seat it takes a very long time... This I find is not true because high school went by way to fast for me. Stay in your seat it takes a very long time... Makes school sound boring, I'm sorry but I had fun. Testing, pull hard? I don't know about that. Yes we had to pull hard, but it was not too hard if we were present, paying attention, and doing your homework. Dining cart, cafeteria? I won't even.
I would have to say this was a good assignment for us to look at and grade a good presentation and also to look at and grade a bad presentation.


What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom. particularly with respect to things like podcasting?
Scary? Does anyone feel a little scared at what the future holds for us? epic 2015 gives us the history and a look at the future of the world wide web. The world wide web is evolving so fast that we are living in history, the history of evolution. The world is dominated by man, but for how long? The world wide web can be scary, yet it can be very useful.

USEFUL TOOLS:

• Google - gather all the information at your finger tips, no need for books
• Social Networking - so easy to display your self and your information to the world via Myspace, Picasa, Blogger, etc...
• Podcasting - gather and download music, movies, plays, news, via iTunes, Rahpsody, iMovie, ESPN, etc...

Students today (in Chevak) are so technologically advanced compared to when I was in high school senior in 1994. When I did a research paper my senior year, I went to the library to looked for a book using index cards (paper cards). Today the student's type what they want on google and they have 987,654 hits on that topic. Now compare that to my one or two books and maybe the encyclopedia.
Take a look at my tools: LIBRARY

• books
• encyclopedia
• maps
• outdated magazines
• spinning globe

Tools today: Internet

• Google, Amazon.com, Googlezon.com
• Yahoo search
  
• Answers.com
• Creative Commons
• eBay
  
• Wikipedia
• iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iLife, Comic life, Notetaker
  
• Microsoft Office/Sweet
• etc,etc,etc,etc...

Our students today have it so much easier do to research, make power point presentations, make dvd's, cd's, mp3's, playlists for movie's, songs, etc. all which can be used to make a perfect presentation in any class. For the scientist way over there at CERN who invented Google search engine, thank you for making research easier for us people here in Chevak.


How might you use Sabrina Journey as a model for something you would do with your own students?
Sabrina Journey is a perfect example that we must show or be a model of for our student's her in Chevak. My wife Mary Ulroan and I also went on our own journey away from Chevak to get our higher eduction. We left home knowing that we will return to Chevak to teach and help our youth prepare for the outside world.

OUR JOURNEY: My wife and I traveled to Fairbanks and live there for 4 years to get our BA degree. Of those years we stayed in Fairbanks for two straight years without returning to Chevak.
What have we accomplished:

• Mary obtained her BA degree in History and received her Certification in Secondary Ed. She is now teaching in the middle school language arts classroom.
• I received my BA in Business. I became the Mayor for Chevak (still am), started my own tourism business in bird watching (going strong), now pursuing my Masters in Teaching through UAS.

Sacrifices:

• Away from family and friends
• Away from hunting and gathering along the coast
• Away from the Coast, Fairbanks - major interior!
• Brave the outside world of Chevak to live on our own at the time with our 4 young children, WE HAD TO SUCCEED!

Like Sabrina Journey, my wife and I have shown by example that we must leave Chevak to get a higher education. We have shown by example that it can be done. Daily we talk to our students of the hard work and dedication we had to pass college so we can someday return to Chevak to help them prepare for a higher education.