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The articles by Prensky and Alderman about how to effectively teach by using technology pose some intriguing suggestions and observations. Being a teacher who is a bit wary of technology, I found the following to ring true: "In general, students are learning, adopting, and using technology at a much more rapid pace than their teachers, and many teachers are highly fearful of the technologies that the students take for granted" (Prensky 40). As fearful as I may be, the fact remains that these technologies are here to stay and that students will need these technologies in order to be successful in their future careers. Relatedly, Alderman warns us that "Conventional text-bound teaching in the content areas belies how contemporary youths locate and use information that has relevance for them" (17). I know that my students are far more proficient than myself in these technologies, so this is surely daunting. Also, because the list of professional responsibilities is so frequently getting longer and longer, finding the time to invest in learning new technologies is a challenge. Likewise, as Prensky asserts, "Teachers... rarely benefit from learning to use... the emerging technologies themselves. The reason is simple: excepting a great deal of passion and time devoted, they will always be behind the curve in the use of the technologies-- and most importantly, behind their own students, 'looking stupid'" (41).

However, I am comforted to know that perhaps I needn't be proficient in these new technologies myself. Prensky's theory pertaining to a "useful division of labor" maintains that the role of the teacher should be as more of a guide: "Teachers need to work with students to understand how the technologies work, what they offer, and to understand how to include them in assignments. Students need to do the work of actually producing things in these technologies and media" (42). Certainly, effective learning is student-centered. However, as a teacher, I begin to immediately wonder how these kinds of assignments will be assessed. Prensky answers, "...teachers and students need to work together to create evaluation criteria and rubrics, and to make and understand the distinctions that relate to quality. Teachers also need to help students apply technologies wisely to real problems, and to reflect and search for the deeper issues that the technologies raise, and to bring up and discuss these issues with students" (42). I think as teachers, we can get too used to the fact the "we're the ones in charge," but I like Prensky's ideas to work collaboratively with students on how to incorporate these technologies, and Alderman's theory that we need to ask the students we teach for their "input into how, or for that matter whether their online literacies should be embraced in the regular curriculum" makes much sense (18); so often we forget to ask our students about how they can learn best. Perhaps, as teachers, we have been holding on to a power that is not rightfully ours; I do not doubt that so much will be transformed and improved when we give a little of our own power back and return it to its rightful owners—our students. This seems not only reasonable, but also highly desirable and necessary.