© 2005 Marc Prensky

Teaching Today’s Students

with thanks to Marc Prensky, MICCA presenter, April 2005

Giving Our Students

What They Need

To Succeed!

© 2005 Marc Prensky

What percent of theworld’s population is

under 25?

Question 1

A 25%

B 30%

C 35%

D 40%

E 45%

F 50%© 2005 Marc Prensky

% Under 25?

50%© 2005 Marc Prensky

What percentage of our teachersare under 25?

Question 2

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Today’s younger learners are NOT the ones our

systems (and teachers)were designed and trained

to teach!

Why we have problems:

© 2003 Marc Prensky© 2005 Marc Prensky

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Today’s Students are

different

• 10,000 hours Video Games• 250,000 emails• 10,000 hours on cell phones• 20,000 hours TV (incl. MTV)• 500,000 commercials

• < 5,000 hours book reading

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Why?

• 2 billion ring tones per year

• 2 billion songs per month

• 3 billion text messages per day

© 2005 Marc Prensky

“Students are not just using technology differently today, but are approaching their life

and their daily activities differently because of the

technology.”

--Net Day “Speak-up Day” Summary

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Conventional Speed

Step-by-Step

Linear Processing

Text First

Work-Oriented

Stand-Alone

© 2005 Marc Prensky

The e-Life

Communicating email, IM, chat

Sharing Blogs, webcams

Buying & Selling ebay, papers

Exchanging music, movies, humor

Creating sites, avatars, mods

Meeting 3D chat rooms, dating

Collectingmp3, video, sensor data

Searching Info, connections, people

Analyzing SETI, drug molecules

Reporting Moblogs, photos

Programming Open systems, mods search

SocializingLearning social behavior, influence

Growing UpExploring, transgressing

Coordinating Projects, workgroups, MMORPGs

Evaluating Reputation systems–Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot

Gaming Solo, 1-on-1, small & large groups

LearningAbout stuff that interests them

EvolvingPeripheral, emergent behaviors

© 2005 Marc Prensky

When I was a kid

IT WAS BORING

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Where did you go?Where did you go?

““OUT”OUT”

What did you do?What did you do?

““NOTHING”NOTHING”

Where did you go?Where did you go?

““OUT”OUT”

What did you do?What did you do?

““NOTHING”NOTHING”

In my youth, this book was famous:

Today’s kids

GO ONLINE

© 2005 Marc Prensky

“I could have nothing to do and I can always find

something on the Internet.”

– A High School Student

“On the Internet you can play games, you can check your mail, you can talk to your

friends, you can buy things, and you can look up things

that you really like.” – A High School Student

© 2004 Marc Prensky

Yahoo Born to be

Wired Conference

Today’s kids

UNDERSTANDENGAGEMENT

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Learning feels like play when you have

ENGAGEMENT =

Motivation, passion

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Kids want to Feel engaged all the time

© 2005 Marc Prensky

Especially

In School!

© 2005 Marc Prensky