In the last post, I described two of my earlier experiences using the Internet to connect to information and people. Over the past two decades, the way digital media has changed, and how it is being used is truly astounding. Digital media in an Internet environment enables teachers to involve students in experiences that connect to their own lives—a world centered in the use of a variety of digital media tools.

Most of the students who are in school, K-college, have grown up in a digital world, using devices from early childhood on. Here is a Youtube video that tells us a lot about how students are using digital technology, and some implications for teaching. The student’s lived experience is centered in the world of technology as indicated by students’ comments. Here are some of the questions raised in this clip:

In a recent study of students in two and four year colleges (in the USA), most students believe that information technology does help improve their learning. This is a key statement in that students who have had to rely on “school-like” technologies (books, papers, journals) to learn might be motivated to engage in experiences that involve “real-world” technologies (i-phones, i-pods, laptops). Please understand I am not recommending the removal of books, but I am recommending that a better starting point might be resources on the Internet related to interesting questions that are generated by students and teachers working together.

What do you think? Can technology be helpful in the issue of motivation? Can it lead to increased interest in science and technology classes?