Beyond Digital Natives

The Third Space

"While it is clear that many young children are indeed competent users of such texts, this study indicates that there can be substantial variance in the ways in which young children interact with technologies across the boundaries of home and school settings."

I thought it was very interesting that there were different levels of interest in and ability with technology between home and school for these young kids, as if something happens in that "third space" between home and school that shifts their thinking.  I frequently have students, usually in my inclusion classes, who get very excited when we use computers in class, and who choose to work on them, rather than use paper and pencil.  Very often the low SES students, who don't have a computer at home, are the ones who can't get enough of them at school.  Others, who have computers to use at home, and who often use them for gaming, don't seem to like doing classwork on them as much.  It's almost like, in their minds, computers are for fun, not work.

Moving Forward

"Access, however, is not usage."

This is a very short quote, but I thought it was very meaningful.  This whole chapter was a "let's quit arguing and move on" chapter.  I thought Bennett and Maton made some very good points about how many of the assertions made about "Digital Natives," and even some of the studies done, have been based more on assumptions, opinions, and ideas, and not necessarily on facts and data.  I would love to see more studies done on digital literacy, so educators can better understand what their response should be, and curriculums for digital literacy can be accurately developed.

The Awkward Term

"For many parents and educators, the idea of "Digital Natives" resonates deeply, and this resonance is not something academics should just ignore or dismiss."

This quote from Palfrey and Gasser also made me think.  Even if there are some connotations to the term "Digital Natives" that aren't entirely beneficial or accurate, and can cause some misconceptions about young people and technology, there is a general understanding of the term that captures the attention of parents and teachers and needs to be acknowledged and not entirely dismissed.

BYOD Day

Randlett, Cameron. The Gallon Challenge. Digital image. The CavChron. 19 Mar. 2014. Web.

My meme represents the idea that, although it would be wonderful if schools would teach digital literacy, they don't typically do so in the core classrooms.  Most districts have strong restrictions on whether or not students can even bring their own devices to school, and when they do, they aren't allowed to join the wireless network, so a BYOD day would not be expected by students.