Digital Natives--An Assessment

I.  Megan Fitzpatrick     mfitzpatrick@sisd.org    October 11, 2008

    Listen to the Natives  by Marc Prensky

II.  Overview of the Article

Prensky refers to today's students as digital natives, born and raised in the technological world. Students are contrasted with todays teachers as digital immigrants, who "retain an accent"  when using technology.  A shifting of gears is called for in curriculum in schools today to address this change in the population.  In an effort to hand over the reins and accept the evolution of student learning, Prensky makes several suggestions of how teachers may do this.  

III.  10 Points Prensky Makes on How to Hand Over the Reins to the Natives

1. Teachers needn't worry about content knowledge, they should do what they do best "lead discussions in the classroom"
2. Engage students electronically through "gameplay" and finding knowledge from each other because teachers who can teach are rare.
3. Work with students as guides for decision making rather than making decisions for them .
4. Move away from herding and towards one-to-one personal instruction and allow students to choose who they study with and the groups they belong to.
5. Incorporate digital tools into the classroom.
6. Students need to learn how to program
7. The "legacy" of today's curriculum should be consolidated to make room for 21st century knowledge.
8. After school education is taking precedence to the school day learning
9. Cookies on students laptops know more about a students interests than the teachers do.
10. Students don't have meaningful voices in their schools.  As the customers, this is unacceptable.

IV.  Reflection on the Article and Significance to Me.

This article had me torn.  On the one hand, the terms digital natives and digital immigrants are catchy.  Students are advanced in some aspects of the use of technology.  This doesn't lead me to believe that they should make their own decisions in directing their own education a la SpringHill existentialist school of thought.  I think this kind of freedom leaves serious gaps in their learning development.  Current unguided use of technology doesn't lead directly to quality transmission of knowledge based in critical thinking.  I see more gut reaction to the technology rather than creating a structured message.  Also, the article was utopian in striving for one-to-one personalized instruction for all students.  Even in schools with a small number of students like in bush communities at single teacher sites with multi grade levels in one class, this is nearly impossible, even with adequate technology available.  Yes incorporate technology in education but don't confuse this with allowing students to talk on their cellphones during class as a democratic form of voting "when educators fail to deliver compelling content."  Part of being in an institution is learning how to deal with people. Give other students the opportunity to learn without disrupting everyone.