Digital Natives; Myths Vs Reality

Are Digital Natives a myth or reality?

Digital natives have been an important topic of conversation in my current university studies. It has got me thinking, are digital natives a myth, or is this our new reality? In his article "On the Horizon," Marc Prensky talks about the new ways of learning in our school system and compares it to how our parents and grandparents used to learn (Prensky 2001). Prensky states that "Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach" (Prensky 2001). When I read this, I have mixed emotions. How does this make me feel? Am I disappointed in today's world and the way children learn? Or is this something that, along with other aspects of schooling, will continue to change over time?

When I think about the way I grew up and was educated, digital mediums were present, although the use of textbooks, storybooks & whiteboards, and hands-on learning, was the most evident. Did I miss out? I don’t believe so. Entering back into the world of learning in a classroom, I have struggled to come to terms with the massive use of technology and how this affects the modern world. I almost feel left behind. Marc Prensky describes people like myself as “Digital Immigrants” (Prensky, 2001). Amongst the cohort of young adults, I find myself labeled as an immigrant. I believe after leaving school and moving into the working world, I have let my ability to learn and grow digitally diminish. Although I don’t see being an immigrant as a negative, I do see it has to be a challenge for myself as an individual.

“Digital natives are working in your organization today. They are solving business problems, building social networks and creating new processes—with or without your help and support” (Gartner 2011). Considering the profound change in society, I don’t believe that it is a negative as such; I just see it as a change. Our world continues and will forever continue to change in more ways than just digital. This doesn’t mean that anyone is better than one another; it just demonstrates the growth in our children, life, and culture.

The availability of technology in today’s world is more apparent than it was in the world of an immigrant. As teachers and educators, it is important to find what learning means to us and how we can portray that to our students in our classrooms. This may mean that we have to challenge our learning and potentially learn with our students. In the article “Can we teach digital natives digital literacy?” Wan Ng acknowledges that young people are growing up in a world full of technology, and their brains will develop differently to the generations before them and even before them.

In my studies thus far, I have recognised the importance of continual learning digitally, which has made me realise the importance of growing in all areas. Once I become a teacher and graduate from my studies, I will continue to look for ways to continue my learning and adapt to society changes. Although I do believe that I didn’t miss out in my time of learning, I will work on the importance of learning in today’s society while bringing in the ways of learning that I had in my schooling time.

To conclude, I re-ask myself, are digital natives a myth or reality? Although some of you may beg to differ, I believe that Digital Myths are our reality and will continue to be forever.

Reference List:

Ng, Wan. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers and Education, 59(3), 1065–1078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816

Thomas, Michael. (2011). Deconstructing Digital Natives. In Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203818848