Technology is empowering students in ways that earlier generations could not imagine.

Thanks to the democratizing power of technology, which lets anyone with an internet connection tap into resources from all over the globe, it’s now easier than ever for students to start their own companies or collaborate with peers to solve the world’s problems.

In fact, technology is empowering students in ways that earlier generations could only dream of. This trend has important implications for schools, which are under enormous pressure to engage students in ways that are relevant to the challenges of the 21st century.

Fortunately, a number of platforms exist to help educators harness students’ entrepreneurial spirit and their desire to make a difference in their world, and channel these in ways that advance the curriculum.

Sowing the seeds of creativity

Joaquin Horton, 19, who just graduated from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, credits a new online resource called Seedplay for helping him take his company to the next level…

Students in U.S. schools are using iEARN and TakingITGlobal to reach out to their peers in war-torn countries across the globe, for instance. The brand-new Seedplay initiative is helping students raise funds for all kinds of projects. Junior Achievement’s online banking game empowers students to become smarter consumers. And through ePals, students are broadening their perspective on other cultures.

All of these initiatives, and many more, are the result of teachers’ increasing use of technology as a tool to empower students to become more engaged in school, more connected to the world around them, more focused on a future career, and more committed to creating a better world.

“Educators are looking for ways to make education more inspiring and relevant,” said Michael Furdyk, co-founder and director of technology at TakingITGlobal. Online collaboration with students across the globe promotes “critical thinking, social responsibility, and problem solving. There is no better way to learn than connecting students to a real-world challenge or problem.”

A program like CORE K12′s Seedplay empowers students to take part in “leadership, entrepreneurship, and community service, as well as master highly transferable skills surrounding social media, communications, and micro-financing,” said Phillip Thompson, vice president of marketing. Of equal importance, he said, is the “application of higher-order thinking in genuine, real-world projects, including analysis, comparison, inference, and evaluation.”

Global awareness

Yvonne Andres, president and founder of the Global SchoolNet Foundation, said she has noticed over the last two years “a bigger emphasis on students learning about the world. More schools are focusing on global awareness and civic responsibility, and as a result, students want to get involved and feel they can actually make a contribution and help solve problems.”