Blog #4 - Digital Literacy

1.       "Simply put, we can’t keep preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist. We can’t keep ignoring the formidable cognitive skills they’re developing on their own. And above all, we must stop disparaging digital prowess just because some of us over 40 don’t happen to possess it. An institutional grudge match with the young can sabotage an entire culture."

 

In this quote, Anderson explains that the world is changing, and that education and teaching styles need to change with it in order to effectively prepare students for their futures. It is obvious that students are way ahead of most adults in their cognitive and technological skills because they were raised with technology, and use it on a daily basis – whether they are in school or at home. Teachers should not discourage the use of technology in learning just because they were not raised that way, they should actually encourage it so that students can further develop their skills. If teachers cannot keep up with the changes in modern day society, it could prevent us from ever moving forward and creating new ideas.

I believe this statement is 100% true. I’ve witness so many older people who just hate using technology, and who are so behind the rest of us that they are just making things harder on themselves. I’ve also seen many teachers who refuse to use/allow technology in the classroom, and only stick to old school methods of teaching. While they may feel that this is the most effective way for them to teach, students these days who greatly benefit from the use of technology to help them learn and develop their skills and minds.