It is the learner who must be engaged for learning to occur, the learner who must make the commitment to learn. This is heavily influenced by the student's prior knowledge and by the values, expectations and rewards that shape the learning environment. Being involved in actual research gives students a sense of responsibility and a real-world context for their science and math learning. Students at five schools in Birmingham, England, and the South African province of Gauteng are learning more about the politics, geography and art of each other's country through an Internet link that allows them to communicate via videoconference, work collaboratively on research projects and gain a greater understanding of other cultures. At Hunterdon Central Regional High, New Jersey, students stay after school to tutor senior citizens on using e-mail and conducting simple Web searches.
Teachers watch as their students become teachers and are fully engaged in the education process.
Success in the 21st century not only requires academic excellence and critical thinking skills, but relevant technical expertise as well. In the Dominican Republic, New Horizons, a bilingual school, has the mission to provide students with a multicultural technological preparation for the information age. Students are realizing the power that technology has for learning at a very young age. Through the school's Early Learning Program, students as young as three are using technology to discover the world. What's more, the challenging material has improved self-esteem and prompted more students to attend college.