I think it is important to have a basic awareness of some of the history of how technology has evolved; however, I agree with the theory that our children today are “digital natives”. I think most of my students would tell you that technology is just there and is supposed to be there. They would agree with Marc Prensky’s 2001 label of “digital natives” as explained by Jason Ohler. The fitting definition is “as the digital indigenous, they take their environment for granted” (Digital Community Digital Citizen 17).
In my classroom, the curriculum we have been discussing this year includes the evolution of communication within the English language. Many of my students never considered that silent monks would write one letter (as in A or B) at a time in a room lit only by candlelight. When we discussed the lack of copy and paste to create another book, many students commented that monks were like the first creators of Wiki. I had honestly never thought of it in those terms, but my students were not too far off from the truth. Monks were among the first core of people to decide what information to copy for others or to delete if not worth sharing.
As we have moved through the school year and continued progressing towards present day English communication, we have discussed the influence of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type printing press. Of course discussion of this invention includes the concept of creating one template and then being able to create mass copies. When asked how this invention is relevant today, students compared this idea to USB flash drives. Not necessarily a comparison I would have made on my own, but definitely an interesting comparison with merit to my group of “digital natives.”
I think having a general understanding of the progress humanity has made via technology allows our children to have an appreciation of how far things have progressed. Also, thinking of the comparison between Gutenberg’s printing press and a USB flash drive, helps to open the mind to all the directions technology can develop in the future…many of these future possibilities are not things we can even think of now. However, it is possible that some of my students might be the “Gutenberg” of this generation.
With this in mind, I think it is good that the ISTE standards are refreshed on a regular basis. What good are standards if they don’t address the reality of today and look towards the future? As educators, we should all want our students to be able to be the next Gutenberg instead of closing their minds to new possibilities technology can offer.
In my classroom, the curriculum we have been discussing this year includes the evolution of communication within the English language. Many of my students never considered that silent monks would write one letter (as in A or B) at a time in a room lit only by candlelight. When we discussed the lack of copy and paste to create another book, many students commented that monks were like the first creators of Wiki. I had honestly never thought of it in those terms, but my students were not too far off from the truth. Monks were among the first core of people to decide what information to copy for others or to delete if not worth sharing.
As we have moved through the school year and continued progressing towards present day English communication, we have discussed the influence of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type printing press. Of course discussion of this invention includes the concept of creating one template and then being able to create mass copies. When asked how this invention is relevant today, students compared this idea to USB flash drives. Not necessarily a comparison I would have made on my own, but definitely an interesting comparison with merit to my group of “digital natives.”
I think having a general understanding of the progress humanity has made via technology allows our children to have an appreciation of how far things have progressed. Also, thinking of the comparison between Gutenberg’s printing press and a USB flash drive, helps to open the mind to all the directions technology can develop in the future…many of these future possibilities are not things we can even think of now. However, it is possible that some of my students might be the “Gutenberg” of this generation.
With this in mind, I think it is good that the ISTE standards are refreshed on a regular basis. What good are standards if they don’t address the reality of today and look towards the future? As educators, we should all want our students to be able to be the next Gutenberg instead of closing their minds to new possibilities technology can offer.