Tag: digital visitor

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Digital

Digital Residents and Digital Visitors @vahva (via @daveowhite)

“One of the things many people say to me is that older people don’t ‘get’ new technologies where kids just do. This viewpoint was further supported by Prensky’s use of the expressions ‘digital native’ and ‘digital immigrant’ in a seminal article in 2001. Even Prensky has now acknowledged that the issues around digital literacy go beyond age, and he now uses the phrase ‘digital wisdom‘.”

Read Bryony Taylor’s full article here.  I have also been following Dave White’s developing theories over time, and a new journal article is shortly promised. I much prefer digital residents/visitors, and have mentioned the phrase in several of my conference talks.

Categories
Academic Digital Event

Digital Native Debate, #pelc10

Notes taken on my netbook – a bit rubbish, didn’t really seem to note who was saying what, but it was a great debate!

  • Digital Native Debate… (Prensky)
  • Visitor – does what they need to do, log in, log off and they vanish…
  • Resident – lives out a portion of their life online, an aspect of their persona will remain online… a place to be with other human beings…
  • To many – see the web as a social space, like a park on a sunny afternoon…
  • Could be brilliant visitor, but ineffective as a learner… visitor – sees the web as a toolbox, come in, use tool, then go away…
  • Context is really important…
  • “It’s not about academic or technical skills it’s about culture and motivation.”
  • [Use of Ustream camera – need to stay in shot?]
  • Come from technology or educational side? Similar – what are we trying to do with theories, paradigms, etc… Use technology to train social workers the best… Visitors/residents, “has a great beat, but I can’t dance to it”… Don’t know who that learner is until we walk into the classroom… but Prensky helps the students understand themselves… Doesn’t add up – dad uses iPhone with everything… he’s 60ish… [Tara]
  • Steve Wheeler – [labelling = a restraint] … Let them use the tools without labelling – 2 unlabelled tins, if starving will eat it… Ageist, doesn’t mean not adept at technology! Everyone works to own skill & speed, why categorise them?
  • Cultural Difference… the Hole in the Wall project
  • Is it about the theories, or about the interpretations?
  • Debate masks digital literacy, digital divide (2001, v different world – Prensky partially refuted own theory)
  • If bring tech into the classroom, has to be for learning? Whiteboard not just for presentation tool, use it as an interactive tool…
  • Students wanting more technology not necessarily a driver for pedagogic change?
  • Use term ‘digital spectrum’?
  • Labelling, bad idea, self fulfilling prophecy – labelled as high achievers, they get more attention, so they become high achievers…
  • Students label selves? No, wouldn’t [dave] wouldn’t even let students know, but can be helpful for learning technologists who need to think about how learners MAY learn… Continuum = helpful…
  • Like Dr – want a label – feel helpful…
  • What IS a digital native – is it to do with using it for your vocation, or for learning?
  • Are we talking for digital or for learning – many are not technophobes, they’re just not interested… , they can’t see the point of it, so are we not describing the advantages well enough…
  • Too much technology isn’t transparent, requires time to adapt – so needs to be a reason for so..
  • Digital Wisdom – Prensky’s paper which refutes his own ideas, but it’s too confusing – so can’t be picked up and be used so well…
  • Are we failing the students if we don’t teach them how the new knowledge economy works?  Now they need so much more than …
  • Meeting local community centre – rich participation, don’t need to be literate…
  • Peer reviewed doesn’t necessarily mean better?! Has to be done properly, as does your own use – if you think it will work, try it out and see…
  • Those not reflecting visibly on social networking, probably have their own techniques that are useful – respect those, don’t take the technologically deterministic approach…  e.g. Second Life may work for small seminars, but not for large classes?!
  • May be a digital native outside, but not in the classroom, may have multiple attention streams… that’s how they behave but have their brains changed, so does it work for them – evidence seems to be that they shouldn’t…
  • Using technologies as artefacts, or just as tools…
  • My reality isn’t the same as your reality, and my favourite tools aren’t yours… etc  Reality has to be negotiated within the group, and each will have a different reality…
  • Pedagogical need – use the appropriate tool to reach the learning objectives….
  • Dave White – Most of the debates are about larger social issues – tend to be framed by technology…
  • Is Facebook for rich kids – it’s based on an advertising model!! It’s part of the capitalist system…
  • Steve – name it, you tame it.. like learning styles, not helpful theories of categorisation, and look at people’s needs..
  • Dave – as presented by Prensky – dangerous. Digital Native debate is old hat… Digital Resident/visitor more helpful…  Don’t get caught up discussing these things – use it if it’s useful, use something else if you need it…