Digital natives are individuals born after widespread adoption of digital technology who are fluent in using technology like the internet, computers, and mobile devices. Today's students have grown up surrounded by technology and spend more time playing video games and watching TV than reading. They use technologies like laptops, cell phones, social media as extensions of themselves. One implication for teachers is to become technologically savvy to teach digital natives effectively. Policymakers need to develop technology standards and assessments aligned with 21st century skills to equip digital natives for the future. Technology can enhance learning by expanding what is taught beyond the classroom and enabling different ways for students to demonstrate knowledge.

1. Educational Technology Essay
Thalia Banton
Educational Technology
Mr. Onywere
Bethlehem Moravian College
2BBA
February 21, 2014

2. Educational Technology Essay
Topic: Digital Natives
“What should we call these “new” students of today? Some refer to them as the N-[for
Net]-gen or D-[for digital]-gen. But the most useful designation I have found for them is Digital
Natives. Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video
games and the Internet”. (Prensky, 2001).
Young people currently at university and College have been labelled “digital natives”
(Prensky, 2001). According to www.techopedia.com website a digital native is an individual
who was born after the widespread adoption of digital technology. The term digital native doesn't
refer to a particular generation. Instead, it is a catch-all category for children who have grown up
using technology like the Internet, computers and mobile devices. This exposure to technology in
the early years is believed to give digital natives a greater familiarity with and understanding of
technology than people who were born before it was widespread.
Today‟s students through college represent the first generations to grow up with this new
technology. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames,
digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age.
Today‟s average college graduates have spent less than five thousand(5,000) hours of their lives
reading, but over ten thousand(10,000 )hours playing video games (not to mention twenty
thousand(20,000) hours watching TV).
The first concept Prensky describes is that of the Digital Native. The current generation
they have always had the Internet, laptops, cell phones with text messaging ,AIM, Facebook or
MySpace, PlayStations, digital cameras ,DVD players, blogs, and any other number of digital
technologies that allow them to instantly capture or communicate with the world. They use these
tools as extensions of their bodies and minds, fluidly incorporating them into their daily routines

3. Educational Technology Essay
(Prensky, 2005). They have learned the language of technology as they communicate instantly
with their peers. These students, like all Natives, adapt quickly to changes in their environment
and look for new ways to incorporate the latest technology into their fast-paced lives.
Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of
their lives. Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers,
video games and the Internet. Students demonstrate being Native Speakers of the digital
language by using language like OMG, sending emails, communicating with family and friends
across the world, to have fun, for educational uses such as to do assignments etc.
This provides an active experience for students. This means technology can equip
students to independently organize their learning process. So, instead of being passive recipients
of information, students using technology become active users. At the same time, technology
transfers some responsibility for learning to students. Through online learning (which provides
increased access to course content, more scheduling flexibility, and better access to alternative
education choices)and alternative media (such as digital games and project-based learning),
students have the flexibility to direct their individual progress.
Technology makes life much easier, most of all it saves time and energy. One positive
implication for the teacher who teaches Digital Natives is becoming or being technologically
savvy. Being technologically savvy means knowing a lot about modern technology, especially
computers. Becoming savvy with technology requires enthusiasm and alot dedications.
Technology is the fastest growing field right now and there's no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Technology is becoming more and more advanced. Being technologically savvy is not an
impossible task, but it definitely requires time and energy to master the basic. Therefore a
teacher who is technologically savvy will teach his or her students well and pass on knowledge

