Feb
27
2008
So often the term “Digital Native” is thrown about when discussing students technical ability we fail to recognize what the connotation actually means. By definition from Dictionary.com, the word “native” is:
| 1. |
being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one’s native land. |
| 2. |
belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent: native ability; native grace. |
| 3. |
belonging by birth to a people regarded as indigenous to a certain place, esp. a preliterate people: Native guides accompanied the expedition through the rain forest. |
| 4. |
of indigenous origin, growth, or production: native pottery. |
| 5. |
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the indigenous inhabitants of a place or country: native customs; native dress. |
| 6. |
born in a particular place or country: a native New Yorker. |
| 7. |
of or pertaining to a language acquired by a person before or to the exclusion of any other language: Her native language is Greek. |
It is the second definition of the word that causes us the problem. Why do we believe there is a “native ability” conveyed upon our students just because of their birth decade? They may have been born into a time of accessibility and lack the fear of the unknown but they still have to put in the time to learn the tools like anyone else.
I suggest a change. This division of digital knowledge is not limited to age demographic. Throw out the reliance on birth timing. The new references should be “Digital Leaders” or “Digital Followers”. Those students/parents/staff/people who lead into the digital space to explore and guide as compared to those who follow the leaders. There is an equity to the roles since both have acceptance of digital technology. By identifying whether a student is a “DL” or a “DF” you can guide their interactions and development much more effectively than dismissively saying, “They’re a digital native. This should be easy for them.”
Thoughts?
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I agree and like your new definition/description. However, I do believe they are different by virtue of when they are born. None of this is new to them, nor are they uncomfortable. Nonetheless, they do seem to fall into your leader/follower categories.