Tapscott: Digital natives need tech-rich education

Educators should change the way they view technology's role in everyday life in order to understand students' educational needs, said Don Tapscott, chairman of nGenera Insight, during a Jan. 19 Consortium for School Networking webinar on the digital generation.

The nation is at a turning point, Tapscott said, and many institutions that have served us well for decades or even centuries—including education—have come to the end of their life cycle and must be "rebooted" or reinvented for a new age. "This is an age where human communication is possible on a global basis," he said. Tapscott's newest book, Grown Up Digital, looks at the so-called digital natives, some of whom are now college graduates, and how this generation is shaping education and the workforce. These digital natives are truly shaping the way technology is used and the things it is used for, he noted.