4. Tapscott’s Description

Don Tapscott, who is an American, has written seven books, among them the bestseller Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation (1998).  Here, however, I will be representing  Tapscott’s points of view in his paper “The Net Generation and the School”.

Children now a days are the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media and this has had a profound impact on their personalities, attitudes and approaches to learning.

Their television viewing is decreasing and they watch TV much less than their parents did at the same age. To them, television is old fashioned: It is unidirectional, with the choice of content resting in the hands of few.

In the minds of the net generation teenagers, television should be interactive. It should do what the user wants; it should foster dialogue. The old media are hierarchical, inflexible, and centralized; the hallmarks of the new media, on the other hand, are anarchy, flexibility and decentralization. This shift from mass to interactive communication is the cornerstone of the changes. The screenagers want to be doers – not only passive viewers or listeners. “They inquire, discuss, argue, play, shop, critique, investigate, ridicule, fantasize, seek, and inform.” For the first time in history, Tapscott says, children are taking control of critical elements of a communications revolution.

The Net changes children’s ways of learning. They must search for, rather than simply look at, information and this forces them to develop critical thinking and investigative skills. There is great diversity of information and opinion and various opportunities to present one’s views on the Net, and it is increasingly making the children question the implicit values contained in information.

 Historically learning has been based on instruction or what might be called "broadcast learning." An expert who has information, the teacher,  broadcasts it to students. Those students that are "tuned in" receive the transmitted information and, hopefully, put it in memory for later use.

The curriculum is written (because print is the dominant medium) by experts who are seen as knowing how to sequence material in an ideal way and “how children can best learn math, acquire a new language, or understand Mesopotamia". When the teacher has class with thirty or more students, and no technological tools for a different approach, mass teaching is the only option.

The new media, particularly the Internet, allows ‘centering of the learning experience’ on the individual rather than on the transmitter. Because of the digital media, students can be treated as individuals: They can have customized learning experiences based on their background, individual talents, age and cognitive style. The students will be more active  – discussing, debating, researching, and collaborating on projects. “Learning will become a social activity.” However, this shift does not suggest that teachers will be play a less important role. Teachers’ expertise is essential for creating and structuring the learning experience.

4. Tapscott’s Description

Don Tapscott, who is an American, has written seven books, among them the bestseller Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation (1998).  Here, however, I will be representing  Tapscott’s points of view in his paper “The Net Generation and the School”.

Children now a days are the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media and this has had a profound impact on their personalities, attitudes and approaches to learning.

Their television viewing is decreasing and they watch TV much less than their parents did at the same age. To them, television is old fashioned: It is unidirectional, with the choice of content resting in the hands of few.

In the minds of the net generation teenagers, television should be interactive. It should do what the user wants; it should foster dialogue. The old media are hierarchical, inflexible, and centralized; the hallmarks of the new media, on the other hand, are anarchy, flexibility and decentralization. This shift from mass to interactive communication is the cornerstone of the changes. The screenagers want to be doers – not only passive viewers or listeners. “They inquire, discuss, argue, play, shop, critique, investigate, ridicule, fantasize, seek, and inform.” For the first time in history, Tapscott says, children are taking control of critical elements of a communications revolution.

The Net changes children’s ways of learning. They must search for, rather than simply look at, information and this forces them to develop critical thinking and investigative skills. There is great diversity of information and opinion and various opportunities to present one’s views on the Net, and it is increasingly making the children question the implicit values contained in information.

 Historically learning has been based on instruction or what might be called "broadcast learning." An expert who has information, the teacher,  broadcasts it to students. Those students that are "tuned in" receive the transmitted information and, hopefully, put it in memory for later use.

The curriculum is written (because print is the dominant medium) by experts who are seen as knowing how to sequence material in an ideal way and “how children can best learn math, acquire a new language, or understand Mesopotamia". When the teacher has class with thirty or more students, and no technological tools for a different approach, mass teaching is the only option.

The new media, particularly the Internet, allows ‘centering of the learning experience’ on the individual rather than on the transmitter. Because of the digital media, students can be treated as individuals: They can have customized learning experiences based on their background, individual talents, age and cognitive style. The students will be more active  – discussing, debating, researching, and collaborating on projects. “Learning will become a social activity.” However, this shift does not suggest that teachers will be play a less important role. Teachers’ expertise is essential for creating and structuring the learning experience.