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I believe that one of the roadblocks to innovative use of digital media to support teaching and learning in the classroom is the perceived divide between young people and adults in digital ability. Teachers can be reluctant to experiment with new media because of their unfamiliarity with it and their fear of giving up control in the classroom, and when they do introduce technology, they are at risk of imbuing it with magical powers and failing to give students direction about what to do with it, assuming that students already know. While we do need to tap into the knowledge and expertise that students bring to navigating the digital world, this does not mean that we abdicate responsibility for setting up educational opportunities that will allow young people to interact with the digital world in sophisticated and critical ways.

“The most powerful uses are where people are producing,” Cator said. “They’re answering questions that they are intimately involved with.”

Students can perform, compose and record themselves easily with technology, turning their work into digital products that can live on the internet long after students have moved out of the class. And students are now able to connect globally in ways they’ve rarely been able to do before.

The internet has made access to data and information about the world is unprecedented, letting teachers challenge students to deeply engage with the world around them.