I was born right at the cusp between generations without digital technology and those who only know digital technology. I remember the progression of cell phones from giant bricks that can make a call to tiny devices that have infinite possibilities. My little sister was born the same year my parents got a cell phone and had internet at the house. She is of the net generation where as I am part of generation X. It is interesting to compare us since in many ways we are similar but we were born at different times of the digital boom. For me, I am still trained to be motivated by extrinsic factors. I still place value on grades because it is still an ingrained part of my learning process. I still look at salaries to evaluate a job. However my sister is motivated differently. My sister is motivated by autonomy; she is more successful when she is control of her learning. She has a closer relationship with her teachers since she demands personal feedback about all her projects. In my sister and my example, we match Wagner’s ideas of motivation in the net generation.
Wagner discusses in the Global Achievement Gap motivation for students born in the net generation. Students are perceived to desire immediate feedback. I think that often this is misinterpreted by those who are not of the net generation. Students in the net generation have immediate responses but those responses are relevant. For instance when a person loses a video game, statistics are provided that can give the player insight on how to improve. I believe that if we want to motivate students, we need to provide motivation that is relevant for students. Students need feedback that is not only prompt but is relevant and purposeful.
The way students want and need to learn has changed with the boom of digital technology. Students need to learn using a variety of modalities. Traditional model had students learning lectures but with the boom in digital technology students can use a variety of tools to learn. Wagner states on pages 178-179 that use of internet and digital technology has transformed both what and how they learn. The net generation responds to a variety of media, this includes television, audio animation and text. In order to keep net generation students engaged in learning, material must be presented in a variety of ways. This strategy not only caters to the needs of the net generation but it also promotes catering to the needs of multiple learning styles. By presenting information using a variety of modalities, students who are kinetic or visual or auditory or a combination of these learning styles are catered to.
Since the digital boom, education needs to be redesigned to fit the needs of the net generation students. Motivation is often called into question but what motivation is there to complete worksheet after tired worksheet in class. In order to motivate students to learn teachers must ensure that schoolwork is not busywork or make-work but real, adult work that requires both analysis and creativity. (Wagner Pg 189) This is going to be a difficult transition specially for those who believe in the traditional style of education. But if education is going to be purposeful and meaningful for the net generation we must alter our traditional methods and explore options that will develop creativity and critical thinking.
Wagner discusses in the Global Achievement Gap motivation for students born in the net generation. Students are perceived to desire immediate feedback. I think that often this is misinterpreted by those who are not of the net generation. Students in the net generation have immediate responses but those responses are relevant. For instance when a person loses a video game, statistics are provided that can give the player insight on how to improve. I believe that if we want to motivate students, we need to provide motivation that is relevant for students. Students need feedback that is not only prompt but is relevant and purposeful.
The way students want and need to learn has changed with the boom of digital technology. Students need to learn using a variety of modalities. Traditional model had students learning lectures but with the boom in digital technology students can use a variety of tools to learn. Wagner states on pages 178-179 that use of internet and digital technology has transformed both what and how they learn. The net generation responds to a variety of media, this includes television, audio animation and text. In order to keep net generation students engaged in learning, material must be presented in a variety of ways. This strategy not only caters to the needs of the net generation but it also promotes catering to the needs of multiple learning styles. By presenting information using a variety of modalities, students who are kinetic or visual or auditory or a combination of these learning styles are catered to.
Since the digital boom, education needs to be redesigned to fit the needs of the net generation students. Motivation is often called into question but what motivation is there to complete worksheet after tired worksheet in class. In order to motivate students to learn teachers must ensure that schoolwork is not busywork or make-work but real, adult work that requires both analysis and creativity. (Wagner Pg 189) This is going to be a difficult transition specially for those who believe in the traditional style of education. But if education is going to be purposeful and meaningful for the net generation we must alter our traditional methods and explore options that will develop creativity and critical thinking.