Marc Prensky © 2008 Marc Prensky New York City Department of Education Using Technology for Differentiation to Meet the Needs of All Learners October 6, 2008 New York, NY 01

© 2008 Marc Prensky My Education Credentials (1) Master of Arts in Teaching (Yale) Taught NYC High School Math (5 yrs) Ran a NYC Street Academy Taught Elementary School French Taught College Music Still Tutor Algebra & Geometry Have interviewed close to 1000 kids

© 2008 Marc Prensky My Education Credentials (2) I am a proud product of the NYC school system!! I am a proud product of the NYC school system!! PS 63, 201 JHS 216 (Campbell) Jamaica High School

© 2008 Marc Prensky FL, L.A. Virtual Schools Courses Chemistry Game (MeCHeM) Physics Game (Waste of Space) Periodic Table Cell Phone Game (EleMental) Financial Literacy Game (MoneyU) GAMES A LA CARTE – Make your own Algebra I Game (The Algebots, in development) Reading Teacher Game (to come) Education Projects My Company

My Latest Book: © 2008 Marc Prensky

How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids for Twenty-first Century Success – and How You Can Help!

Japanese Italian Korean Chinese Greek Portuguese Spanish TRANSLATIONS

© 2008 Marc Prensky 1. How do we engage students? 2. How should we teach them? 4. What is the role of the teacher with regard to technology? 3. What is the role of technology?

© 2008 Marc Prensky 1. How do we engage today’s students? 1. How do we engage today’s students?

Video: A Vision of K-12 Students Today

“ENGAGE ME or ENRAGE ME” – Dr. Kip Leland LAUSD LAVA © 2008 Marc Prensky

The issue is NOT that educators don’t know about engagement © 2003 Marc Prensky © 2008 Marc Prensky

The issue is that Engagement is changing © 2003 Marc Prensky © 2008 Marc Prensky

not “little us’s” anymore! © 2008 Marc Prensky

Did You Have A Good Summer? © 2008 Marc Prensky

Did Your Kids? © 2008 Marc Prensky

How many of you have sent an in the past 24 hours? © 2008 Marc Prensky

“ is for old people” – A student © 2008 Marc Prensky – A headline in The Chronicle of Higher Education

© 2008 Marc Prensky You Tube: Young Kids on Cell Phones at Party

© 2008 Marc Prensky

5-10,000 hours Video Games 250,000 s & IMs 10,000 hours on cell phones 20,000 hours TV &You Tube 500,000 commercials < 5,000 hours book reading © 2008 Marc Prensky Why? Digital Technology by age 21, on average:

2 billion ring tones per year 2 billion songs per month 6 billion text messages per day © 2008 Marc Prensky

Relatively Slow Pace Step-by-Step One thing at a time Text Primacy Task-Oriented Stand-Alone © 2004 Marc Prensky

Relatively Slow Pace Step-by-Step One thing at a time Text Primacy Task-Oriented Stand-Alone © 2004 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky Sky (b. 2005)

© 2008 Marc Prensky

What makes someone a Digital Native? © 2008 Marc Prensky

X X √ √ Knowledge? Capabilities? Attitude? Comfort Level? What makes someone a Digital Native?

What makes someone a Digital Immigrant? © 2008 Marc Prensky

Printing out our s Not instinctively going to the Internet FIRST Not sharing – thinking “Knowledge is Power” Assuming “Real Life” happens only offline Defining “Rigorous Learning” as ONLY – the teacher talking and students listening, – students doing boring worksheets. Thinking the way WE learned to do things is the right (or, worse, the only) way Those who didn’t grow up with technology often have a “Digital Immigrant Accent” © 2007 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky “ There’s so much separation between how students think and how teachers think” -- a (female) high school junior

One size fits all Doing & Gameplay Digital Natives Digital Natives learn from © 2008 Marc Prensky Digital Immigrants Digital Immigrants teach by One Thing at a Time Linear Stories Presenting & Telling Multi-tasking Lots of Choices Random Access & Exploring Options Delivering contentBeing Engaged Face-to-faceGoing Online Little changeCont’s improvement

