A recent poll shows that we are facing the largest generation gap since 1969. From the fast paced, ever changing world of technology, to religion, relationships, manners, and morality; we are seeing larger differences in the way we view the world between younger and older people.
Does this generation gap affect teaching? If so how can we overcome these differences and meet our students on a level where they can understand the curriculum and meet the rigorous standards mandated by the state and the federal government?
Are we headed in the right direction? Or do we need to re-assess the direction we are headed?
3 comments:
The kids are so-often surprised by the confiscation of their cell phones. The phones are an integral part of their culture. For some reason (perhaps 9/11 and its aftermath of persistent paranoia), there is a need to be constantly connected with each other. I have often told my students that I predict that schools will eventually learn to accept and adapt to the new technology. Until that time, however, they should expect to have their phones confiscated.
I’m not sure the generation gap is relevant to the age range of students in public schools. The Pew report didn’t include anyone under the age of 18 years. I think our students see anyone over thirty as old. As long as someone is in their early to mid twenties they are considered young, but any age over twenty-nine is over-the-hill. This way of thinking about age is too immature to be relevant. It is too far from reality to be useful for curriculum design. In other words, age for public school students is about as useful as a cartoon—it only has metaphorical meaning.
We should think along age appropriate lines and consider that eighth-grade material is not suitable for juniors or seniors in high school. Otherwise, high school students relate to their curriculum as a function of what interests them rather than anything to do with a generation gap. That is my humble opinion.
The biggest problem in schools and homes today is the lack of respect for any athority young adolesence feel that parents owe them the education system fails because there is no self dicipline parents have there hands tied because of vague laws that constitute dicipline from abuse a good paddling on the butt or a solid parental awarness of parents who have children that misbehave your research stinks and so do your programs all failures because of not looking at the cause just add another bandaid that has no result.....you need to address simple rule respect until you are 18 yrs old you are a student learning respect and self dicipline maybe we need to step back from the liberal thinking and enforce respect from parents and students...
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