The Economist has a story on March 4th The net generation, unplugged which looks at the popular idea of modern students being 'digital natives' - a different kind of person to most of their 'digital immigrant' teachers. The term was coined by Mark Prensky, and is very popular among people trying to excite teachers about the need for an educational revolution. But it is being widely questioned, says The Economist.
'Michael Wesch, who pioneered the use of new media in his cultural anthropology classes at Kansas State University, is also sceptical, saying that many of his incoming students have only a superficial familiarity with the digital tools that they use regularly, especially when it comes to the tools’ social and political potential. Only a small fraction of students may count as true digital natives, in other words. The rest are no better or worse at using technology than the rest of the population.'
The article is worth reading as are the very smart comments that follow it, mostly agreeing. An exception is from Don Tapscott who coined the term Net Generation in 1997. He says he has evidence that it is real.
I think the different generation message might make the conference speaker spreading it feel smart and superior and in the forefront of thinking, but it is a damaging message to teachers struggling with the challenge of learning a lot of new skills. The digital native idea suggest that they can never catch up with their students who have differently wired brains due to growing up with technology. I am old enough to remember the same argument being put regarding comics! Over-generalising about the young and about social trends contradicts the diversity teachers see in their students.
My post of just 12 months ago on this topic provides reference to a research project on the subject that is worth reading.
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