Teaching Millennial Students Bridget Arend University of Denver TELECOOP Conference, April 2008
Where were you… on VJ Day? when John F. Kennedy was assassinated? when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded?
Generational Studies Generational cohorts Peer Personalities
Life Views Traditional generation = Loyal Born before mid-1940s World Wars, the Great Depression, racial inequalities, GI Bill Faith in institutions, military style of management Conformity = success
Life Views Baby Boomers = Optimistic Born early 1940s - early 1960s Space race, Civil Rights, Vietnam War, political assassinations, Watergate, sex & drugs, television Self-indulgence and inward focus Competitive
Life Views Generation X = Skeptical Born early 1960s Destruction of the Berlin Wall, rise of AIDS, Chernobyl disaster, Tiananmen Square, consumerism, divorce, personal computer Era of at-risk & latchkey kids, Reality bites economy Criticized, critical, slackers
Life Views Millennials = Realistic Born after 1981 Computers, Internet, real wars on TV, extreme violence in schools, change is the norm Era of The wanted child –Adoption, fertilization technologies The protected child – Tylenol scare, Columbine The worthy child – Mr. Rogers/Barney “you are special” The perfected child – Highly-homeworked & tested
Clash Points
Millennials The Beloit College Mindset List
In their own words… A Vision of Students Today Digital Ethnography Project Kansas State University
Core Traits Special/Sheltered Confident Pressured Achieving Technologically savvy Team-oriented Anti-autocratic
References Millennials Go to College, Neil Howe & William Strauss, Generation ME, Jean M. Twenge, When Generations Collide, Lynne C. Lancaster & David Stillman, Millennials Rising, Neil Howe & William Strauss, 2000.