Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants
"So I try hard,
in my thinking and writing, to see education through the eyes of those who were born in
this century (or almost)—through the eyes, that is, of the students who are receiving our
education, rather than through the eyes of their elders who provide it. I have come to see
clearly that the conclusions about education one draws from this alternative perspective
are very different from the ones nearly all educators, politicians, and parents are currently
drawing."-Marc Prensky
Marc Prensky coined the idea of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants in 2001 in his paper titled by those terms. Prensky updated his ideas in 2011 with the paper "From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom", from which the above quote is taken. Prensky describes Digital Natives as those born in the age of technology who speak the new digital language fluently and natively. Digital Immigrants are those who have had to learn the ways of technology, they did not grow up with computers, cell phones, ipods, and ipads. I feel that the dynamic of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants leads to part of the struggle in school today. Some Digital Immigrants who are teachers struggle to understand the mindset of Digital Natives. I personally feel that I fall into both of these categories depending on the type of technology. I cannot imagine a life without computers and the internet, because it has always been around. When my mom talks about typing her thesis paper on a type writer I feel like she is talking about the stone age. I learned how to use PowerPoint at a very young age, my brother and I even used it to make a Christmas list one year. However, in other ways I feel like a Digital Immigrant, amazed by the students I interact with and their mindset that has been shaped by technology. When I was in high school I had a cell phone, but it had 100 text messages per month and the only game was snake. The RAZOR cell phone proved far less distracting than iPhones with SnapChat, Twitter, Angry Birds, and on and on. I feel that my status as half immigrant half native places me in an interesting place as an educator. I can understand the frustration of other educators, as well as of students.
I feel that Marc Prensky, who began this fascinating and essential discussion at the start of the 21st century, added excellent insight in 2011. Too often teachers forget to think about what school is like for the student, when really, that should be our main focus. The goal is for students to learn as much as they possibly can to become the most successful and happy versions of themselves. When the cell phones are interrupting our lectures technology can seem like the enemy, but technology is part of the key to our students' success in the world. The alternative perspective that Prensky sees in our Digital Native students is something that all teachers should try to keep in mind when developing curriculum, lesson plans, and activities. By incorporating the aspects of technology that students love so much, we can make school more engaging to our students. So our high schoolers love instagram? Have them apply the same type of filters to photos in their presentations. Technology can be seen as the friend of education, rather than the enemy, as long as teachers can open up their perspective.
Marc Prensky coined the idea of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants in 2001 in his paper titled by those terms. Prensky updated his ideas in 2011 with the paper "From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom", from which the above quote is taken. Prensky describes Digital Natives as those born in the age of technology who speak the new digital language fluently and natively. Digital Immigrants are those who have had to learn the ways of technology, they did not grow up with computers, cell phones, ipods, and ipads. I feel that the dynamic of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants leads to part of the struggle in school today. Some Digital Immigrants who are teachers struggle to understand the mindset of Digital Natives. I personally feel that I fall into both of these categories depending on the type of technology. I cannot imagine a life without computers and the internet, because it has always been around. When my mom talks about typing her thesis paper on a type writer I feel like she is talking about the stone age. I learned how to use PowerPoint at a very young age, my brother and I even used it to make a Christmas list one year. However, in other ways I feel like a Digital Immigrant, amazed by the students I interact with and their mindset that has been shaped by technology. When I was in high school I had a cell phone, but it had 100 text messages per month and the only game was snake. The RAZOR cell phone proved far less distracting than iPhones with SnapChat, Twitter, Angry Birds, and on and on. I feel that my status as half immigrant half native places me in an interesting place as an educator. I can understand the frustration of other educators, as well as of students.
I feel that Marc Prensky, who began this fascinating and essential discussion at the start of the 21st century, added excellent insight in 2011. Too often teachers forget to think about what school is like for the student, when really, that should be our main focus. The goal is for students to learn as much as they possibly can to become the most successful and happy versions of themselves. When the cell phones are interrupting our lectures technology can seem like the enemy, but technology is part of the key to our students' success in the world. The alternative perspective that Prensky sees in our Digital Native students is something that all teachers should try to keep in mind when developing curriculum, lesson plans, and activities. By incorporating the aspects of technology that students love so much, we can make school more engaging to our students. So our high schoolers love instagram? Have them apply the same type of filters to photos in their presentations. Technology can be seen as the friend of education, rather than the enemy, as long as teachers can open up their perspective.
