Marc Prensky Speaking Topics

• Teaching And Training In The 21st Century

  The concepts of “teaching” and “training” are going through profound changes in our time—and not just because of technology. In the past, our educational goals evolved from “imitating” to “learning.” But to deal with our turbulent times, it is now necessary, says Marc Prensky, to adopt the far more far-reaching and useful goal of “becoming.” In our turbulent third millennium, with its coming deep exploration of both outer and virtual space, we need all our students and workers to become capable, good people who improve the world they live in. To succeed going forward, says Prensky, all students and all workers will need to master, in all their complex facets, the core skills of Effective Thinking, Effective Action, Effective Relationships and Effective Accomplishment—strongly supported by technology. In this original and insightful talk, Prensky shows audiences how such a “new core” can be integrated into our teaching and training, using a new methodology of “accomplishment-based education.” Prensky also shows how to avoid letting the “luster” of the new technologies mask the real progress we need in education and training.

• Powerfully Integrating Technology

  Although everyone knows today’s technology is powerful, far too many, limited by past experience, see it only as a new and faster way to do things we could do before. This narrow vision is only the “trivial” side of technology use, argues Marc Prensky. There is a much more powerful set of new technology uses empowering all of us—even elementary school students—to do things that humans could never do before. Prensky guides us through this new world, including real-time visual communication with almost anyone in the world, meeting in virtual worlds, powerful simulations, robotics, analyzing huge databases, and shows how everyone—from students to business people—can use and benefit from these powerful technology tools—more and more of which we have in our pockets to improve our school, work and personal lives. In this amusing, powerful and future-oriented talk, Prensky shows how we can avoid “digital stupidity” and become digitally wiser, more powerful people, who can use our powerful technology to improve the world.

Expanding Minds For The 3rd Millenium

Most see today’s digital technology as a useful—but optional—tool in their lives. Marc Prensky argues the opposite—that technology is now required, and that turning it off makes us lesser human beings. The reason, he says, is that technology is now an extension of our minds. Although we are long accustomed to having our bodies extended by technology (think clothing and transportation), it is now the brain’s turn, and this new territory is unfamiliar to everyone. Prensky helps audiences understand how and why the same technology that is scaring many in the older, pre-Internet generations to death is also greatly empowering and exciting today’s youth. In this counterintuitive and mind-expanding talk, Prensky illustrates how technology is expanding our minds in both a physical and metaphorical sense, and how our expanded minds are changing society in more profound ways than many realize.

Today’s Digital Natives—And Tomorrow’s

A decade and a half ago, when Marc Prensky coined the terms “digital natives” and “digital immigrants,” there was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram, not even You Tube! And yet the huge cultural and attitudinal changes to come were already being perceived by him. Today, many of these changes are recognized by all—although not always as helpful. But, says Prensky, not only are most of them positive, there are many more dramatic positive changes to come. In this original perceptive talk, Prensky shows just how much the world’s culture and context are in rapid flux because of technology, and how the concept of digital natives has evolved to be more a cultural one than a technological one. Prensky offers new perspectives on our complex and rapidly changing technology and times, and helps audiences explore and understand how digital natives—and all of us—can, and should, be adapting for the future.

CRAFTING A REAL 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION!—Beyond Just “Creativity” and “Entrepreneurship”

COMBINING THE STRENGTHS OF NATIVES AND IMMIGRANTS: How To All Teach, Learn and Thrive Together in a Digital World