Digital Immigrant

So, I am definitely a digital immigrant.  I look words up in the giant dictionary in the living room instead of the internet.  I take notes on a piece of paper next to my computer when at meetings hosted through the internet.  I use both a spiral bound calendar and the one on my computer to remind me of online meetings and deadlines.  I prefer to read books made of paper than to read them from my computer.

I do like the idea of a Monkey Wrench type of game to teach skills to the digital natives.  I think it would be great if they learned the basic skills that way and then we, the teachers, assign a real-world problem to solve.  If the students needed to present their solution to the rest of the school and needed to know how to write and deliver a speech, these students would then go see the speech teacher for help.  If these students needed to know how to figure area in order to calculate size of countries or read a topographical map, they would then go see a specialist in that area to help.  I can envision a school with all the 'experts' on call to help students work through a real life problem.

I did have a student tell me she was dropping out of school because it was just not relevant to her life.  She wanted to know how to find a job, manage money and learn to drive.  I think school should include finance, nutrition, a course on care and maintenance of your car and home as well as how to run a home.