Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Article 2 Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Author(s) Marc Prensky

Publication Name On the Horizon

Publication Date October, 2001

Today's learner is not the same learner as those in the past. Prensky says that students today have spent their entire lives surrounded by computers, video games, digital music players, video cameras, cell phones, e-mail, and Internet. The article mentions that in 2001, the average college graduate spent only 5,000 hours reading while they spent 10,000 hours playing video games and20,000 hours watching TV. Because of this, students are processing information differently. He also thinks students' brains have physically changed. Preensky calls these "new" students of today "Digital Natives". He refers to everyone not born into the digital world as "Digital Immigrants".

I disagree that all Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been. Anyone in the classroom knows right away that today's students are different from those in the past. With the dynamics of today's students teaching like years past would not be suffice. Teach 21 is a new way of teaching. However I do believe there is not one perfect mold that all teachers should fit. We must adapt to each classroom of students and think about the individual students in that class. All students are different and learn differently; therefore, students should be introduced to a variety of different teaching strategies. In reality, students will not always be entertained. Students will have to develop projects and encorporate technology in the projects they design. Excel, Powerpoint, and Publisher are not for just businesses anymore. Kids are savy learners when taught.