How to teach the Digital Native
There is a challenge today that teacher’s must face … teaching the digital native. All of us, teachers, are digital immigrants. So how do we reach out to these kids? Here are some suggestions:
1. Change our presentation. Reach the kids by picking up the pace – go faster, less of the step-by-step teaching approach. Give up control and learn to coach.
2. Teach two types of content:
a. Teach the “traditional” curriculum … you know what I mean, reading, writing, logical thinking, arithmetic …
b. Go digital … teach to the future. Get technological. Try teaching software, hardware, nanotechnology but tie it in with ethics, politics, sociology. It’s huge! Go extreme in your dreams!
3. Don’t dictate the the process to learners. Too often professors insist the learners complete the task in a certain order. Give the freedom to learn – become diverse.
What we cannot do is remain still or stagnant. Digital natives speak a different language. Educators need to learn this new language in order to effectively communicate.
Here’s a radical thought … allow the students to guide us 
The base principle is this … if digital immigrants want to teach digital natives they will have to change.
As Nike says: Just Do It!
