Millennials and Beyond

Based on the official definition of “Millennial,” it means that I, someone who didn’t have a cellphone until college (Nokia brick with no texting ability), am somehow lumped together into the same “generation” as my middle school students born after 9/11!

As someone who has just as much trouble relating to “kids these days” as my colleagues born in the 60s and 70s, the generation labels don’t make a whole lot of sense. Which is why, while reading The App Generation, I felt an enormous feeling of relief. The “App Generation” refers to children born into the world of smartphones, where the Internet is everywhere, accessible at any time. The main characteristics of the generation revolve around what Howard Gardner calls the “3 I’s”:

Identity (Public/Online vs. Personal/Private)

Intimacy (Followers and “Friends” vs. Face to Face Interactions)

Imagination (Instant Gratification vs. Creative Problem-Solving)

I see so many of these attributes in my students, magnified by the fact that they are in middle school. When you are 12-14 years old, the 3 I’s are always a struggle, regardless of your generational label. In the world of social media and smartphones, however, these characteristics become even more apparent. In short, I do not envy my students in the slightest. My middle-school years were...well, terrible. Everything was awkward and embarrassing. My biggest mistakes (fashion and otherwise) were made between the ages of 12 and 19. Could you imagine having to go through all of that “on the record” with everyone watching? Yikes.

It is important that we understand where our students are coming from, and not just so we can effectively teach them content knowledge. We need to develop our own empathy skills in order to build meaningful relationships with them, too.

Get Smart: Net Smart

Howard Reingold’s Net Smart is really the perfect companion to a class about Information Use. Including elements from class that we have already studied (the Halo Effect, Information Diet), Net Smart also introduces new literacies like Participation and Collaboration that tie everything together.

What struck me most about Reingold’s writing was his chapter on Attention, specifically his ideas around solitude and mindfulness. He describes how a “media triggered distraction can be … a cause for a dangerous loss of solitude.”

In an ever-connected world, I really feel like all of us (especially educators) are losing our connection to ourselves. As an introvert, it can be difficult to navigate this new, ever-collaborating world. It seems like every minute there’s a conference call, a “brainstorming session,” a group project...it’s completely overwhelming for someone whose internal voice speaks louder than her external. We introverts have become really good at “playing the (extrovert) game,” but inside all I want to do is sit down with a pen and some paper and get my own thoughts together before jumping into the mix. There’s this idea out now (a misconception, I think) that “two heads are better than one,” and while I believe there’s a need for collaboration and co-learning among humans (Mind in Society, anyone?), there’s also an equally important need for self-reflection and internal dialogue. For more on this idea, check out this TED Talk from Susan Cain (her book Quiet is a must-read for any teacher):

Some of our greatest thinkers and innovators were introverts who worked alone, and I think Reingold is aware of the mindful traits that made them special.