Some think technology is the answer to getting engagement © 2008 Marc Prensky

But you can add all the technology you want © 2008 Marc Prensky

And it won’t help much… © 2008 Marc Prensky

If it’s not well-integrated with the teaching © 2008 Marc Prensky

Today, engagement is NO LONGER Something we can do TO students

© 2008 Marc Prensky with Today, we have to In order to engage them in learning

Talk with them © 2008 Marc Prensky Engaging With Students

© 2008 Marc Prensky We will find that

Our students are GLOBAL CITIZENS! © 2008 Marc Prensky

“We want to connect” © 2008 Marc Prensky

with each other © 2008 Marc Prensky

and… © 2008 Marc Prensky

With THE WORLD © 2008 Marc Prensky

They want to affect the world and improve it… © 2008 Marc Prensky

while they’re still in school! © 2008 Marc Prensky

And they want TOOLS that make this possible © 2008 Marc Prensky

Technology is changing exponentiailly

© 2008 Marc Prensky CHANGE TIME Our Students’ Lives © 2008 Marc Prensky

[our kids were] “born to the idea of rapid change” -- Nicola Griffith in Slow River (1995) © 2008 Marc Prensky

And in most fields…

…tools have changed © 2008 Marc Prensky Medicine Law Science Architecture Auto Repair Sailing Flying

© 2008 Marc Prensky Tools have changed for our students OUTSIDE of school

© 2008 Marc Prensky “After School” (21 st century learning) Future Learning – Stuff they Know they Need PULLED BY KIDS = Exciting Our Kids’ Education is Splitting Quickly Into “School” (Credentials) Legacy Stuff – Stuff that is Irrelevant PUSHED ON KIDS = Boring School “After School”

The emerging ONLINE LIFE of the Digital Native © 2008 Marc Prensky

The e-Life Communicating IM, chat, texting Sharing Blogs,MySpace,Facebook Buying & Selling ebay, craigslist Exchanging peer-to-peer Learning Wikipedia, You Tube, search Meeting Virtual Worlds Gaming Online, MMORPGs, Cell Phones Searching Info, connections, people Analyzing SETI, drug molecules Reporting Moblogs, photos Programming Open systems, mods search Socializing Learning social behavior, influence Growing Up Exploring, transgressing Coordinating Projects, workgroups, MMORPGs Evaluating Reputation systems– Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot Collecting Mp3s videos, sensor data Creating Sites, avatars, mods Evolving Peripheral, emergent behaviors © 2008 Marc Prensky REFERENCE

The e-Life Communicating IM, chat, texting Sharing Blogs,MySpace,Facebook Buying & Selling ebay, craigslist Exchanging peer-to-peer Learning Wikipedia, You Tube, search Meeting Virtual Worlds Gaming Online, MMORPGs, Cell Phones Searching Info, connections, people Analyzing SETI, drug molecules Reporting Moblogs, photos Programming Open systems, mods search Socializing Learning social behavior, influence Growing Up Exploring, transgressing Coordinating Projects, workgroups, MMORPGs Evaluating Reputation systems– Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot Collecting Mp3s videos, sensor data Creating Sites, avatars, mods Evolving Peripheral, emergent behaviors © 2008 Marc Prensky

…for them, tool switching is already close to instantaneous Yahoo Search iPod TV Hard Drive Google Search IM vPod You Tube Flash Memory

“The single largest differentiator … is the social network.” -- Jack Mckenzie, SVP Frank N. Magid Associates © 2008 Marc Prensky

“The single largest differentiator … is the social network.” -- Jack Mckenzie, SVP Frank N. Magid Associates © 2008 Marc Prensky

Tools are finally starting to change In education!

