Reflexión sobre artículo "“Teaching and Learning with the Net Generation” by Kassandra Barnes, Raymond C. Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris
Reflection on the article: “Teaching and
Learning with the Net Generation” by Kassandra Barnes, Raymond C.
Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris
Regarding
the article written by Barnes, K., Maratero, R. and Ferris, S. titled “Teaching and Learning with the Net
Generation” I would like to state that as all teachers should be aware of, technology
has become an important part of humans´ lives and by extension, an
indispensable tool in the language classroom. However, as every tool or
strategy that is used in our classrooms, it should be implemented in a responsible
and goal-oriented way as technology is just that, another tool which should be
at the service of scaffolding students´ learning.
Firstly
I would like to highlight that many aspects of this article are quite useful in
order to understand the role that technology plays or should play nowadays in
our classrooms. But, it is also important to remark that some aspects that are
highlighted in this article do not reflect the Uruguayan educational system or
population reality. For instance and
hopefully, our students do not have the necessity to save money all their lives
to be able to attend university. Neither is applicable what Whitney-Vernon
(2004) state that “…children are spending
most of their nights doing school assignments rather than engaging in social
activities…” I have been teaching English just for six years now but I
could say that year after year I have noticed that students find more difficult
to understand the purpose and importance of developing a critical thinking and
being literate people. They even find uninteresting and awkward to project
themselves into the future and think of a career or how and where they will be
in the future. I truly believe that much of these problems are because of us,
teachers, who cannot find the proper ways of attending their necessities.
Secondly, and following Oblinger (2005) who
mentions that “…the educational system
may be ill-served by rushing to meet the perceived needs of the Net Generation.
While they are frequent users of electronic tools, Net Geners typically lack
information literacy skills, and their critical thinking skills are often
weak…” (Oblinger and Oblinger 2005), I think that we should
work hard in creating useful contexts which foster students development of
their critical thinking. Moreover and following Earle (2002) who states that,
"teachers have to come up with a
strategy or pedagogy to make it [technology] work" (p. 6). It is just
not a matter of computerizing every task we plan to do, but also we have to use
technology as a tool to achieve our goals and purposes. Teachers should receive
instruction in the proper and effective use of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT). The careful plan of our classes would help us to
establish the purpose of using technology in the classrooms and bear in mind
that we want to develop students´ critical thinking and communicative
competence and for that, we should teach our students that time and patience is
important to be able to reflect and re-think things. I consider that if
students understand these aspects they will be able to control their hunger for
immediate answers and rewards, and they will find extremely interesting to
question and criticise different topics or arguments, by backing they point of
view in front of any audience.
In
conclusion, it cannot be ignored that technology plays a very important role in
language classrooms and it should be used as a facilitating tool to scaffold
students in their learning processes. However, it should be remembered that
audio tapes, books, pictures, etc., still have a role to play in the teaching
and learning processes. Teachers should always consider students´ needs, the
resources that they have and the goals they want to achieve in order to use
technology properly and as wisely as possible.
Bibliography
·
Earle,
R. (2002). The integration of instructional technology into public education:
Promises and challenges. Educational Technology, 42, 5-13.
·
Oblinger,
D. G., and P. Hagner. 2005. Seminar on educating the Net Generation. Presented
at EDUCAUSE, Tempe, AZ, August. http://www.educause.edu/section_params/conf/esem052/OneDayv2-HO.ppt#3 (accessed March 26, 2007).
·
Oblinger,
D. G., and J. L. Oblinger, eds. 2005. Educating the Net Generation. Washington,
D.C.:
·
Whitney-Vernon,
K. 2004. Think you know what makes a teenager tick? Better think again.
Financial Post, April 26.
Web sites:
·
http://www.trinity.edu/mstroud/technology/CALL.html
·
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Role_of_Technology-ET-11-12-08.pdf
Reflexión sobre el articulo llamado " Teaching and Learning with the
Net Generation" por Kassandra Barnes, Raymond C. Marateo, y S. Pixy Ferris
En cuanto al artículo escrito
por Barnes, K., Maratero, R. y Ferris, S. titulado "Enseñanza y
Aprendizaje con la Generación Neta", quisiera señalar que como todos los
maestros deben ser conscientes, la tecnología se ha convertido en una parte importante
de la vida de los seres humanos y, por extensión, una herramienta indispensable
en el aula de idiomas. Sin
embargo, como toda herramienta o estrategia que se utiliza en nuestras aulas,
debe implementarse de manera responsable y orientada a objetivos, ya que la
tecnología es justamente eso, otra herramienta que debe estar al servicio del
andamiaje del aprendizaje de los estudiantes.
