How can we teach students to learn by using technology?



In answer to this question, I must answer with another question. How do we teach students to think? Only then, will we be able to teach them to learn by using technology. The application of knowledge is no different now than it was in the time of Socrates. It does not matter if you are using a computer or parchment paper. What made Socrates a great teacher was that he made his students think. He inspired their curiosity and encouraged critical thinking skills. The devices that we use are not going to do anything to improve student learning unless we also teach them to think. Therefore the answer to the second question,"How can we teach them to demonstrate their mastery/understanding when they aren't given explicit requirements?" is easily answered. If they can apply the knowledge in a real-world situation, then they have mastered the skill. Education in the United States today could take a lesson from Socrates. It does not matter how many facts a student knows. What matters is how they can apply those facts to solve problems. If they are not taught to think, question, and create, then no device in the world is going to help them to learn.