© 2008 Marc Prensky Our students tell us…

“We grow up interacting – through computers and through our cell phones – and that’s how we learn. – A graduate student © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Why do we have to adapt to the past? Why shouldn’t we be taught to in different ways!” – A College student © 2008 Marc Prensky

And beg us…

“Give us 21 st century tools!” © 2003 Marc Prensky© 2008 Marc Prensky

“Tools that inspire us” © 2003 Marc Prensky© 2008 Marc Prensky

3D PRINTER © 2008 Marc Prensky

3D PRINTER OUTPUT

HERE TODAY… Destination Math & Reading by Houghton Mifflin Rosetta Stone Waterford Early Learning by Pearson Gizmos by ExploreLearning Raz-Kids by Learning A-Z Encyclopedia Britannica Earobics by Houghton Mifflin Dimension M by Tabula Digita Atomic Learning Virtual Science Lab by Pearson Orchard & Practice Planet by Siboney

And DIFFERENT (and better) TOMORROW… Version 1, 2, 3, …, 25, … XXX More customizable More differentiable More networked More adaptive

© 2008 Marc Prensky NEW TOOLS Sped-up video Picture Search IM/texting Blogs Wikis Wikipedia Podcasting Phone polling My Space Handhelds P2P Complex Games Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Augmented Reality Phone cameras Phone videos GPS You Tube Games & Simulations

© 2008 Marc Prensky Within the next few years we’ll all be switching to… Ubiquitous free broadband Small individual devices, always on, always connected Software that teaches and adapts

In fact, it’s happening so fast it’s often SCARY © 2008 Marc Prensky

But… © 2008 Marc Prensky

The change that is THREATENING to educators… …is EMPOWERING to their students

and Every day they wait to use these tools © 2008 Marc Prensky

Is another day we are denying our students their birthright © 2008 Marc Prensky as citizens of the early 21 st century

We’d better get started, because… © 2008 Marc Prensky

Today, NEW TOOLS COME FAST… Sped-up video Picture Search IM/texting Blogs Wikis Wikipedia Podcasting Phone polling My Space Handhelds P2P Complex Games Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Augmented Reality Phone cameras Phone videos GPS You Tube MoSoSo

© 2008 Marc Prensky AND GO FAST… Sped-up video Picture Search IM/texting Blogs Wikis Wikipedia Podcasting Phone polling My Space Handhelds P2P Complex Games Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Augmented Reality Phone cameras Phone videos GPS You Tube MoSoSo 2015 OUTDATED

© 2008 Marc Prensky CHANGE YEARS © 2008 Marc Prensky Technology 1 billion times more powerful Machines more powerful than the human brain Control of machines Directly with our minds Implanted /Wearable Real-time environments Mobile phone wallets

You Tube: Sumsing

2. How should we teach today’s students? 2. How should we teach today’s students? © 2008 Marc Prensky

HOW should we teach? Consensus on Goal! Still working on: how to get there Still working on: how to get there and the role of technology

Teachers are a tool. © 2008 Marc Prensky

Teachers are a tool. © 2008 Marc Prensky

They need to change too! © 2008 Marc Prensky

tutor © 2008 Marc Prensky lecturer?guide “People Tools” in Education

The time of the lecturer / presenter is over! © 2008 Marc Prensky

If you ask students “What do you want/like?” they answer: Group Work Projects Case Studies Activities Discussing Interacting Being asked about what we think The interactive part Teachers coming down to our level Teachers interacting and using our language The more the teacher gets the class involved in the discussion, the better it is. To be actually thinking about stuff

© 2008 Marc Prensky “After School,” the kids have already found a better way to learn

“The New Pedagogical Paradigm” “The New Pedagogical Paradigm” © 2008 Marc Prensky

Old Paradigm Old Paradigm Students being taught New Paradigm New Paradigm Students teaching themselves (with guidance) BOREDOM ENGAGEMENT

“I never try to teach my students anything. I only try to create an atmosphere in which they can learn.” – Albert Einstein © 2007 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky I call it PARTNERING with your students

© 2008 Marc Prensky Medical Schools call it Case-Based Learning

© 2008 Marc Prensky Call it whatever you prefer, Partnering Case-Based Learning Problem-Based Learning Inquiry-Based Learning Student-Centered Learning Co-constructing Inquiry Learning Learning by Doing it’s basically the same!

