week 6

04/11/2011 Digital natives.

This week we watched a clip from an episode of ‘Thunderbirds’ the action figure series from 1968. We noticed how productions like this got cheaper along the years and how the puppets would have a different look/appearance to those in similar series that are more contemporary. We discussed how the production was pure science fiction and outside the realm of possibility, but also very original. It was hard for the population at the time to imagine, for example, being able to have a video conversation while on the move as Miss Penelope does in this particular clip. Another example is the way that games and films have become almost impossible to differentiate from one another as the technology of the tools used in these productions has evolved.

As opposed to the “digital immigrants” who are trying to catch up, the generations after 1985 (known as “digital native”) were born and raised with a natural knowledge of operating technology and would communicate with a “visual grammar.”

As the time needed to change is getting shorter along the years the world shifted into this virtually connected population, statistics show that there would be considerable stress and confusion if subject to a media blackout (that is no phone, computer, or any kind of wifi connection). Just as these social network methods of communication are destroying more traditional conversation practices, some of the digital immigrants would also be left behind as these changes happen too fast for them to catch up.

As an example of the consequences of this, we talked about how important it seems to think about ways to accept smart phone as a tool in education as they are not likely to disappear. Statistically there would be as many smart phones than baby being born.

Using them as an educational resource, the student of today can gain access to instant data and learn faster. Examples include being able to check on the validity of information from a lecture instantly as it is being given, and the creation of walled garden (a chat room limited to students in the same class, in which they can discus and exchange information on a specific module, talk about a lecture/seminar taken earlier that day or on work related to this module.) In my view, as the information that is available on the Internet is not always proofread, it is as important to confirm the authenticity of this data.

To follow we talked about the different rules regarding the value of certain networks, which were the Sarnof’s loop, (a one to many traditional broadcast/communication like the T.V. or radio), the Metcalf’s loop, (a one-to-one communication in a network of many, like email/phone) and Reed’s loop (which adds multiple size groups to a network to build on the one-to-one communication possibilities, these possibilities would depends on the size of the groups.)

Lastly we learned that as the generations evolve with these social networks to communicate, it became a necessary part of life for them. It also became fashionable for some to expose themselves; in the postmodernism world every one gains a celebrity lifestyle. This way of living can be as equally damaging/dangerous if too much personal information is being shared and if precautions are not taken.