Immigrant or native...technologically

What I gathered from Chapter 1 was how literacy has evolved over the years- and that even though literacy was confined to just reading and writing, Changes in the economy and we are now talking new literacies such as
In Chapter 2, the author outlines the two different mindsets and as I read this chapter it became clear to me what mindset I belonged to.
Since I’m over 35 I’m definitely a newcomer. I cannot afford to be an outsider any longer and more so because most of our students are insiders.
A newcomer like me can be an insider, but it takes time and it depends on how motivated I’m. The people in The First World became Insiders by default because they were born into it. They grew up in both the physical space and in cyberspace hence becoming ‘insiders by default’
On one level, I agree with what Barlow says that even though there are hordes and hordes of newcomers, some are approaching it inappropriately. So is there a particular standard on how to navigate the internet? I however disagree with his view that the children will be protected against anything offensive by how you(parent/guardian) raised them ‘to find it as distasteful as you do’.

Internet Safety
What I find troubling about the access to the Internet in the classroom is the loss of moral responsibility on the part of the student. If Barlow argues that censoring the sites that students go to offers a ‘distorted experience’ I’m not sure if we’ll be upholding our moral and professional responsibilities. I think that on the same note, if students are allowed to navigate the internet as freely as they wanted they’ll still probably reap a distorted experience to a certain degree.
Student safety on the Internet relies heavily on constant surveillance of websites that students are visiting .Our kids also have learned to multitask. They are the insiders and can expertly or successfully participate in a classroom discussion while blogging at the same time.The security measures imposed in schools regarding student Internet use have both positive and negative educational implication. On a positive note, the security measures help teachers maintain their moral and professional obligation while the students on the other hand suffer in the sense that they cannot gain full access to pertinent information they might need for research purposes.

School Technology Policy
The school technology policy is self contradictory. Even though it seeks to all students school wide to gain access to technology and blah blah blah-it’s just that. Sometimes reaping the full advantages of technology is a myth. Quick example-In the past, my school has had some security lapses and as a result some classrooms lost quite a good number of laptops. Strict measures were quickly established including if the tech coordinator is away and so are the laptops. This meant that the technology workstation that had been set up for the day flew right out the window-So the teacher is left to come up with a different plan altogether. I mean I could go on and on-if you have the time-but then again you get the idea.

User Friendly
According to the author, Google – born from Web 2.0 –has made it easier to gain information. ‘Google bombing’ and ‘Google whacking’, and ‘tagging’ are some of the terms that have emerged to provide quick links or pave the new literacies path .It was interesting to learn that Google's success actually relies on consumers’ collective participation. The consumer becomes the yardstick that shapes what new trends are evolving in the digital world.
Being a newcomer, I have found myself sometimes relying on my students to help
me resolve some tech glitches. I hope that I'll soon be the tech guru-the insider.