digital natives

i am most definitely a digital native. without a doubt i am have grown up in an age of computers and technology, and to be honest i don't know anything different. i cannot imagine a life where information is not readily at hand by the click of a mouse, or communication is not possible through a simple telephone call or message. i do remember these things as developing technologies during my childhood years, but as i was developing along with them, and had no real need for communication or information. therefore, it was only natural that these things became a part of my life. i shared in infancy with technology, and have experienced life growing up with this monster. i have never thought of the parallels between myself and technology until reading this article. prensky states that,"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"(pg. 1). upon reading this statement, it became clear to me that yes, i do process things in a different way than my parents and mentors, and this may be a huge reason why.

my world has always been centered on the premise of easy access to any and all information. there has always been a relatively quick way for me to gain knowledge by means of technology. prensky uses the word "instantaneity" to describe how we have been taught to receive and process information. i am used to an instant form of stimulus, communication, or access in almost all areas of my life, and being a digital native has led me to this behavior.

i have the pleasure of working for the past two years at david douglas high school in southeast portland. the school has had great access to technology, and for the most part has done an excellent job implementing it into the classroom. my work with special education had involved the use of computers, ipods, smartboards, document cameras, and speech devices to name a few. it was very rewarding to see how technology could aid in the education and adaptation of students with severe learning disabilities.

upon arrival at concordia university, i was thrilled to see the technology that is available to students. i am very excited to use this equipment, and i believe that it will help prepare me for any technology items i may run into in the classroom.

i believe that the use of technology in the social science realm is a necessity, and a great weapon to facilitate learning. prensky talks of using technology in the social studies realm. he states that if kids can learn 100 pokemon characters, then why can't they learn the names of all 101 nations in the world (pg. 5)? his answer to this problem is that it is in the way we present the information to students. i could not agree more with the author. why not create a video game that highlights country names, attributes, fun facts, and national history? maybe i am a history geek, but it sounds like fun to me.