Teaching Digital Natives
You may have heard the terms Digital Native and Digital Immigrant... As you might guess; it refers to the generation that has grown up using computers, video games, mobile phones, digital music, video cameras, etc. The later refers to the rest of us who have had to learn and adapt to this "new language" in a digital age. Marc Prensky is one of the most well-known experts on the different learning styles of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. In his paper, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," Prensky describes today's students as follows:
Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to "serious" work. (Does any of this sound familiar?)This doesn't mean teachers should stop teaching traditional content in a logical, step-by-step format. Instead, it means that if we want students to "learn how to learn," we need to teach with the 21st century tools they have grown up with, understand, and are motivated to use. Find about 10-minutes to read the linked article; it challenges the notion that we can teach students the way we were taught.
No comments:
Post a Comment