While we are a decade in to the 21st century, I find it interesting that we are still talking about 21st century learning as it is something far in the distance. Although this is may not come as a news flash, the fact of the matter is that we are in the 21st century, and like it our not, our students and teachers must adapt.

In our district, we have had discussions for the last three years about categorizing our students as digital natives and what that really means. We have had countless speakers come and talk in our district about how vastly different students of today are compared to when most of our staff was in school. And while I do find there to be a good deal of truth to some of those ideas, I wanted to look at how students and teachers are similar rather than different.

I consider myself a digital native, and I have difficulty connecting with staff when trying to provide professional development to those who are not as tech savvy. I have to take a step back and realize that they are trying to learn something that they don’t have a great deal of background knowledge on or concepts they are not familiar with.

This is where I have begun to see the greatest connection between digital natives and digital immigrants. They are both learners. While teachers need to learn how to use these technology tools, students also have a need and desire to learn more about how to use them as well. I was asked to work with students on creating a video that showed technology and the type of students we have for a school board presentation, and this is what the students came up with:

21st Century Students from Mark Fijor on Vimeo.

I think it is a tremendous opportunity for our staff and students to recognize their commonality as learners. It definitely challenges the traditional roles of student and teacher, but the possibilities it creates are truly incredible.

Like any great organization, leaders must utilize the strengths of its members to reach a high level of success. By embracing the skills of our students and the ability for staff and students to learn from each other, administrators and tech directors can empower teachers to create unique and powerful shared learning experiences.

Here is another video where Marc Pensky, the authority on the idea of Digital Natives, discusses what it means to be a digital native in the 21st century, and the impact it can have on education.

Tags: digital natives student advocacy Student Technology