Teaching Kids Where They Are

Sometimes I wonder whether or not epiphanies are recognizable as such at the time they happen. A couple of years ago, I was visiting with my friends Melissa and Graeme in Philadelphia. I got there late in the evening, having hopped on the Chinatown bus after work, so we went out for late dinner and beer before retiring to their apartment where a Wii was waiting. I'm fairly certain the game that Graeme selected to play was Super Smash Bros. Now, I like video games, but I am far from keeping current with them. I think my brain is still in the late 90s generation of games for the most part. Super Smash Bros was a visual and auditory cacophony of rapid-fire changes in depth perception, flying colors, scene alterations, and movement. In short, I couldn't tell what the Hell was happening on the screen--much less control my character. They kicked my butt. This was something I remarked on for the entire 10 minutes I spent attempting to play the game. In response, Melissa made one of her snide jokes:

"This is why so many kids have ADD now."

I laughed at that at the time, but I can't help but think she was on to something there. It was definitely an epiphany that spurred the interest in educational technology that has influenced my past work in the classroom and my present work as an educational technology trainer. Now, of course I don't think that video games cause ADD, but I do believe that kids who grow up with this generation of light speed entertainment can become accustomed to it. This phenomenon has come under a great amount of scrutiny in the pedagogical community, which has invented its inevitable labels for people who were born after 1992, the most recognizable being "digital natives." This term refers to children who have never known a world without the internet, video games, cell phones, DVDs, GPS--all things that have sped up our lives. These devices provide instant gratification, and anything less feels unacceptable.

I try to think about teachers who use a chalkboard to attempt to communicate concepts to kids who are used to Google, Wikipedia, IMDB, etcetera for finding information.
For these students, teachers need to be able to adapt to a changing world.

There is a growing number of studies that suggest developing brains that are consistently exposed to digital media actually develop differently. This makes me think again about playing Super Smash Bros with Melissa and Graeme in Philadelphia. The hand-eye coordination, as well as the reaction time and problem solving required for modern video games require a good amount of brain power, yet I'm certain that most young kids who are borderline illiterate would have no problem mastering them.

The other side of this coin, however, are the number of kids who actually don't receive the same exposure to digital media that others do. When I had my own classroom in a school in which the demographic was comprised of a lower socioeconomic bracket, half or more of my students came from a home that had no computer. There are counter arguments out there that these students make the term "digital native" a misleading one. I worry about these particular students even more, however, because the initial disadvantage they already experience expands even further. Their digital native counterparts will have greater skills and experiences in an increasingly digital world. It's another layer in the case of have and have nots. For both types of students, I believe teachers should strive to integrate technology in the conveyance of knowledge and skills. The haves need the engagement and the have nots need the exposure, just to name the most basic of reasons.

Thank you Anthony Huges for the image! Read his blog here!

It should be kept in mind that technology is not the magic answer to our struggles with public education. Best teaching practices for reading and math skills are just as critical as they always were, if not more so. Here is a decent Huffington Post blog with some suggestions to promote reading for children who are digital natives. It is worth reading, especially if you are a parent, and I'm glad it includes electronic reading devices as one of the suggestions. Technology shouldn't replace traditional school-taught skills, it's role in the classroom is to provide an authentic learning environment that emulates the real world and offers meaningful learning opportunities for students.