Digital Minds

... have our minds, and our learning styles, become "digitized"? 

I do agree with a lot that this presentation has brought to light. In fact, the Prezi itself, to me, is not a linear way of reading. Perhaps that's why some students may enjoy interacting with it. I, however, felt that I wanted more of a linear design to ensure I'm getting the correct information in an orderly fashion. I have a similar problem with many websites. there are many sites, especially those that are truly poorly designed with all matter of bells, whistles, and moving gifs, where our conventions of reading from left to right, from top to bottom, and in linear form get tossed out the window. I wonder if the generations that are growing up skimming content that is dispersed throughout a website, that which they pick and choose what to absorb and what to gloss over, have a difficult time with linear reading in a traditional text format such as in books or articles. 


How do we avoid the cost of a pervasive digital environment in the classroom in the presence of adaptive and instructional technology?
In this regard, it is imperative that we allow students the opportunity to use the ubiquitous tools that allow for independent, creative thought. Deep reading and narrative writing should always be part of a curriculum. Each student should be given the opportunity to practice these skills, even if they require the use of adaptive or instructional technology. We, as educators, must create an environment in our classrooms that supports the student not just to function, but to do that grand thing we call "thinking." 

How do we prepare students with good strategies for using technology in their "outside" lives?
If technology is used outside the classroom, often it is used for recreational purposes. Students, even in areas with high poverty rates, are aware of and driven by the newest technology. My current students are always talking about iPhones and iPads, even if they don't currently have access to them. They see them in the media, they see friends and family members who have them, they see strangers using them on the subway. If it is new and flashy and sleek and stylish, most children will want it. Besides, if it plays music, games, movies, and video, is it not just as much an entertainment system as it is an informational tool? Outside of the classroom, we cannot control the access to technology or lack thereof that our students may experience. However, how we present tools to them in the classroom can affect how they are utilizing them outside. It is also important to allow them the opportunity to use books and journals just as much outside the classroom as inside, and to allow them the opportunity to communicate to us how they prefer to use technology. 

What about in your professional practice?
There is a push away from the foundations that we all know allow children to grow and develop as individuals: social interaction through play, deep understanding of content through personal reading and research, and non-scripted writing such as daily journaling and personal reaction writing. We can allow each student to use technology as tools for what they want to accomplish, but to always remember, it is their thought that comes first, and it is there mind that drives that tool. It is our responsibility, as educators, to ensure that it is not the other way around.