Drape's Takes

So I brought home a demo MacBook Pro from work today so I could check out all the new features. I opened it up, nearly caressing it (of course), and my six-year-old daughter looks up, perfectly on cue, and innocently asks:

But where's Firefox, dad?

Man, I love digital natives (especially my own)!


Personally, I think it's important to have the "open source" talk with your kids waaaay before those boring "maturation programs" they put on in the fifth grade.

Image source: OSU Linux Users Group in Oregon (post link here).

Stephen Van Orden is a thinker. An accomplished German teacher out of Timpview High School (Provo, Utah), Stephen is also a member of my doctoral cohort at Utah State University. Stephen's concern also concerns me.

First some background, then my response.

Last Monday, I gave a presentation to the members of my cohort in connection with an Educational Administration class that we are all taking. The presentation discussed Marc Prensky's latest article. Upon completion of my presentation, class ended, and Stephen responded.

"To be honest, I'm very disappointed in the technology skills of my students," he replied - admittedly catching me off guard as we exited the building.

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Well, I've found that my students are great at playing on the computer. And they can text very well. But you'd be surprised at what they really can't do. Like PowerPoint. Not every student knows how to make a PowerPoint presentation. When we do PowerPoints as a class, I have to walk some kids through the entire process. And podcasting! We spent an entire week creating podcasts as a class and I can't help asking myself if the time spent was really worth it. Couldn't we have accomplished the same thing - as far as the German that they learned goes - in simply doing oral reports?"

To be honest, at that moment I had no idea what to say. These were Digital Natives he was talking about. These kids had grown up in the light, you know.


After a while, though, I came to my senses and emailed him a response:

While I admit that your questions expressed in last night's class caught me a little off guard, I have since given your concerns additional thought to the extent that I am actually able to offer a little bit of advice.

First, I think it's very important that you continually maintain perspective when using technology in your teaching. Technology is simply a tool. And like other tools, it may not be particularly effective in use - much like a hammer would rarely be used to open a bottle or to remove a screw. That said, however, some tools are indispensable. Have you ever tried to change the oil in your car without using a wrench?

I'm sure you will agree that in your teaching, there are some pieces of technology that have become just that: indispensable. Take your your Tablet PC as an example. How different would your teaching be, your routine in grading, taking roll, and presenting ideas, if you no longer had the use of your tablet? I would argue that there are some pieces of technology that have become more integral to what we do as a teacher than even the pencil (which, in and of itself, is also an educational technology).

In that vein, I have other kinds of educational technology that I would recommend you try with your students before abandoning all hopes in light of your students' current technological skill level. Remember, just because PowerPoint and podcasts may not have been as effective as you had originally anticipated, it may just be that you need to consider using a different hammer.

Rather than listing a few tools here, I'd recommend you check out the wiki I've started for ESL teachers in my district. These tools will really work for learners of any language:

http://jsdesl.wikispaces.com/ESL+Toolbox

Off the top of my head, I would recommend that you look into VoiceThread first.

Anyway, enough for now. Sorry for the long email.

He replied, thanking me for my response, and pledged that he wasn't jumping off the technology bandwagon any time soon. And then confessed an idea that just might be right:

My only concern is that I'm not sure the digital revolution is a ubiquitous as some proponents believe. I think we are still at the beginning of it. I think that the real digital natives are currently in elementary school.

So now it's your turn:

• Is the digital revolution truly ubiquitous?
• How old are the Digital Natives?
• How did I do in my response to his concerns?
• What would you have told Steven?
  

Thanks, in advance, for your thoughtful responses.

Image Source: Flickr user MarkHaertl.

Technorati Tags: digitalnatives powerpoint voicethread education technology

I just finished reading - for the first time - one of my favorite books of all time: No Talking, by Andrew Clements. Even though a juvenile fictional work, this book demonstrates the potential power of student voice. Little more than a few-hour read, I highly recommend it to every principal, teacher, and student, alike. The back cover of the book provides an excellent description:

Okay, here's the deal: a whole day of no talking at school. Not in class, not in the halls, not on the playground, nowhere. No talking at all. And it's a contests - boys against girls. Whichever sides talks less, wins.

