ITS REALITS REAL

Teaching Students Teaching Students Today for the Today for the

FutureFuture

What’s Up with These Kids?What’s Up with These Kids?

Dress differentlyDress differently Talk differentlyTalk differently Act differentlyAct differently Think differentlyThink differently

How are Digital Kids Different?How are Digital Kids Different?

Our world was Low Our world was Low TechTech Basic Basic

communications communications Information was Information was

limitedlimited Doing research was Doing research was

a physical acta physical act

Their world is High Their world is High TechTech Cell phones, Instant Cell phones, Instant

messenger, email, messenger, email, video gamesvideo games

Information glutInformation glut Research is a few Research is a few

clicks of a mouse clicks of a mouse buttonbutton

How are Digital Kids Different?How are Digital Kids Different?

Today, 64% of kids come home from Today, 64% of kids come home from school to no one school to no one

New digital gizmos have become the New digital gizmos have become the babysitter, the constant companions, and babysitter, the constant companions, and best friends for many kids.best friends for many kids.

Digital kids are as comfortable with virtual, Digital kids are as comfortable with virtual, screen-to-screen relationships as they are screen-to-screen relationships as they are with face-to-face relationships.with face-to-face relationships.

How are Digital Kids Different?How are Digital Kids Different? Digital input has had a huge effect on kids Digital input has had a huge effect on kids

thinking patterns. thinking patterns. They operate at “Twitch Speed.”They operate at “Twitch Speed.”

Author Richard Saul Wurman estimates that Author Richard Saul Wurman estimates that today’s college grads have spent:today’s college grads have spent: 10,000 hours playing video games10,000 hours playing video games 20,000 hours watching TV20,000 hours watching TV over 20,000 hours talking on the phone over 20,000 hours talking on the phone countless hours listening to music, surfing the countless hours listening to music, surfing the

Web, using Instant Messenger, chat rooms and Web, using Instant Messenger, chat rooms and email. email.

But they’ve only spent 5,000 hours reading and But they’ve only spent 5,000 hours reading and 11,000 hours attending school!11,000 hours attending school!

How are Digital Kids Different?How are Digital Kids Different?

Eighty-two percent of American kids play video Eighty-two percent of American kids play video games on a regular basis - an average of 8.2 games on a regular basis - an average of 8.2 hours a week. hours a week.

Today’s kids have access to computers, remote Today’s kids have access to computers, remote controls, the Internet, email, pagers, cell phones, controls, the Internet, email, pagers, cell phones, MP3 players, CDs, DVDs, video games, Palm MP3 players, CDs, DVDs, video games, Palm Pilots and digital cameras. Pilots and digital cameras.

Today’s kids, the Millennium generation, have Today’s kids, the Millennium generation, have never experienced a time where these digital never experienced a time where these digital wonders haven’t existed. wonders haven’t existed.

Summarizing the real digital Summarizing the real digital divide…divide…

Digital Native learners preferDigital Native learners prefer

receiving info quickly from receiving info quickly from multiple multimedia multiple multimedia sourcessources

parallel processing and parallel processing and multi-taskingmulti-tasking

processing pictures, processing pictures, sounds and video before sounds and video before texttext

random access to random access to hyperlinked multimedia hyperlinked multimedia informationinformation

Many teachers preferMany teachers prefer slow and controlled slow and controlled

release of info from limited release of info from limited sources.sources.

singular processing and singular processing and one thing at a timeone thing at a time

to provide text before to provide text before pictures, sounds and pictures, sounds and videovideo

to provide information to provide information linearly, logically and linearly, logically and sequentiallysequentially

Summarizing the real digital Summarizing the real digital dividedivide

Digital Native learners preferDigital Native learners prefer interact/network interact/network

simultaneously with many simultaneously with many othersothers

to learn “just-in-time”to learn “just-in-time” instant gratification and instant gratification and

instant rewardsinstant rewards learning that is relevant, learning that is relevant,

instantly useful and funinstantly useful and fun

Many teachers prefer Many teachers prefer students to work students to work

independently rather independently rather than network and than network and interactinteract

prefer to teach “just-in-prefer to teach “just-in-case” (it’s on the exam).case” (it’s on the exam).

deferred gratification deferred gratification and deferred rewards.and deferred rewards.

to teach to the to teach to the curriculum guide and curriculum guide and standardized tests.standardized tests.

What Should We Do?What Should We Do?

Accept the fact that we’re DSLAccept the fact that we’re DSL Pay attention to what the research is Pay attention to what the research is

telling us.telling us. Use the brain research and what cognitive Use the brain research and what cognitive

psychology has shown us about learning to psychology has shown us about learning to make sound educational decisions for our make sound educational decisions for our kidskids

Implement rigorous curriculum and Implement rigorous curriculum and effective instructional modelseffective instructional models

Schools must become a place where students are Schools must become a place where students are actively engaged in constructing their own knowledge actively engaged in constructing their own knowledge and know how, develop an understanding and the and know how, develop an understanding and the ability to apply key content concepts and ideas, ability to apply key content concepts and ideas, explore dynamically, discover, pose questions and explore dynamically, discover, pose questions and question answers, solve problems, engage in complex question answers, solve problems, engage in complex tasks that enable them to address essential questions tasks that enable them to address essential questions and participate in the processes that make up and participate in the processes that make up intellectual accomplishment, tasks that are generally intellectual accomplishment, tasks that are generally inquiry driven, span different media, link different inquiry driven, span different media, link different disciplines, have more than one right answer, multiple disciplines, have more than one right answer, multiple routes to each of these answers, an understandable routes to each of these answers, an understandable purpose and a connection to the real world outside purpose and a connection to the real world outside school.school.

Ian JukesIan JukesUnderstanding Digital KidsUnderstanding Digital Kids