Living in the digital era

In this constantly developing sphere of technology the way people interact with the digital world has become an integral feature of our lives. Nowadays, the more digitally literate you are, the more opportunities you have. New technologies emerging non-stop make almost all areas of our lives better, providing comfort and convenience more than ever before. Progress and innovation completely transformed the way we communicate, work, learn, travel and even entertain ourselves. Born in the early 90’s I belong to Generation Y, also known as Millennials. According to Prensky’s (2001) opinion, individuals like us, who were not born and raised in digital world but later developed an interest in it and continuously apply new technologies in various ways, are categorized as digital immigrants.

Belonging to a cohort of digital immigrants, I have witnessed the incredible transformation of technology from my teenage years to its seamless integration into my daily life now. My first encounter with technology happened in my teenage years when I became an owner of my first computer and almost immediately, I started to use the internet. I could not fully embrace the digital world because it was rather expensive at that period. The evolution of online tools and the widespread use of the internet happened simultaneously with my university studies. During this time, I started leveraging online resources and materials for research, communication and learning. The easy access to information greatly helped me in submitting assignments and being well-prepared for lessons.

On the contrary, there are areas where I rightfully consider myself a digital native. The term itself means generation of people who grew up in the digital era and are accustomed to using technologies since childhood (Creighton, 2018; Helsper and Eynon, 2010). Prensky (2001) is convinced that the brain of the tech-savvy generation functions differently due to physical changes resulting from the environment they are grown up. In addition, as Dr. Bruce D. Perry of Baylor College of Medicine claims, different types of experiences cause development of different neural patterns. It made me think that being a digital immigrant teacher, I am teaching digital natives who perceive the educational process completely differently. Our task is to customize our teaching methods and approaches to align with the learning style of new-era learners, adapting to their needs and ensuring that we are on the same wavelength.

Regarding my personality, even though I began using technologies in the early 2000s, currently the latest technologies have firmly entered into all spheres of my life. In my professional experience I utilize the internet, a variety of online as well as AI tools on a daily basis. As a 21st century teacher, I have to keep up with the latest trends. This ensures that I can proactively adapt to the changes happening in the digital world and pedagogy. By staying informed, I can be better equipped to conduct productive and effective lessons, thereby providing my digital native learners with the necessary knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of the modern world.

I am currently pursuing Master’s degree in Learning and Teaching and in this area, I am heavily relying on online resources that are available on the web. Moreover, during one of my modules, called “Innovating Learning and Teaching: Experimental Pedagogies” I have an excellent opportunity to delve deeply into technologies and study using a blended learning approach.

In my personal life, both visitor and resident modes present depending on my habits and motivation. For example, as a resident I publish and comment posts in Instagram and Facebook, use Telegram and WhatsApp to read the news and keep in touch with my family, friends, colleagues and classmates. I buy books online on Wildberries and make all the necessary payments using online apps. However, I do not like to order food or buy clothes and other items online. Instead, I find the information, place and directions to the destination online and then go there to make the purchase. That is why, I support the idea of David White (2014) who uses V&R framework to describe the behavior of ‘digital visitors’ and ‘residents’. He explains that the same individual can be in resident or visitor mode regardless of age or technical skill. The core thing is motivation to engage. Prensky (2009) himself, who coined the terms ‘digital immigrants’ and ‘digital natives’ now leans more toward the concept of ‘digital wisdom’ which means using resources provided by technology wisely, being able to filter the information, and benefiting from digital literacy in the future.

I tried to map my web engagement, and below, you can see the resources I utilize in different spheres of my life. I discovered a harmonious coexistence of both ‘resident’ and ‘visitor’ modes in my online activities. Nevertheless, technologies and the web has become an integral part of my life, and my aim is to enhance my digital literacy and stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and integration facilities.

 

 

References:

‌Creighton, T.B. (2018). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Digital Learners: An International Empirical Integrative Review of the Literature. Education Leadership Review, 19(1), pp.132-140.

Helsper, E.J., and Eynon, R. (2010). Digital natives: where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal. [online]. 36(3), pp.503-520. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920902989227.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon. [online] 9(5), pp.1-6. Available from: https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf [Accessed 22 October 2023].

Prensky, M. (2009). H. Sapiens Digital: From Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 5(3), p.1.

White, D. (2014) ‘Visitors and residents’ [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOG3iThmRI [Accessed 6 December 2023).

 

 

 

 

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