Generational Differences
When I read articles about generational differences, I tend
to have an instant reaction. My eyes will roll and the word “ugh” will escape
my mouth more than once. The reason that I feel this way is because I am part
of the “Millennial” generation. Lately, there have been tons of articles criticizing
my generation (see: “‘Don’t Buy $19 Smashed Avocado’: Melbourne Property TycoonHammers Millennials Over Spending Habits” and “Millennials are Killing List”).
These articles are very frustrating because they put all Millennials in a box.
They assume that we are all the same. Are people of different ages different? Of
course, they are! But to make sweeping generalizations about people born during
a certain time period is dangerous.
I think this is true for education as well. For instance,
in Prensky’s article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,” he states that his,
“own preference for teaching Digital Natives is to invent computer games to do
the job.” He believes that you could make a video game to teach any subject.
Then the counter of that is McKenzie’s article, “Digital Nativism” where he states,
“Prensky's unbridled endorsement of games to educate his natives is
irresponsible given the research pointing to harmful effects.” He cites
research about the effects of violent video games on children. I do not agree
with either of these authors. I think there is a happy middle ground between
the two of them. I think video games can be a very powerful teaching tool when
used in the right contexts and when used effectively. For instance, I think
Monkey Wrench, the game created to teach a complex piece of software, is an
excellent idea. That turned a very boring, tedious task into a much more fun
and engaging one. I don’t think video games work for all subjects though or
should replace all other types of teaching and learning.
I don’t think we should be focusing on generational
differences. I think it’s not a good idea to say, “all students these days like
games and videos,” and then change all of your lessons to revolve around those
things. I think students need a variety of learning experiences no matter what
age they are. Steve Wheeler said it best in his blog entry, “A Convenient
Untruth”: “Would it not be better to simply acknowledge that all learners are
different, and that all can benefit from a range of varied experiences that
ultimately leads to enriched personal experiences?”
I agree so much with this post! As a millennial myself (Or at least I think so, I might be gen Z? It is all so unclear!) it can be frustrating to be put into a box and stereotyped as something that I may or may not be. I think it is so important to realize this with so much more than just generational differences, but also other topics such as gender, race, religion, etc. We spend so much time worrying about "what" people are, rather than (as educators) finding the best ways to teach students. I believe in equitable education and also switching up my teaching practice so that it is not the same thing every day.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you feel the same way! I agree that it's important to not do the same thing every day as a teacher. Routines are important for many students but that doesn't mean you can't do different types of activities each day.
DeleteI have probably played less than 4 hours of computer video games (excluding arcades of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s). The 4 hours that I did play came from playing video games with my son when he was so enthusiastic about it that I couldn’t say no. With such little experience, I can still see the great benefit a learning tool it can be even though I come from a era of building things with ones hands. I built my own home with my own hands, while my friends played video games. One is not better than the other. I just happen to prefer a tangible result for my efforts. I really enjoyed the challenge of the readings for this module (and really the entire course). They point out strong shortcomings in our body of research.
ReplyDeleteYes, I appreciated that the readings pointed out the shortcomings in this type of research too. Research about video games tends to be very one sided, either saying they are helping kids learn or making them violent. I think we have to take the research with a grain of salt. It can help inform our teaching but it is still important to use a variety of techniques. Many students in this generation like video games but there are still a lot that like building tangible things too.
DeleteThe argument of millennials is an interesting one because I hear about it all the time in work, online, friends/family, etc. I was born in 1982 but I am told I technically fall into the millennial category. I find the labeling of generations tends to lead to unhealthy arguments as each portray the other with negative stereotypes all the time it seems. I know people younger than me that don’t even own a computer and baby boomers that play video games like you never would believe. In my short experience with online education, it has never been a specific generation that struggles with using the required technologies of a course. That’s why I think most students would benefit from a variety of learning experiences because we do not know everyone’s background and shouldn’t assume we do based on the generation they are labeled as.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I know many Baby Boomers who are very tech savvy and many Millennials who struggle with it. Your generation is only a small part of you. It's frustrating that it leads to negative stereotypes when we could all be learning from each other. I know that I learn a great deal from my students.
DeleteI enjoy video games, but I don't enjoy all the video games. That's why I think that one game isn't going to teach all students. Thus, a game shows that there is a specific game for each individual.
ReplyDeleteMe too. There are some video games I love and some that I hate. I think you’re right that games may work for some students but not necessarily all of them.
Delete