To be an outstanding teacher, there are many skills necessary; however, I believe patience and willingness are key characteristics of life: an endless journey of learning and understanding. Patience to understand what a student is trying to express or feel and willingness to work with students to explore their learning process. I really liked what Melissa Gill’s In-service presenter mentioned, that Adults are Digital Immigrants and Children, now a days, are Digital Natives (Gill, 2019). To me, this explanation makes sense. As being a Native Alaskan, Yupik and Inupiaq, I did feel like an immigrant when I attended the University of Minnesota Duluth; therefore, I needed patience and willingness to survive and adapt to a new living style in the Continental United States. I believe in every subject, hobby, skill, or in this case, technology, both patience and willingness are necessary.
As being a Digital Immigrant, one needs patience to be able to learn the new technology platforms, applications, devices, and programs. With knowing that technology changes daily, being open-minded and flexible helps alleviate any frustration with ever-changing variables. With continuous changes, one also needs willingness; willing to be able to adjust his/her reliable facts of learning in an educational, or any other work, environment. As TRT states, there are five advantages to technology: speed, efficiency, and agility, storing and sharing, mobility and remote connectivity, automation, and communication (TRT, 2019). To me, these five advantages and the facts of learning, are the constants that will bridge the gap between the Digital Immigrants and the Digital Natives. Although Digital Natives may be more familiar with an array of platforms, applications, devices and programs than the Digital Immigrants, a common bond will develop to collaborate on completing a task.
With knowing the basic mechanics of learning, Digital Immigrants will be able to enhance the Digital Natives with alternative ways of completing tasks with or without technological skills. Using both technical and non-technical skills, students are able to mentally, verbally, and physically interpret their own knowledge of what they have retained. From my own personal experience, I believe, not all teachers are as “tech- savvy” as some students are; however, we are capable of guiding students into using their learning skills to magnify their future positions of employment and exhibit that the joy of learning is a life-long journey.
TRT. (2019, January 19). Retrieved from https://www.reflektive.com/blog/advantages-new-technology-workplace/
Gill, M. (2019, September 8). EDET 674. Retrieved from https://flipgrid.com/229f1ba8
