Kari RhameChief Technology Officer, Deer Park ISD

President, Texas Computer Education Association

Engaging the Next Generation

Generations

GI Generation• Born between 1901 and 1924• Generation of heroes• World War I and II• The Great Depression• Known for: GI Bill, medical and

science breakthroughs, new art and literature

• Icons: John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, John Glenn, Sidney Poitier, Rosa Parks, Lucille Ball

Silent Generation• Born between 1925 and 1945• Smallest generation of the 20th

century• Fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam• Described as patriotic, hard working,

and loyal• Known for: new technology and new

music• Icons: Martin Luther King, Jr., James

Dean, Elvis Presley, Gloria Steinem

Baby Boomers

• Born between 1946 and 1964• American prosperity• Vietnam War• Described as optimistic, dedicated,

self-centered• Known for: Growth of television, walk

on the moon, civil rights movement and women’s lib

• Icons: George W. Bush, Dolly Parton, Michael Jordon, Oprah Winfrey

Generation X• Born between 1965 and 1981• Low key genius/slackers• Growth in single parent homes• Concerned about availability of social

security and pension plans• Described as informal, self-reliant, tech

savvy, tolerant of diversity• Known for: computers, end of Cold War• Icons: Mike Tyson, Julia Roberts, Serena

and Venus Williams, Ben Stiller

Digital Generation: Who Are They?

• Born between 1982 and today• AKA: Internet Generation, Echo Boomers,

the Boomlet, Nexters, Generation Y, the Nintendo Generation, the Digital Natives, and, in Canada-the Sunshine Generation

• Described as confident, moral, street smart, civic minded, optimistic

• Expected to: solve problems of the world and have similar motivations as GI generation

Who Are They?

“They’re the ‘Babies on Board’ of the early Reagan years,

the ‘Have You Hugged Your Child Today’ sixth graders of the early Clinton years,

and the teens of Columbine,”

Neil Howe and William Strauss in Millennials Rising

The Growing Generation Gap

• In their lifetime, AIDS has always existed.

• The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI or WWII, or even the Civil War.

• Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents.

The Growing Generation Gap• They have always had a

VCR, computer, answering machine, microwave.

• Barbie has always had a job.

• Computers have always fit in their backpacks.

• Yugoslavia has never existed.

• A “45” is a gun, not a record with a large hole in the center.

What Influenced Them?• Focus on children and

family. In the decades right before and after the turn of the Millennium, Americans moved the spotlight back onto kids and their families.

• Scheduled, structured

lives. The Millennials were the busiest generation of children we’ve ever seen in the U.S, growing up facing time pressures traditionally reserved for adults.

What Influenced Them?

• Multiculturalism. Kids grew up in the ‘90s and ‘00s with more daily interaction with other ethnicities and cultures than ever before. The most recent data from UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute shows that interracial interaction among college freshmen has reached a record high.

What Influenced Them?

Terrorism. During their most formative years, Millennials witnessed the bombing and devastation of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

They watched in horror as two Columbine High School students killed and wounded their classmates, and as school shootings became a three-year trend.

And their catalyzing generational event—the one that binds them as a generation, the catastrophic moment they all witnessed during their first, most formative years—is, of course, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. 

What Influenced Them?• Heroism. Emerging out of

those acts of violence, Millennials watched the re-emergence of the American hero.

• Patriotism. It seemed that national pride had been tested on 9/11, and the overwhelming verdict was that patriotism was alive and well.

What Influenced Them?• Globalism. With pen pals in

Singapore and Senegal, Millennials grew up seeing things as global, connected, and open for business 24/7.

• Parent advocacy. The Millennials were raised, by and large, by active, involved parents who often interceded on their behalf. Protective Boomer and Xer parents tried to ensure their children would grow up safely and be treated well.

The Messages They’ve Heard• Be smart—you are special.

They’ve been catered to since they were tiny. Think Nickelodeon, Baby Gap, and Sports Illustrated for Kids. 

• Leave no one behind. They were taught to be inclusive and tolerant of other races, religions, and sexual orientations.

• Achieve now! Some parents hired private agents to line up the right college; others got started choosing the right pre-school while the child was still in the womb.  

What They’ve Heard• Serve your community. Fifty

percent of high school students reported volunteering in their communities. On one Roper Survey, when Millennials were asked for the major cause of problems in the U.S., they answered selfishness.    

• Connect 24/7. They learned to be interdependent—on family, friends, and teachers. More Millennials say they can live without the television than the computer. Many prefer chatting online to talking on the phone.

Digital Kids• The Millennials are the first

generation to grow up surrounded by digital media.

