21st Century Learners

21st century learners are students that have grown up in a time of great technological change and have become accustomed to technology making their lives easier and more convenient. In my classroom, I plan to incorporate enough technology to make students feel comfortable, but I also plan on relying on some low-tech techniques as well to make sure that students receive a welcome break from their high-tech lives. Students can expect to experience a variety of technological mediums such as videos, music and interactions with Smartboards, tablets and computers. I'd also like to find a way to incorporate students' cell phones into the classroom. However, I want to be mindful of students that may not have access to these technologies or may not have a level of familiarity and comfort. As a high school English teacher, many items we read and discuss in class will be poems and pieces of literature from many centuries ago. During the discussion and activities for these pieces would be an excellent time to remove high-tech devices and have the students take a break and get back to basics. For example, in Hamlet, there are a few scenes when letters are sent and the time it takes to communicate is important to the story. The teacher could have students leave all computers, phones, etc. at the door and lead a discussion about the ways that technology has made communication faster and what the effects of a slower communication system were in Hamlet's time.