Lecturer/ Controller © 2008 Marc Prensky Guide / Partner 21 st Century Pedagogy = a move from: to

Lecturing to and controlling your students © 2008 Marc Prensky Guiding and Partnering with your students Do you know where you and each of your colleagues is along this continuum?

© 2008 Marc Prensky In addition PEER - TO - PEER TEACHING is a big part

3. What is the role of technology? © 2008 Marc Prensky

Technology’s ONLY role IS TO SUPPORT THE NEW PARADIGM Technology’s ONLY role IS TO SUPPORT THE NEW PARADIGM © 2008 Marc Prensky

Differentiated Instruction Differentiated Instruction © 2008 Marc Prensky In doing that, technology helps provide

© 2008 Marc Prensky EVERY STUDENT should be given the preparation for reaching his or her maximum potential…

…but Potential Varies © 2008 Marc Prensky

…and Interests Vary © 2008 Marc Prensky

And each student requires A separate curriculum © 2008 Marc Prensky

And each student requires A separate pedagogy © 2008 Marc Prensky

And NOT To be “herded” into a classroom where it’s the same for all And NOT To be “herded” into a classroom where it’s the same for all

Technology DOES NOT and CANNOT SUPPORT the old, undifferentiated “herding and telling” pedagogy Technology DOES NOT and CANNOT SUPPORT the old, undifferentiated “herding and telling” pedagogy

© 2008 Marc Prensky 4. What is the role of the teacher with regard to technology? 4. What is the role of the teacher with regard to technology?

It is key that we © 2008 Marc Prensky the way we teach …

BEFORE technology can help us © 2008 Marc Prensky

Until we move from the old “lecture” paradigm to the new “kids teaching themselves with our guidance” paradigm… © 2008 Marc Prensky IMPORTANT!!

…new technology will actually HINDER engagement and learning! © 2008 Marc Prensky

Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops So the Liverpool Central School District, just outside Syracuse, has decided to phase out laptops starting this fall, joining a handful of other schools around the country that adopted one-to-one computing programs and are now abandoning them as educationally empty — and worse. LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — The students at Liverpool High have used their school-issued laptops to exchange answers on tests, download pornography and hack into local businesses. When the school tightened its network security, a 10th grader not only found a way around it but also posted step-by-step instructions on the Web for others to follow (which they did). … May 4, 2008 © 2008 Marc Prensky DIDN’T CHANGE HOW THEY TAUGHT

© 2008 Marc Prensky Old Paradigm Old Paradigm Students being taught New Paradigm New Paradigm Students teaching themselves (with guidance) BOREDOMENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY DOESN’T HELP TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED

In the old “lecture” paradigm, new technology gets in the way But in the new paradigm technology sets the students (and us) free! © 2008 Marc Prensky

Yes, we need to be using the latest tools

© 2008 Marc Prensky NEW TOOLS Sped-up video Picture Search IM/texting Blogs Wikis Wikipedia Podcasting Phone polling My Space Handhelds P2P Complex Games Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Augmented Reality Phone cameras Phone videos GPS You Tube Games & Simulations

© 2008 Marc Prensky But only in the right way, i.e. in support of the New Paradigm

Step 2: Let kids use the technology to take off! © 2008 Marc Prensky Step 1: Change the Paradigm of how we teach

Memorized Texts © 2008 Marc Prensky Textbooks, Blackboards, paper ? Electronic tools Non-People tools

© 2008 Marc Prensky PARTNERING (i.e. Sharing the Work)

© 2008 Marc Prensky Let Students do what they do well Use technology Find content Create To use technology successfully, we must SHARE THE WORK Let Teachers do what they do well Evaluate quality Add rigor Put into context

© 2008 Marc Prensky PARTNERING (i.e.Sharing the Work) examples

© 2008 Marc Prensky Teacher: Doesn’t take notes, FINDS OUT! Doesn’t tell, ASKS! Student: Suggests topics and tools Researches, and creates output Learns about technology from students Learns about quality & rigor from teachers Evaluates students’ output for rigor & quality; supplies context Refines and improves output, adding rigor, context and quality

© 2008 Marc Prensky Traditional Course METHOD EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING Traditional Course Problem-based Learning Problem-Based Learning Low + Highest High(er) What Works Best?

