Knock Knock, Millenials are Here
From Shifted Learning
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Knock knock? Who's there? Millenial. Millenial who?
Did You Know?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U
Contents |
[edit] First Big Idea
It will be easier to change the way you deliver services than to change how an entire generation of students is learning.
[edit] About Me
Image:Me Black White Headshot.jpg
I'm 33. If you have retirement in your eyes, yes, I'm the age of your children. And the parent of your grandchildren.
My days are spent as the Curriculum & Technology Coordinator with CESA #3.
The rest of my time is spent naively thinking I'm going to change the world.
I was born and raised in Minnesota.
Yes, the "edge of the praire". Garrison Keilor, etc.
I like to think my daughter Claire (5) and son Lars (2) are above average.
But like the joke goes, "How do you identify a norweigen extrovert?" "He's the one looking at everybody else's shoes."
The Internet came along for me in 1989 while I was in 8th grade.
I never understood DOS.
Keyboarding was still an elective in 11th grade. I argued with my parents whether I needed to learn it.
In college I wanted to be a high school social studies teacher.
My first teaching assignment was to deliver a lesson on the "Bill of Rights" to a group of undergraduates in the same situation.
Not wanting to see 25+ "deconstruct/reconstruct" the parts of the bill of rights, I chose to show folks "How to access information about the bill of rights on this thing called the Internet."
I received a D- and was told "You taught about computers, not about social studies."
It wasn't until then that I realized I was different than others.
All of that time spent emailing my girlfriend in college was actually a marketable skill.
It was just going to take a while before I could explain what was going on.
I grew up on the leading edge of the millenial generation.
Some call us "digital natives" working among "digital immigrants".
We are just starting to find our voice.
And for many of you, we'll be choosing your nursing homes.
[edit] "Millenials", "Generation M", "Net Gens"
Image:Claire Lars Stop.jpg "They’re sociable, optimistic, talented, well-educated, collaborative, open-minded, influential, and achievement-oriented. They’ve always felt sought after, needed, indispensable. They are arriving in the workplace with higher expectations than any generation before them—and they’re so well connected that, if an employer doesn’t match those expectations, they can tell thousands of their cohorts with one click of the mouse. They’re the Millennial Generation. Born between 1980 and 2000, they’re a generation nearly as large as the Baby Boom, and they’re charged with potential."
Confident. Raised by parents believing in the importance of self-esteem, they characteristically consider themselves ready to overcome challenges and leap tall buildings. Managers who believe in “paying your dues” and coworkers who don’t think opinions are worth listening to unless they come from someone with a prerequisite number of years on the resume find this can-do attitude unsettling.
Hopeful. They’re described as optimistic yet practical. They believe in the future and their role in it. They’ve read about businesses with basketball courts, stockrooms stocked with beer for employers, and companies that pay your way through school. They expect a workplace that is challenging, collaborative, creative, fun, and financially rewarding.
Goal- and achievement-oriented. Just a day after she won a totally unexpected Olympic gold medal, skater Sara Hughes was talking about her next goal—scoring a perfect 1600 on her SATs. Many Millennials arrive at their first day of work with personal goals on paper.
Civic-minded. They were taught to think in terms of the greater good. They have a high rate of volunteerism. They expect companies to contribute to their communities—and to operate in ways that create a sustainable environment.
Inclusive. Millennials are used to being organized in teams—and to making certain no one is left behind. They expect to earn a living in a workplace that is fair to all, where diversity is the norm—and they’ll use their collective power if they feel someone is treated unfairly.
[edit] Observations of the Net Generation (from Educating the Net Generation)
Digitally Literate - "We don't need no stinkin' manual!"
Connected - "Don't take my cell phone."
Immediate - "It's never nearly fast enough for me."
Experiential - "Let me try and fail."
Social - "Many of their exchanges on the Internet are emotionally open, sharing very personal information about themselves."
Teams - "P2P isn't just about sharing music."
Structure - "They want rules, priorities, and procedures..."
Engagement & Experience - "The rapid pace with which they like to receive infromation means they often choose not to pay attention if a class is not interactive, unengaging, or simply too slow."
Visual and Kinesthetic - "I need to see this."
Things that Matter - "Given a choice, they seem to prefer working on things that matter, such as addressing and environmental concern or a community problem."
[edit] Last Big Idea
"Technology is just a tool." (Old people talk.)
"Social networking." (Millenial talk.)
The activity enabled is more important than the technology.
Kids will move their attention at the drop of a hat.
[edit] Stuff to Read
Educating the Net Generation - Educause
"The Net Generation has grown up with information technology. The aptitudes, attitudes, expectations, and learning styles of Net Gen students reflect the environment in which they were raised—one that is decidedly different from that which existed when faculty and administrators were growing up. This collection explores the Net Gen and the implications for institutions in areas such as teaching, service, learning space design, faculty development, and curriculum."
The Horizon Report 2007
The annual Horizon Report describes the continuing work of the NMC’s Horizon Project, a research-oriented effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression within higher education.
Generations at Work: Managing Millenials
"They’re the hottest commodity on the job market since Rosie the Riveter. They’re sociable, optimistic, talented, well-educated, collaborative, open-minded, influential, and achievement-oriented. They’ve always felt sought after, needed, indispensable. They are arriving in the workplace with higher expectations than any generation before them—and they’re so well connected that, if an employer doesn’t match those expectations, they can tell thousands of their cohorts with one click of the mouse. They’re the Millennial Generation. Born between 1980 and 2000, they’re a generation nearly as large as the Baby Boom, and they’re charged with potential.
Image:Wikinomics.jpg
Wikinomics
"In the last few years, traditional collaboration—in a meeting room, a conference call, even a convention center—has been superceded by collaborations on an astronomical scale. Today, encyclopedias, jetliners, operating systems, mutual funds, and many other items are being created by teams numbering in the thousands or even millions. While some leaders fear the heaving growth of these massive online communities, Wikinomics explains how to prosper in a world where new communications technologies are democratizing the creation of value. Anyone who wants to understand the major forces revolutionizing business today should consider Wikinomics their survival kit."
[edit] Tips for Jiving With Your Millennials
Tip #1: Feed Your Mind With Some Online Learning
TED Talks. http://www.ted.com/talks. "Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers."
I'm going to pull out Sir Ken Robinson to talk to you folks.
- It's an example of what TED Talks are all about.
- It hits on education and does a great job of explaining millenials.
- Deep down inside, someday I want to join the club of "university professor".
- Play with Ken Robinson's video first.
Do Schools Kill Creativity? Sir Ken Robinson TED Talks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
Tip #2: Kill Your Email
Email is for old people. Please try instant messaging. Skype. http://www.skype.com. Try it with you and your family/colleagues first. Expand from there. Text, voice, video.
Tip #3: Wikipedia
While we sit around worrying if Wikipedia is an "authoritative" source and whether is should or shouldn't be used, the aim of Wikipedia is to make the sum of all knowledge available for free to everybody in their native languages.
TED Talks: Jimmy Wales (creator of Wikipedia) describes the project.
Image:Jimmy Wales Wikipedia.jpg
