I think it is rather easy to get sucked into what Prensky is saying, the report is easy to read, it makes light of things and it makes for entertaining reading. On further perusal I began to wonder where the research was to back up what Prensky was saying, unfortunately there didn't appear to be any, just anecdotal evidence. Also I think that Prensky makes some large generalizations when he says that "all" our students are digital natives. What happens if they are "brethren?"....sorry that's being a bit facetious! I meant what happens if they come from a background where they do not have, or cannot afford such technology that Prensky claims all students have on their person at any one time. He seems to lump all digital natives together as some form of homogeneous society that learns and interacts in exactly the same ways. As teachers we know that all learners are diverse and bring their own special needs and abilities.
I do agree with Prensky that children think differently now, they are more exposed to technology and are more comfortable with using it and giving it a go. An example from my own class is the use of a Lego Mindstorm robot. I basically showed the children how to set it up and then left them to see how they would cope. Within minutes they had the robot roaming all over the classroom, stopping when they clapped, kicking things, etc, they gave it a go and were not afraid if they got something wrong.
Hmmm so in retrospect what I have written at the start of the post doesn't make sense....perhaps its not such a fascinating and interesting article after all....shame on you Prensky...shame on you!
Just found this on another students blog,
Jamie Mackenzie takes Prensky by the throat and piledrives him into the mat!
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