Students Demand Technology

This article speaks to the necessity of keeping technology current and creating access for all. The students profiled in this article were at a conference demanding that policymakers wake up to the necessity that they--students from poorer school districts--need devices in school that enable them to learn effectively. Without better technology and more of it, they contend that they'll never be on an equal footing with their peers who come from families or live in school districts where technology is easily accessible. They are, of course, correct. What is significant about these students is that they organized themselves, raised the money to get to the conference, and spoke with conviction to the adults who make decisions that impact them. They are the generation who demands to be heard, and is capable of being heard because of technology. The entire educational paradigm is shifting because of technology; and adults and students need to be working together to maximize its advantages. It's the New World. Like these students suggest, education will remain relevant if they are given the tools and support from adults in classrooms that enable them to succeed outside the classroom.