Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

 This week, I read "The myths of the digital native and the multitasker" by Paul Kirschner, and also Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants by Marc Prensky. In this post, I will be sharing some of my reflections about these readings through answering the following questions:

- According to Prensky, what is the immigrant/native divide, and how has it affected how students learn?

Prensky states that the immigrant native divide is a gap in learning abilities between people or generations who have grown up with the internet (digital natives), and those who have lived without the internet (digital immigrants). Digital immigrants have a harder time reacting to content and educational materials that are digital because they spend so much time and brain power on understanding the internet and technology itself, rather than the material. Digital natives on the other hand, have the opposite problem. While adept with technology, they may struggle with readings and non-digital forms of learning.

What are some other myths Kirschner associated with Prensky's findings from 2001?

Kirschner illustrates that Prensky's findings may be flawed in that being a "digital native", does not necessarily make someone more adept with technology, even if they are more familiar with it. A great example would be the assumption that those more familiar with technology are able to multitask more efficiently, and therefore be more productive. Kirschner points out that this is not just untrue, but that multitasking may also have negative cognitive effects. Overall, I have interpreted Kirschner's piece to suggest that while Presnky's concepts of digital natives and immigrants may be a useful way of thinking or describing our fast-changing world, that these boundaries are not concrete, and people do not always have to fall into just one.

Who knows how education and learning will change in the near future, as technology moves so fast.