We are Digital Natives!

Look at the baby! He's so cute, rite?
However, if you are a "digital immigrant",
you have to beware with him because
he is a "digital native"!

Yes, he is one of the Digital Natives that live on a new world with certain culture and rules. They have their own way and language to communicate each other. They can play with their friends even though they don't have any green field--virtual game! Yup, most of them live in virtual city but they are NOT a virtual creature. They are real, they were born by their mother, not be downloaded from internet.

Actually, their world is not far from us but there's a wall separate us: technology!
This wall is flexible and never reject people who want to pass it. Anyhow, most people who immigrate to this world--they called Digital Immigrants--feel strange with the new situation and have some reluctance to accept everything offered to them. So, which one are you suppose to be; the Native or the Immigrant?

According to John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, in their book "Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives", Digital Natives are the generation who was born after 1980 (or after technology was implemented in human life). While people born before that are Digital Immigrants who move to a new world to adapt and adopt the technology. For the Natives, digital technology is just like the air; they can't live without it. They use the technology almost in every activity.

Yeah, I was really impressed when Pak Iwan showed the video of this generation profile. It's very different with the past condition, even when I was in primary school. Digital natives can create some real project (not only to finish their school assignments, but also social work) productively with gadgets they have. They can also build good social relationship with their environment. So, it ruins some opinions that digital natives can only have fun with technologies. Great!

Therefore, since we are in 2010--means that we have entered their world--we (as a teacher candidates) have to prepare well to teach the next generation of Digital Natives. That's why I'm really eager to follow this course. I want to know further how technology can help me as a future English teacher at Senior High School. Hmm, I can't imagine how "futuristic" my students will be in 5 years later.

Fortunately, I found this video that gives us a little clue how to teach this amazing generation. Unfortunately, I can't show you the videos because of some technical problems. Anyway, I hope it helps!