Digital Nation

The digital nation...seems like a crazy thought, but its real. We see it everywhere, from the workplace, the hospital and even the classroom. Must admit, I've never been too savvy with technology, but it's not because I did not have the opportunity. I have had a cell phone since I was 13, and at that age everyone thought that was way too young for it, but now, my younger cousins and friends children all have cell phones, ipads, and ipods. Things are changing pretty quickly. But not necessarily for the worse.

It seems intimidating to walk into a classroom and not know everything that's happening at that time. But technology in the classroom is pretty cool too. In grade one my classroom had books, chalkboard and an old computer(I say old, but it was new for then) and a phone. Now if you walk into a majority of classrooms, everyone has a computer, their own phone, and the chalkboard/whiteboard is replaced with a projector or a 'Smartboard'. Things have definitely changed. When I was in grade school I didn't get bored with the little technology we had there, but if a student was to sit in a classroom like that now things would be different. My parents sure thought that my grade one classroom had it all. They had even less in their classrooms, but they didn't think it was minimalistic, it's what was there at that time. Our perspectives change. This topic was mentioned in the film we watched in class called ' Digital Nation'. A quote from that film was "Technology is like oxygen" and when I heard this at first I thought it was a bit drastic, but after thinking about it for a while, it makes total sense.  To go back to a chalkboard and not much else would not much sense, and not work when we have so many new resources at our disposal. Why take a step backwards, when you don't have to? My grandpa used to often say "just grin and bare it" and that's kinda what you have to do if you don't agree with it. Your never going to get rid of the changes, so just get on with it. Before I mentioned that I was never really technology savvy, but this doesn't mean I don't appreciate it, and especially the stuff I understand.

We got our first computer when I was in grade 6, and we loved it. We would fight over who got to go on and play pinball. Now I have pinball on my phone. This seems crazy. Brad Paisley, a country singer did a song on this same topic. He sings about how when he used to go on family trips he would just look out the window, now there is a DVD player in his family mini van, and his phone has so many things he can do on there to keep himself occupied.

Multi-tasking was another topic  that was brought up in this movie. Right now as I write this I am listening to music, and thinking about several other things, but I am still doing this post. The point that I am trying to make with this is that, yes maybe we have all become addicted to multi-tasking, but it doesn't take away from what actually gets done and completed. Opposers to multi-tasking have many valid points that I do agree with, but there are still positive aspects to multi-tasking.  I cannot personally pay attention in class when I have my phone or laptop out, so I choose not to bring them out, but others use them and do fine. We have learned over and over that we are all different learners, and so maybe on some people multitasking isn't very effective, so as a user just don't use it then. And, I may not use my laptop or phone in class, but I doodle and am always thinking about several different things and that has been around forever. Who's to say doodling on your page isn't as distracting as playing solitaire?It was mentioned in the movie that we need to be more open minded. There are stats against technology, and stats for technology, who right? We all need to decide for ourselves.

"With technology there are always gains and losses-that's just the way it is". I enjoyed this statement. It was also mentioned how these changes have been happening for a lot longer than this current generation. Yes we have lost some capabilities, but we have also gained some as well that are brand new. It's all about how we see it. Half empty/half full kind of thinking.

There are so many technologies that help us as teachers, not only in our daily teaching, but also in understanding students and meeting THEIR needs. They also help us understand our students and decipher
why a student may not understand certain material and so on. Technology is turned on, and its not going anywhere, so make the best of it and you'll probably grow to enjoy it...or I hope so. This happened for me.

Things have changed, and always will with technology!
Embrace it!


(picture from goggle images)