You are What You TECH:Generational Learning and Technology Carol Schwartz,
Ph.D.Lourdes University
June 4, 2013
Marlington Local Schools
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Key Concepts and Questions Generational patterns repeat in
cycles What influences each generation’s
development? Who are the students currently in our
classrooms ? What role does technology play in
generational development? SchwartzJune 4, 2013
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The Influence of Our “Generation”
Much of the way we look at the world and how we relate to it is a function of when we were born and the formative experiences that influenced our development
William Strauss and Neil Howe identified four
“turnings” (event patterns) and four “generations” that
continue to repeat in the same cyclic patterns
SchwartzJune 4, 2013
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Strauss & Howe Define Generation
Members of a generation share An age location in history
People experience key historical events & social trends at the same development stage
Common beliefs and behaviors A sense of common perceived
membership in that generation Generational definition based on the work of Comte,
Littré, Gasset, Mannheim, Mentre, and Mill
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Four Archetyes
Hero Becomes team-oriented and self-reliantBorn after an Awakening or in an Unraveling
Nomad Becomes pragmatic leader
Born during an Awakening
Prophet Becomes crusaderBorn at the end of Crisis or in a High
Artist Becomes consensus builder
Born during a Crisis
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Four “Turnings” or Event Patterns
Crisis (1929-
44)Institutional
life destroyed
rebuilt
Move toward common purpose
“Founding moments” redefine identity
High (1945-
64)STRONG
Institutions
Weak Individuali
sm
Social Stability
Awakening
(1965-80)
Search of Autonomy
and Authenticity
Emphasis on Individualism
Unraveling
(1981-2005)
Weak institutions; distrusted
Flourishing Individualis
m
Evident Social or Political Splits
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Generations Repeat Over Time
Arthurian (1433–1460) (H) Humanist (1461–1482) (A) Reformation (1483–1511) (P) Reprisal (1512–1540) (N) Elizabethan (1541–1565) (H) Parliamentary (1566–1587) (A) Puritan (1588–1617) (P) Cavalier (1618–1647) (N) Glorious (1648–1673) (H) Enlightenment (1674–1700)
(A) Awakening (1701–1723) (P) Liberty (1724–1741) (N) Republican (1742–1766) (H) Compromise (1767–1791) (A)
Transcendental (1792–1821) (P) Gilded (1822–1842) (N) Progressive (1843–1859) (A) Missionary (1860–1882) (P) Lost Generation (1883–1900) (N) G.I. Generation (1901–1924) (H) Silent Generation (1925–
1942) (A) Boomers (1943–1960) (P) Gen X (1961–1981) (N) Millennial (1982–2004) (H) Homeland/Gen Z (2005-?) (A)
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Turnings and Age Groups
•Crisis: Institutions destroyed & rebuilt
•Artist: Consensus builders1925-1943
•High: Strong Institutions•Prophet: Questions authority 1944-
1964
•Awakening: Individualism & Autonomy
•Nomad: Alienated pragmatics1965-1980
•Unraveling: Individualism & Splits
•Hero: Overprotected advocates 1981-2004
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Silent Generation BoomersGen XersMillennial
s
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Our Colleagues and our Students
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Silent Generat
ionBorn 1925-1943
Team Player
s
Artists
Boomer Generat
ionBorn 1944-1964Questio
n Authority Make
a Differenc
eProphets
Gen X
Born 1965-1980
Self-ReliantFlexibl
eNomad
s
MillennialsBorn 1981- 2002
Eclectic
Connect
Globally
Heroes
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Generations’ Formative Influences
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Silent Generation (1925-1943)Sacrifice; be heroic; consider the common good1929 Stock Market Crash1937 Hindenburg Crash1941 Pearl Harbor Attack; Hitler Invades
Russia1945 World War II ends1947 Jackie Robinson joins the major leaguesRADIO was the technology that shaped them
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Generations’ Formative Influences
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Boomers (1944-1964)Be anything you want to be; change the world1962 John Glenn orbits the Earth
1963 M.L. King marches on WDC; J.F. Kennedy assassinated
1965-73
Vietnam War—part of the nightly news broadcast
1967 First heart transplant1969 Moon landing and Woodstock1970 Women’s liberation movementTelevision was the technology that shaped them
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Generations’ Formative Influences
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Gen Xers (1965-1980)Take care of yourself; heroes don’t exist; always ask “why?”1973 Global energy crisis1979 Three Mile Island and corporate
downsizing/layoffs1980 John Lennon killed1981 AIDS identified1986 Chernobyl and Challenger disasters1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall Personal computer was the technology that shaped them
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Generations’ Formative Influences
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Millenials (1981-2004)You are special; leave no one behind; serve your community1990 & 1993
Mandela released from prison; Apartheid ends in South Africa
1995 Oklahoma City bombing1997 Princess Diana died1999 Columbine shootings2001 9/11
Internet is the technology that shaped them
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Millennials at School and Work Tend to be goal- and achievement-oriented Exhibit high levels of social concern and
responsibility Have higher expectations than any earlier
generation Data show that they are also incredibly “smart”
by traditional measurement Count on the ability to connect with cohorts
immediately Share ideas and values over a broad
audienceJune 4, 2013
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How Can We Engage Millennials Create activities that build sense of
community Provide clear expectations and
detailed, explicit instructions Help with time management, study
skills, and conflict resolution Provide cutting-edge technology,
interactive web services, and opportunities for virtual communities
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Helping Millennials Learn
Teacher-Learner engagement Remember their parents have been very “present”
Collaborative learning works for them They are very comfortable with peer engagement
Active learning in the classroom Flipped classrooms for discussions, group projects and
cooperative problem-solving Feedback is important
Prompt, frequent, and constructive feedback works for them
Keep high expectationsJune 4, 2013 Schwartz
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Communicating with Millennials
Be positive Send a text message or meet face-
to-face Tie the message to the Millennial’s
personal goals or to team goals Don’t be condescending; avoid
cynicism and sarcasm
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Expansive Change
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Schwartz 19June 4, 2013
The NEXT Generation:What can we
infer about the youngest
student in our classrooms?
