Mark Prensky "Engage Me or Enrage Me"

     Prenksy certainly made some obvious observations. In this fast moving world, technology is constantly changing at an exponential rate. No one knows what the future holds for the next generation to come. Prensky mentions microchips in our fingertips that have every book and song known to man stored on them available for instant use. Though alarming, this possibility isn't labeled as "scifi" anymore. He does make a good point mentioning that the number one issue with classrooms is the "disrepect" between students and teachers. This disrespect is not what you would imagine. This disrespect is the lack of trying to engage our students with what interests them or what they believe is fun. I actually liked his twist on the definition of fun: Fun is mastering something mentally. When students "beat" video games, they trade them in and buy new ones because they mastered those games. Students love the instant feedback of their progress and the leveling up aspect of constantly getting better and "mastering" the game mentally.
     Unlike the Catlin Tucker's "flipped classroom" approach, Prensky says that teachers shouldn't go out and learn the technology because it is always changing. We would be overworking ourselves. By the time we have mastered a certain technology, such as podcasting, something new will have come out that we would have to learn. Instead, teachers should learn the basics and assign the students to use the technology to show their proof of understanding since the majority of them already know how to use it. Make the students create podcasts, post and publish blog discussions, take pictures and instagram them, all relating to lessons. I myself have never seen this used in classroom, but my students have told me they have used instagram before in classes. Recently I assigned my students various projects for To Kill a Mockingbird some of which include creating technology such as podcasts, online games, and even using Minecraft to create the town of Maycombe.
     I especially love the video gaming aspect of his lecture. My husband has always said he has learned more from video games than he ever learned from school, and it's true. Prensky noted on all the important aspects that video gaming teaches: quick decision making, multitasking, setting and achieving goals. The big question is how do we incorporate games in our lessons? Sounds like it's easier said than done considering the lack of gaming devices in classrooms. Prensky mentions that the easiest way to do this is to just talk about them and mention them in class. Ask questions. Getting the students to talk about video games makes them feel incorporated in lessons and, if you think about the positive aspects, allows them to brag about themselves for bit. I love the idea, and I hope to use this one day in my own classroom.