Marc Prensky is a game designer. He has written several books on gaming and today's learners. Several years ago, in an attempt to help teachers understand that today's students are quite different from when we were school aged children. Today's children are quite different than even those students we had 10 years ago. How can this be?
Prensky tries to explain it all in these thought provoking articles:
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (pt 1)
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: Do They Really Think Differently? (pt 2)
Please post your thoughts after reading these articles. Are today's kids really different?
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10 comments:
I feel like I have seen evidence in my classroom and in my travels on the differences in how people think and how it relates to experiences. I would love to find more examples of positive learning games...I just don't feel like I am the one who is able to come up with the ideas of how to turn state standards into meaningful game scenarios that can be played online...
I am trying to imagine what a classroom would look like if the teacher were a digital native as opposed to an immigrant. I think that the traditional lecture would be replaced with a "digital scavenger hunt." Once students are aware of what material they are responsible for, they must then seek out this information individually and/or collaboratively using any variety of digital sources.
Although I do belive that kids today are wired differently, they still need guidance. The classroom teachers needs to find appropriate and effective activities/tasks. Kids still need feedback as they work and play.
Kim-
It isn't about turning content into games...although that might work too. It is about engagement...framing content and assignments in ways that are appealing to today's students.
The biggest difference I've noticed over the past several years is the decreased attention span. The research suggests that rather than fighting it, were better off accepting it and adapting our classrooms to this fact. I can understand this thinking, however, I still feel an obligation to help the student develop a linear, step-by-step approach to problem solving and the ability to effectively communicate the process face to face. It's a delicate balance that needs to be addressed as we move forward.
I find the Digital Native/Digital Immigrant classification very interesting. It really helps to describe differences in generations in a positive way. It becomes frustrating for me at times that I can't pick up new technology as quickly as my students. I act just like Prensky states, sometimes showing my students things step-by-step because that is how I learned it. They quickly remind me, however, that they can do it much faster.
I do think it is important to always be aware of new teaching methods to hook students. At other times I have to wonder if there are some things that just require "old fashioned" learning. I wish we could fast-forward 15 years to see what today's students would do differently as the teacher in a classroom.
I do feel that kids need more "action" to gain their attention while instructing. The students attention span is not close to what it used to be. They learn differently than we did and love hands on activities. I do think it is our responsibility to give them guidance and provide them with opportunities to enjoy school and learn/succeed at teh same time. We, as teachers, do need to change our methods or else we are doing the children a disservice.
In the past, I think I have always felt like adding technology to a lesson whether it be just using the projector, a united streaming clip, or a powerpoint has always been a "bonus" to my lesson. After reading Marc Prensky's article and hearing the information from Mark Richardson this week, I'm now feeling that it is a must. I'm imagining how much more excited and engaged students would be in our health classes with a different approach, such as asking them to create or listen to informative podcasts on a topic rather than hearing the information from me only.
I do see the difference in the children today and feel there is a need to connect with this learning style.
I like how the article stated that, "Teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students. This doesn't mean changing the meaning of what is important or of good thinking skills." I think by communicating with students using their "language" the critial thinking and excitement for learning reaches all new levels. For teachers too!! I know I have left class wanting to learn more and reaching to be more proficient...possibly even accelerated?;)
I actually laughed while reading these. My mom has a file folder filled with emails she printed out. Now my sister is doing the same thing. I agree with Kim. It's all about engaging students. I would love to hear what teachers in the 50's + 60's said about those students growing up TV. Now some teachers have gone from using the TV to projectors. I think Ken will get to see what a classroom will be like that is run by a digital native. Unfortunately, we will probably find that those students are different than their teachers were too. Will the gap between learner and teacher ever be closed?
PS. I still print to edit. How about you?
I have definitely seen a difference in student engagement over the years. I feel that they constantly want to be entertained and want school to be "fun". Is this because they are digital natives? I know that I have had to learn to accept the way students edit papers. Last year I stopped making them print out their first draft to edit then fix on the computer. Just because I work better that way, doesn't mean the students have to do it that way. They are more comfortable working straight from the computer screen.
Teachers today need to learn new ways of teaching and need to be flexible to adapt to our digital native students.
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