Meech, Scott. (2007). What Teachers Must Know to Help Students Know. Educators' eZine. Retrieved April 13, 2007, from http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604341.

Summary
This article proposes that although current students are more "tech-savvy" than students in the past, they still don't know how to use technology (specifically the Internet) efficiently. Meech discusses the issue of the "Invisible Web," that is, websites--many of them extremely valuable--that are never accessed by students, or teachers for that matter, because they don't show up on a Google search. This dependence on simple Goolgle keyword searching rather than even considering utilizing other modes of information proves (to Meech) that students have embraced a blind faith in information on the Internet. A recent study by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills ranked students being skilled in information technology equal in importance to reading, writing, and math as critical skills for future workers. The disconnect between being familiar with computers and being technically literate can only be bridged, Meech states, by educators embracing and learning about new technology so that they can confidently address these issues with students.

Response
I agree wholeheartedly with Meech's observations. I often wonder if I assume too much understanding of technology just because my students know what all of the "F" buttons on the computer do and I don't! Then I see how randomly they access information on the Internet, and it's scary. We need to teach students how to determine validity of information--on the web and elsewhere. We are such an information-saturated society, and many of our students are blind consumers who don't question what they see/read/hear. I also agree that for teachers to be comfortable with technology and what's out there is the first step--otherwise we feel too intimidated to address it with the students we serve, and that's doing everyone a disservice.