Reflecting on the article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, by Marc Prensky

This article has helped me to put words to what is going on in our world today regarding technology, especially in education.  I feel that even though I am fairly comfortable with technology, I am a digital immigrant.  The other day I was having an issue with my iPod and my middle school cousin was at my house.  I asked him to help me instead of trying to troubleshoot myself.  I would have had to research a solution through Google.  He was able to fix my problem without looking anything up!  My family did not own a computer until I was in middle school.  I did not have to turn in typed assignments until I was in high school.  I have learned to use new technology in my classroom, and feel that I catch on pretty quickly.  I have also come to rely on technology throughout my daily life.  One way that I rely on technology is through my phone.  I carry it with me at all times to keep up with social media, check email, read news stories, Google something when needed, take pictures or video, check my calendar, write a digital sticky note, use gps and maps to locate a new location, entertain my 2-year old, and talk to people through texting, Skype, or a regular phone call. 

I was reminded yesterday how dependent on technology I have become when I forgot my phone and was out of town for the day.  I kept opening my purse to check my phone or would remember that I needed to ask someone something and would look for my phone to send a text.  It was kind of embarrassing to be constantly looking for something that wasn’t there.  It was also a weird feeling not having something that I have grown so accustomed to having.  If that is how I felt as a digital immigrant, how do our students feel who are digital natives?  They have grown up with current technologies and often times are told to leave it all behind once they enter a school building.  I couldn’t focus on what was right in front of me because I was thinking about what I needed to be doing on my phone.  How often are students having these same feelings?  This makes me begin think more about how I can integrate technology in my classroom in a way that makes the students feel comfortable and also promotes learning.  In what ways can I use the technological skills and proficiencies that my students already have to further develop their education?  How can I use technology that my students are competent with to teach decoding skills, comprehension skills, math computation, and math concepts and applications?