Understanding Digital Natives

Good afternoon, and I hope you're staying warm in this frigid cold January. So I reviewed the syllabus, and I suspect it may be that these blogs are slightly more freeform than I previously thought. The blog posts seem to be broken up into the learning objectives listed on the course, with only a few words of a header to guide them. If I'm barking up the wrong tree, I'll change format for the next one. However, we'll go with this this time, and see how it goes. 

The topic listed for this week is "Understanding Digital Natives". I learned that term in my education tech classes. Digital natives were born during the information age, metaphorically with an iPad in their hand. For this generation, usually Gen Z or younger Millennial, their literacy skills are tied to a completely different set of schema. They tend to be prone to intaking multiple stimuli at a time for information and understand technology as a part of their world as much as their clothing. Alternatively, digital immigrants are adults that learned to use technology later in life. Many of these people can be slower to accept and fully integrate new technology, or struggle to stay current when the technologies they integrate change. There is some debate that this is not a dichotomy, but a spectrum (source). However, the point remains that as teachers, many of us are some brand of immigrant and will have classes composed of natives. This, it was posited in my educational tech class, is one of the sources of the great disconnect between current teachers and students.

Digital fluency is the defining factor in digital natives' understanding of the world, and there are aspects we as the immigrant generations are struggling to teach. That is, the definition of digital fluency is, "the aptitude to effectively and ethically interpret information, discover meaning, design content, construct knowledge, and communicate ideas in a digitally connected world." (source) Because many, especially in the Boomer or Gen X generation, do not understand this concept, we struggle to teach the "ethically interpreting information" part of this definition. However, many of the digital natives are learning these concepts by sheer trial and error, since they are constantly exposed to digital media - 92% of teenagers interact with the internet on a daily basis. (source) While that data is from 6 years ago, (in included statistics on Vine, a now-defunct micro-video social media site) the trend is obvious - digital natives intake information, communicate, seek entertainment, and receive instruction, sometimes all at the same time, online and in a "language" that the majority of older generations can't really wrap their heads around. It's the difference between learning Spanish in school and attempting to live alone in Spain with everyone chattering at a natural patter around you. 

With the example metaphor above, however, which makes more sense? Grumbling that those who've spoken Spanish all their lives should slow down, switch to your language, or use the formal language you've learned? Or to listen, adapt, and emulate until you begin to speak the same language and make yourself understood? Full immersion has been recognized as the fastest and most effective route to learning a new language, (source) and this can apply to digital fluency as well. We must be ready and willing to dive into new technologies and to keep our understandings open, to ask for help, to adapt, and to emulate. Phones should be welcome in the classroom, tablets and laptops an everyday part of learning, and lessons organized by scientifically-proven best practices for today's learner. 

Instruction should also not only tune in to the methods of learning for digital natives, but also what digital natives care about. The vast majority of Gen Z and Millennials are worried about activism and climate change, as well as the actions of major corporations regarding their futures. (source) There is a significant call for realism in curriculum - to teach real world skills alongside or even preferentially over more esoteric skills. (source) Today's digital natives are plugged in, and that means communicating about and seeking to take charge of their own educations and futures in spite of preconceived notions established by the immigrant generations. 

The truth is that there are more natives and fewer immigrants every day - this is a singular "event" that has a before and an after. There may well be generations of natives, not dissimilar from the Web 1.0/Web 2.0/Web3 progression. Those "Generations" of the internet are nearly unidentifiable, one to another, and each carries their own set of skills. Natives may well end up differentiating by skill set, but in the end, there will be no immigrants - nobody from before the internet. This means we are in an "adapt or die" situation, and the consequences mean becoming obsolete and left behind.

They are learning, despite how hesitant their grandparents and parents are, that this is a whole new ballgame. And the kids are going to be alright. 

I look forward to chatting with you next week, and stay warm! Here's a picture of a cat in a coat to make you smile and wish you very cozy weekend.