Teaching the iGeneration

“They have never known a life without the Internet, let alone computers, and many don’t know a world without mobile phones. “     (2012, Cornish, Total Girl magazine)

This was the first quote I read when I recently attended a workshop in Texas entitled “Teaching the I Generation”.  Our presenter, Bill Ferriter, made reference to this quote by adding the words, “Digital Immigrant” and “Digital Native” to its vernacular.  What an amazing world we live in when our students, our very children, cannot imagine a world that isn’t plugged in. 

Three weeks ago, my mother-in-law and father, who are both in their senior years and new to personal computer use, purchased brand new iPads. As they unpacked their new devices, I waited nervously for the inevitable onslaught of questions.  Much to my surprise, something strange happened.  My children, who were there to witnessing their “iBirths”, jumped right in and led the way in teaching their grandparents how to use the iPads.  Within no time, both grandparents had their own iTunes accounts and were well on the way to beating level two of Angry Birds. I especially loved it when, in true parental form, my mother-in-law kept asking for the instruction manual and my father kept trying to brush off help saying he just wanted to figure it out in his own!

What was ironic on this special day was when my children discovered my dad’s old records and record player.  It was priceless to watch my father explain how these big black plastic discs could be used to play music.  My children armed with plenty of 21^st century savvy, were awestruck over how the tiny grooves on this plastic disk could be transformed into music without the use of lasers.  This moment in time will forever stay with me.  Watching the two generations, both experts in their own right, seeking an explanation of how and why.  Our children are growing up in a world that is really in its infancy.  Technologies are evolving so quickly that there is very little time to be amazed, there is very little time to really understand how we went from model 2.0 to model 5.0.

Maybe this is the curse for the iGeneration.  Windows 95… What was that?  Today, things are moving so quickly that there is no time to stop and smell the RAM.  The iGeneration is in some ways an unenviable position because they aren’t given time to think about things in a way that exudes awe.  The new generation of XBOX comes out next year but it probably won’t be a game changer.  Children will just view at as the next new thing.  I actually remember when the iPod came out. A hard drive with music that fits in your pocket.  I could listen to over 1000 songs; out went my cd collection, in the trash went my cassette tapes.  For me, the iPod was amazing, a true innovation, whereas for my children, they just take it for granted. Is the pace of technology leaving our children void of a sense of wonder and just setting them up with unfulfilling expectations for the latest version?

What are the effects of all this on public education?

This is a hot topic in educational circles.  What will the iGeneration impact be on how we deliver and receive public education?  In response to a need to change, many schools are moving to a more campus style approach where students and parents are rapidly figuring out there are many ways to acquire an education. Online education and independent study are gaining popularity and may one day surpass traditional classroom teaching.  The problem we have with public education is the lethargic way in which it responds to the need for change.  There is such fear with changing what we’ve always done. If we change it, what will “it” look like and what really is the “it” we’re talking about, are questions that remain to be answered. In our district, the online Surrey Connect model is an example of how a district can address the need for alternate ways to deliver education.  This model works well for independent learners who need more convenience, but it still demands that teachers work in a building and be available for additional help at set hours. When I first heard about Surrey Connect, I imagined a system where I could teach in my pajamas at home, a system where I would interact solely through the Internet.  In my previous life as an instructor for University of Phoenix, all online interactions were just that – strictly online.

Maybe the solution for the iGeneration is to move past the model of delivery and perhaps focus more on the “tools of delivery”. We were one of the first schools in Surrey to get a massive Wi-Fi upgrade.  No longer do students have to sneak on to our wireless using the coveted “secret” password. We now have a guest access for anyone who enters the building and we are able to handle over 1000 devices.  To augment this change, we also invested in an iPad cart for our teachers (the fruits of a committed team of teachers who secured a district grant for a Innovative Learning Design project).  Making technology more accessible and open to everyone is the solution. We’re not using technology simply to replace the overhead, as in the case of document camera, but rather we’re using the need for technology as the drive to create infrastructure to support its use in the educational setting. We are finally figuring out that our vision needs to be dialed into finding better ways for the iGeneration to plug in. Seeking better ways to innovate education and make it more relevant for the iGeneration. 

As we move forward, we will commit to using the tools of technology to further enhance learning and further discover more effective delivery methods of instruction for the iGeneration. In doing this, the pace of technology will be a force we use to our advantage to actually contribute to and create a tremendous sense of wonder in education for all our students.

Bal Ranu

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