Post on 23-Jan-2016
Father Google and Mother IMConfessions of a Net Gen Learner
Carie Windham, student, University of Ulster
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Opening up the Millennial Mind
1. Meet the Net Generation2. From characteristics to campus3. Secrets 4. Bridging the divide
View expressed in this presentation may not be
representative of the Net Generation as a whole. But
more on that later….
My computer is the nucleus of my workspace.
When I need info – from how to cite a paper to directions – I’m going online.
Besides IM or e-mail, my cell phone is my primary method of communication.
I’m usually juggling five things at once.
My planner is always full.
Life revolves around the “Big Three.”
The Usual Suspects
Alias: The OverachieverCurrent sentence: freshman,
landscape architectureCrime: Once reported to the
class that an assignment was due on Friday, not Wednesday, so he could claim the only “A” in class. He was 10 years old.
“I’m no idiot. Straight A’s and a college degree
don’t guarantee anything. I’m going to
fight my way to the top -- that’s the only way to
succeed.”
Academically Driven
• Class of 4,500• 77 valedictorians, 87
salutatorians• 70 percent in top 20 percent
of class• Average GPA of 4.11• 22 with perfect reading score
on SAT• 44 perfect math scores• More than half with AP credits
The Usual Suspects
Alias: The Future SpielbergCurrent sentence: sophomore,
mathematicsCrime: Entertained her friends
with verbal caricatures of her office mates on her blog. Then the office caught wind of it…
“I’ve never taken a class in building a Web page or editing a video. But I do it. Why? Because I like that kind of stuff. I
just click my way through it.”
Creators and Explorers
• Blogs, YouTube, Flickr, etc. • Combining platforms
(promoting bands on MySpace)
• Toss out the instruction book• 27.7 percent create and edit
video and audio• 28.6 percent create Web
pages
- ECAR, 2006
The Usual Suspects
Alias: Instant Access ManCurrent sentence: freshman,
undecidedCrime: Left the McDonald’s
drive-through one day because it was “taking too long.” It had been five minutes.
“They call this the information age or something, right?
Look, I want things fast! I don’t wait for video, I don’t wait or mail, I don’t wait for
anything. If I ever had to use dial-up again, I
might shoot myself.”
• 97.8 percent own computers• 38.3 percent started college with laptop and desktop•98.8 percent use to compose coursework• 70.6 percent use Web “recreationally” • 73.4 percent play games
- ECAR, 2006
Technologically Adept
The Usual Suspects
Alias: The Servant LeaderCurrent sentence: senior,
biologyCrime: Turned down a lucrative
offer at a pharmaceutical company to apply for Teach for America. Her mother still refuses her calls.
“My dad is all about, ‘Make money. Make
money.’ I don’t see the purpose in that if it doesn’t fulfill me. I want to be happy. I
want to make a difference. If I’m good enough, money won’t
be an issue.”
Service-minded
• 83 percent of high school students say they volunteered before college
• Survey at University of Texas reveals more than 74 percent of undergraduates do service hours during semester
• Almost 3,000,000 hours of service
The Usual Suspects
Alias: The Life of the PartyCurrent sentence: junior
accountingCrime: Invited her entire
Facebook friends list to her 21st birthday party. It was 500 people.
“My parents don’t understand. They think
that talking online must be impersonal. Or that is
leaves some sort of void. Online is how I talk. I can
communicate with so many more people and manage
so many more relationships. She thinks
I’m more isolated than her generation – I think it’s the
opposite.”
Social creatures
• 99.9 percent create, read and send e-mail
• More than 80 percent use IM daily
• Facebook, a college networking site, counts 16 million users
- ECAR, 2006
The Usual Suspects
Alias: The Multi-TaskerCurrent sentence: junior,
zoologyCrime: On Friday he wrote a
term paper, swiped cards at the gym, ordered flip flops from J. Crew, balanced his checkbook, and set up plans for the weekend – all at the same time.
“If you look at my computer, there are at
last six windows open at the same time.
Information can be accessed so fast and so
easy, why not use that to get more done at the
same time?”
Multi-taskers
• Computer lab observations• Online multitasking
mimicks social patterns• Wireless capability only
expands ability to multitask
-Jones, 2002
The Usual Suspects
Alias: On the Road JoeCurrent sentence: freshman, art
historyCrime: Likes to sit outside the
homes in his neighborhood fishing for wireless.
