This document discusses generational differences between Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. It provides characteristics of each generation regarding work preferences, learning styles, and technology use. The document also outlines strategies for implementing a personal learning environment using social and Web 2.0 tools to engage Millennial students in a blended teaching approach.

1. That was then… This is now…

6. “ If you’re not on MySpace, you don’t exist” Skyler, 18, to her mom

14. Birth Cohorts 20-25 years GI’s (WWI) 1901-1924 Silent Generation 1925-1942 Baby Boomer 1943-1960 Generation X 1961-1981 Millennials 1982- Present

15. Baby Boomers TV generation Typewriters Memos Generation X Video games Computers Email Millennials The Web Mobile devices IM Text Messaging Online communities

16. Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials Build a stellar career Build a portable career Build parallel careers Money, title, recognition etc Freedom is the ultimate reward Work that has meaning for me Help me balance everyone else and find meaning myself Give me balance now, not when I’m 65 Work isn’t everything; I need flexibility so I can balance all my activities Feedback once a year, with lots of documentation Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing? Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a button Train them too much and they’ll leave The more they learn the more they stay Continuous learning is a way of life

17. Information must be individually tailored Portability of information is critical Content must be dynamically generated ‘ Lag Time’ is a foreign concept Web Surfing is passé Bored Pass the test, pass the course, get the degree Surface learning; multitasking Stressed Rules are irrelevant Large career aspirations

18. Lecture 5% Reading 10% Audio-Visual 15% Demonstration 30% Discussion Groups 50% Practice by doing 75% Teaching Others 90% (Source: National Training Laboratories, Bethel, ME)

19. Case Based Learning; real-world examples Learning must be relevant, engaging, and meaningful Learning must expand beyond classroom walls Portability of information is critical (easy, online access) Content must be dynamically generated (just in time; web) Many and varied activities (experiential; authentic) High expectations (goals and frequent feedback) Interaction (with the “teacher”, the material, and peers) Respect for diversity Student responsibility

20. “ The number one thing to realize with the Millennials is that as a whole they reflect much more parental perfectionism than any generation in living memory. Colleges and universities should know that they are not just getting a kid, but they are also getting a parent .” Howe, N. & Strauss, B. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Vintage Books

26. Second generation of web-based communities and online services Social networking sites, wikis, social indexing sites Collaboration, creativity, sharing between users Changes web sites from isolated information silos to interlinked computing platforms

27. Users generate and distribute content, often with freedom to share and re-use, and allows the user to do more than just download information. Users own and exercise control over the data on a Web 2.0 site Architecture of participation that encourages users to add value ot the site as they use it.

28. One-to-Many Blogs RSS Feeds Many-to-Many GoogleGroups One-to-One E mail Skype

33. Participants set up their own blog and create at least one post (every week or every two weeks) that covers the content of the course. Participants send a message to the class Google Group to provide their published blog address for the rest of the class. Participants will set up an RSS feed reader (Google Reader) to follow the postings of other class members . Go to: E Blogger , Google Reader

34. Set up a Google group for the class Each participant requests membership in the class (with their GMail account) Participants send messages to group with their published blog address All class members visit each blog and subscribe to the RSS feed for that blog Class members are notified of all postings in their RSS feed reader. The Google Group site will host discussions, other documents, and a few pages to support the class.

35. Private email messages will be used to provide private feedback to participants. Go to: GMail

36. Use the free Skype software to collaborate with the instructor or other students in real time to facilitate the learning in class. Go to: Skype

37. Participants will also add a special course "tag" which can be used with del.icio.us or Google Reader. Go to: del.icio.us

39. Flickr is a photo sharing website and web services suite, and an online community platform, which is generally considered an early example of a Web 2.0 application.

43. Social Studies : NewsHour

45. Personal Learning Environments Employ social software and Web 2.0 tools outside of the confines of a learning management system to enable learners to develop their own preferred learning environment Ownership of both the content and the tools which comprise the PLE enables learners to sustain learning after formal courses have ended, and allows life-long learning

46. By offering a choice of tools, learners personalize the PLE by following their preferred styles and patterns of learning. Loosely Coupled Teaching Blends the advantages of institutional systems while leveraging the power of contemporary social software and Web 2.0 tools.

47. Source: http://electronicportfolios.com/web2/class/index.html

48. Bridging the Generational Divide: Strategies for Engaging the Millennials, Dr Joy Mighty, Queen’s University Understanding the Millennial Student by Angela D. Taylor, Ph.D., LPC, Associate Dean of Student Development Student Affairs, TCU