Challenging Multimedia

Believe it or not, one of the most challenging pieces of multimedia to learn from is television, movies, etc - anything on a television screen! I never understood why my teachers made us watch a movie while simultaneously taking notes. It was kind of like, "Okay. What would you like me to do? Pay attention to the movie or to my notes?"

In no way am I saying that a movie or screening of a video is a bad way of instructing, but I think there are more effective ways of using this technology. For example, did you ever hear of the saying "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing"? That's how I feel about this. If you overuse this multimedia tool, the students' attention span will continue on a declining road. Unless you're in a total rut with absolutely no lesson plan to teach, then I feel that you shouldn't show a movie (unless it was a reward or whatever) the entire class period. I think it is best if combined with other pieces of multimedia, such as news websites (CNN.com or BBC.org). Even more so, youtube.com can be educational (if pertained to the lesson) and has just about everything in its archive.

Personally, however, I'm looking to learn more about using programs on the computer. As I have discussed in a previous blog, I'm not really a techy person - I'm not bad, but I'm not great either. Also, I should probably note that I'm capable of learning both audibly and visually. So I'm really looking to incorporate both aspects in learning more about the computer programs. In my high school, going to the computer room was rare. As most of us can attest to, every student will probably have a laptop probably sometime in the near future. And programs, such as the one demonstrated to us in our last class (making a web of notes using a computer program), can help students in many ways. The internet, along with other common multimedia sources, are tools that students are already becoming familiar with.

But I think that if there is a way to incorporate both the internet (and other sources) with the computer itself, students will be golden. They will be diverse and they will be learning. Why watch a video on the internet then go back to your seat and take notes? Why not just do both at the same time? That's what the education will be like in the future...that's why it's best to learn about it now.

Digital Native? Or digital immigrant?

The question I thought of as I reflected on Marc Prensky's article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" is who am I - a digital native or a digital immigrant? In a short summary of Marc's words, a digital native is one who has grown up in the era of cell phones, computers, video games, etc. Basically, if you were texting while you were still being rocked in a crib, you are a digital native. In contrast to that, a digital immigrant is one who is more of a "traditionalist", or one who prefers encyclopedias over the internet. Marc Prensky gives a great example of a digital immigrant: if you were ever guilty of printing out an email, then consider yourself a digital immigrant. Ever committed the crime?

I'm a young adult, but I didn't get a cell phone until I was 17. I didn't learn how to text until I was 18. I recently just got a myspace and I don't have a face book. I did play video games with my older brother when I was a child, but two buttons wasn't that difficult! Fast forward to the summer of 2007, I worked as a camp counselor. I would be lying if I didn't say that at least 75% of the kids at the camp (ages 6-14) didn't have a cell phone. Better yet, they were texting and sending picture texts! I knew technology was growing, but it never really occured to me how quickly it was changing the world.

Aside from me debating with myself as to whether or not I am a digital native or a digital immigrant, Prensky poses an amazing thought in his article: how are we supposed to teach the new generation? Who is supposed to give in their ways - the natives or the immigrants? Either way, and I refer to Prensky, one group has to learn the new language. In two years, I will be teaching in a classroom (hopefully one of my own), so I am really taking this thought into consideration. Luckily for me, I will be able to adapt to either language because I had a taste of both, but changing seems like the inevitable course of action to take for those who have been teaching for 25 years.

Prensky made many valid points in his article. If anything, it opened my eyes that it basically does come down to two groups. Which are you? Would you ever learn the language of the other?

Me? I still haven't decided...but to be fair, I'll take the title of the IN-BETWEEN-ER.