The Digital Generation

Although I have heard all about this up and coming 'digital generation' in almost all of my education classes at Temple, this reading really puts it into perspective for me. Not only has education changed in the way we present and engage in learning, but it has also changed in the way students think and process learning and material. I was never introduced to the idea that children's minds are wired differently than once before; developing hyperlinked minds that are changing shape and capacity all the time. What blows my mind is that for a while we have seen this coming; this generation is developing a future of digital learners who prefer parallel processing and multitasking, yet teachers continue to teach in a traditional/by the book manner. Are old school teachers to set in their ways to accept and acknowledge these changes? Are they ignoring the reality that times are changing? Does this give us future teachers, who are aware and knowledgeable of new technology, 'a let up' on jobs? This article makes me question the many changing faces of education and what it will become.

(Off topic, this reading also made me think of the fact that because students are so comfortable with using technology: cell phones, computers, video games, etc.....is this a contributing factor to the high rate of obesity within our schools? In and out of school children are constantly using and learning new technologies, but is this taking away from the active, physical, healthy lives they deserve?)