What you need to know: Are digital natives actually tech experts?
Does being born in the digital age automatically make someone a tech expert? Just because your students were born after the advent of the Internet, does that mean they know all they need to know about technology? Heads up! You may be making the wrong assumption about your students’ abilities!
The fact of the matter is…it’s a myth that digital natives are tech experts! First, let’s define some terms:
Digital Immigrant: Someone born before the invention of the Internet. These people have had to learn how to use these later in life.
Digital Native: Someone born after the invention of the Internet, who was born surrounded by the tools and knowledge of technology.
It’s normal to think that digital natives, people who have lived with the Internet, smart phones, cloud based storage, bluetooth, etc., would be really knowledgeable about and experts in using technology. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT THE CASE!
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Yes, most students look tech savvy. They know how to take pictures, put them on Instagram, engage on social media, promote things, find videos on Youtube, and maybe even solve some tech problems. Many, in fact, will claim to be experts, saying they know how to hack and can edit video in no time flat.
What they’re missing, however, is the knowledge to mindfully and responsibly engage in the digital world. They need access to technology to become savvy but access alone is not enough to guarantee that students are experts.
Students Need Your Help
Help students develop competencies. Students need critical, mindful, and intentional instruction on the skills they need to develop in the 21st century. These include but are not limited to critical selection of resources and ethical considerations for all cyber decisions.
What if you’re not an expert yourself? That’s okay! You can access this information, learn it as you go along. Few people are true experts! Provide instruction that your students need to develop these different mindsets so they can be more tech savvy.
Look for ways to integrate technology into your existing instruction.
Here’s How:
- Always use a tool to advance your instruction. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Thoroughly preview the tool and predict what skills students will need to successfully, mindfully, and critically engage with it. Prepare and teach those skills prior to and/or during the use of the tool.
- Think about how students can use the tools for academic purposes. A lot of students are already using tech tools, especially for gaming and socializing. But, they’re not necessarily doing so in a way that supports their academic development. So, look for ways to make that happen!
