To speak or not to speak the native language?

     Reading Prensky's "Digital Natives, digital Immigants", I have multiple pages running on my computer, my music soundtrack blaring in the background, and my phone buzzing at my side. If that doesn't answer this question, well then I do not know what will. Growing up, I had one computer at home, one computer that only I used regularly, and I mind you that I was only in first grade. At that time it may not have been Facebook or some chat site, just the innocent games that children play, but I knew how to work the "Brain sucking machine" as my mother called it. She hated that thing, it's only use was to check her email, and even that she had a problem with. "Why can i scroll with this thing? Why isn't the screen popping up?" Now, about thirteen years from then, I still hear the same complaints when I am home. Except now, she has a laptop that she received for Christmas, and right away she needed a wireless mouse because "The stupid touch pad will not let me click things".

     I realize that my parents, and everyone in their generation are not as high tech as my peers and myself. My dad can't even work his new smartphone, which I do not even have and can still make my way around it. I find myself always connected to some form of technology, the internet is my best friend. I admit that when homework time roles around, more time is spent on my Tumblr and Twitter, a trait that I wish I could end. It becomes hard to focus with all of this technology, and I get why my older professors frown upon electronics in class. Pen and paper is the way to go in their eyes, no need for distractions, but to me, typing on a computer is more efficient. I concentrate more on what I am reading, and typing increases my speed by a minute or so.

     I am always learning new things, for instance, this site is included. I am not native to Weebly, but there are sites that I have come across as similar. It was no surprise when I figured out how to work this sit on my own, no instructions needed. As a digital native, I can say that I am independent, that is when I don't need the internet to answer the questions that my professors cannot.