Article Review- Listen to the Natives

Overview
Marc Prensky exposes two contrasting view points, those of the technological age referred to as digital native and those of the old way age referred to as digital immigrants. While the digital immigrants struggle with technology and their integration is minimal at best, students are fluent in technology. Students also have the ability to rapidly evolve just as technology continues to do. Since the students are no longer "little versions of us," even teacher selection should shift gears and those who have empathy and guidance abilities are sought rather than subject matter knowledge. Some main ideas of changes needed to fully embrace the technology age and truly teach the digital native, Prensky suggests:

• Teachers must put engagement before content teaching.


• Teachers needn't master all the new technologies, but should help students take advantage of the new tools by providing opportunities for interaction.


• To optimize student engagement and motivation, technology must be integrated through means such as "gameplay."


• Students should become partners in their education and choices must be made with them.


• Schools should have flexible organization focusing on one-to-one personalized instruction or having all learning groups self-select.


• Digital tools, like cell phones, should be embraced and integrated for student learning.


• Programming is a key for the next generation.

My Reflection

While I embrace almost any new technologies and revel when something new comes out and I can play with it, some of the ideas that were presented in this article are difficult for me to digest. Integrating various technology into test review, homework correction, interactive teaching, and interesting enrichment activities to spur on knowledge all seem to go well. But when a discussion comes along that teachers who know their content are somehow less desirable than a friendly guide, I feel violated and rendered as invaluable. Arguably, this is not about teachers but how to help students learn, students must have a well rounded teacher and not a pre-programmed computer game to replace all instruction.

The article brings out some points that some seasoned teachers seem to have missed lately and that is that technology does have a place in every classroom. As a parent, I expect grades and progress reports to be available online, I expect to have a teacher's e-mail address and trust they know how to reply, and when my children have computer lab I expect the lesson will go past naming the "funny little thing beside the keyboard" as a mouse.