How can we get the most out of technology? Are you a digital native or are you a digital immigrant? I expect the people who grew up with using technology will be able to take advantage of the opportunities presented by technology more easily. The people who come to technology later in life find doing things in new ways more difficult. Imagine changing the way you have done something for the last ten years quite successfully. However if we are going to become more productive we need to embrace change and use technology to become more productive.
The revolution in subject research is absolutely amazing. Children in middle or high school have resources at their fingertips that would be difficult in the past for graduate students. The reports and insights from my eleven year old grandchild about Mayan culture was incredible. They seem to be able to use the new tools with great facility.
The new tools available on the web for learning are absolutely mind boggling for digital immigrants like myself.
I found this neat metaphor on the following site about the use of technology in education. http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt This article presents some of the challenges our schools face in introducing the digital world.
I think one of the things that digital natives expect is challenges in using new approaches whereas digital immigrants find difficulties frustrating and discouraging.
I think one way of becoming more at home in the digital world is to learn the language and use it. Apparently the best way for any immigrant to be successful in their new home is develop facility with the language. In the digital world, the language is difficult to understand and uses many short forms. We need to experiment and after you use the words several times they become your own.