Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

Teachers College of Jamaica

Church Teachers College
Mandeville
Jamaica

By
Turdy Allyson-Blackstock CH20139194
Mrs. D. Williams Young
Educational Technology
Group A

An assignment submitted to the department of Educational Technology in partial fulfilment of

the requirements for the degree in Bachelor Education
Tuesday March 24, 2016

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

Integrating technology in education is seen as simple incorporating the use of technology

to effectively bring across the curriculum that is presently being used today. But for Marc
Prensky, the author of the article: Our Brains Extended, think this should not be so. Mr.
Prensky is very fervent about the utilization of technology in educating todays children. Because
of his obsession for the use of education technology I believed it has forced him to come up
with a new curriculum of how todays generation should be educated. The new curriculum
suggested by Prensky suggests that subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Social
Studies, Science and others should no longer be taught separately. Instead, the curriculum
should focus on three main areas: Effective Thinking, Effective Action and Effective
Relationship. If Mr. Prensky is such a computer weasel and is so technologically inclined,
how effective is his new curriculum? Is it relevant for the 21st generation?
The first subject created by Prensky is Effective thinking, which is basically implying that
students will be engaged in thinking critically and using their intelligence to understand concepts
at hand, which would begin at the early childhood level. Mr. Prensky is arguing that at this level,
children should not be developing critical thinking skills by teaching the pre-established subject
matter, rather students will be given materials to work with using technology, students will then
use their logical thinking skills to solve problems and ways to obtain self-knowledge of their
own strengths and weaknesses. Students will be forced with the usage of technology to extend
their cognitive skills and to thinking beyond the norm. Instead of students writing for their
projects they would use their analytic skills to incorporating spreadsheets and web-based
materials to get work done. What Prensky is saying is that, students will not be at a great
disadvantage because they will be exposed to the usage of their analytic skills to widen their
knowledge, by using certain world database, and sources to gather information, and also to share
knowledge with other, by viewing the opinions and responses of others in and around the world
on current topical issues. The contrast about this subject about the now and the future is that
Prensky is looking at is that- the now students do more handwritten work (the traditional way)
but in the future He is looking more at the logical thinking level aspect of teaching and learning.
For the subject of this theory- effective thinking, teacher would not focus on only single subjects
and teaching content base knowledge but their role would be to help the students to develop
critical thinking skills in these areas rather than focusing on one subject matter daily, which does
not limit students ability to think.

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

Although the writer of this paper is not in total agreement with Prensky, if the world should get
so technological incline, effective thinking would be relevant because for students to really get
incline with technology and manage its information, databases, and sources, they will need to
be effective thinkers to solve problematic themes/matter. For this reason, I see it fit for us to
allow our children to become critical thinkers from a tender age so that they can know how to
distinguish between facts and opinions or personal feelings. If children are allowed to engage in
this subject put forward by Prensky, there would be a decrease in the level of disciplinary
problems that occur in classrooms today. With logical reasoning skills, children would be aware
of how to manage conflict. As postulate by McKinney, Campbell-Whately, & Kea, 2005 when
students misbehave, they learn less and keep their peers from learning. Classroom behavior
problems take up teachers time and disrupt the classroom and school. I believe therefore that as
a result of this and other reasons Mr. Prensky subject of Effective thinking relevance in the 21st
century.
The second subject proposed by Prensky is Effective Action. In this subject. After the
students have completed training and development and have become effective thinker, then they
will now apply that knowledge to an area of specialization, where they will put what they have
learnt into action. The students will be engage in carrying out real life activity that would not
only be beneficial to themselves but to their community and the wider society. According to
Steven Coveys (1989) Seven Habits of Highly effective thinkers which later became eight
habits he spoke about different ways in which students can be involve in real life situation and
helping to adjust certain life needs in society. Like the first subject, it can also be said that
Effective Action is relevance in the 21st century. The economic changes that some countries are
faced with will be alleviated to a greater extent. It is very clear that the countries that are
considered to be developed are those that allow children to be proactive while obtaining an
education as well as those that are technologically inclined. Let us take China for example. The
unemployment issue that our country is face with would not be a major problem. Instead of

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

searching for jobs after graduating college/university, students would be able to create massive
businesses, create technological tools, and construct Internet caf; schools improving public
health and educational sectors just to name a few, just imagine the level at which poverty would
be reduced. Jamaica for once is suffering as a result of not being able to manage their resources
in other to boost it economic. Reasons like this! We would really appreciate with Mr. Prensky
proposal of how to prepare our children for the 21st century. Not only does the evident of
Prenskys Effective Action Strategy is relevance for the 21st century, but, its relevance is strongly
supported by the Situated Learning Theory Jean Lave which states that learning is unintentional
and situated with authentic activity, context and culture.
The third subject recommended by Mr. Prensky is Effective Relationship. After students
have become effective thinkers and have used this skill to improve their society they will now
focus on students communication skills, how they relate to each other and how to alleviate their
weaknesses. This subject will help students to be knowledgably about their culture as well as
how to function effectively outside their territory in case they should migrate or work in another
country. This subject is about getting students to work effective with other whether face to face
interaction or through the medium of technology. It would focus on relationships in both the real
and virtual worlds and teach students to negotiate a modern world in which both real and virtual
are equally important. According to Prensky (2013). This subject would also include ethics,
citizenship, and politics. Students will also be reading and analyzing other peoples literature
which will help them to develop human relation skills and explore a variety of human related
materials. As Prensky suggested that, The focus of this subject would not be on producing
people who know more, but on producing people who relate better in a wide variety of
situations, so students who know how to effectively communicate through various mediums

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

will be better able to relate effectively and appropriate when situation arise.

