According to Marc Prensky, digital
natives are those among us who have experienced technology from the time they
were very young. Technology to include
video games, cell phones computers and the like. I am 50 years old, so I was born in an era
where I did not have access to all this technology. I do remember Sesame
Street, Mr. Rogers, and yes even, Captain Kangaroo-educational
programming for children on PBS. I also
recall teachers using various forms of media such as filmstrips and mini films
in the classroom (yes, movie projector or the manual filmstrip viewer). I recall some educational documentaries I
viewed in school which were narrated by Dick Cavett, TV personality, actor and
comedian, but I can’t find them online to give a link to them. Mr. Cavett was entertaining and has a very distinctive voice.
Due
to my age and life experience I am going to identify as a digital immigrant.
There are many things I do on a daily, weekly and monthly experience in online
environments. Such as pay bills, ordering from Amazon, Etsy and eBay which is a
dangerous habit. Through the years as a
nurse the requirements to use the computer have changed radically.
My
first child was born in 1994-in or around 1999 I purchased educational software
“Reader Rabbit” and “Jump Start”.
I would sit with each of my kids and these programs until they were
independent and found it fun. They
really developed a love for learning and accomplishing their learning by succeeding
in the games. Also, every evening we
would read books. Standard books paper
and all! When the kids got old enough, we
took time to each pick a part or a character to be. All my kids cut their reading teeth on the great
comic strips by Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes.
I
might not call someone to see if they got an email, but currently consider myself
a little of a digital hybrid. I love to
read books-both paper (nothing like a brand-new paper book) and kindle books. However, for my online learning classes I
usually prefer to print journal articles so I can write all over them and highlight
different areas. I do take notes the old-fashioned
way, pen to paper! In fact, for this class
my textbook is on my kindle-the bookstore I use did not know about the textbook
requirement in May when I sent my summer list!
It was cheap enough on kindle so that is what I did!
Looking
forward to using more and more technology to help the students learn the art and
science of nursing. I think I need to
learn a lot more about possible technologies, but I have adapted to a
technological age where I do most things on my phone or computer-so I think I
am ready for the challenge.
Before
using any video media, I will watch it and see what other instructors have used
before. There are tons of instructional
videos for nursing procedures which are boring or just poorly filmed. The content must be reviewed before using in
the classroom setting. I would not want
to show bad quality video, misinformation or other inept videos.
I
will take steps to learn about new sources of media. Such as I have listened to a few podcasts
that are done by nurses to help students get through nursing school. Podcasts can be listened to in many settings
and I may recommend some of those to students related to certain topics. Websites that offer practice tests such as
many of the Elsevier nursing texts are an excellent research. Conferences are also a wonderful way to learn
about new software programs, training and challenging
the current way information is communicated.
I have so many TEDx talks related to nursing left to watch so it is
going to be a busy but exciting time!
By Aaron Smith-advanced digital
immigrant
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives,
digital immigrants. University Press,
(9)5.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital
natives, digital immigrants, Part II: Do they really think differently? University
Press. (9) 6.
Photo credits:
Dick Cavett: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qZChCHiajR4/hqdefault.jpg
Jump Start: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/JumpStart-Kindergarten_1994_Cover.jpg
I really like how you referred to being a digital hybrid. I feel that is a better description for the the one in between. I also like you always add pictures to better describe what you refer to in your writing. I kind of remember doing Jump Start at home. Those were the good days. Do you feel that nursing curriculum is ready for a more digital way of teaching? Maybe someone will come out with a hospital video game, of how to keep patients alive and deal with unruly doctors.
ReplyDeleteThere are some programs I have used where you interact online with a pre-programmed patient. She had generic answers to questions etc. But it may work better with the digital natives! I am hoping to do a lot of interesting plans with the information learned in this class. I wish this class was a full semester class so that there was more time to learn more techniques.
DeleteI appreciated your perspective as someone who did not grow up immersed in technology, but as someone who grew in understanding as the technology evolved. I am just about your first child’s age and I would assume that I had a similar experience with technology as they did.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember using Reader Rabbit or Jump Start? My boys also had Leap Frogs with educational games on them as well but they are younger. It so interesting to look back at all that has changed over the years.
DeleteI like the term "digital hybrid". I think it is more of a spectrum rather than completely digital immigrant or digital native. I remember Reader Rabbit from when I was little!
ReplyDelete