Listen to the Natives

Cristiane RibeiroGuilherme LourençoLígia Ferreira

“Schools are stuck in the 20th century. Students have rushed into the 21st. How can schools catch up

and provide students with a relevant education?” (PRENSKY,

2005)

“Times have changed. So, too, have the students, the tools, and the requisite

skills and knowledge.”

- Native speakers of technology.

- Fluent in the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet.

They have adopted many aspects of the technology, but just like those who learn another language later in life, they retain an “accent” because they still have one foot in the past.

The students do not engage themselves and they are not motivated.

We must engage them in the 21st century way: electronically!

But how can we do that?

The teachers can no longer

decide for the students; they

must decide with them.

It's only by listening to and

valuing the ideas of our 21st

century students that we will

find solutions to many of our

thorniest education problems.

Herding is students' involuntary assignment to specific classes or groups, not for their benefit but for ours.

No more herding. Nobody likes to be herded.

One alternative to herding is

having all learning groups

self-select.

One great advantage of

virtual groups over herds is

that nobody gets left out.

Everybody can find someone

in the world to work with.

By using digital tools, the students can learn how to:

By using digital tools, the students can learn how to:

Most of kids' education

occurs “after school.” This

is the place where 21st

century students learn

about their world and

prepare themselves for

their 21st century lives.

Our schools should be teaching

kids how to program, filter

knowledge, and maximize the

features and connectivity of

their tools.

Students should be learning

21st century subject matter.

The parents' voices are not aligned with students' real education.

In the 21st century, the lack of any voice on the part of the students will soon be unacceptable.

Problematic IssuesProblematic Issues

This text actually points out issues regarding This text actually points out issues regarding teaching and the classroom. Issues that are teaching and the classroom. Issues that are not intrinsically related to the digital era. not intrinsically related to the digital era.

“We also need to select our teachers for their empathy and guidance abilities rather than exclusively for their subject-matter knowledge. We all remember best those teachers who cared about us as individuals and who cut us some slack when necessary. In today's rush to find teachers qualified in the curriculum, we rarely make empathy a priority.”

Prensky’s reality and ours differ in many waysPrensky’s reality and ours differ in many ways

Many of the teachers nowadays are digital natives.Many of the teachers nowadays are digital natives.

The author is radical that makes feel as if the The author is radical that makes feel as if the predigital generation predigital generation is really ancient and also is really ancient and also “unworth”, that we should change all about “unworth”, that we should change all about methods owing to his point of view but we should methods owing to his point of view but we should adapt both and do not eliminate one or another.adapt both and do not eliminate one or another.

PRENSKY, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Available: http://tinyurl.com/3vagqh6

Listen to the Natives

Cristiane RibeiroGuilherme LourençoLígia Ferreira