Based on the attributes of this subject I believe it would be relevant in the 21st century because
effective communication can helps students to better understand people, situations and know
how to resolve differences. If students are expose to this subject they would be aware of their
environments, exercise affection, and caring for other. In addition, exposing students to the
subject matter of Effective Relationship will help students to manage conflict and frustration in
personal and professional relationships and as a result of managing conflict people will better
connect with their spouse, kids, friends, and coworkers.
In the article the Brain Extended, Prensky suggested that the curriculum presently
being used should be abandon and a new curriculum put in place. If this should happen, what
will become of teachers and policy makers? Prensky stated in his article that the role of the
teachers in the classroom should be monitor and counselors. This therefore means that teachers
will no longer be delivering content to students as is done today. Therefore, instead of focusing
on content, teacher time on energy must be spent in becoming computer weasel/geniuses because
they will be responsible for educating the children as to how to operate the different
technological devices and software programs. The proposal of the new curriculum, signify the
demand for teachers in the teaching and learning system make reduce. In the case that
technology would be the central facilitator signifies that students who can afford the same
devices being used to educate them at school do not have to attend school. Content areas teachers
would not be necessary; therefore by all means the job market of teachers will be greatly
affected.

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

The initiation of the new curriculum suggest by Prensky will not only affect our teachers
but the policy makers. These persons plays important role in the education system as every
aspect is dependent on their decisions. Prensky new curriculum would requires several resources,
and if this new curriculum is implemented, then the policy makers would have to come up with
new policies that would govern this system. This means that teachers and policy makers would
now be required to become technology nerds, been as they will be in charge of putting in place
the adequate recourses that are needed to facilitate the new technological advance curriculum.
Policy makers may also initiate welfare programs to assist students whose parents are unable to
provide the technology devices needed academically. This Program can include free tablets
distribution across all levels of educational institutions, but most importantly the policy makers
would have to come up with new assessment strategies that would best used to evaluate students
performances suitable enough for the new technological curriculum.
There are many benefits gain with the use of technology in the classroom, students are
more likely to be engaged, and they also develop socialization and take more control over their
own learning. Therefore, using technology effectively to convey a concept can change classroom
practice by engaging students interest and thus encouraging their participation. It is important to
know that technology can be used to teach all the difference subjects that are presently enlisted in
the traditional curriculum. In the case of a teacher in the early childhood classroom, the teachers
can use technology to enhance effective: thinking, action, relationships and accomplishments.
By developing students critical thinking skills, the early childhood teachers could
incorporate a number of software programs such as interactive website, enriching apps and
educational video game. Incorporating interactive website in early childhood classroom will
offers children another way to get rid of boredom that they often feel when faced with traditional

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

methods of education. Furthermore video games are adaptable for all levels of learning and or
capable of teaching students problem solving skills. A perfect example of an interactive website
that early childhood teacher could use to develop students critical thinking skill, is
ABCmouse.com. This website is equip with a full curriculum, it covers all the subject with over
five thousand activity and it is viewed in an awesome 3D view. This enhance students ability to
think critically, be creative as well as learning problem solving skills. As it relates Effective
relationship, there are other technological programs that teachers can use to enhance the teaching
and learning process in that area. Some of programs are Audio Tape or Podcast. The use of
audiotape is essential in the oral skills class, as it help to improve receptive skills development,
the tape player or podcasts are the easiest way students can to listen to different speakers sharing
their views on topics in a variety of genres dialogues, stories, songs, interviews and poems.
Another way that teachers can integrate technology in teaching and learning, is to
implement a program refer to as Integrated Technology Concepts (ITC). This program can helps
teachers teach a number of skills through the curriculum that promotes project-based learning.
ITC also encourage students to be more proactive because of its project-based design, it motivate
students natural curiosity and interest. By using this program teacher can determine the how
effective a student can perform a task in his subject area on his own.
In conclusion, it is clear that technology has its positive and negative impacts in the
education system, however in my opinion it is best if the traditional system remains as it is,
where teacher incorporate technology in their lesson. Few will speak of the tremendous impact
that technology have had on their lives, while there are others who address the negative
influences that technology caused on human society. It is best for students to visit the website
whether for research, games or independent learning instead of in front of the computer as a

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

daily routine. It is better for the teachers and policymakers to accept the old system and deal
with the problems that may arise rather than trying to abandon it. On the other hand we dont
have the option of turning away from the future, no one gets to decide on whether or not
technology is going to change our lives. Effective Technology Integration is evident whether or
not we adopt to new technology in the classroom, it is clear that it is changing the world and
those who fail to grasp on to this venture will be lost.

Running Head: CRITIQUE OF PRENSKY

References
John, D. (2013, 10 10). The Essense of Critical Thinking. Retrieved 03 2016, from Rochester
Institute of Technology: http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=50306
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Stephen_Covey
Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching Digital Natives: Partnering for Real Learning
Retrieved from: http://www.corwin.com/books/Book233944

Prasanna, B. (2014, 07 31). How to Enhance Your Students Communication Skill? Does
Technology Help? Retrieved 2016, from Edu. Tech Review: http://edtechreview.in/trendsinsights/insights/1358-how-to-enhance-your-students-communication-skills-does-technologyhelp
University, C. S. (2009). Effective technology integration: Old topic, new thoughts. International
Journal of Education and Development , 161-171.
Unknown. (n.d.). Behaviour Management Models. p. 02.