Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Digital Native or Digital Immigrant?


Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants only puts my fears further into reality that very soon this world will be ran by computers. With technology at it’s near peak advancement, people are able to do things we never thought able many years ago. Now there are programs like “Khan Academy” that has children in classrooms learning through their computers. There is no longer the teacher to student interaction, and for that matter almost not any interaction at all when it comes to these new learning programs. “A really big discontinuity has taken place. One might even call it a “singularity” – an event which changes things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back. This so-called “singularity” is the arrival and rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20th century.”  As someone who would describe herself somewhere in between a digital native and digital immigrant, I have seen and grown up with drastic changes in the educational system. I have seen computers and touch screens take over in every day places like the grocery store, to banks, and now the school setting.

The Khan academy is a program all online that is able to teach children about any subject from math and arithmetic to science and reading. It provides coaching and tutoring for children who struggle with certain subjects. Teachers are now being given tutorials and are bringing these methods into their classroom. I do think this is hugely beneficial to many students, and helps the teacher in many ways. Those students who are struggling and falling behind are able to continue with the lessons they are having trouble with, while the other students who wish to go on to further their understanding are able to do that as well. Again, while I do think there are many benefits to this type of setting, it furthers my fears that this limited amount of interaction is just as unbeneficial to students.
Sitting in front of a computer all day, using this as your main source of education there is no interaction or socialization among other human beings. Students are going to become so glued to a screen and their social and emotional skills are going to become very limited. We can see this happening all ready; families out to dinner instead of talking to one another all sit on their Ipads and Iphones playing games, texting, or Tweeting. This is extremely unhealthy. Humans have an innate need to be social, so why are we making these children so incredibly unsocial?


Below I have provided an example of the Khan Academy and its lessons. It is pretty amazing that this one man has invented a program that has been used internationally. Even Bill Gates uses it to teach his children!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZlXsFJULI

10 comments:

  1. Mackenzie,

    I really like how you took a different approach then I did. And the video helped. Thanks !

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  2. It is really scary that the world is being ran by computers. I love the Khan Academy I suggest it to all of my students and it really helps them when they're having trouble. Great post!

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  3. I did not know about the Khan Academy. That's really interesting. I agree, technology is taking over every aspect of our lives now. It is both cool and scary to watch!

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  4. I find it ironic that I'm responding to your very insightful post about the (dangers and distancing of technology) through a technological blog. It's making me a bit dizzy! Khan academy also scares me -- the superintendent of my kids' schools is planning on using it as the main source of math education for the high school in the near future. That said, I wish Khan academy was around when I was taking (and failing) organic chemistry. I didn't have access to a competent tutor -- this program in some ways equalizes access to fact-checked tutoring. Do you see Khan academy as completely problematic or does it have some sort of place in the future educational world for you?

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  5. Corinne,

    I feel very mixed on my feelings with Khan, I love it and think it seems like a great tool for children especially those who are struggling with subjects. However, I am not sure I agree with having it as the basis for learning instruction in the classroom. The video I watched where the teacher was using it for her own class, she was not teaching at all! The students were all plugged into the computers and she was walking around waiting for a student who was having trouble and told them basically to keep going with the lesson. Made me think that there wasn't much point of her being there, and that the computer could have just taught the classroom. I think the Khan is a helpful tool but should be used just as that, a tool to help.

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  6. Reading the post Kenz made me laugh and think of IRobot with Will Smith. There is a book I love to reference it is a deep read called The Anthem. It kind of puts a spin on the technology outlook even though it is based on government. Thanks for the great insight of the reading I think we agree on most of the thoughts you described.

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  7. As beneficial as technology in education is, I can definitely see that the social skills are declining due to interaction with technology rather than other humans. Its funny because I've seen rooms full of people with everyone staring at the floor because they are all on their phone. its very interesting to see this shift even with adults who didn't have this growing up, it has taken them over as well.

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  8. I agree with you Kenz technology is really taking over. I have mixed feelings about Khan

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  9. I really like how you talked about the disconnect between youth and their social and emotional skills. Nowadays, children are so immersed in their phones and computers that having a face to face conversation is something out of the ordinary. Also, it made me think about how common it is to see a group of people out and about in a social situation, however instead of talking to one another, they are all individually on their phones/ technological devices. How crazy!

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  10. Mackenzie,
    I completely agree with you, it is very nerve racking to see the huge evolution of technology and how it is replacing so many of fundamentals in the educational system. Like you stated it is a good thing is some areas but at the same time it is killing the social interaction the we as humans need in order to survive. It is like what Lesley was talking about in class we are alone together. Many of the newer Digital Natives have become so handicapped by technology that it is all that they know and it has caused them to abandon all social skills and this is something that we may never be able to teach if it is not approached and balanced out now.

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