Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

“Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” (Prensky, 2001). The following quote was found in the article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants by Marc Prensky. When I first read this quote, I had to take a step back. Then I thought if students are no longer who teachers were supposed to be teaching then who are we supposed to be teaching? Why would Marc Prensky include this quote in his article?


As you start skimming the article, you learn about digital natives vs. digital immigrants. Digital natives are those that grew up around technology, whereas digital immigrants are those that did not. For example, natives would be most students in the K-12 educational system and the immigrants might be their grandparents.


While it is important to recognize that there are two different classes, it is especially important for teachers to adapt to meet the needs of the student, even the technological needs. Some teachers feel that students cannot learn through a computer. However, these students grew up on the computer and can sometimes learn faster than the teacher. Even though computer and technology can have its downfalls in school, it can also have benefits. Teachers can have students participate in virtual field trips, games (i.e. Kahoot or Blooket), and webquests to review and learn material. Howard Gardner came out with the Theory of Multiple Intelligences which means students learn in a variety of ways. Teachers must remember this and adjust their learning to these needs. 


Even though teachers may not like technology because they are not used to it does not mean it cannot work in the classroom. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. You might find that by using technology in the classroom, your students retain more information than a normal lecture. 


References

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

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