En primer lugar me gustaría
destacar que muchos aspectos de este artículo son muy útiles para entender el
papel que la tecnología juega o debería jugar hoy en día en nuestras aulas.
Pero también es importante señalar que algunos aspectos que se destacan en este
artículo no reflejan el sistema educativo uruguayo ni la realidad poblacional.
Por ejemplo, y esperemos que nuestros estudiantes no tienen la necesidad de
ahorrar dinero durante toda su vida para poder asistir a la universidad.
Tampoco es aplicable lo que Whitney-Vernon (2004) afirma que "... los
niños pasan la mayor parte de sus noches haciendo asignaciones escolares en
lugar de participar en actividades sociales ..." He estado enseñando
inglés sólo por seis años, pero podría decir que año tras año He notado que los
estudiantes encuentran más difícil entender el propósito y la importancia de
desarrollar un pensamiento crítico y ser personas alfabetizadas. Incluso
encuentran poco interesante y difícil de proyectar en el futuro y pensar en una
carrera o cómo y dónde estarán en el futuro. Realmente creo que gran parte de
estos problemas son a causa de nosotros, maestros, que no podemos encontrar las
formas adecuadas de atender sus necesidades.
En
segundo lugar, y siguiendo a Oblinger (2005), quien menciona que "... el
sistema educativo puede ser mal servido por apresurarse para satisfacer las
necesidades percibidas de la Generación Neta. Aunque son usuarios frecuentes de
herramientas electrónicas, Net Geners típicamente carece de habilidades de
alfabetización informativa, y sus habilidades de pensamiento crítico son a
menudo débiles ... "(Oblinger y Oblinger 2005), creo que deberíamos
trabajar duro para crear contextos útiles que fomenten el desarrollo de los
estudiantes su pensamiento crítico. Además, y siguiendo a Earle (2002), quien
afirma que "los maestros tienen que idear una estrategia o una pedagogía
para hacerla [tecnología] funcionar" (p.6). No es sólo una cuestión de
informatizar cada tarea que planeamos hacer, sino que también tenemos que usar
la tecnología como una herramienta para alcanzar nuestros objetivos y
propósitos. Los maestros deben recibir instrucción sobre el uso adecuado y
efectivo de las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC). El cuidadoso
plan de nuestras clases nos ayudaría a establecer el propósito de usar la
tecnología en las aulas y tener en cuenta que queremos desarrollar el
pensamiento crítico de los estudiantes y la competencia comunicativa y para eso
debemos enseñar a nuestros estudiantes que el tiempo y la paciencia son
importantes para poder reflexionar y repensar las cosas. Considero que si los
estudiantes entienden estos aspectos podrán controlar su hambre de respuestas y
recompensas inmediatas, y les resultará sumamente interesante cuestionar y
criticar diferentes temas o argumentos, respaldando su punto de vista frente a
cualquier audiencia.
En
conclusión, no se puede ignorar que la tecnología juega un papel muy importante
en las aulas de idiomas y debe ser utilizada como una herramienta de
facilitación para apoyar a los estudiantes en sus procesos de aprendizaje. Sin
embargo, debe recordarse que las cintas de audio, libros, imágenes, etc., aún
tienen un papel que desempeñar en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Los
maestros siempre deben considerar las necesidades de los estudiantes, los
recursos que tienen y las metas que quieren lograr para usar la tecnología
adecuadamente y lo más sabiamente posible.
Bibliografía
·
Earle,
R. (2002). The integration of instructional technology into public education:
Promises and challenges. Educational Technology, 42, 5-13.
·
Oblinger,
D. G., and P. Hagner. 2005. Seminar on educating the Net Generation. Presented
at EDUCAUSE, Tempe, AZ, August. http://www.educause.edu/section_params/conf/esem052/OneDayv2-HO.ppt#3 (accessed March 26, 2007).
·
Oblinger,
D. G., and J. L. Oblinger, eds. 2005. Educating the Net Generation. Washington,
D.C.:
·
Whitney-Vernon,
K. 2004. Think you know what makes a teenager tick? Better think again.
Financial Post, April 26.
