Digital access, collaboration a must for students

In a national survey that reveals K-12 students' use of technology at home and at school, students overwhelmingly agreed that access to digital media tools and the ability to collaborate with peers both inside and outside of school can greatly enhance education.

"Speak Up 2009: Creating Our Future: Students Speak Up about their Vision for 21st Century Schools," the latest education technology survey from the nonprofit group Project Tomorrow, identifies the emergence of "free agent learners"—students who increasingly take learning into their own hands and use technology to create personalized learning experiences. "For these students, the schoolhouse, the teacher, and the textbook no longer have an exclusive monopoly on knowledge, content, or even the education process, and therefore it should not be surprising that students are leveraging a wide range of learning resources, tools, applications, outside experts, and each other to create a personalized learning experience that may or may not include what is happening in the classroom," the report says. The survey indicates that students increasingly are seeking out and obtaining technology-based learning experiences outside of school—experiences that are not directed by a teacher or associated with class assignments or homework.