Learning More About Today's Learners

Christine Greenhow's article, Who are Today's Learners?, truly brings up important points to consider as educators begin a new school year. The information she discusses, as taken from the research of Spires, Lee, Turner, and Johnson (2008), makes so much sense. Education too often assumes so much as each new school year begins. They assume this child can or cannot do this. And now it seems that these assumptions are being made with respect to technology. Students can be tech savvy no matter where they come from, how old they are, or how much money their family has. Having students who are starting off a new school year complete a short technology inventory makes perfect sense. Teachers use inventories in math and writing and tutorial to get a grasp at individual and class levels at the beginning of a school year. Why not use a similar tool to get a grasp of ones technology knowledge and ability?

The student recommendations, as noted by Greenhow, in the article also caught my eye. The students called for engagement and preparation with respect to technology and its use within schools. It is awesome to get an idea of what the students want, but it also important that the children realize that they are not necessarily entitled to get what they want. The requested less technololgy restrictions, but they probably won't win that battle. However, some of their suggestions seem perfectly honest and important of note. Incorporating more technology based learning within the classroom can only help promote attention to work and active learning. Why not have more teachers and educators give that idea a shot. Any way to get students to be more focused and interested in the idea of learning the better!