Sitios web:
·
http://www.trinity.edu/mstroud/technology/CALL.html
·
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Role_of_Technology-ET-11-12-08.pdf
ARTICLE/ARTICULO
Teaching and Learning with the Net Generation by Kassandra Barnes,
Raymond C. Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris
A decade ago, the first wave of the Net Generation began to enter
college, forcing educational institutions to deal with a new population of
learners with unique characteristics. With the Net Generation representing
nearly 7% of the population today (Bartlett 2005) and with nearly 49.5 million
students enrolled in schools in 2003 (Enrollment Management Report 2005), responding to the specific needs of this generation
of learners is becoming increasingly important. The challenge of
evolving pedagogy to meet the needs of Net-savvy students is daunting, but
educators are assisted by the fact that this generation values education. These
students learn in a different way than their predecessors did, but they do want
to learn. In this article we will define the characteristics of Net Geners'
learning styles and discuss how educators can make the most of these particular
traits.
Net Geners Want to
Learn . . .
One key characteristic of this generation is
that they are very education oriented. Educational pressure begins early for Net
Geners; college-directed goals take hold as early as the first year of high
school. Net Geners state that their efforts in high school are a direct
reflection of the type of college to which they plan to gain admission. Older
generations often take as true the stereotypes of teenagers as obsessed with
clothing, relationships, and friends. Indeed, most teenagers do feel caught
between the competing interests of mastering schoolwork and socializing with
their peers. Yet many parents of Net Geners say
that their children are spending most of their nights doing school assignments
rather than engaging in social activities (Whitney-Vernon 2004), and the
2004 Trendscan report finds that the number one thing that Net Geners aged
12-24 are saving for is college tuition (Marketing Magazine 2005). A survey of 100,000
Canadian teens reports that teens express far greater concern about education
than adults in the survey expect them to feel. The report concludes that many
teens are so worried about school and postsecondary careers that "Saturday
nights are about doing homework" (Whitney-Vernon 2004, 4). This generation
is extremely goal-oriented, and achieving their career ambitions entails a good
education. Happily for educators, Net Geners' learning goals do not change in
college. Most can be expected to continue to sacrifice weekends to study, to
regard the consequences of poor grades seriously, and to attend classes
regularly. Even if only in order to enable future success in their chosen
careers, Net Geners, on the whole, want to do well in college.
.
. . But Net Geners Learn Differently
Although they value education highly, Net Geners learn differently from
their predecessors. This generation is unique in that it is the first to grow
up with digital and cyber technologies. Not only are Net Geners acculturated to
the use of technology, they are saturated with it. By the time he or she has
reached 21 years of age, the average NetGener will have spent
•
10,000 hours
playing video games,
•
200,000
e-mails,
•
20,000 hours
watching TV,
•
10,000 hours
on cell phones, and
Having been raised in an age of media
saturation and convenient access to digital technologies, Net Geners have
distinctive ways of thinking, communicating, and learning (Oblinger and
Oblinger 2005; Prensky 2006; Tapscott
1998).
Independence, Autonomy,
and Learning
Net Geners tend toward independence and autonomy in their learning
styles, which impacts a broad range of educational choices and behaviors, from
"what kind of education they buy" to "what, where, and how they
learn" (Carlson 2005, ¶4). This makes Net
Geners more assertive information seekers and shapes how they approach learning
in the classroom. These students make conscious choices about what learning
techniques work best for them, which can include reading lecture notes online,
viewing interactive media such as PowerPoint presentations or digital images,
or working in groups.
Such an assessment is supported by educators and scholars whose findings
indicate a greater desire for active, engaged learning experiences among Net
Gen students. Oblinger and Hagner (2005) observe that Digital Age students
express a need for more varied forms of communication and report being easily
bored with traditional learning methods. Glenn (2000) notes that
Net Geners need self-directed learning opportunities, interactive environments,
multiple forms of feedback, and assignment choices that use different resources
to create personally meaningful learning experiences, while Hay (2000) finds
that Net Geners want more hands-on, inquiry-based approaches to learning and
are less willing simply to absorb what is put before them. What explains these
shifts in learning styles? Tapscott (1998) argues that this more independent
learning style has grown out of the ingrained habits of seeking and retrieving
information from the Internet, which marks a striking contrast to previous
generations of students, who tended to acquire information more passively from
authority figures.
