What is a digital native?

Way back in 2009, when I began teaching with 1:1 technology, the comment came up during a training workshop that our students are digital natives. Now, in 2015, I don't think so. By now, after six years of working with students and teachers, I find that teachers are more native than students. What should a digital native look like?

Consider what this experience might feel like. If I were to go to a new country and interact with natives, what would I be experiencing? I would taste different foods, hear different languages, observe people doing a variety of jobs. There would be a learning curve for me. I may not know how to cross the street or find a bathroom. I might begin by finding somebody who spoke my language and who would be willing to help me navigate. I would then begin to look for commonalities between this new culture and my own. If I were to migrate to this new land, how long would it take to become a native?

I enjoy traveling, and had the opportunity to travel with a science club throughout much of central and western Mexico. I had high school Spanish and found that I could take to young children but that adults spoke too fast. I could order food and ask a few directions, but that was about it.

I have been working with technology since 1983 or so. I used an Apple IIe, Vax, and had the chance to work with early versions of the internet. Was I a native at this time? It was not part of my daily life and I could not live in this domain. It was more like exploring a new country. In college, I began to rely more heavily on technology. Over the next four years, I wrote more, began editing photos and videos, and even coded a website in html. I dabbled in graphic design and website construction. In 2001, I joined a tech support team with a Macintosh software company and took nearly 100 phone calls a day. Was I a native yet? I was functioning and succeeding in a new culture. Teaching really brought me deep into technology. I started to speak the language and extend myself further into the creative aspects of the digital world. By the time I received a grant to use 1:1 tools in my classroom, I would say that I was a native. I ventured into new environments without much of a learning curve. I was teaching others, both students and teachers, how to navigate in the digital world. I never find the need to use computer manuals or take "how to" classes. I just open a program and start using it. It took almost 20 years for me to reach this level of interaction and comfort within the digital country. There are still unexplored regions for me. I am beginning to scale mountains and reach new heights and there are places I do not feel comfortable to go.

Yes, some students are natives just as some teachers are. Age does not define whether or not a person is a citizen of this digital world; rather, it is how you exist in that world. 

Where will you go? How will you help others to get there? Do you hang up a sign that reads, "just visiting" or find an address and start living?

Find your inner Tongan! Be fearless! Explore!

Enjoy,

Al

Happy Portmanteausday!

Happy #Portmanteausday Everyone! If you are wondering what a portmanteau is, think about it this way. I joined the acronym STEM with the word implementation to create the word STEMplementation. The new word combines parts of the definition of the previous words or phrases. What do you think the new meaning is? Now, what is #Portmanteausday Every Tuesday is a day for sharing your favorite portmanteaus. This week, rungry. A person is rungry when they are running or just finished running and are hungry. Thanks to Will Butler for this great portmanteau!

#Flippygeek Part Deux (not Ducks)

I have been flipping for awhile. Ever since I discovered how much I enjoy video editing and making a visual tool that I could use in my classroom, I have been flipping content so students and other could share in the learning outside of the school. As I sit here preparing my latest iteration of an informal guide to flipping the classroom, I reflect back to ISTE 2014 and #Flippygeek . When you start flipping, you will use a ton of inquiry, trial and error, and testing, reflection, and revision. You will discover what works and what does not. You will realize what is labor intensive and what is easy. There are so many resources available, white boarding apps, video editing apps and software, talking photo apps, sharing websites and tools, that flipping is easier than ever. 

It is my understanding that many people view flipping as just sending the lecture home and doing the work in the classroom. These people miss the point. You have a captive audience when you flip. Your audience in the classroom is by no means captive. Chances are, by the time you have muddled your way through 5 minutes of lecture, you have lost 50% of your audience in the classroom. Flipping removes the distractions and allows your student to have one on one time with your content. Here are my guidelines to help you get started.

Al's 7 Simple Flip Guidelines

1. Avoid Lecture

2. Make I fun.  Don't standardize. Take your students on an adventure.

3. Let the students make videos.

4. Train your students. 

5. You are not a good talking head. Let the students do the talking. 

6. Make it Personal.

7. Keep It Short

Flipping is worth doing. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes it fails and falls flat. Sometimes it is a party. I encourage you at any grade level to try it. Make it creative. Encourage your students to flip. Share the flips with your parents. Start a flipping club and flip other subjects. Explore new ways to do it. Most importantly, bring CREATIVITY back into your classroom.

P.S. Once I started flipping, I began to flip my lesson plans. That was so much easier and if your administrator/supervisor is worth their salt, they will see the value in what you are doing.

Find Your Inner Tongan

I hope you enjoyed my death scene from the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. I have never been afraid to jump into something new to see what happens. To give you an example, I like to go to places for a great experience. In Hawaii a few years ago, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Every village represented another Pacific Islander Cultural experience. Many invited audience participation. I feel that taking part in these immersive experiences is a critical enhancement to the learning experience. I practically jumped up to express my desire to participate. This works. I am constantly chosen to play a role in these unique learning experiences. I was a Maori warrior in New Zealand and a drummer in Tonga. I was so good at Tongan drumming that people came up to me afterwards for the rest of the day saying that I made their day and it was an experience they would never forget. I am always the first to volunteer. It always pays off to my advantage. Either I have a really good time, help others have a greater experience, or at least I deepen my learning experience. After becoming a "Tongan" drummer, I began calling my desire to jump into greater experiences as "finding my inner Tongan." I as I begin my new career as a professional learning facilitator, I view blogging as a way to "find my inner Tongan." Now, enjoy my my "death scene" at the Indian Jones Stunt Spectacular and see what it is like to find your inner Tongan.

Here we go!

#Pbl #stem Life takes an interesting turns, but ultimately you end up where you belong. I was recently hired by the Arizona Science Center as a Professional Development Facilitator. I will be introducing educators to the joys of student directed learning, stem instruction, problem based learning. Generally speaking, I am using informal science education to guide educators into the world of constructivism in order to free them from the bounds of standardization. Welcome to STEMplimentation! Enjoy the ride.