Prensky and 'Digital Natives'

According to Marc Prensky, there is a special term we can give to those born right around the creation of the internet, digital natives. These individuals are the first to exist on the internet for their whole lives, and have been the first to grown up with the internet and social media intertwined with their development. Digital immigrants on the other hand, are those that were born before the internet, and had to learn how to use it in their daily lives far later in life. 

This seperation between digital natives and digital immigrants causes a native/immigrant divide in understanding and use of the internet. Natives have learned to incorporate the internet into daily life and have create different internet cultures and languages/communication styles. Digital immigrants on the other hand are much more limited with the inclusion of social media and the internet in their day to day. They also have a shallower understanding of how to use the internet and other tech. 

This in tern affects students learning because students today are within the age group to be considered digital natives, while most of their teachers are digital immigrants. This leads to teachers using older practices and methods that they are used to and can understand. Meanwhile other very beneficial concepts are not be taught because it involved tech and technical knowledge on the teachers part. Also, in todays age more and more industries are relying on tech and teaching these concepts to students is important, but they are not getting the knowledge they need because their teachers are on the other side of the divide. 

According to Prensky's qualifications and timeline, I would be considered a digital native. This has affected my learning because I have grown up utilizing tech and the internet to advance and expand my learning outside of the classroom, and beyond what my teachers, who have been digital immigrants, are able to teach me.