Tapscott Quote

A Quote from Tapscott (1996) Growing Up Digital:
"Growing up is about learning. The Net Generation are beginning to process information and learn differently than the boomers.... The destination is different and so is the route the kids must take."

This quote made me think of Mark Prensky's work.

Mark Prensky tells us that our students grew up on the “twitch speed” of video games and MTV. They are used to the instantaneity of hypertext, downloaded music, phones in their pockets, a library on their laptops, and instant messaging. They’ve been networked most or all of their lives. They have little patience for lectures, step-by-step logic, and “tell-test” instruction. They 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 thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work.

This causes problems in education. We, as instructors speak an outdated language to a population that speaks an entirely new language.

In his article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Mark illustrates that if we want to reach our students (he refers to them as Digital Natives) that we (the digital immigrants) will have to change. He talks about allowing random access to information rather than tasks in order, a quick academic pace, and movies rather than written instructions.

He claims that what kids are doing after school is preparing them for the future and it is these things that we need to pay attention to in our schools. In his article “Turning on the Lights” he speaks to four practices that will help us make education relevant for students and help prepare them for the future. In the article each of these is explained in detail:

1. Give the students opportunity to use technology in school.
2. Find out how students want to be taught.
3. Connect students to the world.
4. Understand where kids are going – that is, into the future – and help them get there.

This article is online and certainly an interesting read if anyone is interested. You can find it and others on Mark Prensky’s website. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp

Another article that was just put out in edutopia last month by Mark is also very interesting. It talks about how important it is to get input from students as to what stimulates or engages them in learning at school. There are also several comments to this article that follow.

What do I think of all of this? I think we need some change. I believe that teachers are becoming aware of the fact that we need to prepare students for learning. The question are how and when do we let students use technology such as cell phones and ipods and the like? Can we come up with a solution to these issues? Do we allow students on You tube? Facebook? What will be the consequences if we do? If we don’t? I think we need to find a way to live in harmony with these technologies. I am ready to accept change. Now we just have to determine what exactly that will look like.

Angie