Digital Natives & Digital Immigrants

                                     

 In reflection to week 4's learning materials, I have decided to reflect on the following questions for this weeks discussion post! 

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

According to Marc Prensky, the digital immigrant & digital native divide represents the contrasting comfortability and skill that specific individuals have with our digital networks and platforms. As technology emerges, individuals who are more apt to new technology and digital resources are considered digital natives. Prensky describes how the difference between students who are digital natives and accustomed to new technology can contrast in the education system where they are being taught by generations who are digital immigrants. With COVID-19, there was a large transition to technology and digital resources as means for education and teaching through distancing, and digital immigrants were forced to apply their everyday teaching styles onto online platforms. Throughout his article, Prensky states these ideas and states "it is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors." 

According to Prensky, what category do you fall into, and how has this affected your learning?

According to the categories that Presnky has characterized, I feel as if I fall into the digital native section. I am pretty well versed in the digital platform and technology sector. I feel comfortable using it for school and feel as if it has benefited me in positives ways being able to comfortably navigate technology through academic purposes. I do believe that because my childhood was more non technology filled, I am more comfortable writing lecture notes down by hand and organizing my notes and finals preparations through binders and worksheets. In comparison to those who may be more comfortable doing ALL of their school work on their computers. 

Here is an article I found about how technology impacts education and academic performance among children.