Digital Natives: born into a world of technology
Digital Immigrants: living in a world of ‘new’ technology
Analogous to a newly ratified nation on the world map, Prensky envisages we live in a world that is a mixing pot of ‘Natives’ and ‘Immigrants’. In the same way as has been seen in so many countries, it becomes important that both groups learn off each other. Prensky highlights the importance of teachers teaching ‘Legacy’ content, which is the literacy and numeracy skills that ‘Immigrants’ would have been taught at school; in addition to ‘Future’ content, which relates to skills involving digital technology.
Killen (2007) notes that an understanding of content is critical for effective teaching, so it becomes questionable how effective a teacher would be at teaching something they may not be as skilled as the student in. Student centred learning is based on the concept of students developing their own understanding of new content and information; why are students not given more free reign to utilise and develop upon their current abilities in conjunction with the teacher? Thus providing both with new learning opportunities (this thought is struck upon in Drew’s Blog – why not speak their language? ).
Teachers cannot expect to maintain pace with students and their technological ability, it needs to be remembered that each New Year brings more Digital Natives that are more accomplish than the last group. Teachers should embrace the thought that they can learn off their students. This should allow them to focus on teaching students skills that they would not know (ie ‘Legacy’ content) and then work with them to help them develop their techno skills. In doing so you would be teaching them to self educate and continue with learning long beyond formalised schooling has finished. Is this not the aim of school?
References
Prensky, M. (2001). On the Horizon. MCB University Press.
Killen, R. (2007). Effective teaching strategies: lessons from research and practice, Fourth edition. Social Science Press, Melbourne, Australia.
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[...] some can be held very firmly. We need to be accepting of differences (just as discussed regarding Natives and Immigrants) and embracing of what others may [...]