As it turns out, Dave Packer and Linsey Burgess were actually able to lead the entire fifth grade at Laketon Elementary, throughout the duration of their heated "no talking" competition and into the hearts of their teachers and principal. In spite of the resistance they had in the beginning - from parents, from teachers, and from the principal - they were able to change the way others thought, in time, and through the manner with which they conducted themselves.

Now, the reasons they were able to effectuate change are simple:

1. They had a unique cause.
2. They learned to think before they spoke.
   
   And Most Important:
   
   
3. They worked together as a large, unified body.

In both limiting their voice and in acting together as a large body of students, these kids truly had a voice.

Enter Students 2.0

The student-contributors of the newly created Students 2.0 blog are similarly concerned with voice. Student voice. Quoting directly from their blog's side-panel:

We are students: the ones who come to school every day, raise our hands with safe questions, and keep our heads down. Except, now we have a voice—a strong voice—to share our ideas through a global network.

Now in spite of my original perceptions, I'm actually quite impressed with most of that which has been written on this newly created edublog phenomenon. On the whole, the student contributors have each chimed in very thoughtfully with well-synthesized posts - often to the praise of many members of the edublogosphere. Unlike most inhabitants of the echo-chamber, however, I can't say that everything about their efforts has been without blemish. They are, after all, kids. Nevertheless, I too was once in their shoes and recall far too many days riddled with blemish - my face, in fact, produced so much oil as a teen that there were definitely no oil shortages in Utah during my high-school years.

As I have commented on a few of their most intriguing posts, I thought it prudent to also include a few of my takes here, combined with a few nuggets of advice. What they choose to do with these words is, of course, their own prerogative.

The Good:

• These kids are talented and very articulate - especially for their ages. Don't believe me? Think about how well you were writing when you were fourteen - then compare it with this.
  
  
  
• Like it or not, these kids are not the norm. Most kids their ages are more worried about zits, new cars, and popularity contests than they are about school improvement. Thus, I tip my hat to each one of them. They are trying their best to make a difference, and should be commended for the effort alone.
• The posts contributed by these students have been surprisingly varying. From student technology leadership to educational hierarchy to learning with networks, these kids have been spot-on in identifying some of the issues that need to be solved in order for real progress to take place.
  

The Bad:

• I've got a real problem with their "About" page. If we've entered "an age where thinking is more important than knowing" and "where thoughts out-do the facts" then I guess my answer is '42'. Can somebody please explain this to me? It's possible that I haven't quite spent enough time masquerading about as Master Chief to clearly understand how "knowing" doesn't encompass "thinking". And do thoughts really out-do the facts? Only if it's 1989 and your name is O.J. Simpson.
  
• While probably only a misinterpretation of their unbridled enthusiasm, these kids (at times) come off as rather arrogant. Yes, I know they're the first of their kind. Yes, I understand that they've got a bone to pick. But still... I'm just sayin': Cockiness does not prove effectiveness.
  

My Advice To The Students - For What It's Worth:

• Do you really want to effectuate change? I mean really? Then never ignore the tough questions. Ken Pruitt, for example, asked several that you've all but ignored. You want to know why changes aren't made in our school systems? Ken's questions lie at the heart of it. Welcome to the real world.
  
• I see that you've steered away from the "new post every six hours" strategy. Very good move. In writing effective posts, I'm learning that quality is far more important than quantity. Don't believe me? Follow Karl Fisch's example - his "Most Influential Blog Post" was one of only two that he wrote in a two-week time span. Again, quality - not quantity.
  
  And Most Important:
  

• Never forget that everything in education is political. Yep: everything. As a result, the number of eyes that see your work will never be important if the right eyes never see it. Legislators, other leaders in government, and ultimately your parents are the people that you will need to inspire. And while your voice might be "strong", it's only one voice. Get millions of your peers to echo your thoughts, with a roar that's impossible to ignore, and you will truly succeed.

Here's to the success that we all hope for Students 2.0. May they succeed where others, perhaps, have failed.

Darren

Image Source - Arthus

Technorati Tags: blogosphere education technology change digitalnatives students2.0

Reading Will Richardson's recent post has caused me to think more about today's students (aka those pesky Digital Natives). In his post, Will asks a series of very important questions. In my opinion, it is crucial that these questions are answered by those of us that understand the positive benefits of mobile educational technologies before these (and similar) questions are answered by ignorant lawmakers and policymakers - thus forcing us to live with the decisions that are made. As a result, in this post I will attempt to set forth a few answers from my point of view and encourage you to do the same. Hopefully together we can arrive at a general consensus.

