I think a few skills have been mastered. 1. The ar...

I think a few skills have been mastered. 1. The art of multi-tasking. In this century, if you do not multi-task well you can be left behind. If a student is doing homework, IM'ing, and such at the same time, and he can still achieve good grades and command knowledge of the material--this is efficient multi-tasking. 2. The ability to assist others in need more efficiently. During homework, or projects, if a student cannot understand part of the work or if that student missed a day due to illness, I have found that other students readily jump in via IM'ing or texting or other means to get that student up to speed. The assistance aspect of socialization has improved quite a bit with technology. 3. Group projects are not as arduous any longer. Working with someone by emailing information, charting graphics, IM'ing thoughts/concerns in preparation for the "project due" date has improved substantially due to the networking and connections of technology.

There are negatives. During the turbulent adolescent years, if there is a student who is abusing the technology (bullying via Facebook or Myspace), this can cause a student to revert into themselves and not discuss with their parents or other adults what is going on in their world and how to stop it. Plus, there is nothing easier than for a person to be mean-spirited over a keyboard and to totally destroy someone with just a few keyboard strokes.
So--like everything...positives and negatives. As always, keeping communication open and keeping the technology at a limit is essential for EVERYONE.