Download
1 / 66
690 likes | 920 Views
0. The Millennials _ The Digital Natives. Robert K. Caples, Ph.D. Carroll County Public Schools STEM Presentation August 22, 2008. 0. Defining the Millennials _ Who Are They?. Who are they and when did they get here? How do they learn?. The Millenials _ Who Are They?.
E N D
0 The Millennials_The Digital Natives Robert K. Caples, Ph.D. Carroll County Public Schools STEM Presentation August 22, 2008
0 Defining the Millennials_Who Are They? • Who are they and when did they get here? How do they learn?
Teaching the Millennials_Who Are We? • Generational Learning Groups in today’s world: • The Veterans • The Baby Boomers • Generation X • The Millennials (Gen Y & Gen Z) • We need to understand how each group learns and how they relate to the Millennials.
The Veterans_Who Are They? • Born before 1946 (over 61) • Remember Great Depression, WW II, and Korea • Are the private, silent generation • Believe in hard work and paying your dues • Great deal of respect for authority • They never throw things away
The Veterans_Learning Styles • Traditional instructional manner • Write down methods in logical, repeatable steps • Learner is passive and instructor provides the content • Typically dislike/distrust technology
The Baby Boomers_Who Are They? • Children of the Veterans Generation • They were born roughly from 1946 to 1964 (40-60) • Worked hard to “get ahead”—started the workaholic trend • Committed to climbing the ladder • Are the “Show Me” generation—body language is important • Don’t appreciate rules for the sake of rules
Baby Boomers_Learning Styles • Like the incorporation of personal anecdotes when working with others as well as learning • Receiving praise and perks is important to them • Boomers are competitive and have a can-do attitude • Have a serious work ethic
Generation X_Who Are They? • Born between 1965-1980 (27-59) • Wants more input into how they learn and more independence • Grew up with more diversity than previous generations • Used to making and spending money • Technology is valued and used as a tool
Generation X_Learning Styles • Technology is used for work and in life • Use humor and create a fun learning environment • Ask them for their feedback • Share information & keep them in the loop • Use informal communication style
How do/did they learn? Rote Memorization Veterans Extensive study Classroom Course-based learning Boomers Lecture & Workshops Books and Manuals
The Millennials_Who Are They? • Born between 1981-1994 (10-26) (Gen Y) • The protected generation • Parents doted over them and gave them high expectations • They’ve trusted parents and society to solve their problems for them, and that expectation will continue
The Millennials_The New Ones The New Millennials. (Gen Z) • Born after 1995 (under 9) • Only have known computers, broad-band, Cell phones, i-Pods, Blogs, Wikis, Madden 09 • See technology as “just a thing you use”
The Millennials_Who Are They? • Used to making and spending money • Very optimistic outlook on life • Computers have been a part of life • They multi-task at dizzying levels. • Grew up with the most diversity than any other generation
How do/did they learn? PowerPoint Hands On Gen X Kits Learning is supposed to be fun Exploration e-Learning i-Pods Millennials Gen Y & Z Media Centric Software, CDs, DVDs, Video Games Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, Web 2.0
The Millennials_But Wait… • "They grew up with an 'everyone gets a trophy' sense of entitlement." • "They are members of a generation that thinks it should get a trophy just for waking up in the morning."
The Millennials_Believe… • Computers are NOT technology • Millennials have never known a life without computers and the Internet. To them a computer is not technology, it is an assumed part of life
The Millennials_Believe… • Internet is better than TV • In recent years the number of hours watching TV by Millennials has declined and has been supplanted by time online. Reasons for the change include interactivity and the increased use of the Internet for socializing.
The Millennials_Believe… • Reality is no longer real • Millennials know that those things that appear real over the Internet may not be real. Digital images may have been altered and email sent may just be SPAM. • “That’s goodPhotoshopping”
The Millennials_Believe… • Doing is more important than knowing • Knowledge is no longer perceived to be the ultimate goal of Millennials—particularly in light of the fact that the half-life of information is so short. Results and actions are considered more important than the accumulation of facts.
The Millennials_Believe… • Learning more resembles Nintendo than logic • Nintendo symbolizes a trail and error approach to problem solving; losing is the fastest way to mastering a game because losing represents learning. This contrasts with previous generations’ more logical, rule-based approach to solving problems.
The Millennials_Believe… • Multi-tasking is a way of life • Millennials appear to be quite comfortable when engaged in multiple activities simultaneously, such as listening to music, sending instant messages, doing homework, and chatting on the (cell) phone.
The Millennials_Believe… • Typing is preferred to handwriting • Millennials prefer typing to handwriting. Many admit their handwriting is atrocious. Penmanship has been superseded by keyboarding skills
The Millennials_Believe… • Staying connected is essential • Students stay in touch via multiple devices as they move throughout the day. Cell phones, PDAs, and computers ensure they remain connected anyplace and anytime.
The Millennials_Believe… • They have ZERO tolerance for delays • Having grown up in a 24/7 customer service culture, Millennials have a strong demand for immediacy and little tolerance for delays. They expect services to be available 24/7/365 in a variety of modes—web, phone, text, and responses will be quick.
The Millennials_Believe… • Consumer and creator are blurring • In the Millennials’ file sharing, cut and paste world, the distinctions between creator, owner, and consumer of information are fading. The operative assumption is often that if something is digital, it belongs to everyone.
The Millennials_Their Language • Want to communicate with the “always-on” digital millennials? Speak to them in their language. • AFK: Away From Keyboard • POS: Parent Over Shoulder • ASL: Age/Sex/Location • BBB: Boring Beyond Belief • TTYL: Talk to You Later • C4N: Ciao For Now • GTG: Got to Go
0 The Millennials_Their World Percentage of 8 -18 years olds who live in homes with: Computer…………………………86 Cable/satellite TV………………..82 Internet Access…………………..74 Digital Video Recorder…………..34 High-speed Internet Access…….31 Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation study, March 2005
The Millennials_Stuff • Junco and Mastrodicasa (2007) found that in a survey of 7,705 college students in the US: • 97% own a computer • 94% own a cell phone • 76% use Instant Messaging. • 49% download music using peer-to-peer file sharing • 75% of college students have a Facebook account • 60% own some type of portable music and/or video device such as an i-Pod.
The Millennials_Spending Power • There are more of them than any other generation • They have a huge amount of discretionary income • They spend family money (groceries and clothes) • They influence parents’ spending
0 The Millennials_in the Classroom
The Millennials_in the Classroom • 80% of jobs that will exist in 2010 do not exist today. (US Department of Labor)
0 The Millennials_View of School 1983 - 2000 National Center for Educational Statistics
0 The Millennials_Challenges “…our high schools – even when they’re working exactly as designed – cannot teach our kids what they need to know today…Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will keep limiting the lives of millions of Americans every year. ” Bill Gates, National Summit on High Schools, March 2005
0 In other words… The Millennials are digital natives.
