I watched the video Pay Attention which addressed the fact that each of our students is a digital learner in addition to the fact that they may be kinesthetic, visual, auditory, or a number of other types of learners. This video pointed out that there is a wealth of resources available to teachers which students are already familiar with, comfortable with, and enjoy.
One statistic which shocked me is the number of students who graduated from high school who think that their school work is something they will never use again in the course of their lives. As teachers it seems that we are doing a poor job of relating students learning to actual life and having them truly connect with what they are doing. Lee Rainie points out that "Teens were born into a digital world where they expect to be able to create, consume, remix, and share material with each other" (Lee Rainie) . We need to allow them opportunities to connect learning to their lives and to interact with material in a way which gives them ownership of it.
Combating the idea that students should simply listen to lectures and spit back answers it is important for teachers to use the materials available which students are already using. This trend of technology use is only growing for future generations, as The Kaiser Family Foundation points out that "in any given day, 68% of children under two will use a screen media, for an average of just over two hours" (Kaiser Family Foundation). Incorporating blogging, webcams, interactive portfolios, online collaberation, webquests, virtual manipulatives, and virtual tours will make the difference in students level of interest in the material you provide to them.