Who Are You Online?

The unit "Who Are You Online?" has as its main objective that students will think critically about the complexities of having a digital identity. It tries to prompt students to think through the different ways that they present themselves, in person and online. It challenges them to consider the risks and benefits of having an online persona. In order to complete the unit, the teacher needs to have writing materials for the students, the NY Times Magazine Slideshow "Avatar", and the video "Ramon's Story." To help students think about online identities, the lesson has several activities in which students think through different reasons why people might adopt an alternative identity online. The lesson is discussion-based, with the teacher asking prompting questions to encourage the students to contribute to a class discussion of the topic. The lesson includes new vocabulary that can help the students to have a thoughtful discussion about the topic. As the guided discussion activity progresses, students are challenged to think more and more deeply about the complexities of an online persona, and to analyze the benefits and risks of adopting such a persona. I really liked the final activity that the student groups were tasked with, which was to develop set of advice that they would offer to a person attempting to "stay real" online. I thought this was a great way to help kids think objectively about the issue. The lesson offers several follow-up questions that might be asked in assessing the students, but it seems to me that the real assessment happens as the groups are comparing the sets of advice that they came up with. I really think this model of group work, with immediate sharing of ideas with the whole group, is a great way to hold kids accountable, help them to think critically, and assist the struggling students. In my context as a transitions teacher, I would tailor this assignment to the working world. I would have students think about how they represent themselves on a job application or resume, and how to this honestly, while still putting their best foot forward. I would also incorporate activities in which students imagine a potential employer is looking at their online persona and judging them based on it. I want them to think about what they might see, how they might perceive that, and how it might affect their employability.

Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives: More Than Meets the Eye

In reading more about it, I think there is increasing skepticism of Prensky’s original division of generations into 2 distinct camps: digital immigrant or natives.  Clearly, there is a broad spectrum of comfort with technology, and that comfort level often corresponds with age.  However, the groups do not break down quite so neatly.  In the article “The Digital Natives Debate: A Critical Review of the Evidence” by Maton Bennet, Bennet points out that to break the issue down simply into “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” is an oversimplification and ignores the fact that most of our current technology was imagined and pioneered by people from the “digital immigrant” generation.  Also, the terms don’t account for the many other factors besides age that influence a person’s comfort and familiarity with technology.

One interesting critique of the terminology is that, in fact, it is not age that determines a person’s exposure to technology, but their socio-economic status.  Although there are age-related trends to be observed, some researchers argue that it is more relevant to study the correlation of wealth to access to technology.  Related to that, is the difference in how technology is used from culture to culture.  Not only must we acknowledge that access to technology is as equally impacted by wealth as it is by age, but also that culture has a profound influence on the role technology plays in the lives of individuals and societies.  I think Prensky’s original theories were fascinating, but current debates reveal that the issue is much more complex than he initially speculated.