“If you don't have it, you can't find it.” A close look at students' perceptions of using technology

Rarely do adults ask students to reflect on their learning. This study looks closely at a sample of eighth-grade students' perceptions about their experiences with technology, especially the use of the World Wide Web. Employing a phenomenological methodology of both examining a single student story and analyzing a collection of student voices, several themes and questions emerge. Students' personal attributes of self confidence, resilience, and openness to learning about the new technologies, and their skills in reading the Web and managing information, may offer new questions for teachers and information professionals. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.