The Generational Differences of Students – Reflecting on the Pensky Articles, Generational Edge articles, and Generational Videos

The Generational Differences of Students

In reflecting on the generational differences of students that I work with after watching the various videos, reading the Pensky articles; as well as, the Generation Edge articles, I find that I am able to identify a considerable amount of similarities in many of my students.  Because of their age, I can refer to them as a part of Generation Edge, as they appear to, in many ways, match a lot of what the videos and readings indicate.  For instance, even though my students are mostly not considered a part of the middleclass, their behaviors in some ways seem to mimic that of the middleclass students, in their need for technology.  I say this because they don’t leave home without their cell phones, and can be observed often using some form of sharing with them. They display a great deal of independence, they can be demanding and want things their way, and don’t have a problem letting you know.

 However, reading the Pensky article where he talks about digital natives, there were some dead on revelations about how digital natives are the generation that grew up with their entire lives entrenched in technology.  But by the same token,  I was a little disappointed to find out that my being a digital immigrant means that I have no hope of ever really catching up and feeling comfortable and confident in technology, and even more concerning is his statement that digital immigrants are the “single biggest problem in education today. “  Needless to say, I was relieved to read the McKenzie article that challenged a great deal of the Pensky article, and though McKenzie was tough on Pensky, and this really indicates the importance of finding ways to validate and substantiate information, a lesson to pass on to students  on how best to substantiate sources.  Pensky appears to have concentrated on the middle to upper middleclass in his summations of the digital native, which gives the idea of a digital divide to those who have little access to technology.     Therefore, in general, were I to take Pensky at face value, my students would be considered a part of the digital divide that Pensky speaks of; as they don’t have a lot of technology available to them at home, other than their cell phones, which they are generally masters at using.  However, when they are in the computer lab, you realize they are as comfortable on the web as I am putting on a pair of shoes. 

 By the same token, it appears that they are sometimes difficult to reach because you can’t just go to the whiteboard with a plan that only has reading, writing, and discussion.   This misunderstanding of how to teach many of our students because of whatever issues is a common concern (complaint) that I hear among many teachers, particular those who are not truly embracing more use of technology in the classroom and outside of it.  The more I read and study about how student’s of today are motivated and inspired, I realize that it is mandatory that teachers learn to communicate, interact, create, and teach incorporating technologies that these students have grown up with.  There is a need to understand that these students use technology not so much as amusement, but as a tool to get stuff done, and quickly.

 Many of us are still using technology in the classroom more as a reward than a tool, and this doesn’t work very well; particularly with the older students; as there is so much information out there that they have been exposed to, they don’t get amused so easily, and since they are using phones all over the place, why not design lessons that allow them to use such tools to collaborate and produce end products.   I like how Dr. Siko used the idea of how it is very different growing up using a language as opposed to learning it later, to use sporadically.  I would think that for Generation Edgers to not have learning rich in technology that challenges them to be resourceful, collaborative, creative, and illicit critical thinking is a good way to make them feel like fish out of water.  This is so different from when I was a kid, or even when my daughter was a kid among the Generation Xers. 

 Further, these readings help support me in understanding why it is important to know who you have in your teaching audience starting with their age because if one were to teach in higher learning, there may be a broad range of participants from Baby Boomers to Generation Edgers, and forward. So again, knowing the characteristics of your audience is very important.