Educational Discourse

This is the blog that wasn’t going to be. I’ve been swamped with paperwork and other administration activities like settling the “You called me a pumpkin head. You took my ball” dispute and trying to figure out how that water is getting into the computer lab ceiling. I had 397 entries in my google reader and, well, was feeling a bit tired. So, I’m getting ready to retire – to sleep – when I take one last glance at my reader and notice this post over at Mr W’s Blogging Great Thing. So, I read and came across his mention of Silvia at Langwitches. Seems she has just made the switch to a MacBook just like Miguel and Scott.

This time I am a Newbie computer user. I bought my first Macbook a few days ago and feel like I am almost starting from scratch.

This has made her cognizant of how others, who are not familiar with tech tools, must feel when they are just newbies.

I am more conscious of how someone might feel who does not feel familiar with a computer. It does give me a different point of view, that I will need to have present, when teaching or introducing others to new tools or technologies.

Now, as I read through this, I began to wonder, almost hearing Scott groan as I did, if this is the difference I keep seeing between people who I say Digital Intelligence and others. My reason for distinguishing between people in this way is not because I think Silvia is not capable – from what I have read on her blog, she is one very capable person. It’s more being able to use tools in the digital world without that huge learning curve.

Now, of course, I consider myself to be in that category, not because I’m boasting but because my experience with technology seems to indicate that there are people who can function, no matter the OS, the software app or the tool without the learning downtime. They don’t need intense training but, instead, can move fluidly from one program or OS to another without being hampered with not being familiar with the app or OS.

I work in a Windows world but live and die by my Mac. I work with numerous programs and do not see the problem with moving from one to another. There is an intuitiveness to what I do – and I cannot explain how I know what I know. I’ve no training or really anything that says that I should know anything about the working of tools in the digital world. I problem solve on a variety of software apps that I don’t use and am very comfortable within the digital world. I’ve encountered numerous people who, like me, have this fluidity of movement within the digital world. It’s not technical knowledge although that is a part of it. I don’t do much programming but any I have tried has worked and html makes sense.

This has always been my problem with Prensky’s digital immigrant/native division because he uses age where I don’t see age being a factor – I see it more as “intelligence”.

Finally, for all of you who have joined the Rebel Forces – May the force be with you!