Understanding the Digital Generation: Teaching and Learning in the New Digital Landscape

by Ian Jukes, Ted McCain, Lee Crockett

Today's world is different for our children, vastly different from the one we grew up in. The technologies we take for granted or simply don't understand have become an integral part of our children's identities. These technologies saturate practically every aspect of their daily lives. This digital bombardment is shaping who they are and who they will become. We must realize they live in a different world, and speak a different language. If we ever want to take a part in nurturing those who will be the architects of our future, it's up to us to learn that language and step into that world, to allow them to lead us in as much as we must lead them so that we may truly understand the digital generation.

Genres: Education, Technology, Teaching, Leadership, School, Nonfiction

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2010

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The authors present some extremely useful ideas for how to work with students who are very comfortable using current technologies. Their criticism of the educational system's over-reliance on large-scale standardized testing is spot-on, and I agree with them that we need to find ways to move away from this outmoded form of evaluation, towards a system which engages creativity and critical thinking. However, I take issue with the authors' characterization of people as fitting into essentially two molds: digital and non-digital. These two categories miss the majority of people who fall somewhere on a spectrum in terms of ability to use and try new technologies. Reading this book myself, I felt that I was neither a part of its intended audience (way too young, and much too comfortable with computers and the internet), nor was I a member of the "digital generation" as they defined it (I love to read paper books, for instance, and more broadly I have interests outside of the computer and the internet). Yet I exist, as a student, teacher, and technology-user.

Additionally, I think the authors have a poor sense of history, as their book seems to be contending that now the ONLY time in history we have seen this level of change between what two generations experienced as children. I would be willing to bet that teachers who grew up in the 1920's experienced some level of disconnect with their students in the 40's and 50's who were growing up in the shadow of WWII and the Cold War. Similarly, I would guess that teachers who grew up in the 1940's and 50's experienced some level of disconnect with their students in the 60's and 70's who grew up in an era of extreme civil rights change and unrest.

I think that to make sure we readers feel their points about technology are crucially important, the authors have overstated and presented a biased view of the effects of technology now and throughout history. There is also NO evidence that the authors actually communicated with anyone under the age of 30 in researching their points. Characterizations about young people are made mostly in sentences that start "In talking to teachers of young people...". This is a major omission from what is presented as a book ABOUT young people and their habits and view. These deficiencies are a shame because the points the book does make about the current state of education and an over-reliance on testing are very good and very timely. I would like to see a more academically-researched version of this text (the current edition relies heavily on citations from non-academic sources, and from the authors' own previous work) which does not use hyperbole or historical exaggeration to make its point, but rather presents a balanced view of the role of technology in the lives of today's young and not-so-young people. As is, I cannot recommend this text as an accurate picture of how people under 30 engage with technology, despite its good points.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learners today learn in a dramatically different way than learners even 20 years ago. Maybe it's because I was on the cusp of the change that I've always met the folks who say "Kids today are stupid and can't do even the simplest of tasks" with a great deal of irritation. The basic premise of this and most of the 21st century literacy series books is that kids today learn differently because of what the digital age has done to them. Instead of wallowing in self pity and saying "We're losing the kids!" this book takes the opposite approach, one I whole-heartedly agree with. WE need to adapt how we teach and interact with kids BECAUSE their brains have changed.

(Side note: What this book doesn't really address is the neutrality of the actual statement - that brains have changed. Brains are always evolving. Books were the original way to "flip" instruction and certainly changed our brains.. Paper and the ability to write changed our brains. Telephones changed our brains. 20 years from now the spherical holo-orbs that beam information directly into our eyeballs [courtesy of our new alien overlords] will change our brains. A change, no matter how abrupt doesn't automatically equate to "bad" or "good". It simply "Is")

Many of the standards that guide instruction are still based around factual recall. To address these stupid standards we ask things like "What is the capital of Kentucky?" I grew up with a dad who drilled into me the states, the capitals, and locations of countries around the world (including some that don't exist anymore.) Many folks from my generation and those previous encountered similar "kill and drill" geographic facts. Kids today realize the stupidity of memorizing this and wonder why we study it when it can be googled.

This book begins the conversation on changing the conversation - focusing not on how do we fix today's kids, but how do we meet them where they are so that they're engaged in learning. I recommend the entire series to anyone who's curious about this.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made some very good points, and had some interesting ideas for incorporating technology and 21st century ideas into the classroom. I did not like however, the polarization of people as digital and non-digital. As a young teacher I grew up somewhere in-between these two generations and believe that there is more of a spectrum to technological knowledge than the authors account for. I also thought that the book became very repetitive as it progressed.

[Lucie Pelcakova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro mne taková průměrná kniha, myslím, že už jen z premisy je jasné, že je napsaná pro starší učitele. Nicméně mne zaujalo spoustu komentářů na to, jak se učí digital generation, takže rozhodně mi kniha něco dala.

[Erica Sonzogni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn how the Digital Generation (which includes my own generation) has changed the way they view education and how teachers need to modify their instruction to reach these learners. I agreed with almost everything that was stated since i feel i learn this "new way" too. This text also inspired me to create new Project Based Learning tasks in my classroom to have my students practice the skills they will need in the workplace. I did not like, however, that the book kept focusing on this new way of learning as well as how technology should be in the hands of every student, but on the other hand, said how they understand testing is taking the forefront of education and many schools cannot afford this technology. All of the ideas were great but until the education system itself changes, these changes cannot be put into the classroom effectively.

[Julie Rowse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Admittedly, as someone who teaches photography, graphic design, journalism, pop culture, and teaches either in a Mac lab or with iPads, I'm not the audience for this book. However, the authors' biases are at times so blatant and offensive that I can't imagine how they expect to persuade tech-resistant teachers to see their point of view. They make some decent points about needing to adjust teaching strategies to reach students who grow up in a digital world, but five years after publication, this book is already exponentially outdated--something I like to think the authors would realize and accept, based on what they wrote.

(I had to read this book for a class I'm taking...this was not a book I chose to read.)

[Norm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit, by the end of the book I found it hard to disagree with the authors about using technology effectively in the classroom. However, I still think that their overly-dramatic exposition of "what kids are like today" was unnecessary and inaccurate.

I would not recommend this book to anyone...well, it was certainly better than Ruby Payne.

[Dan Rheingans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I thought the authors had some very salient points to make, even for a book 5 years old talking about technology. Teachers would be advised to read this short read and reflect on their best teaching practices. I myself plan to make some tweaks after thinking about some of the things presented in the book. Worth the read for the graduate course I took in which it was required reading.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

All teachers and teachers to be should read this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought up some interesting points but greatly over-exaggerated the reluctance of teachers to embrace modern technology and its implications. This weakened an overall good argument.

[E. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got some good ideas from this book.

[Terry Howells]

A very informative read