Other educators, however, object to the pressure to reshape higher
education to meet Net Generation expectations. Naomi Baron, for example,
asserts that the move to incorporate technology, reduce lecture time, and
reshape assignments to engage impatient Net Geners merely caters to a lack of
discipline. For Baron, "at some point,
what we are doing is killing higher education" (quoted in Carlson 2005, "Not So Different?", ¶6). Baron's observations may
have some merit. Higher education in the United States has a respected
democratic tradition that has developed over two centuries of practice; unlike
many peer institutions in other countries, universities in the U.S. have been
(relatively) responsive to new developments and willing to meet the changing
needs of the student. Yet while education can be altered and even improved by
incorporating greater autonomy in learning, the
educational system may be ill-served by rushing to meet the perceived needs of
the Net Generation. While they are frequent users of electronic tools, Net
Geners typically lack information literacy skills, and their critical thinking
skills are often weak (Oblinger and Oblinger 2005). They may be digital
natives, but they do not necessarily understand how their use of technology
affects their literacy or habits of learning. For educators, providing the
technological bells and whistles needed to engage Net Geners may not be as
effective or as critical as improving their information literacy and critical
thinking skills.
In the same vein, educators may not serve their students well by
satisfying another typical Net-Generation learning need: their self-reported
preference for immediacy. Net Geners' use of
the Internet for immediate access to information has taught them to expect
immediate answers. This conditioning has made them, on the whole, less likely
to accept delayed gratification in learning, both in the classroom and outside
it. Hay (2000) offers a story that illustrates these points. In an
elementary school classroom, during a lesson on Australia, one of the children
asked, "What do kangaroos eat?" The teacher, admitting that she did
not know and assuring her students that she would get back to them later with
an answer, was met with one student getting up from his seat and offering to
find the answer online, "real quick" (9). Instructors typically find
it difficult to resist this desire for immediate answers in the face-to-face
classroom. Many institutions are attempting to reconnect Digital-Age students
with traditional classroom practices through technology, and a substantial
number of universities (over 150, according to Carnivale and Young 2006) now
require students to buy laptops. This strategy can undoubtedly benefit Net
Geners, giving them the Internet access they crave.
Some educators worry that it can also work against effective teaching as
professors vie with the Internet, instant messaging, and computer games for
students' attention during class (Carnivale 2006). However, such worries may be
more a function of educators' beliefs and assumptions about learning, springing
from their own learning styles, than a reflection of Net Generation practices
and beliefs. The well-known educator Seymour Papert has pointed out for many
years that computers and technology can be powerful teaching tools, but their
potential is not fully exploited by educators who use them as isolated tools,
disconnected from the processes of student life and learning (Papert 1993). To
Net Geners, who have "grown up digital,” the social interaction and
structure of the classroom is more important than the potential distractions of
the Internet. This is best articulated by Ben McNeely (2005), himself a member
of the Net Generation, who says that students of his generation “like the
social interaction that comes from being in class with their peers” (44). For
them, McNeely feels, “relationships are a driving force in the learning process
[and] . . . learning through social interaction is important” (2005, 44).
McNeely quotes Arman Assa, an MBA student and president of the Mac Users Group
at North Carolina State University, who says that technology in a class is not
bad for the classroom; rather, it should “simply augment what is there” in
terms of interaction, teaching, and learning (2005, 45). This discussion
suggests that educators can best serve the needs of Net Generation learners and
meet teaching goals by modifying pedagogies to accommodate Net Geners' need for
independence and autonomy in learning.
Media, Multitasking, and
Learning
Net Geners' habituated use
of media in many different formats highlights another clearly notable
characteristic of their learning style. Multitasking is an integral part of the
Net Generation lifestyle (Oser 2005). As a landmark survey found, Net Geners
between 8 and 18 report using multiple media
simultaneously, using
computers and the Internet at the same time as video games, print media, music,
and the phone (Kaiser Family Foundation 2005). Another study found
that younger Net Geners (aged 6-14) pack 8.5 hours of media usage into 6 hours
(Kaiser Family Foundation 2005).
Accustomed as they are to
multiple stimuli, Net Geners report being bored in the traditional classroom,
even as older educators bemoan Net Geners' short attention span. Baron explains
that
students have a very short attention span in part because of the media
that we as teachers and parents have encouraged them to spend their time with,
and in part because we haven't taught them to have longer attention spans.
(quoted in Carlson 2005, "Millennials and
'Me'", ¶5)
Net Geners, however,
typically do not accept the notion that the problem is a lack of attention
span. They maintain instead that a lack of time compels them to multitask. It
is important for educators to understand that, at least sometimes, when Net
Geners complain that a particular subject seems unnecessary, they may not be
expressing a lack of interest. Rather, the range of activities demanding the
time and attention of young people may make them less patient with lessons that
do not directly apply to their chosen careers.
