Why do Students need Technology to Learn?

How many of us have heard some derivation of the following statement:  "When I was a kid I had to walk uphill, both ways, in 10 inches of snow.......just to get to school"?

I am guessing, most of us have heard something like this at some point in our lives.  This statement is typically followed by another: "that's what is wrong with kids these days!"

And unfortunately this mindset tends to creep into the minds of adults in all walks of life, and it is especially prevalent when adults discuss education.  Most people can't imagine why technology is a necessity in today's classroom.  Well....they must have a point...right??

Think about it, only 15-20 short years ago, most students graduated from high school and went on to college without ever typing on a computer, like the one I am using to write this blog!  Even more, many adults can remember the educational stone ages when the only tools that the average teacher had access to were: a pointer, a yardstick, some chalk, a chalk board, and a few erasers.  These students excelled in this setting and many have become the successful CEO's, Doctors, and lawyers in the world today.

So the question often then becomes: "If we could learn back then, then why do today's students need all of these fancy bells and whistles?"

A recent article posted on Education News discussed this issue, and provided evidence on both sides of the debate.  For the most part, the necessary data is not currently available to show whether or not technology is even beneficial to today's student.

But what I think many individuals tend to forget, is that not only has education changed with the advent of technology, but so have the lives of the students outside of the classroom.  Today's students are inundated on a almost minute by minute basis with technology ranging from: Twitter and Facebook updates to text messages and application downloads.

Their minds are constantly being primed by and engaged in technology based applications.  So why do policy makers, and other adults tend to fight this trend?  For the good of our kids, doesn't it make sense to continually provide them with the newest innovations and access to the latest advancements in educational technologies, regardless of the lag in data?

Or perhaps we should go back to the days, when we walked both ways.... uphill.... in 2 feet of snow..... with our shoes untied.......and no cell phone in hand.