Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011 Page: 33

American education remains the
best tool for creating future global
workers; however, changes in pub-
lic education are necessary to re-
flect marketable, international
skills. To further complicate the
challenge of remaking a relevant
educational system, public schools
have the challenge of engaging a
most "different" type of learner.
Characteristics of 21st Century
Learners
Unlike previous generations, stu-
dents today arrive at school with
digital brains (Sprenger, 2009).
Even preliterate, preschool-aged
children engage in digital games
and online communication, while
slightly older children participate
in texting, email, twitter, and
Skype, often multitasking several
technological devices at one time.
As an expert in skimming and
scanning information, Sprenger
suggests the digital brains of to-
day's students are hyperconnected.
Effectively teaching hyperconnect-
ed students requires changed in-
structional practices.
The culture of the digital world
comprises both immigrants and
natives (Prensky, 2001). Digital
immigrants learned to navigate the
world without digital tools and
have since adopted digital tools. In
contrast, digital natives have al-
ways learned in digital spaces. To-
day, most classroom teachers are
digital immigrants while their stu-
dents are digital natives. Prensky
suggests this difference creates a
cultural clash during classroom
instruction. Technology applica-
tions are typically the first choice
of digital natives who appear to
operate effortlessly in digital space
since digital is their native lan-
guage. Conversely, digital immi-
grants must substitute their previ-

ous tools with digital tools; trans-
lating experiences from non-digital
to digital can be overwhelming.
One result is digital immigrants
feel more comfortable teaching in
their first language (non-digital) to
students who prefer learning in
their first language (digital).
Hence, instruction and learning are
frustrating and less effective for
both groups. Compounding this
friction is a common reluctance by
digital immigrants to incorporate
any instructional technology they
have not already mastered. Ironi-
cally, Pensky points out that be-
cause digital natives (students)
have grown up translating the digi-
tal world to adults (teachers), they
expect digital immigrants to be
less proficient.
Characteristics of Digital Natives
As a group, digital natives have
experienced different ways of nav-
igating the world since birth. As a
result, many share common char-
acteristics. More than previous
generations, they are consumer and
entertainment oriented. Intellectu-
ally disengaged in non-digital clas-
ses, digital natives have difficulty
with relationships (i.e. skepticism,
cynicism, civility) and boundaries
(i.e. self-interested, privacy is-
sues). While appearing tolerant,
adaptable, and pragmatic, they are
apt to pursue excellence through
entitlement, negotiation, and par-
ent advocates (Taylor, 2005). Un-
like previous generations, it is dif-
ficult to specify exact birth year
ranges for digital natives because
socioeconomics and geographic
area might have affected access to
technology. Members of both Gen-
eration Y and Generation Z share
digital heritage; in some cases
those in Generation Z may be se-
cond-generation digital natives.

Unlike previous
generations, students
today arrive at school
with digital brains
(Sprenger, 2009).

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