However simplistic for some, I found the categories designated by Prensky back in 2001 to be useful and representative of the "great divide" amongst my friends and family.
Uhuh, the 8 year old niece who was born into the so-called digital age knew how to manipulate those touch screens, tiny fingers flipping and sliding photos- one display image to the next- with ease, at age 3. Prensky calls her a digital native.
As for me (let's not go to age) who opened Twitter and Blog accounts just for this class, I don't feel too antiquated as I'm still able to catch up a bit in terms of some apps and a few gadgets (teehee), but I still print out (on occasion) those process documents at work for me to jot down notes on (as opposed to doing it on the soft copy). Clearly, I am a digital immigrant.
It doesn't matter if I have trickles of that accent or "foot in the past", as Prensky calls it. I want to adapt. I am motivated to adapt. I am able to adapt.
Adapt to what?
Well, in my case, we could start with EFL teaching online... to kids and teenagers... in France... from Manila. Hmm. That doesn't sound so mind-blowing, does it? Try telling the parents just that.
In his speech, John Daniel states that learning involves independent and interactive activities. The former is where technology may be heightened as producing copies in volume isn't too costly once the "first copy" has been created. The latter involves another person responding to the activities of a specific student.
Great. No problemo. The interactive aspect of the learning involves our conversation classes whereas the independent aspect is the learner working on "homework".
Where is the adaptation?
First off, the material for independent learning that I have been used to are flat. Yup, photo up here, caption down there, a bit of text to explain the grammar point, some sample sentences to show application in context and, voila, that's one page of teaching material right there.
Thanks to "e-learning and digital cultures", I have come across some of the most interesting and helpful tools/platforms to make those FLAT lessons become more engaging.
Here's my first attempt at adapting my Word doc lessons to something Xtranormal :)
Secondly, adaptation must come from the parents. Their buy in is so crucial if some change is to truly happen. The shift from just face-to-face lessons for EFL (which don't come in cheap) to online learning (independent + interactive) for 10-18 year old digital natives is now an option, nay- a solution!
The future doesn't necessarily have to be as it is depicted in this ad by Corning below...but who knows?
Even if many of us think that this utopia is just from the eyes of the producers and those consumers who can afford all that glass can offer, we just can't dismiss the possibilities that were presented. And when these do arrive, we can't ignore them.
At any rate, this digital immigrant is ready to accept and adapt what the future (especially in education) may bring. So, with Hermann Hesse, Digital Roux is bidding farewell without end.
As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slave of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.
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