Teaching the 21 st Century Student: Knowing the Mindset of the Millennial Student A Student-Centered Approach

1. Teaching the 21st Century Student: Knowing the Mindset of the Millennial Student A Student-Centered Approach Kathleen McNally Technology Centers That Work

2. Welcome and Introductions Let’s share across generations!

3. Generation Jabber… • Warm up: Take a moment and think about how you would answer the following questions: • Who do you feel is a hero and is a public figure? • One of your favorite all-time songs? • A historical event that resonates with you? • Introduce yourself to your table mates and share your three answers

4. Who sings for your generation? As a group, choose a name from pop culture for your table!

5. What is a Generation? “In addition to coincidence of birth, a generation is also defined by common tastes, attitudes, and experience….Those times encompass a myriad of circumstances – economic, social, sociological, and, of course, demographic.” Zemke, R. Raines, C., & Filipczak, B. (2000). Generations at work: Managing the clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in your workplace. New York: Amazon.

6. Objectives for Session • Examine millennial students and generational impact on learning • Generate a checklist that reflects millennial mindsets to impact instructional design

7. Table Teams… Role ‘Em • Facilitator ~ keeps it all moving and smooth • Recorder ~ captures all discussions and decisions in writing for group members • Reporter ~ oral sharing of work to the larger group when requested • Time Keeper ~ keeps group on track and within assigned times • Materials Master! ~ fetches (and returns) all needed materials/supplies

8. The Mindset of a Millennial • As a table team, brainstorm descriptors of millennial students… • Consider attitudes, loves, media, heroes, and historical factors • Use provided handout to capture ideas—be ready to share results with larger group • Timeframe: 12 minutes

9. Team Table Talk: Millennial Mindset! • Who are their heroes? • Media: What they watch, play, use to communicate? • History ~ Influential Events and Experiences • Attitudes ~ Life and careers! • What they love!

10. Trophy Kids! Who are the Millennials? Generation Y and Z! • Bottle caps always plastic • McDonalds food never came in Styrofoam containers • Google has always been a verb • Internet is better than TV • Doing more important than knowing • Typing preferred to handwriting • Zero tolerance for delays Digital Natives! Born after 1982 until about 2000

11. Who are the Millennials? • Personality descriptors: • Special ~ this generation was wanted; family is important • Sheltered ~ helicopter parents • Confident ~ they want to make a difference • Team oriented ~ part of the group • Conventional ~ more respectful of adults • Pressured ~ pushed to succeed, report stress • Achieving ~ busy, work, sleep deprived, ill-nourished • Staying connected is essential • Reality no longer real…like e-mails • Consumer/creator blurring • Multi-tasking a way of life • We can build on the technological competence

12. “Email is for old people” – A student © 2006 Marc Prensky

13. The World of Millennials • Most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history~ 1 in 5 have an immigrant parent • One in four grew up in a single parent household • New examples of family—working mothers, blended families and divorce rates exceeding 50 percent • Defining moments: Clinton impeachment, Monica Lewinsky scandal, death of Princess Diana, 9/11, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

15. Thinking future tense… “I skate to where the puck is going to be!”

17. Trends to Consider: • Time compression • E-change: commerce, Googling, IMing, on-line dating  • Mobile phones, organic, hot peppers!, Nation of Minorities

18. WORK trends to consider… • The “Adaptables” • Career Design…changing jobs every 2-4 years (hop scotch) • Failures at Retirement • Flexible and Casual • Coaching instead of directing • Your reflections…

19. Changes in Work • Dynamic markets • Global competition • High mobility • Customized production • Innovation is valued • Cooperation across firms • Cross-training of skills • Lifelong learning expectation

20. The Positives of CTE • Students perceived four primary differences between their experiences at the center and those at their home high schools including: • Greater autonomy at the center to choose projects and learning activities; • Effective and caring teachers who are committed, passionate, excited and energetic; • Being grouped in classes with students of similar interests; and • Learning relevant content in an interactive, applied setting that related to a tentative career objective. To capitalize on these positive aspects, technology center teachers can create assignments the meet several criteria including: intellectual demand and requiring the use of most essential college- and career-readiness standards; involve students using 21st century skills; assignments that allow students to gain deeper knowledge and skills in their areas of interest and talent; and assignments with consequences.

