Module 4-2 Digital Literacy

Today, I read two pieces on digital literacy that I believe are relative to both teaching and parenting. As a digital immigrant, I am constantly amazed as I watch my two sons navigate technology when using their cell phones, laptops, and video games. Academically, my sons are different. My 19 year-old college student has always been a talented student, earning an academic scholarship to Purdue. My 14 year-old son is an average student that we have to “stay on top of” and push to keep an A – B average. (If he receives a C – we get his cell phone until the grade improves to a B). We do this because he is capable, just not always willing. I point this out because both boys are avid video game players. My husband and I are not. I would much rather see them reading a book and my husband would much rather see them outside playing ball, etc. We have never valued video games as an educational tool. According to the articles, most adults 40 and over feel the same way. Owen Edwards, in The Games People Play, states that video games are considered by many to be the next big thing in education and that both teachers and parents need to come to terms with it.
Marc Prensky, in Shaping Tech for the Classroom states, “But resisting today's digital technology will be truly lethal to our children's education. They live in an incredibly fast-moving world significantly different than the one we grew up in.” I agree. I have to wonder if our younger son would be more motivated at school if there were more opportunities for him to engage in technology in the classroom. As educators, we’re not reaching all of our students with traditional teaching methods. While there will always be high performing students who push themselves to succeed, what about those we’re not reaching? How could technology help us reach today’s digital natives in ways that we’re not reaching through traditional curriculum? Prensky also comments on today’s educators by implying that many see adding digital technology as generally disruptive to what schools and teachers do, and the pressure of high-stakes tests on exacerbates this problem. I do see this in my school system. We are incorporating technology, but only as an added tool. The majority of students’ time is spent on paper, pencil, and textbook activities. Prensky calls for a total revamping of today’s educational system. “For the digital age, we need new curricula, new organization, new architecture, new teaching, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, and many other elements.”
Owen Edwards does point out that there needs to be some significant thought into the designing of video games for educational purposes. “I'm sure there may be much to be gained by using games, if those games are carefully crafted. After all, many students today are veteran gamers. But who will be making the decisions about which games teach, and which games merely seem to teach? In other words, can teachers teach game designers how to teach?” Should game designing and technology be required courses in undergraduate teaching courses? Could educational game designing be a new field of technology that will generate curriculum and high-stakes tests? Only time will tell, but as a parent and teacher, I feel waves of change are heading my way. I think I’ll go play XBOX with the boys.