Digital Immigrants vs. Digital Natives.

I feel as though in the country of Digitaldom, I’m not an immigrant, but I’m not exactly a native either. It’s more like my parents immigrated when I was a little kid so I have a few remnants of the old country but I’ve Digitalized pretty well. In fact, if you didn’t know my parents were immigrants, you might not even detect my slight accent. At any rate, once I’ve taught for awhile I have a sneaking suspicion I will feel more and more like an immigrant. I grew up, for the most part, in the digital age so my brain is probably similar to that of a digital native. As Prenksy states in Part I of Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures….thinking patterns have changed.” (2001). Unfortunately, I believe some of those brain changes will be obsolete in 10-15 years. There will be a whole new digital “language” and I won’t feel so savvy. I was totally unaware that along with just being able to use a computer and other technological devices with ease, digital natives also think differently. “It’s as though their cognitive structures were parallel, not sequential. Linear thought processes that dominate educational systems now can actually retard learning for brains developed through game and Web-surfing processes on the computer” (Prensky Part II, 2001). Crazy. But good that we’ve recognized the differences. As far as technology in the classroom, the most I can remember in grade school technology-wise is having a very small portion of the semester or school year devoted to actually getting to use computers in a lab. Things weren’t required to be typed, even in English class (although I think most of us did). We certainly didn’t incorporate computer usage into everyday learning and I don’t remember much about actually being taught in a different way, thanks to my new digitally thinking mind…..or something. The biggest thing I can remember is using calculators and learning how to use them rather than actually being expected to know how to do certain functions in math class. In college things were different. Things had to be typed. Internet was necessary for many assignments. Grades, class schedules, and registration were all online. And of course, the dreaded Powerpoint reached its deathly boring peak. Lecturing aside, technology improved my learning experience in college, but probably not much in school before that. I will use technology in my classroom. I will try to never use Powerpoint. Hopefully I can use technology to show video clips or allow the kids to play games. I was in a classroom recently where the kids used the textbook software to do activities in class and also used computers to study for the AP exam. Mostly I’ll try to use technology to vary my lessons and to make learning more efficient and more hands-on for my students. I’ll have to get creative, all the time, because as Prensky says , “it generally isn’t that Digital Natives can’t pay attention, it’s that they choose not to” (Part II, 2001). In order to keep my students engaged I will have to incorporate technology into my classroom, or they’ll simply be too bored. I think it will work out nicely and overall, I’m glad we have that option.ResourcesPrensky, M.P. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon 9(5).Prensky, M.P. (2001). Digital Native, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Really Think Differently? On theHorizon 9(5).