22. Goal: Hope through a Standard of Living • Labor Market Advantage • Academic Readiness • Open doors for future economic security

23. Students as Customers Yeah Man Reflect and examine out instructional practices based on students’ needs as millennials, their experiences, and feedback

24. Brainstorm Implications for Instruction • High Expectations • Motivation Preferences/Active Learning • “New” 21st Century Skills • Social Networking • Adventure, Imagination, Innovation • Learner Control/Centered • Feedback • Information Age Q: What are instructional actions? Hmm…

25. Table Talk Swap • High Expectations • Motivation Preferences/Active Learning • “New” 21st Century Skills • Social Networking • Adventure, Imagination, Innovation • Learner Control/Centered • Feedback • Information Age • Each table tackle a theme…generate a list to share (8 min.) • Tables will swap ideas with another table (12 min.) • Highlights shared with larger group (8 min.) Timeframe = 28 minutes

26. This is How We Teach ~ High Expectations… • Set and communicate what students will do • Include a range of questions ~ higher order of Blooms Taxonomy • Strive for quality results—mastery, redoing work with feedback • Create situations where students need to think critically • Other… Each table tackle a theme…generate a list to share timeframe = 9 minutes

27. Millennial Enhancement: High Expectations • Set and communicate what students will do • Include a range of questions ~ higher order of Blooms Taxonomy • Strive for quality results—mastery, redoing work with feedback • Create situations where students need to think critically • Other…

28. Millennial Enhancement: Motivation Preferences ~ Action Learning • Tapping learning styles • People and relationships ~ help someone • Things and functions ~ design in, fix it… • Creativity and expression ~ draw, paint, perform, express… • Discovery and process ~ observe, explore, validate … • Role Plays! • Reflection activities

29. Millennial Enhancement: 21st Century Skills for the Millennials • Networking globally ~ maintain intimacy • Managing abundance of information • Information literacy • Search skills • Finding truth • Authenticity of information • Creating community ~ creating caring relations • Learning to listen • Achieving social justice ~ building a good society

30. Millennial Enhancement: Social Networking • Creating “bonding” opportunities • Team work (collaborative assignments) • Connections to greater world/community • Identify, practice and reflection on skills • Use of technology ~ social appropriateness

31. Millennial Enhancement: Adventure, Imagination, Innovation • Use of technology • Problem –based approaches • True brainstorming (jump start your brain) • Use of pop culture • Invent ideas ~ construct positions, fabricate solutions

32. Millennial Enhancement: Learner Control/Centered • Choice of approach • Learn to manage time and tasks • Peer-to-peer methods • Autonomy through project decisions • Using visual barometers ~agree/disagree • Debate ~ devil’s advocate • Jigsaws, free writing, literature circles • Photo albums, newspapers, portfolios

33. Millennial Enhancement: Feedback • Prompt • Frequent • Constructive • Help reflect and know the strengths and weaknesses of themselves • Use of mentors • Provide sense of relevancy • PIE method ~ Praise, Improvement, Encourage

34. Millennial Enhancement: Information Age • TQM ~ data to inform decisions • Ask great questions • Analysis • Researcher • Forecasting • Hypothesis-testing • Model building • System thinking “Info-tectives”

35. Millennial Enhancement: Others? • Purpose • Sense of humor • Provide social and emotional support • Competition

36. Roll your Enhancements! • Each team will choose an activity card (includes a basic description of a CTE activity) • Team challenge… make enhancements from your checklist • Roll your dice to determine how many… #1 and #6 don’t count! 

37. Give a hand…all of them! • Each table will “cash in” their hands: • Commendation for a team’s efforts • Suggested addition to the enhancements.. Piggyback! 

38. Teaching the 21st Century Student: Knowing the Mindset of the Millennial Student A Student-Centered Approach Kathleen McNally Technology Centers That Work