Our children’s world is constantly changing and evolving as new technologies affect all facets of their lives.  With access to computers, the Internet, online communities, email, blogs, wikis, cell phones and other digital devices and services, children today process information and communicate with one another much differently than past generations.  Author and expert Mark Prensky  has argued that our children are digital natives as they have lived their entire lives surrounded by technology and have adopted digital technologies quite rapidly.

There are recognizable benefits for our children in being digital natives, including increased development of critical thinking skills, communication, collaboration, innovation, and global citizenship.  Employers will likely seek all of these skills in the near future.

Students must practice critical thinking skills as they analyze information found online and interpret its meaning.  While researching on the Internet, students must sort through multitudes of information, much of which is erroneous or biased.  This challenges students to locate relevant information by filtering search engine results based on the credibility of the web sites listed.

Computers are powerful production tools that help children develop their own works.  Word processing, desktop publishing, and photo editing and drawing programs support creativity and communication as students develop a personal voice and style in their artwork and writings.  Online discussion groups promote student engagement on various topics and allow students to collaborate on projects.

Although often controversial, video games teach children to use strategy and think critically.  Players navigate the virtual land of the game, learning to distinguish key objects in relation to game landmarks.  This ability to visualize spatial patterns is called spatial-temporal reasoning, and is an essential skill for mathematics and engineering.  Locating and completing the numerous tasks necessary to win a video game requires developed reasoning skills.  In addition, video games usually have complex point or economic systems that players must understand to effectively participate.

As digital natives, our children are much more engaged with world cultures than previous generations.  They can easily contact people throughout the world via the Internet, but they must be careful when interacting with others online.  Legal and ethical behaviors must be taught, as they do not come naturally to children.  The school and parents must both advocate for safe online practices as well as responsible use of technology.