I do not teach a class, but, I’m able to observed some of my “Generation Edge” classmates. I am amazed at how they are able to “switch tasks.” For instance, taking notes, sending text and watching a movie on the laptop without missing any of the content in class.
Up until this class I favored the classical teaching style for Boomers/Generation X like myself. I am very comfortable with the professor lecturing while I took notes and asked questions. When I must take a class online, I’m like a fish out of water. However, I am a big fan of new technology and trying the latest phones, tablets, and smart TV.
One of the characteristics I did not see in Generation Edge is selfishness and lack of enthusiasm. Students still find a way to believe in tomorrow and have passion for today. For instance, they can operate their technology and still find time to socialized with their friends, be in study groups and active on campus with different causes.
Finally, I have gain knowledge and understanding from M. Prensky”s article. I do think that is some truth to “digital natives” and “digital immigrants.” Being a Boomer, I find it a little hard to adjust to all the new ways of communicating with all the technology. Also, students today are able to figure it out quicker than myself. Even my 5-year-old nephew show me how to do certain applications on my tablet J. Still, I love the new direction technology is taking us. I feel my future is in good hand with GenEdgers.
Briggette,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your insight on observing Generation Edge through your classmates. I wonder if your classmates seem to show they are switching tasks, but are actually missing out on course content due to their multiple interests taking place at the same time. Maryellen Weimer stated that though we are taught to believe that this is something they are capable of, in reality only 5% of people are able to multi-task effectively. In other words, they are slowing every individual process down in spite of their claim that together they simply get more done.
I love your rebuttal about lack of enthusiasm however- I agree that students today tend to have a very positive outlook of the future, and believe strongly that they can and will make a difference in the world. It's this starry-eyed optimism that makes me excited to teach every day.
Though you are a digital immigrant in your mind, the fact that you are trying new technology and learning and interacting with others who use it differently shows that you care and are making the necessary steps to adapt and grow as an educator. So many people see it as an obstacle they must overcome rather than as a tool to help them grow, and that difference makes a huge difference between those who succeed and those who give up. It sounds like you are a very selfless and thoughtful person and I am excited to work with you this semester!
Alan
Thanks Alan for the encouragement. I surround myself with the "digital natives". It's amazing to see their brains works. Unfortunately, they have little patiences for failure. That's when teachers like you that bridge the gap for our children.
DeleteThe adaptability is less about generations than about plasticity of the brain (i.e., can't teach an old dog new tricks). However, if you maintain a curiosity throughout your lifetime, you can still hang with the young kids when it comes to the latest and greatest.
ReplyDeletePositive outlook can also vary on topic and age within a generation. Recall that many elementary kids are always excited, but an average high school class may or may not have that same level of enthusiasm. Do we see that level of enthusiasm when they don't like a subject, or when it becomes difficult (e.g. a 'bright' child's first B or C?), etc.?
No, often enthusiasm wanes depending on the interest level of the student involved and their age as well. We can find ways to make students more excited however by explaining why we are doing something in our classes and making the content relevant to their lives in some way, as it hits on their inner ego to be more involved. Twenge (2009) hits on this idea when she discusses the need to inform students why they are completing a task, as this generation tends to question more about content than their predecessors.
DeleteI see that a lot as well Alan that students enthusiasms depends on how well they are interested in the subject that they are learning. Age I feel does play a small part, but their enthusiasm for the subject get more internalized when whey get older because they their focus is more on socializing and what their friends think about their passions. True as the students get older their interests can change based the influences of their friends. Sometimes their interests don't change that much they just evolve.
DeleteI only go by my classmates, but I do see the great need for good grades regards of whether they like subject or not. Twenge explains this attitude best, the sense of entitlement when it comes to grades. They think by showing up for class with minimum commitment to the subject. Nevertheless, I like the way Twenge concluded the article by stating that they are smart but need exact directions on what is needed to pass the class.
DeleteI appreciate the classical teaching philosophy, which I believe is usually referred to as formalism. It is worth noting that formalism is rooted in the teacher being the keeper of knowledge, and places a high emphasis on maximizing the delivery of the instructor in order to keep students engaged. This can be a difficulty if the teacher is still developing a classroom presence.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I helped out a struggling student teacher, who was having difficulty defining his voice. He had been criticized by both of his host teachers, the school principal, and his university contacts for his lack of classroom presence and overreliance on teacher talk. I observed him for my Fall class, at the behest of the host teacher (and after I had found the poor man doubled over in the parking lot). The solution I helped him find was to have him post his presentations on the class web page, so that students could leaf through them at their own rate while answering questions on guided notes. As a result, students paid attention in a more obsequious manner.
Jeremy, you bring up a good point. My own personal experience mirrors that, as my preservice education was all about project-based learning. We didn't develop much confidence in delivery, simply because of the whole 'guide on the side' > 'sage on a stage'. The missing piece there is that it takes lots of practice to be good at managing a classroom in a PBL environment, and classroom management was not taught well, if at all, during my training.
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