“I like to take my work and my life anywhere.
That might be texting on the bus or listening to
music when I’m running. Or just checking e-mail
when I’m waiting between classes.”
Mobile Users• iPods more “in” than beer• Still “wired” when wireless• 61.3 percent own
music/video device• 19.8 percent use a PDA or
smart phone
- ECAR, 2006
Translating to the classroom
• Overbooked• Want to explore• Community outreach• ADD• Want technology options• Like interaction, social spaces• Want to learn anywhere
Driven Creators Service-minded Multi-taskers Technology users Social creatures Increasingly Mobile
Overbooked
- Students like organizational features of CMS
- Would be great to be able to access our schedule and campus events in one location
- Like to be able to take our learning on the go – think podcasting supplementals
Creators
- Have “toys” available for use on campus
- Consider alternative formats for classwork
- Don’t put limitations on imagination
Service Minded
- Show connections between our class and the world
- Imagine a spring break trip to Belfast to do cross-community relations
- Think of doing an ad campaign for a start-up company
- What about volunteering at a local non-profit for credit?
Multi-Taskers
- Don’t be a talking head- Present in multiple formats- Show a pig’s
decomposition, don’t recite facts
- Play anti-war music, don’t talk about the movement
- Show an adaptation of The Painted Veil
Technology Users
- Remember, we communicate with technology, consider it
- Open your mind to the technologies we want to use
- For class messages, look at how we receive info
Social Creatures
- Give us a chance to collaborate online
- Create places where we can collaborate
- Encourage discussion in class
- Participate in discussion boards
- Class seating to reflect group thinking
Increasingly Mobile
- Let us take our learning on the go
- Think about a “guided tour” on our cell phone
- Let me download a lecture to my iPod
- Create places that support working anywhere
#1We’re not
expecting to write a blog,
while listening to podcasts,
after we meet you in Second
Life.
A Few Secrets….
A Few Secrets….
• We think we’re ahead of the curve. • Expectations are low.• Yet, desires are high. #1
We’re not expecting to write a blog,
while listening to podcasts,
after we meet you in Second
Life.
#2We’re not sure we want to see
you on Facebook.
A Few Secrets….
#2We’re not sure we want to see
you on Facebook.
A Few Secrets….• Students use technology to communicate and to socialize. They might not want it in the classroom. •Think less about the technology, more about the intended use. • Ex:
See iPods Find Class use Identify Need (Mobility) Look for Technology
• Make sure technology connects to learning goals. We don’t want busy work!
#3We’re not the tech geeks you think we are.
A Few Secrets….
#3We’re not the tech geeks you think we are.
A Few Secrets….• The ocean is an inch deep• Use technologies important to our interests.• Might not understand older technologies
#4We can navigate the Web but we
can’t really analyze it.
A Few Secrets….
A Few Secrets….
•We know how to use the Web, but we rarely think about that use. • Often confused about how to look for resources or who to trust. • Might not think about or understand copyright. • A bit ignorant about how our information is used or viewed. • Need instruction in info-literacy
#4We can navigate the Web but we
can’t really analyze it.
#5Yeah,
technology is distracting. But so’s doodling.
A Few Secrets….
#5Yeah,
technology is distracting. But so’s doodling.
A Few Secrets….
CLICK HERE:
blogs.usatoday.com/gennext
#5Yeah,
technology is distracting. But so’s doodling.
A Few Secrets….• Technology has nothing to do with our attention spans. • Use technology to engage class. Ex: Listen to music on iPod. Point students to sites• Who said you had to be behind the podium? • Make expectations clear.
View expressed in this presentation may not be
representative of the Net Generation as a whole. But
more on that later….
“If an evaluation is the only thing standing
between me and the door. I’m thinking about the door.”
- Meredith B.
How do you talk to students?
• Don’t rely upon “end-of-course” feedback. • Don’t give a survey at the end of class. • “Free food” and “free perks” always work. • Odds are low if you circulate an e-mail without an incentive.• Low pressure group conversations work better than one-on-one.
Places to look….
www.digitallearning.macfound.org
blogs.usatoday.com/gennext
www.pbs.org/newshour/generation-next
www.educause.edu/NetGenerationLearners/5515
Copyright Carie Windham, 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.