My teaching situation and 21st century literacies

In my current teaching assignment there is great access to technology. It seems like there is a lot of equipment to physically manage. Technology in my classroom represents a significant investment, as well. As a teacher, the 21st century tools are a great addition to the classroom. Students have to put more of themselves in the process and they are contained to an online environment (a computer with internet access is all that's needed). In using this technology there are some aspects of my situation that require careful consideration and planning.

These tools allow for greater differentiation of instruction but also represent one more level of "differentness" among learners (and among the teachers that teach them). I witnessed this as I was working with students to create their wikis. Some students were sailing through the process, patiently wanting to know what to do next while others needed one on one guidance throughout. Many of the students forgot their passwords, did not have email addresses, and did not understand the language of the tools, themselves. In addition, the teachers present to assist also had digital difficulties and were not able to be of much assistance to the students. In reflecting on the process, I realize that 21st century digital tools are different and require a different set of background knowledge. This is all part of the digital literacy schools, faculty and students must develop.