Multitasking, Net Geners
claim, simply helps them get everything done. Whatever the motivation, educators
must contend with the fact that multitasking is a way of life for many of
today's students.
Interestingly, Baron
maintains that educators bear significant responsibility for this problem. In
attempting to accommodate the learning styles of the Net Generation, educators
often encourage their students to use various media in their work while failing
to teach the equally important benefits of slowing down, focusing, and
contemplating material deeply. As a result, she claims, administrators are
giving up on a core lesson:
teaching students how to think on their own and to communicate their
ideas clearly. "We have told them, 'We want to hear what you have to say,
your opinion matters, nothing you can say is wrong—we can only just sort of add
to it,'" Baron says. "There is a growing assumption that what matters
is how you express yourself, not whether anyone can understand what you have
expressed" (quoted in Carlson 2005, "Millennials and
'Me'", ¶7). While appealing to the media proficiencies of Net Generation
students can yield the short-term advantages of increased student engagement,
such a shift often caters to those students who seek to complete work with a
minimum of effort (Carlson 2005). The dilemma in this
case arises from pedagogical strategies that effectively conflate knowledge
with mere information management while failing to tap into the positive
potential of the Net Geners' orientation towards learning.
Meanwhile, classroom
practices designed to accommodate emerging learning styles are gaining a
foothold at
all levels. Educators across the country are increasingly moving from
the traditional lecture to discussion-based classes that allow for more
individual expression. Use of teamwork and reliance on experiential learning
have become the norm rather than the exception in classrooms today.
Universities encourage faculty to combine the traditional lecture format with
techniques that prompt active interaction with students. Promotional materials
for colleges and universities illustrate this trend; a new marketing campaign
at our university (William
Paterson University), for example, uses billboards and posters
featuring a student proclaiming, "I believe in conversations, not
lectures." The prominent place of the term "information
literacy" in conversations about pedagogy is yet another example of this
shift in focus (National Education Association 2005). Clearly, universities
seek to attract students by accommodating their self-perception as learners who
acquire information by developing their own questions, systematically
evaluating sources, and selecting evidence to support their answers (Howard
2006).
In light of the benefits that can arise from accommodating Net
Generation learning styles, educators should formulate strategies that meet
students halfway while avoiding the pedagogical pitfalls noted by Baron and
other concerned critics. The good news is that over the past decade, educators
have begun to move toward the development of such pedagogies, often adapting
traditional teaching strategies to take advantage of the benefits of technology
to engage Net Geners. WebQuests, for example, use the
Internet to promote the development of “higher level thinking” and to “develop
small group skills in collaborative learning” (Zheng 2005, 55). Originated by
Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995, the WebQuest is characterized by what Dodge
(2001) calls the deep learning that involves constructing new knowledge through
a critical thinking process. WebQuests are not only easy for instructors to
use, but they have proven very successful at engaging Net Geners. (More
information on the usage of WebQuests can be found at WebQuest news).
WebQuests are an example
of “learning by doing,” a learning style that many say characterizes the Net
Generation (McNeely 2005; Prensky 2006; Shutt n.d.). Several characteristics
of Net Geners’ learning discussed in this paper, such as their consistent
multitasking, need for instant gratification, and need for independence and
involvement in the learning process, can be harnessed by the use of pedagogical
strategies that emphasize learning by doing through technology. One example is
the use of blogs, long a staple of Net Geners’ lives, in the classroom. Darren
Kuropatwa (2006) describes one use of
blogs in his high school class. His assignment calls for students to act as
scribes, recording what is learned each day:
Write a brief summary of
what we learned in class today. Include enough detail so that someone who was
away sick, or missed class for any other reason, can catch up on what they
missed. Over the course of the semester, the scribe posts will grow into the
textbook for the course; written by students for students. Remember that as
each of you write your scribe posts. Ask yourself: "Is this good enough
for our textbook? Would a graphic or other example(s) help illustrate what we
learned?" And remember, you have a global audience, impress them.
("Harnessing the Power of Pedagogy," ¶4)
The assignment begins with
a volunteer who then chooses the next scribe; the instructor’s role is simply
to update a post called The Scribe List daily. The assignment is powerfully
successful, according to Kuropatwa, in engaging students in learning through
several different mechanisms. It undoubtedly succeeds because using blogs in
this manner not only engages students through the Internet but also builds upon
their social and relational focus.
