Education Evloving --- Tech-Savvy Students

ARTICLE SUMMARY: This report summarizes available literature reporting student attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors when it comes to using technology, particularly for learning. It explores both how our students are using technology, particularly for learning, and how they are becoming more and more frustrated with schools that are not embracing technology. The report includes students’ ideas thier needs could be better met. The report includes 15 major findings:

• Computer and Internet use is growing
• Students are sophisticated users
• Technology is important to students' education
• Technology is not an "extra"
• In-school access to technology is limited
• Home use dominates
• In-school use is not integrated
• Computers and the Internet are communication tools, first
• Metaphors describe how students use the Internet for school
• Technology has caused students to approach life differently; but adults act as though nothing has changed
• Students desire increased in-school access
• Students want to use technology to learn, and in a variety of ways
• Students want challenging, technologically-oriented instructional activities
• Students want adults to move beyond using the 'Internet for Internet's sake'
• Students want to learn the basics, too.

What I learned: The knowledge that students are often more sophisticated users than their teachers is not new to me, the fact they would like to see more technology in the classroom was not a surprise, the fact that they do not feel like sophisticated users was a surprise to me. This is one area that concerns me; students are often teaching themselves how to use a computer and the applications. They are learning through trial and error and not always finding the correct answers but simply work around. This method does not create effective or efficient users. The fact that students are recognizing and admitting that they need to be taught was a surprise, a pleasant surprise. Hopefully educators will begin to listen to their voices!

Was this valuable? Yes - I learned a lot from this article and the discussion.

Discussion critique: I think that we all agreed that technology is changing the way people look at learning and gathering information. Even us immigrants are using technology before turning to traditional methods to find information. Multitaksing is part of everyday life with technology. Students now use technology as their primary source of communication. Teachers need to take a look at this and consider email, blogging, ect as part of their communication tools with students.

Suggestions on how the discussions could be improved: Nothing - I thought it was great.