Prensky is a motivational speaker about technology and while not having much experience in an actual classroom has assembled a variety of ideas for using technology collaboratively among students. He begins the book with some sound observations about students who are very comfortable in digital space: “They do not want to be lectured to. They want to be respected, to be trusted and to have their opinions valued and count. They want to create using the tools of their time. Te want to work with their peers on group work and projects (and prevent slackers from getting a free ride.). They want to make decisions and share control. “ While these statements to not apply to all kids that are using computers, they are astute enough about a segment of kids and teens that one perks up looking for suggestions. In his first chapter, he challenges the teacher to be constructivist rather than a behaviorist by putting up a problem and having a serious conversation with students about how to work in a more collaborative environment (sound advice). In chapter two, he continues this discussion but adds a variety of ways to group students so that collaboration becomes a natural. Then he steps it up a notch by suggesting that the teacher ask students how to improve projects they are working on. He recommends building good questions that lead to real projects. Then you introduce the conversation about how technology can assist us all in answering the major questions we have posed. He then recommends almost a hundred tools that can be used in a collaborative learning environment and then suggests that experience with the tools and a careful assessment of impact will provide the teacher with the critical skills to teach constructivistly. All in all, we find that this progressive device, chapter by chapter to be a great way to make progress in one of the greatest challenges that behaviorist teachers face as they try to transform their teaching and connect to students crying out for change and respect. Highly recommended as both a personal guide and a book to be collaboratively studied and used as the foundation of action research. ( )

Great book, I am reading it for class but my co-workers want to borrow it when I am done.

Prensky is a motivational speaker about technology and while not having much experience in an actual classroom has assembled a variety of ideas for using technology collaboratively among students. He begins the book with some sound observations about students who are very comfortable in digital space: “They do not want to be lectured to. They want to be respected, to be trusted and to have their opinions valued and count. They want to create using the tools of their time. Te want to work with their peers on group work and projects (and prevent slackers from getting a free ride.). They want to make decisions and share control. “ While these statements to not apply to all kids that are using computers, they are astute enough about a segment of kids and teens that one perks up looking for suggestions. In his first chapter, he challenges the teacher to be constructivist rather than a behaviorist by putting up a problem and having a serious conversation with students about how to work in a more collaborative environment (sound advice). In chapter two, he continues this discussion but adds a variety of ways to group students so that collaboration becomes a natural. Then he steps it up a notch by suggesting that the teacher ask students how to improve projects they are working on. He recommends building good questions that lead to real projects. Then you introduce the conversation about how technology can assist us all in answering the major questions we have posed. He then recommends almost a hundred tools that can be used in a collaborative learning environment and then suggests that experience with the tools and a careful assessment of impact will provide the teacher with the critical skills to teach constructivistly. All in all, we find that this progressive device, chapter by chapter to be a great way to make progress in one of the greatest challenges that behaviorist teachers face as they try to transform their teaching and connect to students crying out for change and respect. Highly recommended as both a personal guide and a book to be collaboratively studied and used as the foundation of action research.