A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Are students digital learners?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

The idea that students are solely digital learners is a little bit fluffy to me. I am surrounded by technology, but that doesn't mean that I need to use it all the time in order to learn something. A classroom shouldn't be wholly dependent on technology in order for students to learn. However, that also doesn't mean that a classroom should never use technology.

A teacher should use technology to the extent that he or she feels that it is going to be beneficial to the student, taking into consideration the opinion of his or her students. Too much technology can create a negatively dependent classroom, so that when the student doesn't have a chance to use technology they don't know what to do and they don't know how to learn. Too little technology used with students can make a subject seem irrelevant, inapplicable.

I like the idea that teachers need to engage their students - that is part of their job. I think that one of the most detrimental aspects of technology in education is the development of lazy teachers because they can just use technology to teach students. Yes - students enjoy technology. But they still need a teacher. They need someone who can utilize the latest technology in a way that doesn't waste time or effort, in a way that helps the students learn better. Students don't need technology; they need a teacher who can use technology.