Engage or enrage

1. What is your belief and understanding of the nature of today's learners? Is there substance to the "engage or enrage" argument?

My initial thoughts are reflecting those of Thrupp (2009), where her research showed forms of diversity amongst students with ICT competencies and therefore use of ICT in the class. This finding therefore identifies that any particular methods of teaching in the ICT format presents many challenges. (How do you “Match the Hatch)

I certainly relate to Prensky’s (2001) view of the digital native and digital immigrant (can you pick my accent????), and I guess it goes without saying that a teacher’s bias against using digital technologies to support delivery of their lessons influences a student’s learning, not only of those technologies, but potentially of content. I.e. poor use of ICT by a teacher can mean limited learning of this medium by the students.

To demonstrate my point, one only needs to sit in on an ‘Australian history’ lesson in a Queensland state school as I have done. What I have seen, despite the medium used to deliver a lesson, is teacher bias about pre-European settlement, or at best a teacher’s lack of knowledge about Australia’s true history. Such bias and/or limited use of resources does influence student learning outcomes.

One other element that I believe is missing from the argument ‘Are digital natives a myth or reality?’ is the rate of change in ICT. The rate of change is an influencing factor in the debate and until we see some stabilisation with ICT, I believe we will always have not only teachers, but entire organisations accused with being un-innovative, behind the times and using antiquated process.

I do not however feel at all confortable re: Prensky’s (2005) categorisation of three types of students in his article ‘Engage or enrage’. He fails to consider in any part of the article the issue of what is happening at home to engage the student (very inportant). I.e. do the students come from a supportive learning environment where education is not only supported, but celebrated, or, is the home environment apathetic to education. Big difference with lots of research backing the answer. Essentially, irrespective of what teaching is occurring in the class room, students who come from homes that value education will have greater learning resilience in class and therefore better able to make a go of whatever the content, medium and pedagogy.

The question ‘Engage or enrage’???? Perhaps seek a balanced teaching method so that learning styles, ICT competencies and good old fashioned chalk are considerations of the lesson plan.

As for digital native Vs digital immigrant. Hopefully this course will be my passport!!!!!