This qualitative study examines a small sample of eighth-grade students’ perceptions about their experiences with technology, especially their use of the World Wide Web. The paper is primarily directed at public school teachers, librarians, and administrators, but may be of interest to educators at all levels.

The author interviews nine eighth-graders (five males and four females) who have used the Web for four years in the Tennessee school system. The paper is conversational and details many interesting aspects of the author’s interchanges with the students. His expressed intention is that “by analyzing their [the students’] musing on encounters with this technology, we may gain some insight into how these students feel and what they think about their experiences.”

His primary findings include the following: Students gain self-confidence and express authority with their understanding and use of technology for schoolwork. Students are not perplexed by either the content of the assignments or the skills required to report their work in a paperless fashion. There seems to be a new kind of classroom culture emerging wherein peer support is more visible than in traditional subjects and classrooms. Students are intrigued by the efficiency of the Internet and how it can bring information to them. Students are concerned about how to select the appropriate information from the vast quantity available. Students are aware of the time required to find information and the need for efficient search strategies.

In conclusion, the author suggests areas for professional development for teachers and media center directors as they begin to embrace electronic and print resources for student research and use.