This presentation looks at the generation of students in our K-12 schools today. The focus needs to be on the students in our classes without stereotyping students as digital natives. The focus also needs to be on relationships and not on technology. The presentation was delivered on Dec. 8, 2011 to the Newfoundland Labrador Association of Directors of Education (NLADE).

1. Preparing for the iGeneration
T. D’Amico

2. Digital Footprint
81% of children under two
(worldwide) have a digital
footprint
84% in Canada – 92% in USA
33% of children have
information and photos online
within weeks of being born
25% of babies have scans posted
online before they are even born
(Source: AVG, 2010)

3. Define this
generation?
Good luck!

4. iGeneration
Digital natives
Net generation
Millennials
Generation M
Generation Z
Generation C
Alpha generation

5. Generation ICT
Not Information Communication Technology…
In Classes Today!

6. Digital Natives
Warning… Warning…Warning

7. Do all of our students know how to use
Technology for learning?
Digital Natives Digital Immigrants
Prensky, 2001
Our students today are all “native speakers” of the
digital language of computers, video games and
the Internet. So what does that make the rest of
us? Those of us who were not born into the digital
world but have, at some later point in our lives,
become fascinated by and adopted many or most
aspects of the new technology are, and always will
be compared to them, Digital Immigrants.

8. Curiosity – Imagination - Questions

9. What happens to some of our students as
they progress through school?

11. Inside a teen’s brain

13. Brain based research
…to an actual evolutionary change in
the wiring of today’s younger minds
– a change in neural circuitry that is
fundamentally different from that of
their parents and grandparents. (pg. 24)
While the brains of today’s young
Digital Natives are wiring up for rapid
fire cyber searches, the neural
circuitry and some parts of the brain
that normally adapt to more
traditional learning methods are
becoming less developed. (pg. 26)

14. Canadian Education Association Study

15. Does this instructional practice engage
all learners?

16. How engaged are your teachers – what
support and tools do they need to succeed?

17. Compliant or Engaged
Karen Hume
Engagement is always about
relationship with a person,
situation, or activity (pg. 7)
District and school leaders need to
ensure that all necessary conditions
are in place to support the kinds of
technology use that can make a real
difference in student engagement
and achievement. (pg. 186)

18. Focus on the Pedagogy
“ Focus on the change in
pedagogy, not the technology.
“Learning 2.0” is about
dramatically changing the
relationship between a teacher
and students in the learning
process. Get that right and use
technology for a student-focused,
customized, collaborative learning
environment.” (pg. 148)

19. “…there is a huge paradox for
educators: the place where the
biggest educational changes
have come is not our schools;
it is everywhere else but our
schools”. (pg. 1)
Prensky, 2010

20. Which is more engaging?

21. Advantages of Digital Media

22. Advantages of Digital Media

23. Is it Digital
or
Bust?

24. Yes – if you vision your students like this…

25. Or this…

26. Today’s students look like the students of the past… but the
world around them has changed – and now our teaching
practice needs to change as well

27. Which do students prefer ?
An engaging teacher who differentiates performance and
assessment tasks?

28. Which do students prefer ?
A teacher who assigns the same electronic fill in the blank
worksheet to all students… for every unit.

29. A Closer Look
Research based on:
Over 2000 interviews
Students from the
United States

30. A Closer Look
In 2009 youth aged 8 to
18 spent an average of
how much time each day
using media (tv, music, computer,
video games, print, movies)?
7 hours and 38 minutes per day

31. A Closer Look
In the last 5 years the
proportion of 8-18 year
olds who owned an MP3
player or iPod increased
from 18% to what?
76% of all 8 to 18 year olds own an
iPod or MP3 player in 2009

32. A Closer Look
In 2009 the average
amount of time 8 to 18
year olds spent watching
TV content on an
average day was…?
4 hours and 29 minutes – an increase
from 3 hours and 51 minutes in 2004

33. A Closer Look
In 2009 the average
amount of time 15 to 18
year olds spent texting on a
cell phone each day was?
1 hour and 51 minutes per day

34. A Closer Look
The only media activity that
hasn’t increased among
young people over the past
10 years is …?
Reading traditional print media

35. Help me transition to College, University, or the
World of Work by letting me use digital tools to
learn the skills I need to succeed

36. Do you know my personal interests?

37. Let me Explore and Create

38. Let me Explore and Create

39. Social networking at school and home

40. It’s more than technology that needs
to change

41. Time for some new symbols in
education

42. Is this one of them?

43. We transitioned from film to digital in
photography - Why not education?

44. It’s a networked world

45. Education needs to network
beyond the classroom

46. The World is the Classroom
School is the real
world

47. Mobile Learning
Anytime
learning
Resources
beyond the
classroom
Personalized
Current - Learning
relevant
information

48. Digital Generation
• Social Networking has doubled
from 2008 to 2010 (over 18)
• 95% of 12-17 year olds are
online and 80% use social media
• 88% of teens have seen
someone else be mean on social
networks
• 55% of teens decided not to post
something that might reflect
poorly on them in the future

49. Emerging Technologies
• Mobile Devices
• Cloud Computing
• Game based learning
• Open Content
• Learning analytics
• Personal Learning Environment

50. Analog Leaders in a Digital World?
Not in my school
… those 800
million people on
Facebook don’t
know what they’re
doing!

51. Top 3 Twitter Trends of 2011
#1 #2 #3
Justin FIFA World Lady Gaga
Bieber Cup
(Source: WhatTheTrend, 2011)

52. Twitter as a targeted Search
Are teachers teaching social media?
1.6 Billion searches on Twitter each day!
Source: Mashable June 1, 2011

53. Access to Digital Resources
No more VCRs… No more ordering… no delays
YouTube Views
Justin Bieber – Baby
671,051,966
Jennifer Lopez –
On The Floor
444,150,709
Lady Gaga –
Bad Romance
432,188,837

54. Educational Resources
Anytime, Anywhere Access

55. Digital Learning Resources

56. Is your District changing for a Digital
Generation in a Digital World?

57. Whether you
believe you can,
or you believe
you can’t –
you’re right.
Henry Ford

58. Questions?
Tom D’Amico
Twitter: @TDOttawa
Thomas.DAmico@ottawacatholicschools.ca
21st Century Learning / Teaching Blog
21st Century Learning Curated Resources
Presentation Download:
http://www.slideshare.net/tdottawa