• “Millennials … live in a world jam-packed with information and entertainment,” reports Stephen Baker in the July 12, 2004 issue of Business Week. “They practically grew up with the Internet, so they’re far more likely to regard information as something they can control. This thinking extends from one device to the next.”

Teen’s Perception of Technology• The majority find the

use of technology in schools disappointing and their teachers’ use “uninspiring.”

• They see better ways to use technology than their teachers do.

• They do think that teachers who use technology in teaching are smarter.

Teen’s Perception of Technology

• Digital kids are devouring information, solving complex problems, and developing expertise every day.

• They are doing this using a controller attached to a television set or using a hand-held electronic game.

• They don’t think of it as learning; they think of it as fun.

Their “Information-Age” Mindset

• Computers aren’t technology; they’re just a part of life.

• The Internet is better than TV.• Reality is no longer real.• Doing is more important than

knowing.• Learning more closely

resembles Nintendo than logic.

Their “Information-Age” Mindset

• Multitasking is a way of life.

• Typing is preferred to handwriting.

• Staying connected is essential.

• There is zero tolerance for delays.

• Consumer and creator are blurring.

Are They Pessimists?• No. They’re optimists. Surveys show

that—compared to Xer teens a decade ago—today’s teens are more upbeat about the world in which they’re growing up.

• Nine in ten describe themselves as "happy," "confident," and "positive." A rapidly decreasing share worry about violence, sex, or drugs—and a rapidly increasing share say that growing up is easier for them than it was for their parents.

• Teen suicide rates are now falling for the first time in decades.

Are They Self-Absorbed?• No. They’re cooperative team players.

From school uniforms to team learning to community service, they are gravitating toward group activity.

• Unlike Gen Xers, they believe in their own collective power. By a huge ten-to-one majority, they believe it’s their generation—and not their parents’—that will do the most to help the environment over the next twenty-five years.

Are They Distrustful?• No. They accept authority. Most teens say

they identify with their parents’ values, and over nine in ten say they “trust” and “feel close to” their parents.

• The proportion who report conflict with their parents is declining. Half say they trust government to do what’s right all or most of the time—twice the share of older people.

• Half believe that lack of parental discipline is a major social problem, and large majorities favor tougher rules against misbehavior in the classroom and society at large.

Are They Rule Breakers?

• No. They’re rule followers. Today’s kids are disproving the experts who once predicted a tidal wave of juvenile crime during the late 1990’s.

• Over the last five years, the rates of homicide, violent crime, abortion, and pregnancy among teens have all plummeted at the fastest rates ever recorded.

• A teen is now less likely to be a victim of a serious violent crime than at any time since Lyndon Johnson was president.

Are They Neglected?• No. They’re the most watched-over

generation in memory. Each year, adults subject the typical kid’s day to ever more structure and supervision, making it a nonstop round of parents, relatives, teachers, coaches, babysitters, councilors, chaperones, minivans, surveillance cams, and curfews.

• Over the last decade, time spent on homework and housework is up, while time spent on weekday TV watching is down.

Are They Stupid?• No. They’re smarter than most people

think. During the 1990’s, aptitude test scores have risen within every racial and ethnic group, especially in elementary schools.

• Eight in ten teenagers say it’s “cool to be smart,” while a record share of teenagers are taking AP tests, say they “look forward to school,” and plan to attend college.

Have They Given Up on Progress?

• No. Today’s kids believe in the future and see themselves as its cutting edge. They show a fascination for, and mastery of, new technologies—which explains why math and science scores are rising faster than verbal scores.

• Teens rank “scientists” and “young people” as the two groups that will cause “most changes for the better in the future.”

Their Biggest Problem

• Pressure. On time. On achievement. On living up to the high expectations of adults and friends.

• Polls show that today’s kids’ biggest worries are grades and college admissions.

• Most kids say they fear homework and grades far more than they do school violence.

So, What Does That Mean to Me?

• Will hold 10 to 15 jobs in their lifetime and value flexibility and adaptability over subject matter expertise

• The education model that worked for their parents won’t work for these students.

• The world is temporary to them• They value self-expression, personal

safety, and convenience over privacy.

A Vision of Students Today

Millennial Learning Preferences

• Teamwork – they gravitate toward group activity.

• Technology – they are mesmerized by new technologies.

• Structure – they spend more time doing homework and housework and less time watching TV.

Millennial Learning Preferences

• Entertainment and excitement – if it’s not fun, they’ll switch it off.

• Experiential activities – they believe it’s “cool” to be smart.

• Active and interactive – let them move.

