Teacher to Be

Is it Age or IT: First steps towards understanding the NET Generation

Firstly, I had a little trouble understanding the problem with understanding the NET generation, probably because I am the NET generation. I only have a vague memory of life without internet, but I was under the age of 12 when that was the case. I think the first time I got a computer I was around the age of 9.  All the questions and comments about NET generation seems to apply to me.

I find myself lost without my phone, I am always connected one way or another. I am proud to be of the NET generation cause this makes it a little easier for me when it comes to teaching my students. Obviously they may always know something different about technology but I am always on top of learning new technologies so am not worried about their knowledge compared to mine. I understand that we as the net generation does not view technology that we have been using as technology because it just is, it is what we use to make assignments, to talk to our friends, to find information.

Within the classroom setting it only makes sense to use technologies that our students know and use everyday.  Reading this made me think about university and the fact that even though we are learning about the digital natives and the need to cater for them, why are we not being catered for then?  There is a youtube video that I found that speaks for all us NET Generations out there that I thought says it all.

A Vision of students today (Click here to watch the video)

The article Is it age… speaks about “Learning is participatory; knowing depends on practice and participation. Digital resources enable experiential learning—something in tune with Net Gen preferences. Rather than being told, Net Geners would rather construct their own learning, assembling information, tools, and frameworks from a variety of sources.” So if this is the case and we are getting taught that this is the case, shouldn’t we be learning through the methods we are being told/taught to teach.

Just something to think about.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm and is filed under Readings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.