When Marc Prensky coined the terms “Digital Native” and “Digital Immigrants” he entered a stream of conversations on what it means to be a person living in the Information Age. According to Prensky Revisited by Jennifer Spiegel, she describes the impact of these terms and how it distinctly classified different generations of technology users into these two groups. Although these terms aimed to organize technology users, it also impacted how the “Digital Native” would be neglected in their development of current and future technological skills. Prensky’s implication on who “Digital Natives” are and what they know has done irreparable damage to school curriculums, student engagement, and academic success outcomes.
Alternatively, Spiegel suggests that the need to educate students on technology is paramount for students to be able to “engage in productive work,” (Spiegel 2018). Instead of leading with the assumption that students inherently understand technology without it being taught to them, she makes it clear that students should be given resources to understand technology as a precursor instead of an afterthought. As an educator, I agree with Spiegel’s stance on technology in the classroom and how it is more beneficial to teach students these skills instead of assuming they have already mastered the basics.
As humans constantly evolve, so does technology. The term “Digital Native” can be used for specific periods of technological advancement, but not as a catch-all for people born in a specific era. No one can be a native of technology or our digital landscape because it is constantly changing and shifting the rules. The goalpost will continue to move forward, but it does not mean people are not capable of learning new skills or using previous skills to work with technology.
Monday, June 29, 2026
What do you make of the positions of Prensky and Spiegel? Where do you stand on the “digital native” terminology?
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When Marc Prensky coined the terms “Digital Native” and “Digital Immigrants” he entered a stream of conversations on what it means to be a p...
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(Source: Wikipedia Commons) During the final half of my first year as a teacher, I thought about how beneficial it would have been if I taug...
Hi Adrienne! I totally agree with your ideas that the term digital native cannot be a catch-all for people born in a specific area because the digital world is constantly changing. I had a similar thinking as I was reading Spiegel's discussion of this outdated belief. In your second paragraph, you mention a need to teach children skills. I am shocked by the lack of discussion at my school about generative AI and student usage. At this point, I see it inevitable. How can we teach students the skills to use it critically? How can we still show students about plagiarism and citing sources? How we educate on the impacts. I am curious about any research that may follow and come out of these discussions the next few years (beyond the pool of research that exists currently). My vision is for students is to be able to fact-check and check their biases when it comes to how they view generative AI. What are they believing? Can they track this source back? I find that many times AI can contradict itself if you talk to it enough. Just some thoughts that came up as I read your post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post!
Adrienne, I appreciate that you call out how this classification of "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" neglects the need for youth to be taught digital skills. I also like that you name how no one can really be a "digital native" when our technological landscape is constantly changing. Thank you for these insights!
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