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The “Next Generation”
Born (2005-2020) Homeland Generation
Name favored by Strauss and Howe from a web-based contest in 2005▪ Also called Gen Z, Net Generation, Wii
Generation A generation's identity is shaped in
the first 16 years of life Generation of a “Crisis” turning
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Characteristics of “Crisis” Turning Institutional life is redesigned in response
to a perceived threat Civic authority and community purpose
are revived Fourth Turnings are “founding moments” Thom Hartmann interviews Neil Howe on
the Fourth Turning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZp0-DOC
7Ko
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The “Next Generation”
Born (2005-2020) Frank N. Magid Associates created a
partial profile for Pluralists▪ Incredible ethnic diversity and socially
diverse mixing▪ Last American generation that will be
predominantly white ▪ Least likely to believe in the American Dream
due to economic crisis
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Political Formative Events
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
2000
SCOTUS intervenes in presidential election
2001
World Trade Center and Pentagon Terrorist Attacks War on Terror
2001
No Child Left Behind Act passed
2003
The invasion of Iraq
2008
GWBush signs the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act bailout
2008
Barack Obama elected president
2009
Tea Party begins protests against government
2011
Osama bin Laden killed
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Social /Cultural /Natural Formative Events
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
2004 Massachusetts legalizes same gender marriage
2004 Asian tsunami2005 Hurricane Katrina2007 Virginia Tech massacre2011 Tucson, Arizona massacre
2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre
2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre
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Technological Formative Events
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
2001 Web 2.0 (interactivity)
2004 Facebook is launched
2005
YouTube is launched; USB replaces floppy disks
2006 Twitter is launched
2006
Wii launched, followed by similar systems
2006
1,000,000th song is downloaded from iTunes
2007
iPhone and proliferation of other smart phones
2009
Kindle followed by other e-reader devices
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Next Generation: Artist Archetype What should we expect of them if the
archetype and pattern hold true? Good at process Promote civility Leadership through institutional structure
▪ Will this be a generation of politicians? Know lean times to have a positive work
attitude Team players
▪ Will they have the Silent Gen’s respect for authority?
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Next Generation: Artist Archetype What else should we expect of them?
Resilient and adaptive Self-Reliant and self-directed
Balanced by tremendous individualism Given unique names Over-protected because their world is scary
May be a generation of “late-bloomers”June 4, 2013 Schwartz
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Next Generation: Artist Values What will formative experience(s)
include? May be a “small” generation due to economics May value safety, security, conformity, and
consistency May emphasize fairness, inclusion, and social
justice May have a strong work ethic Will likely see blended social constructs: roles,
families, etc.
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Technology’s Impact Technology is “Mobile, Global Connectivity”
Global community Constantly connected—any time, any place Total “Digital Natives” Their parents will be also be technologically
adept
Greater access to more information Will see less need to “remember” things Greater need for info access and processing
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What Are Our Best Guesses? Homelanders will be create stability
in new, diverse, social structures They will be more accepting of—or
possibly not recognize—traditional differences
They will use technology to connect to globally, though they may stay close to home In some ways, the world can come to
them through technologyJune 4, 2013 Schwartz
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What Are Our Best Guesses? They are destined to be the
“rebuilders” of political, social, and cultural structures The structures and institutions that they
rebuild will probably reflect a more broad-ranging, global view and be accessed through technology
They are more likely to work within systems and structures than outside of them Those systems will probably be
significantly different than we know them today
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Advice from the Boomers:Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Crosby, Still, Nash, and Young
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Questions?
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
Schwartz 34
For more information…
Key Terms, Tags, and Titles Generation(al) Theory Strauss and Howe
The Fourth Turning Generations: The History of America’s Future,
1584-2069 Millennials Rising
Jean Twenge (on Millennials) Generation Me The Narcissism Epidemic
June 4, 2013
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Books You Might Want to Read
June 4, 2013 Schwartz
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Contact Information
Carol Schwartz, Ph.D.Lourdes University
June 4, 2013 Schwartz