Digital Immigrant or Digital Native?

Where do I fall? I believe that I fall somewhere in the middle. I cannot completely claim one side or the other, though I am more native than immigrant. I grew up at the beginning stages of computers in schools, cell phones, and MP3 players. I am able to use the up and coming technology, but only at a beginning to intermediate level. I could not teach my students how to use technology, they would be teaching me! I have been surrounded by this technology for most of my life, but I have not been immersed in it so much that I live and breathe it. I can go for days without checking my email or Facebook accounts and it would not bother me. Now my students, on the other hand, need every bit of information that is circulating right now, at this very instant.

I teach middle school physical education and I use very little technology in my classroom. There are no blogs, podcasts, or streaming being done from my end. I am the person that is saying “it’s almost impossible for me to use technology in my classroom.” I know that there are different ways of reaching the student through technology, but nearly all of my students work and assessment is done right inside of my gym. I am ready and willing to learn new ways of using technology in my classroom.

The article “Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants” made it very clear that our students are digital natives. They grew up learning technology from a young age. That is how they learn! Digital immigrants (teachers) need to be able to find ways to capture the minds of our technology-centered students, ways other than reading from a text book or watching a video. The two videos, “The Machine is Using Us” and “A Vision of Students Today” capture a different side of what is going on at the university level.  The “Machine” video shows just how quickly technology, and our lives, can be changed and are changing. Everything can be done with a click of a button on a computer screen (or tablet!) now. The “Vision” video shows students learning as they have been learning for decades. No technology, chairs in rows, pencils in hand. It is interesting to me that educators at the university level are still teaching like immigrants and not involving much technology into the classrooms. How are educators teaching, especially new teachers, young people today without these resources? Educators need to be using resources that are relevant to our students today.