Technology: The Debatable Issue Which Creates a New Generation

3^rd Reflection Journal for Technology and Language Learning

            I have attended other sessions of Technology and Language Learning course. As the time pass by without me myself knowing I enjoy this course. That far different with my previous expectation about this course. Because although I always try to keep my positive thought  toward technology, I couldn’t help but feel rather shrink whenever I heard term “teaching with technology” and scared I can’t do my best in this course or get good score because I don’t really familiar with technology.

            But then I realize that technology is meant to help people life. It is supposed to help me for God’s sake not the opposite!! I get to know about it after I attended TLL meeting at 29^th September 2011. In that day my lecturer divided the class into two big groups and made us do some activities which include role play and debate. We are debating about whether a school better install new language lab or install internet connection to help language learning process. One group acted as school boards who agree to the first statement and another group acted as language teachers who propose the latter statement.  That was really a ‘hot’ and fun debate although in the end, the class debating each other without considering the debate’s parameter anymore.

            In the end of that session my lecturer sums up that technology is only a tool. So the good or bad result come from technology is all depend on the person who used it. He also says that in learning process, technology isn’t a methodology but a tool. So there is no guarantee that a teacher who uses a lot of technology can teach more effective than teacher who doesn’t because technology is not a replacement for teacher.

            Other than that, I also learn that technology has created a new generation. Because people who born after 1990 is called as digital native meanwhile people who born below those year are called as digital immigrant. Digital natives have different characteristics with digital immigrant because they are really “fluent” in use technology and fond with it since young age. Because the differences there even an assumption who says that digital native has different brain structure compare to digital immigrant!

            Well… whether that assumption is wrong or right the fact that digital natives have different characteristics with digital immigrant are noticeable. But actually I kind of confuse about myself, I was born in 1992 so I categorized as a digital native. But I am not quite “fluent” in use technology. Even my first time operating a computer was in my seventh grade and I just became fond to technology since my status change from a student to a scholar. Until now I am still not comfortable using a new technology nor up to date to it. Hehm… I am wondering whether I still can count as a digital native or digital immigrant. I will really appreciate it if there is someone who explains this matter to me.