A related use of technology to accommodate Net Geners’ learning style is
the use of wikis. Wikis, or open-editing sites, are as much a part of the Net
Generation's learning landscape as blogs. Educators are increasingly using
wikis as collaborative writing spaces. For example, Teresa Dobson from the
University of British Columbia uses a wiki space in a graduate course on
technologies for writing as a support for collaborative experiments in
composition and "as a prompt for reflection on the nature of online
writing and reading" (Lamb 2004, 3). This demonstrates one use of wikis,
which can also be used “to change the individualism culture of traditional
instruction to one of collaboration and a shared construction of knowledge”
(Ferris and Wilder 2006, "Teaching and
Learning with Wikis," ¶4). As Ferris and Wilder note, the use of wikis as
a tool for collaborative writing allows students to learn about creativity,
ownership, and copyright in the context technology.
While WebQuests, blogs,
and wikis use the Internet, other multimedia resources can also appeal to Net
Geners. The increasingly popular YouTube offers a model to one faculty member
who employs digital storytelling as a teaching tool. Melda Yildiz, of William
Paterson University, has students in a teacher education course produce video
documentaries and showcases video projects as a means to engage her students in
considerations of multiculturalism, openness to different views of history, and
use of multimedia (Yildiz 2007). These examples demonstrate the ways in which
educators can use technology and multimedia
in appropriate ways to incorporate autonomous learning activities while
also ensuring that sufficient classroom time is devoted to fostering
information literacy and higher-order critical thinking skills.
Social Interactivity and
Learning
For goal-oriented Net Geners, learning is a means to achieving
professional ambitions. At the same time, the Internet is a tool for learning
and an essential part of social life. The distinction between Internet tools
for fun and for work is thus a blurry one. In an analysis of 19- to
25-year-olds, McMillan and Morrison (2006) found that the Internet featured
prominently in the everyday lives of these young people. The phenomenal growth
of networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace has tapped into this
generation's favorite pastime. Facebook, which has 250 million hits every day
and ranks ninth in overall traffic on the Internet (Bugeja 2006 ), is university based,
enabling students across the nation to come together not just for study but
also to find out where the next party is being held. Many students view this
type of social networking to be important enough that students often sign up
before they even begin their freshmen year (Market Wire 2006).
To reach the Net Generation more effectively, educators need to consider
strategies that exploit the social networking skills students exhibit outside
of class. For example, Brooklyn
College's library now has a MySpace page that library staff uses
instead of email to communicate with students, including announcements about
events, workshops, and work opportunities (Carlson 2006). While creative and
well-intentioned, such efforts have little pedagogic value if they do not
invite students to think differently about their use of the Internet and,
specifically, how it discourages sustained concentration in many contexts.
Toward this end, Michael Kearns, a professor of computer and information
science at the University of Pennsylvania, uses Facebook to teach
concepts of social networking, demonstrating a more effective appropriation of
Net Generation lifestyle to foster critical thinking among his students. In his
course The Networked Life, which focuses on the
social aspects of computer networks, students create their own Facebook
profiles and investigate the connections among their peers, which leads them to
deep questions about how social networks tend to coalesce around a small number
of privileged members (Read 2004). In turn, the incorporation of e-portfolios
in the Expository
Writing Program at the University of
Washington may serve as another positive example; in this initiative, students
learn how to reorient their social networking skills in creating online
portfolios that illustrate and reflect upon their fulfillment of key learning
objectives (Lane 2006). By incorporating the
online habits of Net Generation students within the framework of clearly
defined pedagogical goals, educators can tap into the distinctive proficiencies
of their students while ensuring focused learning and positive outcomes.
Conclusion
Since young people will likely continue to be at the forefront of
technological change, Net Geners will continue to have a lot to teach educators
about evolving technology. Yet educators must not abdicate their role as
authorities directing the learning experiences of their students. Our research
observes the existence of a fine line: Educators should continue to find ways
to exploit the skills students develop outside of class without accommodating
the habits of instant gratification and shallow thinking. To be human is to
learn, and we learn from good teachers. Russell Ackoff has often noted that the
current education system does not teach students how to learn (Day 2007). Today’s digital and
computer technologies allow us to remedy this by giving us the tools to teach
Net Geners not just what to learn but how to learn.
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