© 2008 Marc Prensky How teachers SHOULD use technology tools (IMHO)

© 2008 Marc Prensky The “PRENSKY APOSTACY”

© 2008 Marc Prensky It’s important that teachers DON’T WASTE THEIR TIME Learning to Create With New Tools,

© 2008 Marc Prensky because…

© 2008 Marc Prensky The students can do that! (and they want to)

© 2008 Marc Prensky Teachers shouldn’t use the technology FOR the students!

“Don’t try to keep up with the technology -- you can’t” – A 14 year old girl © 2008 Marc Prensky

“You’ll only look stupid.” – A 14 year old girl © 2008 Marc Prensky

How our students see us (teachers) When we use technology

Solution Phone-based cameras Contains some incorrect information Used as only source Wikipedia © 2008 Marc Prensky IM Problem How Teachers Do Use New Tools BAN Distraction in class Used to get test answers Used inappropriately BAN

“I didn’t discover this through any proprietary medical search engines. I used Google and Wikipedia, and it took about two minutes.” – Dr Jerry Avorn, Harvard Medical School Professor,, On finding a cure for his jellyfish stings © 2008 Marc Prensky Wikipedia and the Harvard Medical School Professor

Search vs. Research Fair Use vs. Plagiarism EvaluateTeach Design a Wikipedia Entry for… Wikipedia © 2008 Marc Prensky Assign Communication Journalism Use of MM Creativity How Teachers Should Use New Tools

Search vs. Research Fair Use vs. Plagiarism EvaluateTeach Phone-based cameras Pictures vs. Words Appropriate vs. In- appropriate Truth vs. Manipulation Design a Wikipedia Entry for… Take and Photoshop To best Illustrate… Wikipedia © 2008 Marc Prensky IM Informal vs. Formal Language Design a Class using only IM Assign Communication Journalism Use of MM Creativity Usefulness Breadth Depth Originality Communication Originality Artistry Technique How Teachers Should Use New Tools

Lecturer/ Controller © 2008 Marc Prensky Guide / Partner The 21 st Century Teaching Continuum

Lecturer/ Controller © 2008 Marc Prensky Guide / Partner Where Are You? If you are a teacher:

Lecturer/ Controller © 2008 Marc Prensky Guide / Partner Where Are Your Teachers? If you are an administrator:

In 30 years… © 2008 Marc Prensky

…if technology continues to double in power every year… © 2008 Marc Prensky

Our technology will be 1 BILLION TIMES more powerful than today © 2008 Marc Prensky

…and today we are already working at the ATOMIC level © 2008 Marc Prensky

Banking Phoning Travelling Reading Buying/Selling Obtaining Info © 2008 Marc Prensky You have probably changed the way you do

Are we educating our Students for The Day They Leave Us… © 2008 Marc Prensky

Or for the rest of their lives? © 2008 Marc Prensky

The world our students inhabit is already hugely different from our own

© 2006 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky Knowing long division? In 30 years, will today’s kids be better off Or knowing how to solve problems?

© 2008 Marc Prensky Knowing how to write? In 30 years, will today’s kids be better off Or knowing how to write code?

© 2008 Marc Prensky All this change means the nature of education is changing!

© 2008 Marc Prensky Same problems Pre - 21 st Century New problems 21 st Century+

© 2008 Marc Prensky Solving problems with the tools we have Pre - 21 st Century Inventing new tools to solve problems 21 st Century+

© 2008 Marc Prensky Future known Pre - 21 st Century Future uncertain 21 st Century+

© 2008 Marc Prensky Font of knowledge is The teacher / text /library Pre - 21 st Century Font of knowledge Is the Internet 21 st Century+

© 2008 Marc Prensky All this change means your role in education is changing!

