In 2001, Mark Prensky identified two groups of technology users:  “digital natives” and “digital immigrants.”  Digital natives are those who have grown up around digital technologies and seem to instinctively understand technology.  On the other hand, digital immigrants may have adopted many new technologies but don’t use them as instinctively as digital natives because they have not grown up with these digital tools.

Although students are comfortable using the technology, they may not be using it appropriately and ethically.  Digital immigrants can “help the children of this digital age to become principled digital citizens of character and integrity.”

Ribble, Mike, and Gerald D. Bailey. Digital Citizenship in Schools. Eugene, Or.:
International Society for Technology in Education, 2007. Print.