I definitely consider myself to be a digital native. While I may not be the most computer-savvy person my age, I definitely take to new technologies and learn new things on the computer a whole lot faster than my parents do. I believe that the fact that I grew up in an age of advanced technology makes me better equipped to teach the future generations. The teachers of the future will be much more familiar with new technologies, having learned them from a very young age. I predict that the technology gap between teachers and students in the future will be a whole lot smaller. One day, everyone will be digital natives.
However, I don’t necessarily agree that “today’s youth are masters of multitasking.” Just because a child may be doing a Google search for a homework assignment while chatting with three different friends on Facebook does not mean that the student’s full attention is on any one thing. Personally, I am unable to get a meaningful learning experience out of technology when I am dividing my attention among ten different tabs on my computer.
I definitely think that Marc Prensky is right about the generation gap in referring to 21st century learners as either digital natives or digital immigrants. However, I do think that we can agree that many adults who were not born in the digital age have become fluent in new technologies. Many of my professors and teachers in high school have used digital media in really clever ways that have helped me tremendously, and these instructors were certainly not born into these new technologies.
It’s weird to think that the class of 2025 (current 4th graders) will not remember some of the things that made such a huge impact on my life growing up—including technologies that are now extinct. The class of 2025 will not remember VHS tapes, most likely. Awesome 90’s shows like Boy Meets World are before their time. While I grew up playing my Nintendo 64 with very old graphics, they grew up playing much more sophisticated Wii games. Beanie Babies have been all but replaced by Webkinz. They were also born after 9/11, an event that I still remember like it was yesterday even though I myself was a 4th grader when it happened.
However, I don’t necessarily agree that “today’s youth are masters of multitasking.” Just because a child may be doing a Google search for a homework assignment while chatting with three different friends on Facebook does not mean that the student’s full attention is on any one thing. Personally, I am unable to get a meaningful learning experience out of technology when I am dividing my attention among ten different tabs on my computer.
I definitely think that Marc Prensky is right about the generation gap in referring to 21st century learners as either digital natives or digital immigrants. However, I do think that we can agree that many adults who were not born in the digital age have become fluent in new technologies. Many of my professors and teachers in high school have used digital media in really clever ways that have helped me tremendously, and these instructors were certainly not born into these new technologies.
It’s weird to think that the class of 2025 (current 4th graders) will not remember some of the things that made such a huge impact on my life growing up—including technologies that are now extinct. The class of 2025 will not remember VHS tapes, most likely. Awesome 90’s shows like Boy Meets World are before their time. While I grew up playing my Nintendo 64 with very old graphics, they grew up playing much more sophisticated Wii games. Beanie Babies have been all but replaced by Webkinz. They were also born after 9/11, an event that I still remember like it was yesterday even though I myself was a 4th grader when it happened.
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