1. Teaching Students in the Digital Age David M. Keathly Computer Science and Engineering University of North Texas and the Convergence Technology Center

2. Portions of this presentation courtesy of the talk: Engaging Digital Natives Examining 21 st century literacies and their implications for teaching in the digital age. Jennifer Carrier Dorman http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/Conferences

3. We are at a turning point in the tech industry and perhaps even in the history of the world Tim O’Reilly – Feb. 14 2006

4. Future of the Internet By 2012, 60% of the 435 million networked devices in the US will be mobile, giving rise to profound growth in mobile network traffic and applications and escalating already strong demand for workers able to build and support mobile converged networks – Portia Bass, PhD Mobile Market Analyst By 2012, 60% of the 435 million networked devices in the US will be mobile, giving rise to profound growth in mobile network traffic and applications and escalating already strong demand for workers able to build and support mobile converged networks – Portia Bass, PhD Mobile Market Analyst Gartner, IDC and other industry watchers estimate that by 2015 between 68% and 80% of primary internet access will be via mobile devices Gartner, IDC and other industry watchers estimate that by 2015 between 68% and 80% of primary internet access will be via mobile devices

5. The Case for 21 st Century Education Education is changing. Education is changing. Competition is changing internationally. Competition is changing internationally. The workplace, jobs, and skill demands are changing. The workplace, jobs, and skill demands are changing.

6. What are the Characteristics of 21 st Century Students? YouTube Videos from Wiki YouTube Videos from Wiki College College K-12 K-12 We Think We Think

7. Implications Ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history Ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history value creation will be fast, fluid, and persistently disruptive. value creation will be fast, fluid, and persistently disruptive. only the connected will survive. only the connected will survive. power shift and a tough new business rule:: Harness the new collaboration or perish. power shift and a tough new business rule:: Harness the new collaboration or perish. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated—cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated—cut off from the networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value.

8. Implications for Schools For smart schools [companies], the rising tide of mass collaboration offers vast opportunity…Schools [Companies] can reach beyond their walls to sow the seeds of innovation and harvest a bountiful crop. For smart schools [companies], the rising tide of mass collaboration offers vast opportunity…Schools [Companies] can reach beyond their walls to sow the seeds of innovation and harvest a bountiful crop. Indeed, educators [firms] that cultivate nimble, trust-based relationships with external collaborators are positioned to form vibrant classroom [business] ecosystems that enhance learning [create value] more effectively than hierarchically organized schools [businesses]. Indeed, educators [firms] that cultivate nimble, trust-based relationships with external collaborators are positioned to form vibrant classroom [business] ecosystems that enhance learning [create value] more effectively than hierarchically organized schools [businesses].

9. Discussion Activity What kinds of opportunities do you see for your students and your classrooms? What kinds of opportunities do you see for your students and your classrooms?

10. Digital Natives

11. It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous information environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous information environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. Marc Prensky – “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” 2001 Marc Prensky – “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” 2001

12. Digital Natives “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures” - Dr. Bruce D. Berry of Baylor College of Medicine. “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures” - Dr. Bruce D. Berry of Baylor College of Medicine. it is very likely that our students’ brains have physically changed – and are different from ours – as a result of how they grew up it is very likely that our students’ brains have physically changed – and are different from ours – as a result of how they grew up

13. Who are the digital natives? Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games, instantaneous communication, and the Internet. Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games, instantaneous communication, and the Internet. Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are Digital Immigrants. Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are Digital Immigrants.

14. The Challenge Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language Digital Immigrants video (wiki) Digital Immigrants video (wiki) Reaching Digital Natives Video (wiki) Reaching Digital Natives Video (wiki)

15. The Nomadic Grazing Patterns of Digital Natives Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite.

16. The Nomadic Grazing Patterns of Digital Natives They prefer random access (like hypertext). They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work. They prefer games to “serious” work.

