Technology and the Younger Generation
The younger generation seem to understand and expect technology changes. What can we do to help create a better balance for the older generation or non traditional students?
Stacy,
Actually, I don't think the younger generation knows as much as they think they know; they are just not afraid of it. You may try to create activities that will provide someone who has technology fears some technology successes. Also provide a tutorial that they can view multiple times.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kelly,
I do hear what you are saying however at the ripe age of 50 I see my 7 and 10 year old showing me some techniques on my i-phone that I was not even aware of. They are the new digital natives and it is scary to think what they might know from a technological standpoint at the age of 16. This intrigues me at the same time scares the life out of me. I had to remove instagram from my 10 year old daughters phone because while she ensure me should not be friends with anyone she did not know, some 16 year old was telling her her wanted to be her slave....who was this and how do I know this was someone from her middle school. I know now that I have to restrict a lot of this and need them to show me how to...;)
Theresa
I wanted to share this article with all of you as well:
Training the next generation of digital natives
Vanessa Desloires | 28 Jun 2013, 12:04 PM | 1 comment |
Technology | Industries | Education |
Cyber safety is a hot-button issue, thanks in large part to the pervasive nature of smart devices. But the dizzying rate of adoption is bringing a number of pitfalls for the most vulnerable members of our society: children.
While the influx of devices into Australian workplaces is changing attitudes and behaviours across boardrooms, classrooms are having to adapt as well. Wooden desks are giving way to collaborative round tables, and whiteboards are being replaced by Apple-TV-enabled projectors. The changing landscape of connectivity is posing challenges for parents and educators alike.
When children are issued their own tablets as early as grade one, it is almost impossible to insulate children from the dangers on the internet. The good news is that there are tangible benefits for the next generation of internet stakeholders.
The principal of Greythorn Primary School, in Melbourne’s affluent eastern suburbs, Geoff Agnew, says he is astonished by the impact tablets have had on literacy.
“Language development has heightened because they’ve got this wonderful tool they can access different resources with; the language they use in their presentations is more than I would expect from a typical year one child.â€
Besides maximising the benefits the device trend brings, the key consideration is that any curriculum must be accompanied by an emphasis on safety and helping children navigate the inevitable threats they will face.
This week in Sweden two schoolgirls were found guilty of defamation after bullying fellow teens on photo sharing app Instagram, illustrating the scenario of when technology is issued without an understanding of the responsibility that goes with it.
The punishment meted out to the Swedish girls may set an example to young people that anonymity is not a refuge for those who wish to behave misanthropically, but it will take more than one cautionary tale to convince children of the need to take responsibility of their online persona.
Social media is banned at Greythorn Primary School, however punitive restrictive measures are unlikely to have a lasting impact. Children are adept at changing their behaviours to suit their surroundings and though they may behave at school, outside the grounds is a different story.
The concept of good ‘digital citizenship’ may sound like a buzz word with little meaning to tech savvy youngsters, but in reality the profile of a good virtual citizen is not dissimilar to its physical counterpart.
Who is responsible?
Mr Agnew says schools have stepped into the domain of parents, teaching children to swim, ride a bike and even responsibly own a pet, and internet safety is the next logical step in that process. Playing their part in helping children engage in society is part of the school’s community responsibility.
But since technology use is not confined to the classroom, the onus is on educators and parents to take a collaborative approach to cultivating this good behaviour at an early age.
The difficulty from the parent’s perspective is that children often under-report negative experiences online. A worldwide survey in 2010 by Norton found that while almost two thirds of children say they have had a negative experience online, the awareness of parents is lagging behind, with less than half knowing about these experiences. With busy parents, no news may be considered good news.
Children’s natural curiosity leaves them exposed to perpetrating or being subjected to misbehaviour, but blinkered parents and unsympathetic schools leave them rudderless.
One program that aspires to provide a structured school-based platform to instil the principles of good ‘digital citizenship’ is the Growing Up Digital program, launched this week in ten schools across Victoria, including Greythorn.
Developed by Common Sense Media in Partnership with Cyber Safe Kids with funding from Symantec and grants from the Victorian government, the program includes modules designed to be weaved into the existing school curriculum, rather than as an add-on.
The pilot runs in term three and will be watched and tweaked carefully through its trial run, with the potential to be rolled out nationally and worldwide.
