The Digital Age

Some thoughts from Kim, our 3/4/5 combo teacher:

Marc Prensky's book "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" made me think about how the children of today learn differently than we did. This has important implications about education, which we are only beginning to understand. I thought you might find this excerpt interesting.

"Do our children learn differently from us? Are they "digital natives"?

It is amazing to me how in all the hoopla and debate these days about the decline of education in the US, we ignore the most fundamental of its causes. Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach....

Today's students - K through college - represent the first generations to grow up with this new [digital technology] technology. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age... Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives.

It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. These differences go far further and deeper than most educators suspect or realize.*"

Most parents aspire to have their children enjoy reading and sports and find that somehow, modern electronics (television, game machines, computers, etc.) competes with these activities. It is a challenge for parents to manage the modern media's impact on our children and families. But as parents, you can manage your environment. Of course, tools and services to help are useful. Some tips:

1. Email. Have your children write emails to their cousins and grandparents. Of course, you should closely supervise their online activities including having the youngest ones use your email account.

2. Blogs. While children have traditionally loved keeping journals, it seems that many get particularly excited by seeing their own writing on the internet. Since starting a blog takes minutes and it's easy to keep safe and anonymous, it provides a simple motivating way to "publish" your children's writing.

3. Websites. There are great learning games available online. Three sites that we recommend: LearningGamesForKids, SpellingCity, and Vocabulary is Fun.

4. Online interactive curriculum. Time4Learning's online automated curriculum teaches from PreSchool to 8th Grade. Give it a try. Time4Writing has recently been created to provide eight week online writing courses with individual feedback.

Thanks for reading,

John Edelson
It's Time4Learning. And Fun.

Copyright 2008 Time4Learning All rights reserved

*Excerpted from: "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" By Marc Prensky.