New Technology, Changing Brain
The current generation of K-12/higher ed students have always had digital technology in their lives. Whereas you may remember a time in which you lived before your phone or even the internet, they have not. Or maybe you were born in the 21st century and you’re ready for this paragraph to end.
Estimated Global Population By Age (2022)
Almost half of the population has never lived without the internet.
The current generation of K-12/higher ed students have always had digital technology in their lives. Whereas you may remember a time in which you lived before your phone or even the internet, they have not. Or maybe you were born in the 21st century and you’re ready for this paragraph to end.
- Digital Natives think and learn differently because they've grown up with digital technology.
- Digital Natives learn best when they have examples, illustrations, and activities from their world.
- Teachers can use the 5E instructional model to get the most out of Digital Natives: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate.
Data source: United Nations.
Final Thoughts
Teachers should make data-driven decisions. Not like robots of course, but like informed humans. If we know that technology changes the way we learn then we have to develop instruction that takes this into consideration. The factory model of education has long been outdated and yet it is still the norm in our classrooms and throughout eLearning. We must shift our instruction towards our learners.