Virtual Learning Corner
Welcome to TESOL Greece Virtual Learning Corner
Digital
Natives, Second Life and ELT
Meaningful communication in a global village whose inhabitants are
interconnected with a constantly upgraded network is feasible only
through new lingua francas. Digital
technology, which nowadays has been embraced by people from
all over the world, certainly plays the role of a universal language
in our
Brave New Digital World.
As a person who was born and raised in the era of analogue
technology namely analogue television, vinyl records etc., I
certainly speak this language as a second one and I classify as a
digital immigrant, as Marc
Prensky would say, despite my long-time involvement in digital
technology.
However, young people, who have grown up in this global culture, are
so familiar with digital technologies that are fairly called by
Prensky digital natives.
Likewise, cultural
analyst Don Tapscott calls the young generation, the
Net Generation. According
to Tapscott the Net Generation has been surrounded by
digital media since birth, and they are "kids so bathed in bits that
they think it’s all part of the natural landscape." As Tapscott
says, "Understand the Net Generation, and you will understand the
future".
Digital technology may be considered by some adults as a dangerous
new-fangled technology and a time-waster for young people who don’t
have enough of an off-screen social life. However, possibilities
offered through digital technology in terms of socialization,
business and education, are limitless. Prensky
in his book
Don't Bother Me Mom -- I'm Learning
breaks down the myths associated with the use of technology by young
people and
maintains that kids "are almost certainly learning more positive,
useful things for their future from their video and computer games
than they learn in school!" Regarding cell phones,
Prensky
states that "the first ‘educational’ use students implemented for
their cell phones was retrieving information on demand during exams.
Educators, of course, refer to this as ‘cheating.’ They might better
serve their students by redefining open-book testing as open-phone
testing." In this
context, teachers should redefine their overall attitude toward
digital technology and consider computer and video games and other
applications as novel learning tools offering unique opportunities
for
educating young people.
In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in the use of virtual worlds like Second Life, the third most popular social software application after YouTube and Facebook, as a tool for synchronous communication. Interaction in Second Life, a new kind of social environment, opens up learning opportunities that haven’t been explored so far. Obviously Second Life is especially appropriate for younger learners of foreign languages, the Net Generation, because as digital natives they deem the internet to be part of the natural landscape, in other words an ideal place to learn, play and socialize. Therefore, ELT educators need to know enough about the technological options available and their educational implications so as to take advantage of them and create meaningful language opportunities for their students. Gavin Dudeney states that "Second Life brings immersive, immediate and - more importantly - supportive, social and truly constructivist - potential to distance learning. Combined with a virtual learning environment such as Moodle, this is the killer education application for the inventive teacher" Inspector Gadget
