Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, so why not take advantage of all it has to offer. We just need to learn when and how to use it. I truly believe that with some guidance, students should use technology to access information to learn new concepts. I also believe that "teachers must first have a good understanding of how technology works" (Lindsay and Davis, 2010) before they can attempt to lead by example. According to Ribble and Bailey, "even when digital technologies are readily available, too often teachers have not been taught how to use the technology and have no idea what they could do with it in their classroom." (2007) Some issues to address would be to learn the digital basics, evaluate online resources and look at online learning modes and distance education. (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)
One way students could use digital technology would be to access online classes. Some students don't do well sitting in a classroom all day; an online school, if available, may be a better option and prevent them from dropping out. As far as conducting research, using Skype to communicate with other students in foreign countries to learn about their cultures for a project or paper would also be helpful; you couldn't ask for a better primary source. An electronic pen pal could also be another option, rather than writing letters, students could email back and forth. When creating presentations, some websites offer free options, like glogster, prezi.com, photostory, etc. These are just a few ideas for students to think about when attempting to use technology to its fullest potential. There is basically a website for almost anything that you could think of, so why not use them, as long as they are used responsibly.
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