Brain Gain Technology and the Quest for Digital Wisdom

by Prensky, Marc

• ISBN13: 9780230338098
• ISBN10: 0230338097
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-08-07
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

The majority of people now use technology to help them keep track of appointments, get from point A to point B, and stay socially and professionally connected. Yet, we're constantly questioning if this is truly a useful "crutch," or if we're merely dampening our own ability to think and remember. In Digital Brain Gain, tech and education expert Marc Prensky shows that both the human brain and technology have strengths - our own cognitive function for sense-making and complex reasoning; technology for the ability to store and process large amounts of data. But how can we combine the strengths of each for maximum benefit? Drawing on the latest neuroscience and his own extensive research with cutting-edge experts in mind-machine combination, Prensky shows readers how smart people are now learning to improve our thinking power by using technology wisely, without losing our humanity.

Author Biography

Marc Prensky, the originator of the terms digital native  and digital immigrant, is an internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, and game designer focusing on education and learning. He gives over 50 talks per year around the world, has appeared on CNN, Fox News, CNBC, and the BBC, and has been interviewed in numerous worldwide publications including The New York Times, Newsweek, The Economist, Le Monde,  and El Pais.  His previous books include Teaching Digital Natives, From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdome, Digital Game-Based Learning, and Don't Bother Me Mom, I'm Learning!  Prensky is a prolific essayist and writes a regular column in Educational Technology magazine.

Table of Contents

“An intriguing, astute counterbalance to the scaremongering that dominates many other books on digital life.” 

–Kirkus Review

“A well-crafted antidote to the purveyors of doom and gloom regarding how the digital revolution affects our minds. Sure, there are many unanswered questions but the jury is in. Prensky shows beyond a reasonable doubt that technology is extending our brains beyond their conventional limitations.  We're getting smarter not dumber, maybe even capable enough to survive and thrive in an ever more complex world. “

--Don Tapscott, bestselling coauthor of 14 books, Most recently Macrowikinomics: New Solutions For a Connected Planet.

"From flint axes to cloud computing, access to technology has constantly transformed how people think, feel, and behave. In this provocative and insightful book, Marc Prensky argues that our interactions with technology have now brought us literally to a new phase of human evolution, and that the implications are immense for how we live, relate, and educate ourselves. With his characteristic rigor and verve, Prensky challenges cherished assumptions of what it is to be human and analyses the powerful roles of technology in shaping who we are and who we are becoming. An essential read.”

--Sir Ken Robinson, author and educator.