Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Marc Prensky is a speaker, writer, consultant,and inventor who focuses his abilities on improving the areas of learning and education. In his essay "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," he highlights how students today think and process information fundamentally differently from the older generation, due to being surrounded by and brought up with new technology. The author calls the older generation “digital immigrants” who are learning and adopting new technology and he names the younger generation "digital natives." He argues that digital natives should adapt teaching methods that compliment to the way of thinking of digital natives primarily through video game technology. While I agree that digital immigrants should acclimate to the new technology that is so highly utilized by digital natives but I don't think that it is necessary that all teaching methods be technology dependent. I think there should be a balance between technology and more traditional methods of teaching. Technology should be used by all means to help enhance understanding and learning for students but not to the extent at which it compromises their social skills and ability to communicate effectively.

Academic Bias

This past week in class we read various articles discussing the different opinions on the Academic Bill of Rights spearheaded by conservative David Horowitz. While I feel that it would be great if teachers offered different views of a topic to their students, I think what is more important is that the teacher prepares a student to think analytically and learn how to synthesize strong arguments. More energy should be devoted to cultivating these skills because they are more valuable to the student. The skills or critical thinking and evaluation are indispensable because bias is inevitable. Even if legislation attempts to minimize a bias environment inside the classroom, the moment that student steps into the real world where their knowledge is really tested and applied, the real world will not be free from bias. In fact, outside the classroom, bias is not just limited to academia, but it has infiltrated the media and corporate world. It is not news to anyone that each individual has his or her own bias or perspective. I think it is more practical to instill individual responsibility to recognize bias and know where to access differing viewpoints than it is to enforce it as a policy upon institutions to create a somewhat impossible unbiased setting. Moreover, the Academic Bill of Rights contradicts Constitutional rights in terms of Freedom of Speech. If any real issue of injustice were to arise in terms of unfair grading, unfair treatment, or discrimination in hiring faculty, I think the United States Constitution already addresses them. Thus, while the intentions of Academic Bill of Rights is not entirely bad, it also not necessary.