Is technology helping or hurting students today?

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants
written by: Marc Prensky

This piece was rather difficult for me to read because I found myself disagreeing and becoming frustrated with the piece and the writer. I understand and agree with the fact the today’s generation, which includes myself, is different and much more technology savvy from generations and students in the past but also disagree with many of Prensky’s ideas.

Prensky says “this so called singularity (an event which changes things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back) is the arrival and rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20th century.”

“Today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.”

Dr. Bruce D. Berry argues that “different experiences lead to different brain structures. It is likely that our students’ brains have physically changed.

I agree with the previous quotes but I also feel that although the digital native generation is the first generation to grow up with technology but people of previous generations tend to be just as attached to and savvy with technology.

“Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.” What about the students and child of this generation that can not afford to have these luxuries? There are plenty families that do not have the money to properly heat their homes or to put well balanced meals on the table, never mind own a computer or video game systems and pay the monthly bill for the internet. Where do these children fall? If teachers decide to change the curriculum and the way they teach what will happen to these students? Will they be able to adapt as well at the students that have access to the luxuries of technology?

“Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language, are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” Some teachers are still doing a wonderful job teaching “Digital Natives”. No matter how the students change there will always be “good” teachers who get through to their students and “bad” teacher who have difficulties getting through to their students. The “good” teachers are those who adapt and are constantly looking for new ways to relate to their students and improve their teaching. I think those teachers who struggle connecting with their students are just stuck in their ways and not willing to adapt the way other teacher do. Both students and teacher learn from each other.

“Digital Immigrants don’t believe their students can learn successfully while watching TV or listening to music because they can’t. Digital Immigrants think learning can’t or shouldn’t be fun.” I feel as though Prensky’s ideas are very general, not everyone feels this way nor does it apply to the entire population he is speaking about.
Prensky describes Digital Natives as “thriving on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work” doesn’t this apply to everyone. I don’t know many people who wish to take everything seriously over having some fun.