How thick is your immigrant accent? Or are you seen as a native?

I'm hybrid Immigrant-Native. As I was reading through Prensky's essay "Digital Natives Digital Immigrants, I could see many immigrant and natives aspects within myself.

This article was written in 2001, 13 years ago. I can remember my family getting our first Gateway computer, the size of a mini fridge, with the cow pattern on the box. I can hear the dial-up, the hours spent on instant message.And  I  can also remember NO technology in the classroom. The closet thing to technology would be informative movies made in the 80's, that usually put me to sleep.

Yes, I do have some reservations on the impact technology has on the youth. I see students have difficulties sitting still or are easily distracted. There must always be stimulation and that multi-tasking can be detrimental for students concentration. "Today's average college grad have spent less than 5,00 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games(not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV.)" (Prensky, 2001, pg. 1) KEEP IN MIND this was 13 years ago! This fact was startling.

The only thing consistent is change, thus teachers must be ever vigilant and active in the changes taking place in the society and the classroom.  I teach at a Catholic school, we could call it an "Immigrant school" because I have two outlets in the whole classroom. I don't think the nuns were anticipating a Smartboard, a TV, mini net books...etc...So, there is a prime example of the shift of having "natives" stuck in an "immigrants" class room. Within my school, I have many immigrants and many natives, it's apparent who are the immigrants, "ah how do I sign on, I don't know how to edit my wiki..., I'll just sent a parent letter home." These are frequent comments from immigrant teachers.


The students of today are a much different audience of even 7 years ago, "they have little patience for lectures, step-by-step- logic, and tell-test" instruction." (Prensky, 2001, pg. 3) In order to reach the students we must be able to speak their language to some degree, not to become one of them but to be aware of these changes and be willing to adapt.

While teachers are adjusting to the new styles and methodologies to communicate to our "native" students, the "legacy" content stays in tact, students are still receiving important and traditional content. I suppose this is where the "immigrant" teacher can feel comfortable, by teaching the truths but in a way that the students will grasp. The art of teaching is all in the presentation of material. In personal experience, if I'm about to teach a necessary topic that may be challenging or even "dry" I try to hype it up for them and show that everything is important. As educators, be it immigrant or native, we must be receptive to our environment and be willing to adapt, because only the strongest will survive!

Using Social Web as a Learning tool

Network literate is teaching students to not only know how to use the tools to publish but to be able to form strong, trusting and respectful connections. Teachers have the duty and responsibility to model the shifts in this new collaborative net-work based learning.

From personal experience, I use the web as an "interest based" (Richardson, 288)  function, I connect with those who share the same interests. I have learned and implemented countless activities in my daily instruction from other teachers insight. For example, I've watched youtube videos on how to make día de los muertos  cake pops as skulls for a class activity!Network literate allows students to understand how to use global knowledge that is readily available.

 As for Nelson's case, "the Web is no longer as "read only" technology, that we now have a read/write relationship with other users." (Richardson, p. 288). People, communities are connecting, sharing and collaborating, we are now participants. The web has turned this information exchange from a passive one to an active one. Richards states that we are are contributors who participate in this effort to make knowledge more readily available. We have to teach our students skills and strategies to digest the knowledge and synthesize it all so that they can learn from it. 

Interestingly enough, Richardson states we must " look for those with whom we can learn and trust in the virtual sense absent the typical physical space cues and interactions to which we are accustomed. (p.292)

 The web opens to doors to vast amounts of information where as in the past was only done through newspapers, currently we can tap into "the wisdom of the community" which are ways to retrieve more reliable and someone we can trust.  Teachers could help students answer these questions, "when do we email someone instead of comment? Do we create a video response? How do we disagree in appropriate ways?" 

Tom Carroll  declares, "The stark differences between ways we approach the learning process inside the walls as compared to online are pushing schools and classrooms toward a sense of irrelevance....we must recognize that schools and classrooms are becoming nodes in networked learning communities." (2000).

This quote was 14 years ago, this quote clearly states the struggle for adjusting with the new and now. Gathering and sharing information has radically changed; we must adapt to ensure we are moving forward and not staying stagnant. 

Technology is an enhancement to instruction. It offers variety for the students to learn and the programs that can engage the students. 

E-mail is very helpful, I have been able to do e-mail correspondences with other countries in my World Language classes. Youtube has an abundance of information!

A disadvantage to technology is most papers are typed and that most student's hand writing skills have declined. Where I teach, cursive is highly recommended in the classroom, and notably due to technology students penmanship is weak. Also, auto correct spelling does not allow students to hone their spelling skills!

I have had positive experiences with technology, I believe that it allows for more resources and avenues of communication. Although, this summer I took an online class and I missed the physical interaction with the professor. 

I hope to know how to organize my files online and to make them accessible to students, learn how to create videos, movies, edit videos...etc. 

I'm hoping to avoid lengthy reading and more hands on practical experiences. Hoping to learn engaging practices for the classroom, Mr. Hlhadun!

Below is my blog link:
http://lancii87.blogspot.com/