listen to the natives

Jeff Glase jglase@mail.uas.alaska.edu 9-17-07

Listen to the Natives by: Marc Prensky



In the magazine piece Going Native Marc Prensky talks about today’s student being digital natives and compares them to those people who weren’t born into the digital world,he calls these people digital immigrants. It is time to shift gears and move teaching into the 21st century by starting to use tools like cell phones to do things like help students access language or vocabulary training. And maybe even have teachers deliver interactive lessons over cell phones. His idea is to compact legacy knowledge lessons to make room for 21st century learning. The idea that teachers are out of touch with student’s interest and needs in the digital world is emphasized in the quote that he uses from Henry Kelly, president of American Federation of Teachers, “the cookies on my daughter’s computer know more about her interests than her teachers do.”


REFERENCE POINTS:

1. Prensky believes that teachers must practice putting engagement before content when teaching.
2. Educators should take cues from students’ 21st century innovations and behaviors.
3. Student collaboration with teachers is important. Students should collaborate on everything including curriculum.
4. A web cam in every room to show parents what really is going on?
5. Personalized instruction, adaptive lessons geared to individual students’ abilities rate of learning would be possible with modern computers.



Not only is this a statement about how educators need to be aware of the digital world and learn how to incorporate digital technology into the classroom, but he also incorporates an education philosophy. The ideas of curriculum collaboration with students are a somewhat progressive philosophy. I think this is useful because in the digital realm the students may have a better idea of what will work for them, and so some collaboration could be a positive development. I especially like the idea of computerized adaptive lessons and testing. A computer that would instantly figure out a students learning abilities while they are using it is something I would be using right now if I had the capability and tools. This type of learning tool would fit nicely into today’s multi-cultural and multi-level classrooms. If I had access to cell phones that could help users access language or vocabulary training I would try to incorporate it into my curriculum. I know something like this would take several years to figure out and implement, but I think it could be very useful and very engaging for today’s students.