• Parental involvement – they feel close to their parents

Curricular Areas of Concern• Curricular areas of concern start with the teacher.• The foundation of the curriculum will not change

greatly. – For example, students will always have learn basic

math like two plus two or how to divided. • The delivery is the key to engaging digital

learners. – Marc Prensky calls today's digital learners Digital

Natives and the adults in their lives Digital Immigrants.

– Digital immigrants are the people who are trying to adapt to the new learning environment but who always have one foot in the past and retain their "accent" or natural tendency to address learning as they did in the past.

– This immigrant status can cause teachers to make curriculum choices that lack relevancy to their students and to miss using technology in meaningful, forward-thinking ways.

Learners vs.TeachersDigital Learning

Many Digital Learners

brains prefer: Many Educators brains

prefer: •receiving info quickly from multiple multimedia sources•parallel processing & multi-tasking•processing pictures, sounds color,& video before text•random access to hyper-linked multimedia information•to network simultaneously with many others•to learn “just-in-time”•instant gratification & immediate rewards•learning that’s relevant, active, instantly useful & fun

•slow & controlled release of info from limited sources•singular processing & single or limited tasking•to provide text before pictures, sounds & video•to provide info linearly, logically & sequentially•students work independently before they network & interact•to teach “just-in-case”•deferred gratification & delayed rewards•feel compelled to teach to the curriculum guide & tests

Best Practices for Digital LearnerAccording to Ellen Wagner is senior director of worldwide eLearning solutions at Adobe Systems. She has identified ten ways to engage

and motivate student learners.

1. Insight: Always remember, learning is personal.– Despite the many psychological theories and principles

proposed to explain what is going on inside our heads, learning continues to be unique to each individual.

– No one of us can ever really “do” learning to someone else, at least not without the permission or willingness to be persuaded

2. Capture their attention.– Learners deal with an enormous number of sensory

inputs on any given day. – Helping them focus attention is a critical first step when

engaging students. 3. Convince them to care.

– Getting their attention is only the first step. – Be sure you have something to keep your learners’

interests piqued; you want them to stay for a while! Consider what it will take to compel students to do things differently.

Best Practices for Digital Learnerscont.

4. Rule: Motivate them to change.– Learning can be defined as a sustained change in

capacity that persists over time.

5. Give them choices.– Learners want to engage with ideas, information, and

each other, on terms they define for themselves.

6. Connect them with community. – People learn from watching, showing, and sharing

with people who care as much as they do. – Social learning is alive and well!

7. Induce them to participate.– Participation gives learners a sense of feeling

personally engaged.

Best Practices for Digital Learnerscont.

8. Enable opportunities to contribute.– Engage learners in the active negotiation of new

knowledge– That new learning will be more relevant to each and

every contributor

9. Make learning an experience to remember.– The more memorable a learning experience, the

greater likelihood students will remember what they’ve learned

10. Consider that maybe it’s not about putting the learner at the center.

– It’s more about giving learners the skills to decide where to engage.

– In today’s socially networked world, it’s important to help students feel connected to the community

– Relationships that operate in a networked manner may inspire lifelong learning.

Benefits of a Digital Learning Environment

• Teachers can maximize learning by enhancing their lessons through digital learning.

• Interactive lessons appeal to various learning styles. • Global learning available 24/7.• Technology allows learners to access learning

materials when and where they choose. • Technology can deliver learning in the way that is right

for the individual; every learner can enjoy a unique learning experience.

• Technology mediated learning is a much more active involving learner engagement and learning through experience.

• The greater adoption of pre-existing learning materials (Reusable Learning Objects) is likely to result in the provision of higher quality resources to learners and savings in time (and hence money) to instructors and institutions.

• The use of Computer Based Assessment can benefit both learners (in terms of self-diagnosis and instant feedback) and educators (in terms of saved time and effort).

Limitations to Digital Learning• More assessments are needed to determine

individual knowledge acquisition. Digital learning is harder to tailor instruction for one specific students as required by special education laws.

• Money is always a barrier for students who may not be affluent or have districts that are able to implement technology effectively. This can also create a bigger gap between the “haves and have nots”.

• Yes, most students are digital learners but the level of knowledge they have regarding technology is related to their socio-economic status as well their schools ability to expose them to technology.

Millennial"The name ‘Millennial’ hints

at what this rising generation could grow up

to become—not a lame variation on old

Boomer/Xer themes, but a new force of history, a

generational colossus far more consequential than most of today’s parents

and teachers (and, indeed most kids) dare imagine."

Learning to Change

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Video References

• Generations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMASBgEYJW8

• A Vision of K-12 Students http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d1296214afd7cc367045

• Learning to Change http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2f9f58104bdfafc6b41e