Response to "...K-12 Students Today"

I started watching the video entitled, "A Vision of K-12 Students Today" and immediately was reminded of a video that I had been shown by a friend and also in a graduate class last year.  Half way through the video I stopped and was curious to read the other titles of video links we were asked to choose from.  Sure enough, the video "Did You Know?" was the one I was thinking of.  After watching both, I am truly amazed at the statistics that they include.  To know that college majors are offered that didn't even exist 10 years ago is incredible.  That 70% of four year olds have used a computer is shocking.  The fact that 67% of teachers have never used wikis, blogs, or podcasts is believable, but needs to be changed. 

It is apparent that we are utilizing the interests of our students within the classroom.  By remaining unexposed and uneducated about technology that actually opens a whole new world of learning for our students, we are doing them a disservice and only prolonging the time before we must become educated.  I believe that professional development should begin to largely focus upon ways that educators can practically incorporate technology within their classrooms and daily instruction instead of it being large chunks of time that teachers feel they are wasting.  I believe education is in the midst of a complete revolution, however, it needs a slight push in order for that revolution to be complete.  Although I consider myself a young teacher, I even need that extra push to learn what children and teenagers know today.  Last year I showed my 12th grade students the "Did You Know?" video and may show my new ninth graders as well...although I don't think they're as astonished as I am when I watch it. :)