I've been sitting here reading up on Net Gen through different blogs I found through Google. We can all agree the Net Generation grew up with technology. I have two Net Gener's myself. They were playing computer games before they started school. They have cell phone's which they do more texting on then talking. They have iPods and know how to find and download their favorite music and their pretty proficient with researching information for school. But I would also agree with one blogger who stated there is still a lack a real understanding when it comes to the importance of the basic skills like grammar, punctuation, even spelling. We've noticed this in the workplace as well. There is also lack of knowledge when it comes to plagarism as another blogger mentioned. If they find the information they're looking for they simply cut and paste the information. I also have found it interesting that although they may have heard of blogging, wiki's and podcasting there either isn't much interest or they don't really understand how or why these are used.
I do believe based on their exposure and skills they've grown up with we should take that into consideration and implement it into their learning. Why wait for them to attend college to really understand how technology can be used. Teaching them about how to search, what is an HTML, how they could implement blogs for educational purposes.
3 comments:
I also have a Net Gener at home and I am technically on the (older) edge of it myself, though I do not feel like it. I see this generation using these tools (internet, ipods, blogs, myspace, etc) as a 'social technology'. Although they do use much more technology in school nowadays, some kids/young adults may avoid searching out the educational aspect of this and use this technology for entertainment and socializing. This age bracket is focused on more social activities and this is normal. I do think we are all educated through technology, whether we know it or not and our school systems and parents could help out on the lack of grammer/spelling etc. I agree that we should have classes/training well before college regarding research, plagerism, and other educational uses for technology. Our brains create new neural pathways much more quickly when we are young and we should not waste that prime learning window of development. Get them using the technology and teach them the educational benefits-I agree!
I've discovered some of the same things about the Net generation and I agree with Lauren -- although they use a lot of technology, they use it socially and when it comes to more "serious" uses, Net Geners are sometimes as lost as I am!~
I would like to see kids learning about technology "ethics" or something similar. And I'd like to see them learn about finding "accurate" sources of information -- how to search, what to look for (citations, etc), and how to verify information, etc. I've noticed that kids are so focused on the assignment that they just find something interesting and rarely look to validate the source.
And ... I "worry" that apostrophes will become a thing of the past just because it's hard to include them in a text message!
I too, have a couple net gener at home and I can learn so much from them! What I do worry about is the communication skills of this generation. My children text and email their friends so often I worry about their face to face communication skills not only among their peer group but as they get older I wonder how it will be in the work place. Are we losing the face to face contact?
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