As I read Marc Prensky's article titled Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants I was intrigued by the major theme of division among teachers and students in the United States in the realm of education. Prensky elaborates upon this divide using examples of the "tradition" teaching methods used today in contrast with the ever-changing technological advancements of students in today's classrooms. Prensky is pressing for change to be made within education, changes that align with the changing technology that is made available in our world. The division between the digital natives and the digital immigrants was a new idea for me to process, and in many ways I was impressed and challenged by the idea of forming education around the students world.
The proposition of creating a new way of teaching is extremely daunting, but Prensky states, "So we have to invent, but not necessarily from scratch." I found this quote refreshing, there is a foundation of teaching that has been established in our country that has been successful in many ways, but we must acknowledge the changes in our world and accommodate to them. Real word application is key for students in today's world and as more students become more attached and influenced by technology, the more the educational system needs to incorporate it into the classroom. Through this article I learned that change is not only possible, but necessary and as I continue on my journey towards teaching I am excited to learn how I can become more technologically savvy to ensure my students have an educational experience that will help them all through their lives.
You kept a really open mind while reading this article. I feel like most people would argue that we need a little of both. It is kind of interesting to find someone so flexible, but I think what you gleaned from the article, we need to make our teaching work in the student's world is very true. As teachers' if our goal is for the student's best future then we need to be willing to do whatever to make that happen.
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