Raising Free Range Children

Jamie McKenzie says...

"In many cases — those districts which fail to clarify learning goals
and fund professional development — the answer will be "No!" There is
no credible evidence that networks improve student reading, math or
thinking skills unless they are in service of carefully crafted
learning programs which show students how to interpret information and
make up their own minds. ...

"In the best cases - with the right program planning and robust
professional development - schools will use these new tools and
resources in ways which will improve student performance on high stakes
state tests. ...

"This article will show how schools may take advantage of these
electronic networks to raise a generation of free range students —
young people capable of navigating through a complex, often
disorganized information landscape while making up their own minds
about the important issues of their lives and their times. ...

"The same skills which allow students to make up their own minds will
serve them well on Life’s tests as well as increasingly challenging
state tests. ..."

http://fno.org/text/grazing.html