As teachers, we must become educated in these
technologies (21stCFP) in order for us to be able to effectively teach these
essential lessons of a new generational life. The majority of young student
teachers have the benefit of being ‘Digital Natives’, but for those older
teachers, they must become ‘Digital Immigrants’ (Paffrey & Gasser, 2008).
Paffrey and Gasser (2008) balance the arguments for
teaching digital literacy. They see the benefit of teaching children to utilize
technologies so they “are interacting with digital information, expressing
themselves in social environments, creating new art forms, dreaming up new
business models, and starting new activist ventures.” (2008: 9). It is important
that children are able to ‘hack’ through all the digital information in order
to find relevance and to fit their own purpose (Jones & Hafner, 2012).
However, Paffrey and Gasser (2008) also understand both the parents and
teachers fears of children’s safety, loss of traditional education, and impact
of uncensored imagery or information. They (2008) also stress the importance of
teacher’s involvement in digital literacy and understanding that traditional
education is still extremely important within this new native world.
It is important for teachers to care about, and be,
digitally literate so as to enhance their own teaching practice for an
inevitable future of ‘digital natives’ as well as to help children understand
the skills needed to become safe and intelligent digital users.
Paffrey, J. & Gasser, U.
(2008) ‘Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives’
New York: Basic Books
The 21st century Fluency Project Understanding Digital Kids II
Jones, R H &
Hafner, C A (2012) Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction Abingdon:
Routledge
Teeth this is really interesting to see a balanced argument between teaching technology and the anxieties of parents and teachers and how this can affect their teaching.
ReplyDeleteSorry I don't know why it has put teeth at the front!
ReplyDeleteI also focused on this article and found it made me really think about the fact that we as teachers do have a responsibility for working alongside parents to educate children about being safe digital users. I agree with you concluding paragraph that it is important that we care about being digitally literate for the sake of the children we teach. By being digitally literate does not mean we have to hand our class over to becoming entirely digital but it means that we have to be aware enough about digital literacy that we can advise and support where needed.
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