In my first blog for this course, I recalled some scenes from almost two decades ago: Two anxious parents shopping for Reader Rabbit and a precocious toddler blowing it out of the water as said parents proudly watched.
Fast forward to said toddler’s teenage years. She and a friend are sitting on the couch, chatting with each other while texting people who aren’t there. Annemarie says to Alyssa, “Hang on. Let me finish this text. I want to really listen to what you’re saying.”
I want to barge in and say, “How rude! I can’t believe you’re dissing Alyssa like this!” But Alyssa acts like this is totally normal, waits for Annemarie to finish her text, and then they put down their cell phones and have a f-2-f h-2-h.
While I wonder what planet I’m on. The rules for “normal” aren’t my normal, that’s for sure!
A couple of years ago, in preparation for my CAPSO presentation "Tuning In to iTeens," I invited a bunch of seniors to my house for pizza and conversation. While I’d prided myself in being a tech-savvy, GenM knowing, with-it kinda teacher, I quickly realized how in the dark I’ve been about my teens' daily experiences of navigating -- and moving between -- virtual reality ns face-to-face reality. (Keep an eye on Student A, the one who says she can text and fully engage in a f-2-f conversation at the same time. Does she inspire you? Amaze you? Worry you? Sadden you?)
In this first clip, the girls talk about texting while talking, as well as multitasking:
Here's a use for texting I hadn't thought of:
When texting "goes wrong":
They admit that there are some things that don't "work" via virtual reality, such as the tone of voice used when being sarcastic:
I ask them about addiction (notice what they mean by “conversation”!)
I ask if they get enough sleep and then if they get enough "down time," which they misunderstood at first:
I'm not going to add commentary to these videos. In fact, I'll ask for your response -- what did you notice? learn? Did anything surprise you? worry you? sadden you? encourage you?
Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants vs. Digital Aborigines
While I’ve found Prensky’s “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” to be useful metaphors, I don’t think I’ve ever applied them as deeply as their originator intended. Jamie McKenzie’s review of Prensky and his work, while pointed (“digital drum major” doesn’t sound like a compliment!), is a good caution. Prensky is obviously enamored by game-based learning, as evidenced by his two books, Digital Game-Based Learning and Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning! (I’ll be using Prensky’s and McKenzie’s articles with my AP class to study both logical falicies and sarcasm.)
Since I grew up in a family of immigrants, the concept of a “digital immigrant” having an “accent” is a useful analogy for me. Like my German grandmother, who often had to repeat herself several times in order to be understood, I need to be patient with myself and I need to teach my students to be tolerant of my learning curve. Daniel has theorized a third category: digital aborigine, someone who was around at the very beginning -- building computers from scratch, programming in the old language, pouring time and energy and resources into machines that didn’t do very much -- only to be leap-frogged by the “new and improved” generation of “digital natives.” (When fussing with a cantankerous computer as the students snicker, Daniel can be heard muttering, “I was here first...I was here first...I was here first!)
The Kids Are Indoors
Gina Jett, former prosecuting attorney, spoke to my English II class from her perspective as one who put pedofiles on trial. She felt that an increase in “stranger danger” caused parents to bring their children indoors, where TV became the natural “activity” that replaced running around in the neighborhood ‘til bedtime. While it is laudable that parents want to keep their children “safe,” simply bringing them inside isn’t truly meeting their physical needs. I can’t help but wonder how much childhood and teenage depression is the result of kids missing out on the natural opiates produced by the body during exercise. I also worry that our kids are not as in touch with their bodies and, thus, are becoming less likely to care for them (through proper diet, sleep, exercise, water, hygiene, etc.) and even more likely to harm them (thru drugs/alcohol, self injury, risky behaviors, etc.)
“Edutainment”
I wonder what Prensky would say to eSchool News’ “Can Gaming Change Education?” This article made educational gaming sound a lot more complicated that Prensky’s articles and books. According to the Joan Ganz Cooney report Stansbury references, "Experts in the field agree that kids love playing [video games], but the research has not fully demonstrated with precision why or how they work, as well as how to design them for specific learning goals,"
The amount of time, money, and expertise necessary to create games that the kids will play and learn from seem astronomical. According to an MIT report, "If your spaceship requires you to answer a math problem before you can use your blasters, chances are you’ll hate the game and the math.” Oops! Back to the drawing board?
This summer, I’m planning to research the relationship between complex video games and boys’ writing multi-episode stories. Emerging evidence shows that when teachers allow and encourage them, some boys write long, detailed sagas with multiple story arcs that mimic the “level” system of many challenging video games. I’m not sure how I’ll use this in the classroom, but I’m intrigued!
A “New” (?) Addiction
Julia Scheere’s “The Quest to End Game Addiction” made me wonder if the problem is the games or the people or some combination of the two. I thought back to my high school days, when some of my guy friends would spend all night (and all day, if possible!) playing Dungeons and Dragons. Video and online gaming seem to be very much the same thing, just much more accessible; instead of having to go through all the work of gathering in the same place at the same time, gamers can be instantly connected.
Especially telling, and sad, is Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack's explanation, "Many of these people are lonely, have never felt like they belonged," she said. "People get a sense of belonging in the game. In some cases, it provides the only friends they interact with." (Quoted by David Becker in "When Games Stop Being Fun")
And this is my major worry when it comes to "virtual reality" vs. "face-to-face" reality. Thanks to my senior girls who allowed me to spend two hours grilling and videotaping them, as well as my own two teenagers, I have tons of questions about "virtual relationships." Questions such as:
* When a boyfriend and girlfriend have been texting non-stop all Spring Break, what do they talk about when they're reunited? ("I went to the mall." . . . "Uh, I know. You texted me the whole time you were there. And sent photos of ever dress you tried on." . . . "Oh yeah." . . . )
* How will a newlywed twenty-something girl, who is used to quitting a chat window when the discussion gets too intense (or lying and saying the modem shut down), deal with a face-to-face conflict with a real husband (whom she can't "close" or "quit")?
* Will saying "wait, I want to really listen to you" be acceptable in the workplace? If not, how will this generation learn (a) that it's not and (b) new ways of relating?