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Overcoming the New Stereotypes: Newly created obstacles might be getting in the way of change, though. We have discussed the problems with the term “digital natives” before (see Trebor Scholz). The term—which refers to a younger generation that has grown up with technology and that supposedly processes information fundamentally differently than older generations (“digital immigrants”) who have merely adopted the technology as it has emerged—is a deceptive metaphor, according to Henry Jenkins, and a intimidating obstacle for teachers, according to Susan Zvacek, director of instructional development at the University of Kansas.

One of the key arguments we are making is that the role of educators needs to shift away from being expert in a particular area of knowledge, to becoming expert in the ability to create and shape new learning environments. In a way, that is a much more challenging, but also much more rewarding, role.

The other major part of upgrading ourselves, or at least my view of it, is to understand the macro trends and issues in our society that affect our ability to get the most out of the media we consume and create.