Student to teachers at #tltf13 "You don't need to teach us. That is what Google is for." #StuVoice #edchat
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

This is what a passionate student told a room full of educators at the 2013 Tech Forum in New York in response to a question from social studies teacherMelissa Seideman. She was asking how Digital Native students prefer learning when it comes to technology use.

Other students chimed in telling teachers this:

If I can't figure something out I prefer to text or message a friend rather than ask a teacher. -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

They are doing what adults would call, "reaching out to their personal learning network."

The students had more advice for teachers:

"It is annoying when teachers try to teach us. We like to learn by trying it ourselves." -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

In conversation with a Tweep that inquired about my Tweet, I explained... 

@ChrisWejr Students were saying universally they prefer teachers step back & let them figure it out unless they asked for help @garystager
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

These young people are not alone. Connected educators have been learning using the internet and their network for quite some time. We know learning is no longer something that is confined to a certain place, at a certain time, from a certain teacher.  

This may not be the way all, or even most, students like to learn, but it certainly is representative of quite a few. How does practice change if we are teaching students who want teachers to step aside so they can learn via their preferred method of Googling and messaging friends?