February-Digital+Natives,+Digital+Immigrants

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants A fundamental shift has occurred for educating the net-generation. Students of today’s generation, called //digital natives//, think, process, and acquire information differently than those of previous generations, referred to as //digital immigrants//. It can be argued that the brains’ of digital natives have physically changed, but certainly thinking patterns and functioning have changed as a result of growing up in a digitally-infused environment.

Digital natives have grown up in the digital age, and the language of technology has become primary for their cognition and even daily routine. However, digital immigrants are in the process of acquiring the language of technology, and therefore is stored and retrieved by the brain differently than in the case of a digital native.

A schism occurs when digital immigrants are reluctant to the language of technology and using it to teach digital natives. The assumption that content and methodology have not changed, even though rapid advancements of technology have occurred, is not valid. Emphasis needs to be placed on determining the historical content that remains important for student learning (legacy content) and the content that will be necessary for student success (future content)—including skills for acquiring content that is yet to exist. This is why “21st Century Skills” are so important for student learning and success.

Teachers who are digital immigrants need to rethink how to teach legacy and future content. Content will need to be presented fast, in multiple manners at once, graphically, and often in the format of a game and social-networking. This is the language of technology being used by the digital native.

The dramatic change in technology will result in a dramatic change in the educational process. The key to this change will be the acceptance of the technological change by digital immigrants.

[|Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants]