Marc Prensky [email protected] © 2008 Marc Prensky WEST VIRGINIA PRINCIPALS CONFERENCE ENGAGE ME OR ENRAGE ME July 16, 2008 Beaver,

Marc [email protected]

© 2008 Marc Prensky© 2008 Marc Prensky

WEST VIRGINIA PRINCIPALS’ CONFERENCE

ENGAGE ME OR ENRAGE MEJuly 16, 2008Beaver, WV

01

My biggest concern as an educator is…

© 2008 Marc Prensky


My Education Credentials

• Master of Arts in Teaching (Yale)

• Taught High School Math (5 yrs)

• Ran a Street Academy

• Taught Elementary School French

• Taught College Music

• Still Tutor Math

• Have interviewed close to 1000 kids


Education Projects

• FL, L.A. Virtual Schools Courses• Chemistry Game (MeCHeM)

• Physics Game (Waste of Space)

• Periodic Table Cell Phone Game (EleMental)

• Financial Literacy Game (MoneyU)

• Make Your Own Game (Games a la Carte)• Youth Depression (Mood Management League)• Algebra I Game (The Algebots, in development)

• Reading Teacher Game (to come)

Education Projects

My Latest Book:



How Computer and Video GamesAre Preparing Your Kids

for Twenty-first Century Success – and How You Can Help!

ENGAGE ME or ENRAGE ME Educating Today’s

Digital Native Learners



What you should beworried about is


You need to understand boththe speed and magnitude of the

that’s already here…


…and the even bigger

that’s coming

Are You Having A Good Summer?


Are Your Kids?


How many of youhave sent an email

in the past 24 hours?


“Email is forold people”

– A student


– A headline in The Chronicle of Higher Education

In 30 years…


…if technologycontinues to

double in powerevery year…


Our technology will be1 BILLION TIMES

more powerful than today


…and today we arealready working at the

ATOMIC level


“Most of us prefer to walk backward into the

future…


…a posture which may be uncomfortable…


…but which at least allows us to keep on looking at familiar

things as long as we can.”

-- Charles Handy



21st C

ENTURY

EDUCATOR


CH

AN

GE

TIME

Our Lives

We are here


Discontinuity:Digital Technology

So it’s not just theFar Off Future


Life is differentEvery Day!


BankingPhoningTravellingReadingBuying/SellingObtaining Info


You have probably changedthe way you do


These daysNEW 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


Yahoo search Google search

Email IM

Film Cameras Digital cameras

TV You Tube

Hard drives Flash memory

…and tool switching is already close to instantaneous

CH

AN

GE

TIME

Our Students’ Lives


[our kids were] “born to the idea of rapid change”

-- Nicola Griffith in Slow River (1995)



The change that is THREATENINGto our teachers…


The change that is THREATENINGto our teachers…

…isEMPOWERINGto our students!


It means the nature of

education is changing!


Font of knowledge wasthe teacher

Pre - 21st Century

Font of knowledgeIs the Internet

21st Century+


Our future waspredictable

Pre - 21st Century

Our future isuncertain

21st Century+


Context was local, national

Pre - 21st Century

Our context isglobal

21st Century+


We solved problemswith the tools we had

Pre - 21st Century

We invent new toolsto solve our problems

21st Century+


Helping Students Invent New Tools?

How many of your teacherssee their job as


Knowinglong division?

In 30 years, will today’skids be better off

Or knowing how to solve problems?


Knowing how to write?

In 30 years, will today’skids be better off

Or knowing how to write code?

“We grow up interacting – through computers and

through our cell phones – and that’s how we learn.

– A graduate student



Yet, we have beeneducating our kids with the

same generation of technology

AS THIS:


18th Century Childbirth


Medicine has moved into the 21st century;

WHY HASN’TEDUCATION?

“Why do we have to adapt to the past? Why shouldn’t we be taught to in different

ways!” – A College student



What do you want/like?

• 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

Our kids arealreadyGLOBAL

CITIZENS!© 2008 Marc Prensky

Community=

THE WORLD


CH

AN

GE

YEARS

Timeline


5 10 15 20 25 30

Technology 1 billiontimes more powerful

Machines morepowerful than thehuman brain

Implanted / wearable Real-time environments

Handheld computers withPower of today’s super-c

Mobile phonewallets


Whenwill all this

changeEND!??


IT WON’T !!!

We have to GET USED TO

the Idea of Rapid Change!



…even in our Schools!


The world ourkids inhabit

is already hugelydifferent from our own

“You look at technology as a tool. We look at

technology as a foundation – it’s totally integrated into

what we do.” – a student



It’s time to

TURN AROUND!!


And

FACEthe future


What does this mean for

TEACHERS?

EVERY SINGLE ONE OFYOUR TEACHERS

is going to have to

CHANGEhow he/she teaches…


Giving up more and more

CONTROL


TOSTUDENTS!


Lecturingto and

controllingstudents


Partneringwith

students

Do you know where eachOf your teachers is

along this continuum?


Changing isSCARY


We can make the list of reasons why we

CAN’T or SHOULDN’T


The list of reasons why we

CAN’T or SHOULDN’T

It worked in the pastThe past is important

I’m too oldIt’s the kids

No Child Left AliveYou can’t make me


We can

Feel the fear –And stick to what

we’re used to



Or we can

Feel the fear –and stillchange


“Feel the fear –and do itanyway!”

-- Elizabeth Moon in The Speed of Dark (2003)



Is the definition of

COURAGE


Do we and our teachershave the

COURAGEto change?

“I know it’s the way to go, I’m just not sure I

can.” – A teacher



What if we don’t?





Of course, our kids can always get the hi-touch non-

offshorable jobs…




So let’s talk about…


21st century kids…

Who AREthese people,

anyway!


not

“little us’s”

anymore!



Today’s younger learners are NOT the ones our

systems (and teachers)were designed and trained

to teach!


• 5-10,000 hours Video Games• 250,000 emails and IMs• 10,000 hours on cell phones• 20,000 hours TV (incl. You tube)• 500,000 commercials


Why?

• • < 5,000 hours book reading

• 2 billion ring tones per year

• 2 billion songs per month

• 6 billion text messages per day


DIGITALTECHNOLOGY


Is their

BIRTHRIGHT!



Sky (b. 2005)


“[Young people] 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


The emerging

ONLINE LIFEof the

Digital Native


The e-Life

Communicating IM, chat

Sharing Blogs, MySpace

Buying & Selling ebay, craigslist

Exchanging peer-to-peer

Learning Wikipedia, You Tube, search

Meeting Second Life

GamingOnline, MMORPGs, Cell Phones

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

CollectingMp3s videos, sensor data

Creating

Sites, avatars, mods

EvolvingPeripheral, emergent behaviors

© 2008 Marc PrenskyREFERENCE

The e-Life

Communicating IM, chat

Sharing Blogs, MySpace

Buying & Selling ebay, craigslist

Exchanging peer-to-peer

Learning Wikipedia, You Tube, search

Meeting Second Life

GamingOnline, MMORPGs, Cell Phones

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

CollectingMp3s videos, sensor data

Creating

Sites, avatars, mods

EvolvingPeripheral, emergent behaviors


“The single largest differentiator …

is the social network.”

-- Jack Mckenzie, SVP Frank N. Magid Associates


“The single largest differentiator …

is the social network.”

-- Jack Mckenzie, SVP Frank N. Magid Associates



Equity?


Yes, some have moreaccess than others,

BUT THEY ARE ALLDIGITAL KIDS


They are great atsharing,

teaching each other,and

getting what they need


And we need to helpmake this happen!


Instead of bemoaningthe “digital divide”,we can be a big part

of the Solution!

WHY are so many kids tuning out of

today’s school?


We areWe are


themthem


ToTo

“Whenever I go to school I have to ‘power down’”

– a high school student


“I’m engaged in only two of my seven classes.”

– a high school student


“I’m bored all day,because the

teachers just talk and talk and talk…”

– a 5th grade girl




WHYAre our kidsSO BOREDIn school?

1.We’re not teaching them the right stuff



TRUE!


Because we are too focused on the

past


And not on theirFUTURE!

“My passion is my future.”

– a student


CH

AN

GE

YEARS© 2008 Marc Prensky

5 10 15 20 25 30

Technology 1 billiontimes more powerful

Machines morepowerful than thehuman brain

Implanted / wearable Real-time environments

Handheld computers withPower of today’s super-c

Mobile phonewallets


We have to integratethe future

into our curriculum!

Nanotechnology

Bioethics

Programming

Genomics

Proteomics

Biomimickry

Today’s Kids Need



For Logical Thinking:

PROGRAMMINGIntegrated into all subjects


Kids need tolearn HTML

Cyber English:


Kids need tolearn SIMULATION

Cyber Math and Science


Kids need toIntegrate GAMING

Cyber Social Studies


Kids need toUse MULTIPLE LANGUAGE

TEXTING

Cyber World Languages

30 years from now, our students will

laugh (or cry)at the education wegave them in 2008


The idea that we cangive kids a set of

meaningful informationthat will last

is over


We need to teachskills

that will be usefulthroughout life


We have to teachOur kids

Twenty-first CenturySkills!


21st CenturySkills


21st Century Skills

1. Knowing the right thing to do

• Behaving Ethically• Critical Thinking • Decision Making • Problem Solving

• Judgment


21st Century Skills

2. Getting it done

• Goal Setting • Planning

• Self-Direction• Self-Evaluation


21st Century Skills

3. Doing it with others

• Communicating/Interacting: With individuals & groups (especially using technol.)

• Communicating/Interacting: With Machines (= Programming)

• Communicating/Interacting: With a World Audience


21st Century Skills

4. Doing it creatively

• Creative thinking• Designing

• Playing• Finding your voice


21st Century Skills

5. Constantly doing it better

• Being proactive • Prudent risk-taking • Thinking long-term

• Continually improving through learning



For us to know what makespeople effective, and NOT teach it

to our kidsIS CRIMINAL!



How do I do all that in this era

of

Standards and Assessments

?????


We have tofind a way!


One good approach:

“CurriculumDeletion”


Right now we are full

You can’t add something about the future unless you delete

something from the past


Deletion Candidates?


WHY ELSEare our kidsSO BOREDin school?

2. We’re not teaching them the right way



ALSO TRUE!


Metaphor

Kids used to growUp in the dark






We werethe people


Who Showed StudentsThe Light


Today’s kidsToday’s kidsGrow up in the lightGrow up in the light


SCHOOL


We want to bethe people


whoShow Students

the Light

The danger is that…


With the very bestof intentions,



We pull studentsout of the light

into darkness!

CAN WETURN ON

THE LIGHTS???



For the first time,


our schools


Have someserious competition

The kind of learningwe want…


…where students learn

in new ways…


…where they’rehighly motivated

to learn, both on their own

and with their peers…


…is alreadyhappening.


Outside of school…


…without us!



“After School”(21st century learning)

Future LearningStuff they Know they Need

PULLED BY THEM= Exciting

Today’s Education isBifurcating Quickly

“School”(Credentials)

Legacy StuffStuff that is Irrelevant

PUSHED ON THEM= Boring

“We decided to bypass the schools.”

– Deborah Schwartz, MOMA


“Avoid the schools!”

– Dr. James Rosser


“The greatest opportunity for change is currently found in after-school programs and

informal learning communities.”

– MacArthur White Paper


CAN SCHOOLCOMPETE?


CAN WETURN ON

THE LIGHTS???


Or is it onlyTHE DARK SIDE

keeping us alive?



The DARK SIDE of school


“After School,”the kids havealready found

a better way to learn

“A New Paradigm”For Learning



OldParadigm

Kidsbeingtaught

NewParadigm

Kidsteaching

themselves(with guidance)

BOREDOM ENGAGEMENT


“Question-led learning”“Problem-based learning”

“Case-based learning”“Student-centered learning”

“Progressive education”

It’s not REALLY New

Lecturingto and

controllingstudents


Partneringwith

studentsas theylearn ontheir own

But it’s newFor a lot of our teachers


We know this is the right way to go,because…


1. The kids tell us


2. The successful schools tell us


3. The successful teachers tell us

What’s the role ofTECHNOLOGY?


Some thinktechnology

is the answerto getting engagement


But just because it’sTECHNOLOGY

Doesn’t make something

ENGAGING



“A lot of teachers think they make a

PowerPoint and they’re so awesome!”

-- a (female) high school junior


“…But it’s just like writing on the blackboard.”-- a (female) high school junior

Technology’sONLY role

IS TO SUPPORTTHE NEW PARADIGM


TechnologyDOES NOT and CANNOT

supportthe way we

currently teach

IN FACT,Until teachers move from the old

“telling” paradigm to the new

“kids teaching themselves with our guidance”

paradigm…


Technology actually HINDERS

engagementand learning


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, 2007



Let Studentsdo what they

do well• Use the technology

• Find content • Create

To teach today’s students successfully, we must SHARE

THE WORK

Let Teachersdo what they

do well• Evaluate the work

• Provide context• Find quality

So we are going to have to


the way we teach our kids…

BEFOREtechnology

can help us


In the old “telling” paradigm,technology gets in the way

But in the new paradigmtechnology sets the kids

(and us) free!



• 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

Yes, we need tobe using the latest tools


But onlyIn the right wayi.e. in support of the

New Paradigm


OldParadigm

Kidsbeingtaught

NewParadigm

Kidsteaching

themselves(with guidance)

BOREDOM ENGAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

DOESN’T

HELPTECHNOLOGY

REQUIRED

Step 2:Let kids use the technology

to take off!


Step 1: Change the Paradigm

of how we teach


Does this meaneverything I have done

for the past x years

Is meaningless?


No,But the old ways are useless

for going forward!


“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

learn from


DigitalImmigrants

teach by

• One Thing at a Time

• Linear Stories

• Presenting & Telling

• Multi-tasking

• Lots of Choices

• Random Access & Exploring Options

• Delivering content • Being Engaged

• Face-to-face • Going Online

• Going relatively slowly • Going really quickly


We can’t just stand up there any moreand tell!

The Five Stagesof

Teachersand

The New Paradigm



1. Hiding


2. Panic


3. Acceptance


4. Comfort

5. Power



HOWshould teachersuse technology

in the new paradigm?


ThePrensky

Apostacy


It’s important that teachers

DON’T WASTE THEIR TIMELearning to Create With New Tools,


because…


The students can do that! (and they want to)

“Don’t try to keep up with the technology

-- you can’t”

– A 14 year old girl


“You’ll only look stupid.”

– A 14 year old girl



How our kids see teachersWhen they use technology

Solution

Phone-basedcameras

• Contains some incorrect information• Used as only source

Wikipedia


IM

Problem

How We Generally Do Use New Tools

BAN IT

• Distraction in class• Used to get test answers

• Used inappropriately

BAN IT

BAN IT

• Search vs. Research• Fair Use vs. Plagiarism

Evaluate Teach

Designa WikipediaEntry for…

Wikipedia


Assign

• Communication• Journalism• Use of MM• Creativity

How We Should Use New Tools

• Search vs. Research• Fair Use vs. Plagiarism

Evaluate Teach

Phone-basedcameras

• Pictures vs. Words• Appropriate vs. In- appropriate• Truth vs. Manipulation

Designa WikipediaEntry for…

Take and PhotoshopTo bestIllustrate…

Wikipedia


IM • Informal vs. Formal Language

Design aClass usingonly IM

Assign

• Communication• Journalism• Use of MM• Creativity

• Usefulness• Breadth• Depth• Originality

• Communication• Originality• Artistry• Technique

How Teachers Should Use New Tools

When it comes totechnology…


WE HUGELYUNDERESTIMATE

WHAT OUR STUDENTSCAN DO!


http://mabryonline.org/archives/mtv


WHYdo we

underestimate?


Because we actually

DISRESPECTthe kids!



Although few of us are even aware of it


Most of usDISRESPECTour students

in a number of important ways


Especiallyvis-à-vis

their use oftechnology


We say (or think)things like

“My students have the

attention span of a gnat.”


“Today’s kids can’t

concentrate.”


“Your games are a waste of your time money and brain

cells.”

– A parent



These things are just

NOT TRUE!


Thinking and talkingdisrespectfully

really hurts our students…


…who wantand deserveour respect.


As a resultof our disrespect,what happens?


Our studentsDISRESPECT

their educators


Since they know technology

is the new literacy


They see most of their teachers as

ILLITERATE


..and theydon’t bother

listening!



Our goal needs to be


How Do We GetRESPECT

For each other?


We Are All LearnersWe Are All Teachers

1.We must accept that

Involve Our Studentsin everything we do

2. We must


3. We must

Give our students ONLY work worth respecting!

“NOLECTURES!”

– Students everywhere


“NOWORKSHEETS!”

– Students everywhere


“It was a worksheet on a computer – that’s not really

technology to us.”

– A student



4. We mustrespect what the

kids find valuable…

And especiallyrespect their games!

Today’s complexgames produce

LEARNINGWITH

ENGAGEMENT


And we shouldSTUDY THEM

andExtract the

Engaging Elements


Following theirRULES OF ENGAGEMENT

in all ourTeaching



“Complex”8-100 hoursNOT TRIVIAL

Today’s Games:Complexity Matters

“Mini”5 min- 2 hours

TRIVIAL

Or, at best,One-Noted

Complex Games take the same amount of time as a course (30-

100 hours)


Have “Be a Hero” Goals

Add Frequent Decision Making

Don’t Suck The Fun Out

Provide a Strong Emotional Connection

Balance Cooperation &Competition

Personalize

Iterate


7 Rules of Game Engagement(from complex games)

Help YourFriends

Build/Create

Be a Hero

GameGoals

SchoolGoals

Understand

Get Good Grade /Pass test

Learn the “material”


Have “Be a Hero” Goals


Decisions Are How We Learn

Decision

Action

Feedback

ReflectionLEARNING

LOOP

Help you reach goals

Immediate Feedback

Every ½ sec

GameDecisions

SchoolDecisions

Mostly on tests

Almost never

No immediatefeedback


Add Frequent Decision Making

“DimensionM”


Math - Algebra

www.tabuladigita.com/

“Waste of Space”


Science – Space Physics

www.hagames.com/

“The Grammar of Doom”


English - Grammar

www.english-online.org.uk/games/grofdoom/advisory.htm

“Darfur is Dying”

Social Studies

www.darfurisdying.com/ © 2008 Marc Prensky

“Food Force”

Social Studies

www.food-force.com/ © 2008 Marc Prensky

“PeaceMaker”


Social Studies

www.peacemakergame.com/

Business: Basic Concepts

“Disney’s Hot Shot Business”

disney.go.com/hotshot/index.html © 2008 Marc Prensky

ECON 201

Microeconomics

web.uncg.edu/dcl/econ201/trailer.html © 2008 Marc Prensky

MOREENGAGEMENT KEYS



Today’s students alsoget Engaged through

1. Creating things they want to make

2. Voicing their opinions

3. Interacting with and affecting the world

http://mabryonline.org/archives/mtv


Today’s kids understand the power oftechnology to

help them learn…


Because theycan make it dowhat they need

What’s different about the new technology is that it is

programmable.

– Alan Kay



PROGRAMMINGIs making a machinedo what YOU want


The kids knowthey are the ones

who canprogram


The kids knowProgramming is the

Key Tool and Literacyof the

21st Century



What needs programming?

•Our communication• The Web • Cell phones• Answering systems• Interactive video

• Our jobs• Problem solving• Personal computers• Business systems



• Our schools• Administration• Sharing• Instruction

• Our government• Legislation• Security• Enforcement• Communication



• Our homes• Thermostat• Alarm• Appliances• Stereo• DVD / Home theater

• Our cars• Cabin• Engine


What needs programming?• Our Tools

• Blogs• Wikis• RSS• My Space• Games• Multimedia

• Our recreation• iPod / Tivo / Interactive TV• Games• Vehicles



• Our Curriculum

• Math – Problem solving

• Science – Testing hypotheses

• Languages – Dictionaries / guides

• Social Studies – Simulations

• English – Research, analysis

Things

Requiring

Programming


What

WE Don’t yet know


Is how to helpour kids learn to

PROGRAMIn more and moresophisticated ways


What if we don’t?


© 2008 Marc Prensky(now hiring)

There is really only

ONE WAYto turn on the

lights for our kids


Make

ENGAGEMENT OUR #1 GOAL


We have toInvolve Our Studentsin everything we do

“for” them


3D PRINTER



TO IMPROVEour students’Education…


We have toInvolve Our Studentsin everything we do

“for” them


Get our studentsseriously involved

in redesigning their own education



Top Down


“YouWILL

Learn!”


Top Down


In the 21st century

Learning can’t be dropped on kids

They have toWANT

To learn


We can no longer just TELLstudents what is right/best

In the 21st century

We also have toASK!


We can no longer justhand students “content”

In the 21st century

They have to find it WORTHWHILE!


We can no longer justhand students “content”

In the 21st century

They have to helpdesign it!

Bottoms Up!



Tell mewhere you

want me to go,and let me get there


Ask mewhat Ineed


And ask what I cancontribute


Askmy

opinion!

BALANCE


Bottoms Up

Top Down

The issue is NOT thateducators don’t know

about engagement


The issue is thatEngagement is changing



Engagement is

NO LONGERSomething we can do

TO students


withToday, we have to

In order to engage them in learning

Talk with them


Engaging With Students

Hold School/Class Meetings



Ask them abouttechnologiesthat relate

to what they are learning




Why don’t wedo better?


Because weDon’t ask!



Are we afraidTo ask?

“Am I boring you?”



We can’t beafraid

to ask our students!


“Take their Temperature”

–every day!


They expect real work that truly affects the world

Today’s Students expect MOREthan just “relevance”

“We want… to change the

world.”– A 7th grader



“Authentic”

=REAL

A Big Missed Opportunity For Engagement?


… in their pocket!

Almost EVERY student already has a powerful computer…


We should beUSING them!


Cell Phones Are

• Powerful Computers• Inexpensive • Always in their pocket• Optimized for Communication• Full of Useful Add-ons e.g. Cameras, GPS, internet

• Easy to download to• Attachable to External input/output


Missing? Imagination!

Skills.Languages.

Poetry. Literature.

Public Speaking. Writing.

Storytelling. History.


Surveys. Polls.

Match-ups. Testing.

Communication. Blogging.

…and evenAssessment!

Students Could Be Using Their Cell Phones

for Learning: and Doing:


Question

Evaluate Kidswith their tools!


“Open Phone” Tests!!


“You can ask harder questions”

– A Teacher


“Most of our tests ARE open phone tests – you guys just don’t know it!”

– A Student


How could we integratecell phones

into our teaching?


The ONLY WAYwe will get

where we want to


Is to let the students

help


By listening to them!


“Talk to us – we love to give advice.”

-- Students all over


“[The Millennials] call the shots. Anyone who bores

them will be getting blocked, zapped and tuned

out for years to come.” – Business Week, July 12, 2006

“We’re not stupid.”-- Students all over



Summary: Today’s kids loveDoing

Sharing their ideas and opinions

Being involved with the world

Being asked

Having choices

Creating Things that are important to them

Having Goals they want to reach

Making important decisions

Thinking about the future

Using technology themselves


To get my __th grade classto learn ___________

In the old paradigm PAST, I would do this:

_____________________________________________

In the new paradigm FUTURE, I will do this:

_____________________________________________

and this and this… (see next)


Today’s kids loveDoing, so I will:

Sharing their ideas and opinions, so I will:

Being involved with the world, so I will:

Being Asked, so I will:

Having Choices, so I will:

Creating Things that are important to them, so I will:

Having Goals they want to reach, so I will:

Making important decisions, so I will

Thinking about the future, so I will:

Using technology themselves, so I will:


our


Today’s Young Learners love to

Share…


…but today’s adults don’t!


“Knowledge is Power”Keep Good Information to Yourself

Digital Immigrants

“Sharing is Power”Be the first to post it

Digital Natives


Many teachers are doing

Great Things!


but…


from being used by onlyOne Person,

In One School

So MuchGOES TO WASTE


If we could justcapture, access and re-use

work already done,

we would beHALFWAY THERE

How?


Use the most powerful technology tool

in the world




Put it onthe Web !!!


Get your teachers to put their good stuff on

You Tube

so others can find it !!!

If your teachers don’t know howto create a You Tube videoand upload it to the Web

Make sure they learnNOW!

(let the kids teach them)


If You Tube is blockedIn your school today,

UNBLOCK ITTOMORROW!


Texting in Class


14 Things All PrincipalsCan Do Right Now


1. Make the passing of standardized exams a group/team process


2. Acknowledge publically that

henceforth students will have a meaningful voice in setting all school

policy.

Hold frequent assemblies of all concerned to hear points of view and make policy.



3. Set up only three rules for students

in classrooms:

1. Always behave ethically and look for and try to do what is right

2. Do your best to learn at all times

3. Don’t disturb anyone else in the process



4. Set up opportunities for

students to tell / show teachers how they’d prefer to be taught



5. Make it your business to

eliminate boredom from your school

Poll students as to which of their teachers/ classes are

engaging and boring and why. Investigate and take action.



6. Talk to 2-4 kids per day for at least a

half hour about their learning.

(If you feel you can’t spare 1-2 hrs every day to work one-on-one with kids, re-think your priorities.)



7.Work with both students and

teachers to implement the new “kids learning on their

own with guidance” paradigm.

Find the best examples and have the teachers share with their colleagues.



8.With the new paradigm, push

for to 1 to 1 computing ASAP

(Remember, technology does not work well in the old, “lecture” teaching paradigm.)



9. Orient your school towards

the future.

Offer classes in programming, game design, long distance

collaboration



10.Have your teachers teach

and practice the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in all instruction



11.Make all in-service training

include students



12.Keep the computer lab open till midnight and on

weekends.

(especially in places where technology access is an issue)



13.Introduce Dance, Dance

Revolution and other exergames into your Physical Education

classes.



14. Have students share your

school’s most effective ideas/results with the world via You Tube.



Remember…


Your job…


And the role oftechnology…


Is to empowerTHE KIDS

to learn


Don’t


In the name of“Standards”

or anything else


Deny your kids theirbirthright and future!


They’re our kids


We owe them the best!


And I’m surewe can all find

THE COURAGE


to dowhat’s right for them


so…


Thank You –

For supportin

g the kids!



Get the slides!email:

[email protected]

web sites:

www.marcprensky.com

www.games2train.com

Appendix



19 Things for TEACHERS To Try In The Next 30 Days

1.Find two “technologybuddies” who know

more than you:1 teacher, 1 student



2.Hold a Class Meetingto talk with studentsabout how they want

to be taught



3.Ask students for

technologiesthat could relate

to what you are teaching



4.Appoint a different

student as your teachingassistant for

each week of the year



5.“Teach” one or more lessons

with NO lecturingand NO worksheets



6.Make it your personal goal

to eliminate boredom from your classroom



7.Take your classes’

“temperature”(e.g. Ask “Am I boring you?)several times a class



8.Get something

unblocked



9.Assign homework

where the kids havethe option to work with

their favorite technologies



10.Have your students create

• an entry in the Wikipedia• a class blog

• a class Facebook(or equivalent)



11.Decide what topicsYou WON’T cover

in class, and replace some with future stuff


19Things for TEACHERS To Try In The Next 30 Days

12.Hold a teacher meeting

in a virtual world, e.g.

Second LifeTuneTown

World of WarcraftWhyville

Club Penguin

(and eventually meet students)



13.Do a class project around

the future(e.g. using sci-fi)

that the students suggest



14.Have your studentsinstall and populatean RSS aggregatorin your classroom


19Things for TEACHERS To Try In The Next 30 Days

15.Ask

“Who plays a gamethat has to do with

what we are studying?”



16.Figure out

(with your students)a way to integrate that

game into your teaching



17.Integrate the seven habits

of highly effective people into your instruction



18.Give a meaningful

Open-phonetest



19. Have your students help share your most effective

ideas/results with the world via

You Tube.




12 Things All SuperintendentsCan Do Right Now


1.Acknowledge publically that

henceforth students will have a meaningful voice

in setting all school policy in your district


2.Make it your job to

eliminate boredom from your district

(i.e. make 100 percent engagement the goal)



3.Make the passing of

standard exams a group/team process



4.Talk to 2-4 kids per day for

at least a half hour about their learning



5.Figure out how to compete

with“after school”



6.Set up district-wide opportunities

for students to tell / show educators what they can do and how they’d prefer to be

taught



7.Work with principals and teachers to implement the new “kids learning on their

own with guidance” paradigm in all teaching



8.That done, get

One-to-Onecomputers

for all studentsASAP



9.Orient your district towards the future



10.Un-ban Everything

Including cell phones and You Tube

(figure out how to get responsible use)



11.Teach the 21st century

skill set in your district



12.Be the advocateof the students,not the scores!



Thank You!


Documents

Marc Prensky [email protected] © 2008 Marc Prensky WEST VIRGINIA PRINCIPALS CONFERENCE ENGAGE ME OR ENRAGE ME July 16, 2008 Beaver,