learningblog

Comment on ‘Listen to the Natives’ by Marc Prensky (http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200512_prensky.html)

This article suggests the idea of the present generation being digital natives, and older generations digital immigrants. This concept is useful in considering differences in learning, but we should be careful not to stretch it too far. Some previous generations are digitally competent, but they use these technologies differently to the ‘digital’ generation.

The d generation uses instant messaging when they are on their computer ‘doing homework’ to meet both parents and their own wishes at the same time. Whereas older workers can use internet and mobile,texting, but the fluency of their (and my) digital language is at a much lower level compared to the d generation. So you could say digital natives and digital immigrants are divided by a common language. Teachers need to make an effort to become more proficient at their students’ language.