To preface his "Rhetorical-Question-A-Rama", Will identifies and discusses the tech habits of a very savvy 14-year-old student from South Korea. Apparently, this student, not unlike many American students, is constantly connected to his network when not in school. During school, this student has also learned to access his network through his mobile phone - while his phone is still tucked away nicely in his pocket. While Will (and subsequent comment writers) seemed very surprised by this student's ability to blindly send text messages to members of his network, I'm not surprised at all. I've known students for years that have had this ability. Yes, here in the States. Even in little ol' Utah. In fact, many of these students were in my own classes. In order to catch up to the current state of things: Arthus, if you're listening, how many kids do you know that can text without looking?

In response to this and similar behaviors that I have witnessed in the lives of our students I began, several months ago, to sound the cry for teachers everywhere to Pay Attention! Obviously, we still have a long way to go.

On to Will's (proclaimed "rhetorical") questions:

• What should we as educators in a country that is about five years behind South Korea (according to this blog post, at least) be thinking about this version of the future? (Or is it already happening now?)

It seems to me that Will, of all people, should know that this "version of the future" is now. It's happening and has happened for quite some time. In fact, it's very much the kind of "now" that he and Ian and David and Marc and all of the other "thinkers in educational technology" have been describing during the last five years. Personally, I like David Warlick's description of tentacles - when we separate our students from their network, it can very much be compared to chopping off an appendage.

As for what "we as educators... should be thinking"? Yes. We should all be thinking. And now.

• Do we clamp down harder on the technologies our kids use? Try to penalize, even criminalize their use? Keep pretending that there are no acceptable uses of phones or other connection tools?

These are really good questions (actually all inter-related), the answers to which really lie in how we define the purpose of education. Personally, I think that the heart of the purpose in educating our youth lies in preparing them for the future. I think that many people would also agree with such a purpose: We educate our kids to prepare them for the future - even if we don't yet realize what that future entails.

Now, if the purpose of education is mainly to prepare our students for their future, a time when they are presumably adults, are we doing them any service by not letting them use the tools and techniques that present-day adults use in learning? When an adult (in or out of the workforce) needs to learn something, do they not tend to have access to their network? The last time you had something to learn, what did you do to learn it? People everywhere (except in some schools, churches, and prisons that prohibit such behavior) can find ways to connect to their network. They've got Google in their pockets, they've got their social networks, and from each they learn - because their businesses depend on it, because they've come to expect it, and because we've come to expect it from them.

Hence, even as adults, we've become dependent upon our networks. Why should we expect any less of our students?


Rather than fearing the capabilities of such incredibly talented Digital Natives, I think it's high time we respect what they can do, encourage their development, and stop limiting their potential. I know, I know: Much easier said than done. Nevertheless, these kids are only as "dangerous" as we let them be. If we allow them to use their networks while working on schoolwork, what will they gain from hiding such access?

• Or do we start thinking about changing what we do and how we do it?

Yes, and we start with our attitudes regarding student network access. We teach responsible use. We cease to ignore reality. And we take David Jakes up on his suggestion:

There's a reason Jakes has said this, you know. David Jakes, like many of our students alike, has realized that in far too many cases, our students are learning more out of school than they are in. And that fact is just not right.

• Should open phone tests be ok? Should we embed the information and connection skills that the student in the story has into our own curricula?

Absolutely. I don't think we can turn back any longer. Or rather, I don't think we should turn back. The kinds of "tests" that are administered to adults on a daily basis are open phone, open network. Why not prepare our students for adult-life. Why not prepare them for reality?

• Oh, and by the way, who taught Insoo to do the things he’s doing, do you think?

Insoo taught himself, of course. The same way our students often learn, the same way my daughter has learned, and the same way my dad is learning to learn:


I anxiously await the answers you're now prepared to offer - because if we don't figure out the answers to these and other related questions, who will?

Next!

Technorati Tags: digitalnatives payattention education technology cellphones networking twitter