17. Wonder Bread – builds strong bodies 12 ways! This generation differs from its parents in 8 ways (“Growing up Digital” by Don Tapscott) This generation differs from its parents in 8 ways (“Growing up Digital” by Don Tapscott) Freedom in everything – from choice to expression Freedom in everything – from choice to expression Love to customize and personalize Love to customize and personalize The new scrutinizers The new scrutinizers Corporate integrity and openness determines what to buy, where to work Corporate integrity and openness determines what to buy, where to work Entertainment and play in work, education and social life Entertainment and play in work, education and social life Collaboration and relationship generation Collaboration and relationship generation Need for speed! Need for speed! Innovators Innovators

18. Discussion Have you observed these differences in your students? Have you observed these differences in your students? Any others? Any others?

19. Methodology Today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students. Today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students. This doesn’t mean changing the meaning of what is important, or of good thinking skills. This doesn’t mean changing the meaning of what is important, or of good thinking skills.

20. Discussion How can we do this? How can we do this? Do we really need to do this? Do we really need to do this? How do we handled mixed groups of natives and immigrants? How do we handled mixed groups of natives and immigrants?

21. Web 2.0

22. What is Web 2.0? Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of static websites to a full- fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of static websites to a full- fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Tim O’Reilly Tim O’Reilly

23. Web 2.0 Static content transformed by dynamic participation Static content transformed by dynamic participation Communities Communities Networks Networks Read/write Read/write

24. The New WWW The New WWW—offering us whatever we want, whenever and wherever we want it— may seem like just an extension of our already- technology-enhanced contemporary life The New WWW—offering us whatever we want, whenever and wherever we want it— may seem like just an extension of our already- technology-enhanced contemporary life

25. Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory Culture Media Education for the 21 st Century

26. “If it were possible to define generally the mission of education, it could be said that its fundamental purpose is to ensure that all students benefit from learning in ways that allow them to participate fully in public, community, [Creative] and economic life.” — New London Group (2000, p. 9)

27. Participatory Culture According to a recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life project (Lenhardt & Madden, 2005), more than one-half of all teens have created media content, and roughly one- third of teens who use the Internet have shared content they produced.

28. A Participatory Culture... With relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement With strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others With some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices Where members believe that their contributions matter Where members feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created)

29. Forms of Participatory Culture Affiliations — memberships, formal and informal, in online communities centered around various forms of media, such as Friendster, Facebook, message boards, metagaming, game clans, or MySpace Expressions — producing new creative forms, such as digital sampling, skinning and modding, fan videomaking, fan fiction writing, zines, mash-ups

30. Forms of Participatory Culture Collaborative Problem-solving — working together in teams, formal and informal, to complete tasks and develop new knowledge (such as through Wikipedia, alternative reality gaming, spoiling). Circulations — Shaping the flow of media (such as podcasting, blogging).

31. Implications A growing body of scholarship suggests potential benefits of these forms of participatory culture, including: opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, a changed attitude toward intellectual property, the diversification of cultural expression, the development of skills valued in the modern workplace, and a more empowered conception of citizenship.

32. Implications Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditional literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom.

33. The New Literacies Play — the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving Performance — the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery Simulation — the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes Appropriation — the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content

34. The New Literacies Multitasking — the ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details. Distributed Cognition — the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities Collective Intelligence — the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal Judgment — the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources

35. The New Literacies Transmedia Navigation — the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities Networking — the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information Negotiation — the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms.

36. Some Tools Blogs Blogs Podcasts Podcasts Video (like YouTube) Video (like YouTube) Wiki’s Wiki’s Private Social Media Private Social Media Gr.ou.ps, etc (see list on Wiki) Gr.ou.ps, etc (see list on Wiki) Public Social Media Public Social Media Twitter, Facebook, etc Twitter, Facebook, etc Online Collaborative Tools Online Collaborative Tools DimDim, Google Docs, etc. DimDim, Google Docs, etc.