Learning in the Digital Age

I enjoyed reading Prensky’s article. I agree that it is important as educators that we understand that students are fluent in computers and the internet and that they learn through gameplay. These are 21st century skills that we need to emphasize in our classrooms.
I also agree that we can become better teachers of technology once we recognize and accept our own comfort level with technology. Once we do this we can better contribute to the learning of our students. I really liked the way Prensky described “digital natives” and “digital immigrants”. I grew up in the age of typewriters and before I knew it I was thrown into the world of computers, so I definitely see myself as a digital immigrant. Another important way in which we can become better teachers of technology is to learn to act as advisors and coaches to our students rather than lecturers. Through the use of technology we can let our students be involved in leading the discussion in the classroom. This is important because it allows students to take responsibility for their own learning which hopefully will keep them interested in the curriculum.
There were two points mentioned in the Prensky article that I do not necessarily agree with. The first deals with his point that students should be allowed to choose the groups they want to work with. I agree with this to a point. We should give students the freedom to choose their own groups some of the time, but it is also important that the students learn to work with others outside of their own comfort level. When they go into society they are not always going to be able to pick and choose who they want to work with. In addition, when students are allowed to work with people outside of their social circle it opens them up to new and hopefully different areas of information and knowledge that they would not have necessarily been exposed to.
The other point mentioned in the article concerns the use of cell phones in the classroom to teach about technology. Maybe this is the digital immigrant in me, but when he mentioned this I instantly thought of those students who may not have cell phones, in addition, I was thinking of the extra cost that the additional downloading, texting would add to the cell phone bill. I suppose the fact that I am recognizing this potential flaw in my thinking is the first step to opening up to the use of this type of technology in the classroom.