Creating+Learning+Connections

Creating Learning Connections with Today's Tech-Savvy Student
Bill Sheskey

Our students enter our classrooms as digital natives. As educators, we need to follow the lead of our students and help other teachers to use the resources that are readily available in any Internet-connected classroom. It is time that we empower our students and allow them to lead us. Integrating technology into our curriculum allows us to make authentic connections with our students where learners see more relevance in their learning environments. "To make authentic connections with students, we must change our strategies to fit this new age of students. With resources available today for use in the classroom, such as interactive software, digital imaging, audio and video creation tools, on-demand video libraries, computers, and LCD projectors, and Web 2.0 tools, the hardest job may be choosing which tool to use and how to integrate it into the classroom" (p. 197).
 * Summary:**

"When educational historians study the early 21st century classroom, they will say that it was a time of great change and that change was driven by the technology skills that tech-savvy students brought to the classroom" (p. 209).
 * Point to ponder:**

Brendan and Matthew make great points about this chapter that we need to share our own experiences with students in the classroom. Whether it be how our new camera can support learning (from the reading) or how to use today's new tools for doing real work with real audiences. Brendan candidly shares that this chapter helped to change his perspective about technology use in schools. We have to stop thinking that the classroom is like preparation for the real world; we need to allow our classrooms to provide real world learning experiences for our students. This type of change is not hardware dependent, but rather based on the connections that we can make as educators!
 * Discussion Connections:**

Fawn reminds us that our students' motivation is waning when they are surrounded by a world that is full of emerging technologies, but they are asked to LEARN behind the walls where real world access is blocked. As a result, this is most likely one of the most difficult areas to address. Those individuals who make the decisions about what to block and unblock work from a perspective of security and fear; while those who make the instructional decisions work from a perspective of advocacy and authenticity. Our children will (and are) becoming more demanding of their schools. They will have the technologies that they feel are necessary to facilitate their learning.

How do we prepare our curriculum and our classrooms for open access to information and tools? We expect this access as adults. How can we provide students safe learning environments where they can learn the same skills necessary to be responsible and successful in an ever changing world?

Sheskey, B. (2010). Creating learning connections. In H. H. Jacobs (Ed.), //Curriculum 21// (pp. 195 - 209). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.