The Digital The Digital DivideDivide

Rapid Developments in ICT Rapid Developments in ICT has brought about radical has brought about radical changes in today’s society.changes in today’s society.

Three types of learners in Three types of learners in our schoolsour schools

1 The students who are truly self-motivated..

The students who go through the motions.

The students who “tune us out.”

But most of the time this is But most of the time this is what we encounterwhat we encounter

Why??Why??

Rapid development in information Rapid development in information communication technology has communication technology has brought about rapid changes in our brought about rapid changes in our societysociety

Dividing our world Dividing our world into two:into two:

Digital NativesDigital Natives

Digital MigrantsDigital Migrants

The disconnect between how students learn and how teachers teach is easy to understand when

one considers that the current

school system was designed for an agrarian

and manufacturing world.

However, the world has changed and continues to change in a fast-

paced manner.

The differences between digital The differences between digital native learners and digital native learners and digital

immigrant teachersimmigrant teachers

Digital Native Learners Digital Immigrant Teachers

Prefer receiving information quickly from multiple multimedia sources.

Prefer slow and controlled release of information from limited sources.

Prefer parallel processing and multitasking.

Prefer singular processing and single or limited tasking.

Prefer processing pictures, sounds and video before text.

Prefer to provide text before pictures, sounds and video.

Prefer random access to hyperlinked multimedia information.

Prefer to provide information linearly, logically and sequentially.

Prefer to interact/network simultaneously with many others.

Prefer students to work independently rather than network and interact.

Prefer to learn “just-in-time.” Prefer to teach “just-in-case” (it’s on the exam).

Prefer instant gratification and instant rewards.

Prefer deferred gratification and deferred rewards.

Prefer learning that is relevant, instantly useful and fun.

Prefer to teach to the curriculum guide and standardized tests.

What young people loves in ICT

Empowerment

What they hate about Schools

Disempowerment

Rigid Structure

Centered Authority

What could we do?

Teachers and School Administrators

Should learn the way of the

Digital NativesBy providing digital students with opportunities to learn in ways that

satisfy their needs, they will be more engaged in the learning process and

in realizing their potential.

AREAS OF CHANGE Digital Natives are Communicating Differently

email, IM, chat

Digital Natives are Sharing Differently Blogs, webcams, camera phones

Digital Natives are Buying and Selling Differently

eBay, schoolwork

Digital Natives are Exchanging Differently music, movies, humor

Digital Natives are Creating Differently sites, avatars, mods

Digital Natives are Meeting Differently 3D chat rooms, dating

Digital Natives are Collecting Differently mp3, video, sensor data

Digital Natives are Coordinating Differently Projects, workgroups, MMORPGs

Digital Natives are Evaluating Differently Reputation systems–Epinions, Amazon,

Slashdot

Digital Natives are Gaming Differently “versus,” small & large groups

Digital Natives are Learning Differently About stuff that interests them

Digital Natives are Searching Differently

Info, connections, people

Digital Natives are Analyzing Differently

SETI, drug molecules

Digital Natives are Reporting Differently

Moblogs, digital photos

Digital Natives are Programming Differently

Open systems, mods, search

Digital Natives are Socializing Differently

Learning social behavior, influence

Digital Natives are Evolving Differently

Peripheral, emergent behaviors

What we know about this digital generation

and the disconnect between how they

learn and what they think about school

requires that we think about student

achievement in different and broader

terms.

Primary AreasPrimary Areas

Use of ICT in motivating students to Use of ICT in motivating students to learn by letting the students use learn by letting the students use them in learningthem in learning

Access to ICT technologyAccess to ICT technology