Teens, Twitter and Facebook

Vivienne Arnold has sent a link to a great article by Kevin Anderson in the Guardian PDA blog that summarizes research on how teens are using Twitter and Facebook, including the study by 15-year-old Matthew Robson that has been making waves.
Kevin Anderson: Twitter and teens: Challenging the idea of the young digital native, Guardian, 14 July 2009.

In brief: Matthew Robson provided a large number of anecdotes showing that while teens and young adults use social networking sites extensively, relatively few of them are using Twitter. This confirms other research showing that about 99% of 18-24 year olds have profiles on social networks, but only 22% use Twitter. Most of Twitter's 10m or so users are over 35. For more on Matthew Robson see Eamonn Fitzgerald, Spotlight Online, 14 July 2009

Now Kevin Anderson says that looking more closely at the way the generations are using social networking in fact challenges the whole concept of the "digital native". The same people who have general literacy problems also have digital literacy problems, and will use technology in a very limited way, while the older generation is more likely to embrace new media trends these days. Issues of cost and technical complexity are just as vexing to the younger generation. They shun Twitter because updating the microblogging service from their phones (their preferred networking device) costs more that IM (instant messaging). Older users, by contrast, tend to access social networking sites more frequently from their computers, so cost doesn't figure as prominently.

A vision of students today

A short video of 2007 summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University For more information visit his blog at http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=119



For Prof. Wesch's more famous film, see John's post of Friday, 26 June 2009.

Karenne gives the the Luddite teacher a dressing down

Karenne Sylvester tells it like it is in her guest article on Alex Case's blog (revisited in Karenne's own blog here), challenging

"ELT teachers who are simply too chicken to try out some of the new media and technology tricks in their classrooms while the Digital Natives progressively enter the market... A lot of them are whining about whether or not it’s good teaching practice or just flash and dash. However while they continue to be afraid, they’re missing out on what’s on the other side and in the end, consoling themselves with friends who are equal Luddites, will find themselves replaced by the those who can."

She goes on to tell you exactly where to start - right here in her article. Follow her advice. Time waits for noone.

Questions? Comments? Just click on the "comment/s" button below.

Marc Prensky

Marc Prensky, a leading proponent of using games, YouTube and mobile phones to teach school children using their favorite tools, and the author of "Don't bother me Mom - I'm learning", held the keynote speech at IATEFL. Here's an interview with him by Gavin Dudeney (video).

http://www.shv.me/post/94136073/iatefl-q-a-with-marc-prensky

Posted using ShareThis

What kind of tech user are you?

The Pew Research Center says it's a "fact tank", dedicated to research on issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. One of its projects, the Pew Internet & American Life Project, explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. They've developed a user typology and statistics based on the results of a quiz. If you're interested in thinking about how you use the internet, and if you want to ask your students about their habits and needs in order to assess your digital communication style, this quiz is a good place to start.

My feedback said: "For you, the digital commons can be a camp, a lab, or a theater group – places to gather with others to develop something new." That might be true. But what if my students don't use the internet that way? - Do the test and let us know what you find out about yourself and your students.

Tip found on a blog called IamLibrarian

Stephen Fry on digital natives

Do you ever wonder whether the "digital natives" John was talking about yesterday can write a text message, watch a YouTube video, do their homework on paper, all at the same time, and still be listening to you? I sometimes wonder, but übergeek Stephen Fry seems to think it's no problem. He contributed to a broadcast by Kenan Malik on BBC Radio 4 that asked whether the web is rewiring the brains of young people, and if so, whether we should be worried. A prolific user of twitter himself (http://twitter.com/stephenfry), Stephen Fry has only positive things to say about his own experience. The experts are saying that kids today may not be reading and researching the way older generations did, their attention spans may be shorter, but they can switch quickly between different media and use the huge amounts of information there in new ways. But are they multi-tasking or multi-slacking? Listen to the 28 minute broadcast as a podcast (an mp3 download) and read or print out Stephen Fry's comments here: BBC News.

About two years ago Stephen Fry talked about the potential of the internet for learning in an interview recorded for www.videojug.com, a video sharing site. Did you know that you can download the videos there? It's easy, you just need to register there. Here is Stephen:


Understanding The Internet: Stephen Fry: The Internet

Are you a Web 2.0-er?

Like many MELTA members I belong to the Web 0.0 generation; a generation that grew up before PCs, email and the www had been invented, so I am what some people would call a digital immigrant rather than a digital native or a member of the thumb generation.

People of my generation seem to fall into two categories those who readily embrace new technology and those who think that most gadgets have far too many features nowadays and that mobile phones should be just that, i.e. mobile phones and not come fitted with digital cameras, MP3 players, GPS and Internet access.

I’m not too sure where I fall – probably somewhere between the two. I love my navigation system, can put together an online survey and I moderate an Internet bulletin board, but I don’t need an iPhone or an iPod.

I had already turned 30 when www was invented by the English computer scientist Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, so I guess my nephews and nieces view me as a kind of living dinosaur - even if I am doing my best to evolve.

So what was Web 1.0 and what is Web 2.0?

Basically Web 1.0 refers to the www prior to 2001. Websites were static; readers could not add content or comment. Most of us had slow dial up connections of 50K, so uploading or downloading large files was time consuming and viewing video files impossible.<

Web 2.0 is seen as the second generation of web applications and a move away from static websites to things like blogs, bulletin boards, forums, wikis and social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook where the individual can not only read, but also add content. The introduction of high-speed broadband means that people can not only upload digital photos to their online albums, but also upload and/or view video files on sites like YouTube.

Web 1.0 was a place which was top down; information was published to a site where it could be read. Web 2.0 technology is bottom up allowing anyone with Internet access to add content to it, be it articles, comments, photos or video and sound files.You have probably been a Web 2.0-er for quite some time without even knowing it.