Matt LaFleur

Advance Instructional Technology

BR2
Book Review of From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom; Part 2 by Marc Prensky
Summary:
In the second part of From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom, author Marc
Prensky illustrates practical advantages and obstacles that come to introducing
technology into the classroom. Throughout this section, Prensky makes the
argument for the infusion and implementation of 21 st century skills and tells the
reader why and how these technologies should be utilized by all teachers around
the world.
He begins by explaining that technology should not be used just because it is
there or to better prepare our children, our rockets, for a better chance at a high
paying career. He says that technology should be used as a tool to show students
how to teach themselves. The teachers role in this then goes to instructing the
proper ways of getting the most out of the technology and mentoring, dropping the
old ways of lecturing as a means of instruction. He quickly denounces those
teachers who fear technology, the ones that immediately ban its use as soon as the
kids enter the school grounds. He describes these educators argument of the
backup education, stemming from the fear that one day technology will not be
available and our students will not know what to do without it.
Prensky then goes into the offensive, giving the reader practical ways that
they can begin using these ideas in September in order to give our students a real
education that can solve the worlds problems. These tips include relating to
student passions, reducing the amount of telling, beginning each day with
relaxation exercises, set up students with electronic pen pals across the world and
to allow students to use their own devices in the classroom. He favors YouTube and
explains to the reader its history and learning benefits of using this very powerful
vein of information and instruction in the classroom. He believes that YouTube and
its success is demonstrating how communication is changing very rapidly, even
going so far as to take the argument that reading and writing are becoming a less
effective means of relaying information to the masses.
Further closing obstacles and loopholes in using technology in the classroom,
Prensky gives the reader some practical advice on how to give every student an
equal opportunity to be exposed to technology in the classroom, regardless of their
socioeconomic status and availability of technology in the home. He urges the
educators of today to be digital multipliers finding ways to share technology, keep
computer labs open later or finding organizations who wish to donate technology to

schools. If technology comes into the classroom, Prensky also feels it should be used
correctly, offering up the difference between search and research. He believes that
teachers need to show students this very important difference, making sure they
know that just because information is there does not make it useful or credible. We
need to show students how to conduct proper research if they are expected to be
self-learners.
Review:
I found Marc Prenskys Part 2 of From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom just as
engaging as Part 1. All of the questions and problems that he illustrated in the first
section of this book have been answered in such a throughout way. He leaves no
loophole unanswered. His essays are not only powerful, they are empowering. So
empowering that I may need to have a talk with my principal or even the
superintendent if I have to.
My summary of Part 2 is incomplete but I have not forgotten about my
favorite chapter What Can You Learn From a Cell Phone? Almost Anything!.
Compared to other schools in my district, I consider mine to be blessed with
technology. Our school now has three computer labs and two carts with 30 fully
loaded iPads on each. I praise my staff for finding ways to get this technology into
the classroom but this is still not enough. Well, not enough for me. You see I am the
art teacher. My school has on average 850 students divided into 34 classrooms
ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. With most of the computer lab time being
devoted to online test taking and only two iPad carts the chances of me ever getting
a chance to use this technology is slim to none. My classes are only 40 minutes long
so spending the time to walk to the computer lab, logging everyone in and fighting
the glitchy computers when problems arise (and they do, all the time) takes the
majority of the time before their teacher comes to pick them up. Even the iPads can
be cumbersome with the small amount of time I get with a class every week.
That is why with the advice given by Prensky in his chapters on being digital
multipliers and the benefits of using cell phones as learning tools, I feel prepared to
lead the fight for bringing BYOD to my art room. Cell phones are extremely powerful
tools, burning holes in our students pockets yet we do everything in our power to
banish them from our classrooms, claiming they disrupt our education. The one
thing that I do wish Prensky would have acknowledged in his chapter is the fear of
Digital Immigrants that allowing students to use cell phones gives them the power
to play games or troll on Facebook instead of completing the task at hand. My
argument to them is that like any tool being introduced to students it is the job of
the instructor to show them the proper ways to using it. Prensky does acknowledge
the possibility of students using their phones to cheat on test but does not offer any
advice on how to prevent this when convincing administration, senators,
congressmen, etc to encourage the use of cell phones for educational purposes.
How does one turn off the distractions of app notifications, unrelated text

messaging or mindless Twitter updates? I feel it really comes down to management,

classroom circulation and most of all, engagement. I firmly believe that the goal of
21st century learning is not to ban or fear these possibilities but to create
meaningful lessons and experiences that out-do these distractions, convincing our
students that the assignment is much more fun than Candy Crush or Pokmon Go.
Marc Prensky sees these challenges and encourages us to see them too,
aiding him in his fight to advocate for these tools in our classrooms. With his
thorough and convincing approach to 21st century learning it is hard to refute his
arguments. Doing so would rely heavily on the fear of the Luddite, that the old ways
are the best ways. Oh well. At least our children will be good at long division and
cursive.