Dr. Dave White presents a very interesting theory in the video Visitors vs. Residents. White suggests that a person is not characterized by their online skills, but by their "digital identity." He characterizes a visitor as one who views the internet as a tool or set of tools. A visitor does not maintain a social persona online, but uses the internet as a means to an end. A resident sees the internet as a park, or a club. The internet is a communal, visible, social space. Even when they are not online, some part of their persona lives online. "It's not about academic or technical skills. It's about culture and motivation."
I totally agree with this theory, and it makes me feel better about myself. I am a visitor. I have been so busy living life that I didn't have time to build a life online. I understand that social sites help people connect, but with 8 children, I am connected to as many people as I can handle. This needs to change for me. My dream is to be a teacher. I believe that as a teacher I represent the future to my students, their future. They must be willing participants in the global community in order to work, to communicate, to learn, and to problem solve. I must represent that pathway to my students, and truthfully in order for me to be the best teacher possible, I need help. There are so many brilliant, creative people that have been inspiring students for a long time. Time to join the club. There are many tools that I can use to help with lesson plans, ideas to prompt inquiry based learning, and research that I can use to inspire my students to be scientists in their everyday lives. I will probably always be a visitor, but I hope to be able to unpack all the tools on the internet to build my arsenal.
White, D. [Dave White]. (2013, May 31). Visitors and Residents [Video File]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFBadv04eY
I totally agree with this theory, and it makes me feel better about myself. I am a visitor. I have been so busy living life that I didn't have time to build a life online. I understand that social sites help people connect, but with 8 children, I am connected to as many people as I can handle. This needs to change for me. My dream is to be a teacher. I believe that as a teacher I represent the future to my students, their future. They must be willing participants in the global community in order to work, to communicate, to learn, and to problem solve. I must represent that pathway to my students, and truthfully in order for me to be the best teacher possible, I need help. There are so many brilliant, creative people that have been inspiring students for a long time. Time to join the club. There are many tools that I can use to help with lesson plans, ideas to prompt inquiry based learning, and research that I can use to inspire my students to be scientists in their everyday lives. I will probably always be a visitor, but I hope to be able to unpack all the tools on the internet to build my arsenal.
White, D. [Dave White]. (2013, May 31). Visitors and Residents [Video File]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFBadv04eY