This guy is a RIOT! Loved his presentation. I found it very difficult to blog during the presentation because I wanted to focus completely on the conversation in the room.
"It's easier to move a cemetery than it is to change a curriculum" -Woodrow Wilson, 1921
"It's easier to change the course of history than it is to change a history course"
"Do you use a Windows computer or a
real computer like me?" Wild applause from audience :)
"My job as a presenter is not to educate you but to irritate you." He holds up a rubber band as a metaphor for his desire to stretch our thinking. When Ian lets go, it will snap back to the way it was. It has a paradigm, a place it likes to be. How do you get a rubber band to stretch and stay stretched? We may all sit here during this conference session, nod and say "uh-huh, right on Ian"...but then we will go back to our classrooms, shut the door, and do things exactly the way we always have. When the going gets tough, the tough get traditional. So what are we do to?
1) Go to IANJUKES.COM - Committed Sardine. Look for "Understanding Digital Kids."
2) Email Ian @ iajukes@mac.com. In the subject line type, "I need to be committed" - he will respond with a summary of latest of his articles and description of what it means to be a committed sardine.
This is a discussion about
Screenagers...the generation that has grown up with mouse in hand. They have the assumption that images on a screen are to be manipulated and interacted with. Technology/screens/media represent for them a place to project their identity. They experience
digital bombardment - several hours a day, several days a week, over extended periods of time. What has this done to kids' brains? Our students are neurologically wired differently than we are. Only 50% of our brains are hardwired at birth, the intelligence you're born with isn't fixed...measurable intelligence rises and falls throughout one's lifetime. Neurons are constantly making new connections. Neuroplasticity - brain is constantly changing itself and adapting
Brain scans of Digital natives and digital immigrants doing same tasks reveal that many digital natives are using measurably different neural pathways to take in, process and store the same information as digital immigrants. Visual processing skills increase DRAMATICALLY with just 10 hours of video game play. Researchers in a 3M Study presented 100 photographs to people of different generations. Digital natives were able to recall 90% of images, digital Immigrants could only recall slightly better than 60%. Digital Dinos (immigrants' parents) recalled a mere 10%.
Rec for the book
The Brain Rules - read it!
Implications for our Students:Text + image - 3 days later kids will recall 65% of the information presented. With text only, they recall only 10% 3 days later
Designing engaging reading materials - digital natives only read upper and left side of screen. This is the way video games are designed. They pay the most attention to the colors blood red/pink, followed by green, then burnt orange. Kids ignore black text on a white background (way digital immigrants are "programmed" to read)
87% of students are not auditory or text-based learners - they think graphically, because they grew up in a digital landscape. They are visual/kinesthetic learners and are wired for multi-media. 85% of test questions focus on vocabulary and rote memorization. By the age of 21 digital natives will have played more than 10,000 hours of video games, watched more than 20,000 hours television, viewed more than 500,00 commercials, and recieved a quarter million emails.
It's hard for us (digital immigrants) to comprehend how much change has really taken place- these kids look the same as we did growing up.
The digital native perspective: "
Why would I memorize the states and capitals when I could instantly get them off Googe" Digital immigrant perspective: "Why can that same student recite thousands of lyrics when they can't memorize 50 states and capitals?" They're bored, they're tuning us out. Jukes cited that there are very few cases of ADD/ADHD anywhere in the world other than the U.S. and Canada. Students are bored, underwhelmed.
We are failing kids.
Who here has the learning problem??? Bottom line: We as educators have to change. What is one action you will do TODAY to generate change?
Love the quotes, love the ideas, thanks for sharing (your fingers must be tired)
Question, were not kids just as bored 50 years ago memorizing state capitols. Though I understand that kids today learn differently, I think their desires and motivations are the same. Kids don't use today's technology for technology's sake - they use technology to appease the same desires kids have had for decades. Facebook has replaced the local burger joint (or mall in my case) as the place to hang out, free from adult supervision. Simply using technology for technology's sake will still keep kids bored.
Example -
Activity one. Create a Facebook style page for Joan of Arc. Must reference set amount of historical fact. Technology driven.
Activity two. Create a Facebook style page for Joan of Arc. Site must describe Joan's motives and desires, as well as be able to recruit "friends" to join her cause. Class will review each other's pages anonymously and grade each with how many friends they think the site could recruit. Technology and socially driven.