To begin with, I would like to briefly describe two terms that have become widely spread: the so-called "Digital natives" and "Digital immigrants".
A Digital native is a person who was born during the introduction of digital technologies and interacts with them from an early age; as a result, they have a greater understanding of its concepts. Computers, e-mails, the Internet, cell-phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives. Consequently, the way they manipulate and process information has changed drastically to that of their predecessors.
At the other extreme, we find Digital immigrants who were born before the existence of digital technologies and adopted it to some extent later in life.
I reckon that this dichotomy poses a challenge to teachers who are trying to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the matter to make the most out of these new technologies for teaching purposes. The intended direction towards we are heading is an integrative approach, in which we incorporate these new developments as potencial tools that will foster and enrich learners' educational experiencies. Adopting an apprehensive position is not a viable choice; we cannot rely on traditional teaching as the only way out either. We are seeking to nurture our professional field and to provide high quality education, but above all, we are trying to reach our students, to engage them, and to help them grow up healthily without rejecting their worlds.
I found Marc Prensky's article about Digital natives and Digital immigrants to be enthralling and quite straightforward on the matter and I would like to have a say and share my humble opinion:
It goes without saying that this concept of "digital natives" cannot , by any means, be overlooked. Personally, I believe it is essential for us, as future professionals, to become aware of the fact that the introduction of digital technologies has provoked drastic changes in the way our students process and deal with information. We shouldn't think of this situation as an impediment for our teaching practices, on the contrary, we should embrace it and make the most out of it, since it can simplify and make the teaching-learning process an incredibly exciting experience for both, teachers and students. Nevertheless, we should be conscientious with regards to its use.
I have selected a fragment from the article that I very much agree with:
A Digital native is a person who was born during the introduction of digital technologies and interacts with them from an early age; as a result, they have a greater understanding of its concepts. Computers, e-mails, the Internet, cell-phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives. Consequently, the way they manipulate and process information has changed drastically to that of their predecessors.
At the other extreme, we find Digital immigrants who were born before the existence of digital technologies and adopted it to some extent later in life.
I reckon that this dichotomy poses a challenge to teachers who are trying to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the matter to make the most out of these new technologies for teaching purposes. The intended direction towards we are heading is an integrative approach, in which we incorporate these new developments as potencial tools that will foster and enrich learners' educational experiencies. Adopting an apprehensive position is not a viable choice; we cannot rely on traditional teaching as the only way out either. We are seeking to nurture our professional field and to provide high quality education, but above all, we are trying to reach our students, to engage them, and to help them grow up healthily without rejecting their worlds.
I found Marc Prensky's article about Digital natives and Digital immigrants to be enthralling and quite straightforward on the matter and I would like to have a say and share my humble opinion:
It goes without saying that this concept of "digital natives" cannot , by any means, be overlooked. Personally, I believe it is essential for us, as future professionals, to become aware of the fact that the introduction of digital technologies has provoked drastic changes in the way our students process and deal with information. We shouldn't think of this situation as an impediment for our teaching practices, on the contrary, we should embrace it and make the most out of it, since it can simplify and make the teaching-learning process an incredibly exciting experience for both, teachers and students. Nevertheless, we should be conscientious with regards to its use.
I have selected a fragment from the article that I very much agree with:
"(...) today's teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students. This doesn't mean changing the meaning of what is important, but it does mean going faster, less step-by-step (...)" I found this part of the article to be connected to what I mentioned above. This idea of trying to be updated to meet the increasing demands of our hectic world, together with the acknowledgement that things HAVE changed and the need to keep pace with these new developments.
And another one which I consider erroneous:
And another one which I consider erroneous:
"(...) Digital immigrants don't believe their students can learn successfully while watching TV or listening to music, because they (the immigrants) can't (...)" I do not agree with this passage. I think people need to be less narrow-minded about certain issues; our students skills shouldn't be underestimated, and we should be aware that we are constantly bombarded with information; hence, the way of coping with things will be different. A clear example would be the ability to "multi-task", doing one or more things at the same time. The way in which students approach general data is significantly different from previous generations and the brain structure has changed as well, allowing learners to focus on more than one thing at a time.
If by any chance you want to have a look-see to the whole article here is the link to it:
http://www.twitchspeed.com/site/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.htm
These images you see below epitomize the two concepts described in the article above: "Digital natives" and "Digital immigrants".
If by any chance you want to have a look-see to the whole article here is the link to it:
http://www.twitchspeed.com/site/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.htm
These images you see below epitomize the two concepts described in the article above: "Digital natives" and "Digital immigrants".
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| A pitiful depiction of a Digital Immigrant loosing his head over technology and the Digital native looking at him thinking: "poor guy... he's utterly technologically impaired" |
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| A clear example of how traditional teaching seems backward-looking compared to nowaday's reality. Reading, as a fine art, is also in decay. |
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