4. Educational Technology Essay
as he or she would have mastered the basic requirements. Also students will complete tasks
effectively and efficiently.
One implication for policy makers in their quest to equip Digital Natives with the required skills
for the future is Policies Related to the Use of Educational Technology for Learning. While
the recently released draft of the National Educational Technology Plan(NETP) (U.S.
Department of Education, 2010) puts a strong emphasis on 21st century skills and on using
technology to personalize learning, other recently released national standards and policy
documents(such as the common core standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts, and
the blueprint for the technology in specific academic content standards. Along with the
articulation of the standards will come the need to test students‟ knowledge of and skill with
technology? This will require the development of new assessments that are well aligned with the
standards. Existing high school tests, which traditionally require memorizing facts, often have
very little to do with what it takes do well in college or in the workplace (such as writing and
problem solving).There is a need for assessments that measure complex21st century
competencies and that incorporate the use of technology.
The Assessment and Teaching of the 21st Century Skills Initiative by Cisco, Intel, and
Microsoft at the University of Melbourne is undertaking some initial work in this area.
States also play a key role in supporting online learning. By establishing and financing virtual
schools that offer courses aligned with their standards, states reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act) do not explicitly address technology. The responsibility to
integrate the recommendations from the NETP with the common core standards and other
reforms falls on states and local leaders such as Ministry of Education. To effectively guide
practice, states should articulate Technology standards aligned with the NETP and related

5. Educational Technology Essay
standards (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009; International Society for Technology in
Education,
2007). In addition to separate technology standards, states should also embed an explicit focus
and can contribute to broadening available educational experiences that are attuned to individual
students „interests and needs.
Technology can support and enhance teachers teaching and student learning in three
central ways: It can expand the scope of classroom learning beyond the physical boundaries of
the classroom (and also beyond inclusion of only teacher and students) It can expand
accessibility of, and engagement with, content and information, It can expand the ways students
can demonstrate what they have learned.
Also three (3) ways in which the teacher can integrate technology in teaching and
learning, to aid in improving the quality of students‟ learning experiences is to improve the
quality of education for our students by the use of power point presentations to teach a lesson,
Showcasing videos, online forums/discussion, projects etc to facilitate different types of learners.
For example students who are auditory learners would love the integration of videos in class
while teaching a lesson. There interest would be catered for. Properly used integrated technology,
will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological
knowledge based economy. Technology integration provides students with equitable access to
the knowledge and skills necessary for college and career readiness.
Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and
transparent and when technology supports curricular goals. Many people believe that technology
enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects

6. Educational Technology Essay
while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while
providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office/world looks like.
Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem solving skills as
they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found
online. The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more
interesting, diverse, and current learning materials.
The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous
opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text. Using technology
for purposes, such as writing, research and analysis—rather than simply drills and practice—can
enhance student competencies that surpass the knowledge and skills typically measured in
achievement tests. These competencies include problem solving, creativity, collaboration, data
management and communication.
New technology tools for visualizing and modeling, offer students ways to experiment
and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as
an added benefit, with technology tools and a project learning approach which enable students to
use the internet, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral
problems in the classroom.
Integrating Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective
ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple
means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is
effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and
coach. Technology helps to make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.

7. Educational Technology Essay
In concluding, in education, instructional technology is "the theory and practice of design,
development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning,"
according to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Technology
enhances teachers teaching and students learning .Through technology students can demonstrate
what they have learned.
Technology makes life easier, it saves time and money. Properly used integrated
technology, will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly
technological knowledge based economy. Technology integration provides students with
equitable access to the knowledge and skills necessary for college and career readiness. It also
enhances the relationship between the teacher and students as there is immediate feedback. In my
opinion, technology is growing rapidly and as such students must be equipped with the skills and
knowledge needed to utilize these various technology efficiently and effectively or else will be
left behind as technology continues to integrate. Technology also provides an active experience
for students.
New technology tools for visualizing and modeling, offer students ways to experiment
and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as
an added benefit, with technology tools and a project learning approach which enable students to
use the internet, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral
problems in the classroom.

8. Educational Technology Essay
References
Barrs, K. (2011). Mobility in learning: The feasibility of encouraging language learning on
smartphones.
Bennett, S., & Maton, K. (2010). Beyond the „digital natives‟ debate: Towards a morenuanced
understanding of students' technology experiences.
MacLean, G., & Elwood, J. (2009). Digital Natives, Learner Perceptions and the Use of ICT. In
M. Thomas (Ed.).
Kopcha, T. J. (2010). A Systems-Based Approach to Technology Integration Using Mentoring
andCommunities of Practice. Education Technology Research and Development.
Zucker, A. A. (2008). Transforming Schools with Technology: How Smart Use of Digital Tools
Helps Achieve Six Key Education Goals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.