Norton’s global internet safety advocate, Marian Merritt says previous programs have failed to have any cut through because a once-off school hall session is not enough, for children or for parents. They have also been impossible to measure in terms of effectiveness.
“Right now, the range of available education resources ends up being overwhelming to schools parents, and young people. With this approach, we can raise awareness to levels needed to change attitudes and behaviour about what it means to live responsibly in a digital world,†she says.
A crucial component in the Growing Up Digital program is Family Media Agreements, which ensure parents are aware of and complicit in the expectations on the child about their cyber-behaviour.
Fundamentally, like the devices that travel everywhere with them - from the classroom to the playground to the living room - the behaviour of the next generation of digital natives needs be consistent, and so too the messages from parents and educators.
www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CGUQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.themarysue.com%2Fpbs-idea-channel-digital-natives%2F&ei=Tq29U7WeENHvoASUj4JI&usg=AFQjCNG2PJuh5n7A_pHsGxhmT_XU55PwBw&bvm=bv.70138588
Theresa,
I agree students can teach us some, but much of their technology knowledge is very shallow. It may be a wise thing to pair them with a nontraditional student online to help navigate the online environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Theresa,
Thank you for sharing and for the thought provoking post. We do have to have high expectations regarding communication and etiquette in your online courses as well as networking. It amazes me the horrible tone, words, and message can be from students to other students and to the instructors. It is up to us as instructors to expect students to be professionals in communication to anyone online as they will have issues when they become an employee. Holding students to the expectation must be done. Students need to be shown good communication and bad communication. At times, I don't think students even realize the tone they are taking.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree. There is a huge difference in technology usage between the younger generation and the older generation in most cases. I always try and offer extra assistance if I see someone struggling with technology. What are some of the things you do?
Roshawna,
I have partnered younger students with older to help mentor them. Yes, it can e done online. It really did work for me when I did. I also provide resources that students can watch multiple times. I try to make them task oriented to provide that just in time learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I disagree. I think that this is an urban legend. Younger people are mo more likely to be fluent with with technology than older people. It is all a matter of training.
With the ddemise of the middle class, more and more young people are losing technological skills in the United States. There is simply not enough money for young people to splurge on technology these days. What is necessary these days are food and shelter. Many young people are earning less money in real terms than what young people earned in the 1970s.
In order to get the balance desired, is a change of the minimum wage to at least $15.00 per hour. Short of this increase, I think that young people will simply become computer illiterate because they will not be able to spend their hard earned dollars on technology.
Donald,
There is whole lot of truth in what you way. The traditional students may not have the fear but the don't necessarily have the breath and depth of technology skill. That is what is important. Technology learning is not something you are born with; you learn it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
It is a mixed bag. I have 19 year olds who do not know how to set up an email account and "older" students who have backgrounds in computer programming. The key is to not make the processes too confusing and assist where need be.
Paul
Hello, Class!
I have been teaching exclusively online for more than six years now and I have found that older students are, indeed, more apprehensive about the use of online learning technologies than are most millennials.
That is not to say, however, that their aptitude is any less than these millennials, on the whole, which is why I think managing anxiety is perhaps the most important factor in helping older students cope with technology change. First of all, being a constant presence in the classroom helps to reassure them that they're not alone in learning to navigate the LMS and its various tools. Additionally, by setting up the classroom with lots of video tutorials ahead of time (preferably in a format that can be easily streamed over the internet with no downloading or installing of software), you're not only simulating the kind of support you would provide in the classroom, but you're reassuring students that you care enough to anticipate and meet their needs--again reducing anxiety. This is also terrific for auditory and visual learners. Finally, it is to be hoped that your program will have excellent tech support, which you can refer students to frequently to show them that even when LMS issues are outside of your wheelhouse, the university has their back with solid support.
Thank you for your time! I look forward to your feedback. :)
Best,
Beth
Every generation is different. The advent of technology has exposed more of these differences than in centuries past due to the acceleration of technology to the masses, which was mainly caused by the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Today is no different as technological advances due to the Internet and other recent advances have brought new learning and thinking tools to the masses and these tools continue to evolve at a very quick pace. With that, learning tools must follow a similar approach and stay current while leading new paths to discovery. The main detail is to always encourage imagination from your students as this leads to innovation and eventually to invention.
Thank you,
Dwayne Roark
