Video in the Classroom

a. Based on Prensky’s descriptions, are you a digital native or a digital immigrant?
b. How are you equipped to teach the “digital natives” in your classroom?
c. What further steps could you take to learn the “language” of multimedia?
d. What steps can you take to keep students safe from undesirable YouTube content?

a.  As I read the first article by Prensky, I got to thinking about how I think in technology terms. This article gave an example of a digital immigrant being someone with an accent.  They think and talk with this accent.  Digital immigrants also tend to think with a single-mindness of doing only one thing at a time.  They sometimes just don't get what a digital native can grasp with ease.  A digital immigrant has to change pieces of themselves to adapt to the technology environment around them.  Sometimes these digital immigrants don't want to do that and resist that change.  This means that they struggle to interact with the digital natives.  

A digital native, though, is someone that grew up using technology on a daily basis.  They tend to multi-task.  They do things fast and want their information fast.  Instant gratification and rewards are things that digital natives look for.  They prefer games to over work.  They want to learn using these games instead of reading books.

Now that we have explained a little bit about digital natives and immigrants, let's see where I fit into it.  If you think in terms of age, I might be considered a digital immigrant because I didn't grow up with technology.  In fact I wasn't really introduced to technology until I was 12 when my parents bought their first computer.  However, I happen to think that I am a digital native. 

For starters, I look everything up on the internet.  I can't go one day without looking up information with my smartphone, Ipod, or laptop.  If I could afford it, I would have an Ipad 2 and a Nook as well.  I love playing games to learn new concepts.  I also multi-task and have a tendency to want my answers quickly.  I use technology for almost everything that I do.  I am like a sponge that wants to learn new things and I want to try new things.  It is so funny.  I have been teaching technology for 4 years and every year I change my projects.  LOL  I think that I find something new and I want to try it with my students because I think that they will like it.  I want to connect with them on their level.  I believe that people learn things better by doing and teaching themselves.  It is how I like to learn. 

That is why I believe that I am a digital native.  Oh one more thought, I have played the piano since I was in 2nd grade.  I believe that has allowed me to be open-minded and think outside the box.  It has also helped to multi-task with ease.  Just pointing out about the part when he talked about playing a musical instrument.  :D

b. Well I am wondering if I answered this question with a.  LOL  Well I am sure that I can come up with some other ways to teach my digital natives.  Let's look at what I do in my classroom.  I have an ongoing wiki that I use with my students.  We interact, comment, and work on this wiki as a whole.  We collaborate on assignments and they get to choose their mode of presentation.  I attend conferences and now am working on this master's so that I can become more of a digital native.  What I learn I bring back to the classroom and work with my students.  I try to use as much technology as I am allowed to with them.  I just hope that what I am doing is helping them. 

c.  I think that I have a good concept of the language, but it never hurts to expand your education.  I think that by reading about different media sources and technology is one way.  Another is to join online educator groups like twitter or facebook to name a few.  You can also keep in touch with other educators, professors, or colleagues who work with multimedia.  You can also become part of an email list or wiki that works with multimedia.  The big thing is to constantly educate yourself.  This way you can keep up with what is new and what students want to learn. 

d.  Youtube is quite a big sensation.  People are becoming instant stars with youtube.  Our students are posting videos of themselves on a regular basis.  These videos could be about something or about nothing.  However, some of these videos can be quite educational.  Students like learning with videos.  It is a visual representation of what they might have to read about.  They might understand it more if they see it.  But just like anything that has to do with the internet, you run a risk of obtaining harmful material.  So how can we keep our students safe from this.  Well the article talked about a K12 education group to use.  This group consists of videos that are teacher and students submitted.  This can help your students because they see that others students have produces a video about something that has to do with education.  Another way to keep the students safe is to use the safety mode.  At the bottom of the screen is a link to change the safety mode.  What it does is to help prevent objectionable material from coming up in your search.  This isn't a full proof plan of keeping the material out but it is a start.  One last way is to monitor the students closely.  Students who see the teacher walking around as less likely to put the wrong key word in.  Lastly, if you teach students about how to be safe online they are more likely to stay safe.