Our Insights
GENERATION Z IN SCHOOLS NOW
BORN FROM
1998 ON UNIQUELY SHAPED BY
CHILDREN OF
GENERATION
X
23
Z?
LEARN
MILLION IN SIZE
DIFFERENTLY
NOT JUST “MORE OF
GEN Y”
GEN X PARENTS
Rise of tablets & smartphones
Parents with lower divorce rate High rates of stay-at-home parent
MORE THAN
WHO IS
UNIQUELY SHAPED BY
SIGNIFICANT CIRCUMSTANCES
Strong social media usage
High home schooling rates
Learning for the New Generation by Dr. Dalane E. Bouillion, Educational Planner
E
ach of us is motivated by something, and we all have our own interests, including students who bring these same attributes to the classroom. How educators tap into students’ motivations allows for meaningful learning. Today, regardless of the motivations they bring, students generally require an active learning environment. They like to see, touch, listen and move – many times, they require these things simultaneously. They have become accustomed to immediate feedback. They are comfortable learning by discovering their environment, and participating, not by just sitting and listening. “They” have not officially been named. Some call them Generation Z. Gary Marx, Center for Public Outreach, refers to them as Generation E (meaning equilibrium). Jason Dorsey, The Center for Generational Kinetics, is writing about them, and designates them as iGen. Regardless of their anticipated formal classification, they are our 2 to 19 year-olds generally born to Generation X parents. Research has informed us that the plasticity in the brain has changed with our younger generation, and meeting the needs of the learner now 12
2015 | EXPERIENCE | Inside VLK
requires a unique approach in the classroom. It has been proven; they really are different!
Gone are the days of lecture and note taking. Students are comfortable responding to their environment, and socialization is critical to their development. Now, students gather at Starbucks to complete projects. Homework time has been redefined so that collaboration and technological stimulation can be achieved. What does all of this mean for education? Pedagogy is evolving to allow for student choice, and creativity. Research shows that three learning styles: active, sensing, and visual are the characteristics that usually dominate
