November 29, 2005

How's Your Dutch?

I spent a fair portion of November in The Netherlands - first at the SURF conference in Utrecht, and then at the i + i conference in Lunteren.

The Netherlands is a fabulous country, really looking to go in new directions with learning.

Same for Liverpool, England, which put on a wonderful conference at which I and the audience of teachers got to interview a panel of Digital Native students. Best quote from the kids: "I think you have to slow down a bit when you're talking to teachers."

Posted by Marc at 09:36 AM

November 24, 2005

Ordering My New Book, "Dont Bother Me, Mom -- I'm Learning"

You can order my new book for parents and teachers:
"Don't Bother Me Mom -- I'm Learning" : How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids For Twenty-first Century Success -- and How You Can Help!
by clicking here.

Here is a description of the book:

"Don't Bother Me, Mom -- I'm Learning” : How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids For Twenty-first Century Success -- and How You Can Help! by Marc Prensky (Paragon House 2006) presents the case – profoundly counter-cultural but true nevertheless – that video and computer game playing, within limits, is actually very beneficial to today's “Digital Native” kids, who are using them to prepare themselves for life in the 21st century. The reason kids are so attracted to these games, Prensky says, is that they are learning about important “future” things, from collaboration, to prudent risk taking, to strategy formulation and execution, to complex moral and ethical decisions. Prensky’s arguments are backed up by university PhD’s studying not just game violence, but games in their totality, as well as studies of gamers who have become successful corporate workers, entrepreneurs, leaders, doctors, lawyers, scientists and other professionals.

Because most adults (including the critics) can’t play the modern complex games themselves (and discount the opinions of the kids who do play them) they rely on secondhand sources of information, most of whom are sadly misinformed about both the putative harm and the true benefits of game-playing. This book is the antidote to those misinformed, bombastic sources. Full of common sense and practical information, it provides parents with a large number of techniques approaches they can use – both over time and right away – to improve both their understanding of games and their relationships with their kids.

Posted by Marc at 01:12 PM