© 2008 Marc Prensky Helping students solve problems? How many of you see your job as Helping students find future problems?

© 2008 Marc Prensky How many of you see your job as Helping your students use the tools In your field? Helping your students invent new tools for your field?

© 2008 Marc Prensky How many of you see your job as Preparing your students for their exams? Preparing your students for their unknown future?

© 2008 Marc Prensky How many of you see your job as Preparing your students for a world where most Information is written? Preparing your students for a world where most Information is in forms OTHER than written?

We also need to start evaluating students with their tools! © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Open Phone” Tests!! © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Most of our tests ARE open phone tests – you guys just don’t know it!” – A Student © 2008 Marc Prensky

We Are All Learners We Are All Teachers We Are All Learners We Are All Teachers

In the 21 st Century we must become PARTNERS © 2008 Marc Prensky

If we are going to get the job done! © 2008 Marc Prensky

© 2003 Marc Prensky 21 st CENTURY EDUCATOR © 2008 Marc Prensky Should be the older person outside, with the kids Inside taking off

© 2008 Marc Prensky If YOU can’t BE a Digital Native, Can you work together? Key Question

© 2008 Marc Prensky Absolutely!

© 2008 Marc Prensky But, it requires…

© 2008 Marc Prensky

We HUGELY UNDER-ESTIMATE what our students can (and should) do with their tools! © 2008 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky

We need to set the bar very high!

WHY do we underestimate? © 2008 Marc Prensky

Because we actually DISRESPECT the kids! © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Today’s kids can’t concentrate.” © 2008 Marc Prensky

“My students have the attention span of a gnat.” © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Your games are a waste of your time money and brain cells.” – A parent © 2008 Marc Prensky

These things are just NOT TRUE!

© 2008 Marc Prensky Thinking and talking disrespectfully really hurts our students…

© 2008 Marc Prensky …who want and deserve our respect.

© 2008 Marc Prensky As a result of our disrespect, what happens?

© 2008 Marc Prensky Our students DISRESPECT their educators

© 2008 Marc Prensky Since they know technology is the new literacy

© 2008 Marc Prensky They see most of their teachers as ILLITERATE

© 2008 Marc Prensky..and they don’t bother listening!

© 2005 Marc Prensky

© 2008 Marc Prensky Our goal needs to be

© 2008 Marc Prensky How Do We Get RESPECT For each other?

© 2008 Marc Prensky We Are All Learners We Are All Teachers We Are All Learners We Are All Teachers 1.We must accept that

© 2008 Marc Prensky For 21 st century students…

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY © 2008 Marc Prensky

Is their BIRTHRIGHT! © 2008 Marc Prensky

© 2006 Marc Prensky

COMPLEX GAMES © 2007 Marc Prensky The ENGAGING educational system

© 2008 Marc Prensky And even the dreaded…

As an early example of WORLD COLLABORATION!

“Most of us prefer to walk backward into the future… © 2008 Marc Prensky

…a posture which may be uncomfortable… © 2008 Marc Prensky

…but which at least allows us to keep on looking at familiar things as long as we can.” -- Charles Handy © 2008 Marc Prensky

© 2003 Marc Prensky 21 st CENTURY EDUCATOR © 2008 Marc Prensky

They’re our kids © 2008 Marc Prensky

We owe them the best! © 2008 Marc Prensky

So What Should I Do? © 2008 Marc Prensky Give them 21 st CENTURY TOOLS!

And what about RIGOR, QUALITY, REFLECTION and “THE CANON” ? © 2008 Marc Prensky

Of course! But in new ways, using the tools © 2008 Marc Prensky

The Five Stages of Teachers and Technology © 2008 Marc Prensky

1. Hiding

© 2008 Marc Prensky 2. Panic

© 2008 Marc Prensky 3. Acceptance

© 2008 Marc Prensky 4. Comfort

5. Power © 2008 Marc Prensky

Thank You – For supporting the kids! © 2008 Marc Prensky

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