From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report in Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
Teachers say the digital age has had a good influence -- and a not-so-good influence -- on this generation of American teenagers. More than 2,000 middle and high school teachers took an online survey. Researchers also spoke with teachers in focus groups.
教师们说，数字化时代对这一代美国青少年的影响有好有坏。2000多名初中和高中教师参与了网上调查。研究人员还同重点小组的教师进行了交流。
Three-quarters of the teachers said the Internet and digital search tools have had a "mostly positive" effect on their students' research habits and skills. But 87 percent agreed that these technologies are creating an "easily distracted generation with short attention spans." And 64 percent said the technologies "do more to distract students than to help them academically." Many students think "doing research" now means just doing a quick search on Google.
3/4的教师说，互联网和数字搜索工具对学生的研究习惯和技巧大多是正面影响。但87%的教师赞同这些技术正在产生“易受干扰、注意力短暂的一代人”。而64%的教师表示，科技更多的是使学生分心而不是在学业上帮助他们。许多学生认为现在做研究只是到谷歌上快速检索。
The Pew Internet Project did the survey with the College Board and the National Writing Project. A majority of the teachers came from Advanced Placement classes, which provide college-level work for high school students.
皮尤互联网项目联合美国大学理事会和美国国家写作项目展开了这次调查。大部分教师来自为高中生提供大学水平功课的大学先修课程班级。
Judy Buchanan is deputy director of the National Writing Project and a co-author of the report. Ms. Buchanan says digital research tools are helping students learn more, and learn faster.
朱迪·布坎南（Judy Buchanan）是美国国家写作项目的副主任，也是该报告的合著者。 布坎南女士表示，数字化研究工具有助于学生们学到更多，学得更快。
"Teachers really embrace these tools because they are ways to make some of learning exciting and engaging. Young people embrace these tools. And the goal is to really help them become creators of content, and meaningful content, and not just sort of consumers."
她说，“教师们接受这些工具是因为它们让学习变得有趣、有吸引力。年轻人也接受这些工具。而我们的目标是真正帮助学生们成为有意义内容的创作者，而不只是消费者。”
But one problem the survey found is that many students are lacking in digital literacy. In other words, they trust too much of the information they find on the Internet. Judy Buchanan says these students have not developed the skills they need to judge the quality of online information.
但调查中发现的一个问题是，许多学生缺乏数字素养。换句话说，他们过于相信互联网上找到的信息。布坎南表示，这些学生尚不具备他们所需的辨别网上信息质量的技能。
"It's just a lot to learn about how to discern credible sources. And it's something that really has to be taught and paid attention to. It's like everything else -- in a world in which things can happen quickly, you really do need to have a way to step back, reflect and analyze the information you have. And teachers can do a lot to teach that."
“学生们学会如何辨别可靠信息来源还有很长的路要走。这才是真正需要教会他们并引起重视的东西。这和其它事物一样，世界瞬息万变，你必须有能力对自己掌握的信息站在局外思考，以及对它们进行反思和分析。教师们在这方面有很多事情可以做。”
Another problem the survey found is blamed on something that might not seem like a problem at all: being able to quickly find information online. Teachers say the result is a reduction in the desire and ability of their students to work hard to find answers. They say students are overly dependent on search engines and do not make enough use of printed books or research librarians.
调查发现的另一个问题可能归咎于一些看上去完全不像是问题的东西，即学生们能够在网上快速找到信息。教师们表示，其结果就是学生们的求知欲和努力寻找答案的能力都有所下降。他们说学生们过于依赖搜索引擎，没有很好地利用印刷书籍或图书馆。
Many teachers are also concerned that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others instead of using their own abilities.
许多教师还担心，互联网使得学生更容易抄袭他人成果，而不是发挥自己的能力。
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