Page 164 - Štemberger Tina, Čotar Konrad Sonja, Rutar Sonja, Žakelj Amalija. Ur. 2022. Oblikovanje inovativnih učnih okolij. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
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inko Lazzarich and Marija Vlahović
source of information is the internet. The so-called ‘digital natives’ (Prensky
2001)¹ have no problems in simultaneously performing multiple different ac-
tivities simultaneously. Intent on fast access to required data, they mostly rely
on current notifications.² Carr (2011) states that an intensive form of mental
multitasking is required to move around the internet.
With regard to the ‘literary language’ of the printed media, the new media
brings with them media languages, transforming a classic reader into a recip-
ient who receives various messages. ‘The internet and mobile phone gener-
ation face a language that is no longer a standard language but a shortened,
encrypted language, with separate parts of the text actually abolishing all
the current conceptions of the text. No texture is knit anymore, there is no
main text, only remaining are self-contained structures of messages.’ (Plevnik
2005, 31)
While multitasking allows the performance of various tasks, the concentra-
tion of young internet users is short and superficial. Their brain works differ-
ently so they need more motivation for learning. Teachers must be aware of
these generational shifts in order to adjust the dynamics of teaching as new
generations of students require a faster change in teaching methods and
forms of work. To feel the need for learning, students should find the material
interesting and useful, with a sufficient dose of fun. Jandrić (2015) empha-
sizes that technology is not an autonomous force, but rather a system that
benefits people who control it. Teachers are faced with the transformation
of their profile, moving from the role of the traditional and dominant source
of knowledge into counsellors and guidance instructors. Fear of the loss of
teacher’s identity in the world of aggressive virtuality is not unreasonable.
There is a question as how to maintain interaction with students in teach-
ing, ‘how to preserve professional dignity and resist converting a teacher’s
call into mere administration of the internet learning systems’ (Žanić 2015,
24). Some scientists (Carr) believe teachers should not be afraid that the dig-
italization of teaching would endanger their position in the classroom: ‘My
¹ In his article ‘Sapiens Digital: From Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom’,
Prensky (2001) has surpassed the initial division of media users into natives and immigrants, of-
fering a new categorization by dividing digital users into ‘skilled’ (digital skilness), ‘wise’ (digital
wisdom), and ‘digital fools’ (digital stupidity). Teaching staff who study the field of methodology
with children should not belong to this third category (Labaš 2013).
² The connection of contemporary young generations with technology is described by numer-
ous terms, such as net generation, cyber-kids, generation M (from English ‘media’), and a popular
moniker hoomo zapiens (Veen and Wrakking 2006), a connection of a Latin homo (man) and
zap-zap, an onomatopoeia of the sound of a laser weapon, which in the transmitted meaning
points to scanning information by looking at computer screens.
164
source of information is the internet. The so-called ‘digital natives’ (Prensky
2001)¹ have no problems in simultaneously performing multiple different ac-
tivities simultaneously. Intent on fast access to required data, they mostly rely
on current notifications.² Carr (2011) states that an intensive form of mental
multitasking is required to move around the internet.
With regard to the ‘literary language’ of the printed media, the new media
brings with them media languages, transforming a classic reader into a recip-
ient who receives various messages. ‘The internet and mobile phone gener-
ation face a language that is no longer a standard language but a shortened,
encrypted language, with separate parts of the text actually abolishing all
the current conceptions of the text. No texture is knit anymore, there is no
main text, only remaining are self-contained structures of messages.’ (Plevnik
2005, 31)
While multitasking allows the performance of various tasks, the concentra-
tion of young internet users is short and superficial. Their brain works differ-
ently so they need more motivation for learning. Teachers must be aware of
these generational shifts in order to adjust the dynamics of teaching as new
generations of students require a faster change in teaching methods and
forms of work. To feel the need for learning, students should find the material
interesting and useful, with a sufficient dose of fun. Jandrić (2015) empha-
sizes that technology is not an autonomous force, but rather a system that
benefits people who control it. Teachers are faced with the transformation
of their profile, moving from the role of the traditional and dominant source
of knowledge into counsellors and guidance instructors. Fear of the loss of
teacher’s identity in the world of aggressive virtuality is not unreasonable.
There is a question as how to maintain interaction with students in teach-
ing, ‘how to preserve professional dignity and resist converting a teacher’s
call into mere administration of the internet learning systems’ (Žanić 2015,
24). Some scientists (Carr) believe teachers should not be afraid that the dig-
italization of teaching would endanger their position in the classroom: ‘My
¹ In his article ‘Sapiens Digital: From Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom’,
Prensky (2001) has surpassed the initial division of media users into natives and immigrants, of-
fering a new categorization by dividing digital users into ‘skilled’ (digital skilness), ‘wise’ (digital
wisdom), and ‘digital fools’ (digital stupidity). Teaching staff who study the field of methodology
with children should not belong to this third category (Labaš 2013).
² The connection of contemporary young generations with technology is described by numer-
ous terms, such as net generation, cyber-kids, generation M (from English ‘media’), and a popular
moniker hoomo zapiens (Veen and Wrakking 2006), a connection of a Latin homo (man) and
zap-zap, an onomatopoeia of the sound of a laser weapon, which in the transmitted meaning
points to scanning information by looking at computer screens.
164
