Continuing our series of blog posts on the topic of Digital Literacy, today we'll discuss the difference between Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives and the possible issues both groups face when dealing with technology.
One of the ways people talk about Digital Literacy is in terms of its origin and popular words connected with the topic. One such discussion is around the generations born before and after the idea of Digital Literacy was introduced into our society.
Digital Immigrants are those born before digital technology was introduced into society.
Digital Natives are those born in the late 20th century after digital technology was introduced into society.
Both terms were first coined and defined by American educator Marc Prensky. Marc's books, most notably Teaching Digital Natives and Brain Gain: Technology and the Quest for Digital Wisdom, are available from the Free Library's catalog.
Digital Natives have been around and often immersed in digital technology so they are very comfortable using computers, the Internet, and smartphones. This generation expects technology to be a part of their everyday work and recreational activity.
When teaching and interacting with Digital Natives, the challenge for Digital Immigrants is to keep up with them while still ensuring that they learn the 3R's and information literacy skills to boot!
Check out this informative video on the interaction between Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants:
Please leave a comment and join in the conversation!
To see a broader discussion of Digital Literacy, visit my blog digitalliteracyvine.wordpress.com.
Additional research and content contributed by Peter Santa Maria.
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