Today’s students are digital learners. Marc Prensky has coined the term "digital natives" to describe them because they have grown up surrounded by and using computers, cell phones, iPods, video games and all the other tools and toys of the digital age.  They learn by doing and regularly use available technology to create, consume, remix and share information with each other. Teachers who use technology in collaborative, inquiry-based learning environments find that it helps their students gain knowledge, solve problems and communicate, and engages kids who might not otherwise be interested in school.

 

The Young Writers Project is dedicated to helping students learn to write better through the use of digital technology -- blogging, online feedback, podcasting, image-based writing, digital storytelling, wikis, video and other forms of social media.  It has found through years of working with thousands of students that these digital tools are highly effective in engaging kids to write and helping them to improve their writing.

 

Check out the following videos to get a sense of the new world our students live and learn in: