Reading for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Fall, 2011

I agree with the idea presented in both articles that there is a contradiction between the literacy skills students develop in their social lives, and the literacy environment of the schools. I also agree that millennial students may be technologically savvy, but they are not proficient at evaluating and processing text found on the internet. The students I teach still think most sites on the internet are objective and should be treated as fact. The concept of media literacy is very interesting. Students do need to be taught how to judge and make sense of all the different types of media they are confronted with. I think the T.A.P model presented in the second article is a useful guide for teaching students how to analyze information gained from various types of media. I do think it’s important to teach students how to be smart and informed consumers of media. I still question how teachers are supposed to move forward with a media rich curriculum when testing demands ( EOG, SAT, writing tests) continue to measure traditional literacy skills.

I agree with Sally's statement about how it is hard to move forward with a media/21st century centered curriculum when testing continues as it is. I'll be interested to see how testing changes in our near future!

I was born in 1985 so according to the article I read I am technically a "millennial" however; as I read Millennials and How to Teach Them, I thought about my younger sister quite often (born in 1991). The article describes 7 traits of the "millennial". I found that she, as many of my students do, fit the description of these traits. She especially fits those of being team-oriented and conventional. I felt that in school I was pretty technologically savvy, but in no way compared to that of my sister and the students that come through my class each year. I find that they have come to expect immediate access to information, as the article says, and they are much more prepared to use technology than I was. Most of the students in my classroom go home to computers, video games, ipads, ipods, and much much more. Taking that into consideration,I must adapt my teaching to their learning habits. I have found that activities such as webquests, CPS lessons and blogging are great tools to use with these students in the classroom.

I was born in 1990, so I am a part of the millennial generation. Time after time I have been told by adults in other generations (Gen X and Baby Boomers) that my generation seems helpless and lazy. There are countless tasks and programs that I show older people how to work. For example, I usually show my parents how to do something on the computer each week because they did not grow up with a lot of the technology I did. The people in my generation bring a lot of great abilities and knowledge to the table which I try to explain to the people who say we are helpless. It is interesting to read about each of the generations and some of the characteristics that define them. I believe that people in different generations can be defined with certain overlying characteristics or events that occurred during that time. The millennial generation is defined by the explosion of technology while the baby boomers were named because after World War II there was a huge increase in the number of babies being born.

One of my problems in high school was that I did not know good quality websites to use as a resource for papers. With so many different sources and possibilities at my fingertips it was hard to find reliable websites that I could use as sources. I had a professor in high school that showed me how and where to find trustworthy websites. Whenever I surf on the web I have trouble because there is so much information. It almost makes me go on overload because there are so many sites and a lot of times I do not know where to begin. I like how the article includes a list of sites that teachers could find helpful.

One of the strengths of the millennial generation is that we know how to use technology. A problem with the millennial generation is that teachers need to know how to use it in education. Technology is not used enough in our schools. Students go home get on the computer, play video games, and use other technology but during the day, most students are in their seats not using technology. Somehow educators need to bring that technology into the classroom. A weakness that I see in my generation is that we seem to have lost a lot of the face to face social skills because we are so technology oriented. We need to make sure that we are still social and know how to work face to face with people. It may sound weird but I can see it being a problem in the future.

While the millenial generation may be savy with technology I think the article brought out a good point, they still do not know how to determine whether the information they are reading is truely a fact or not. Sure they can surf the web with no problem, but they have not idea to determine if what sources they have found are truely relevent for not. I think we as teachers need to teach students how to identify what is a good resource and what is not.I know for myself I have to print things off of the interent to read it carefully and comprehend it. Using the computer for research can be a big distraction at the same time.

With that said we as teachers need to find a balance when using technology in the classroom. We must reach out to our students and teach with all of their technology tools in mind. I may not be part of this generation, but I think the more we can incorporate into the classroom the better. Our school just recently got classroom sets of ipods. We use them strickly for math and reading games. The students love them. They are not only using technology, but fooled into knowing what they are actually doing is accademic.

I have always heard about different generations and the characteristics of each, but I have never associated generations with education and changing teaching styles. After reading Millennials and How to Teach Them, I can see the extreme difference between Millennials and other generations. Being a Millennial, I can relate to a lot of this article. It is interesting to be a Millennial as well as have taught Millennials. The first class I taught are now nine years old and the last group to be born in the Millennial generation. Talking to my students and the things they do outside of school consists of sports, playing outside and mostly playing video games, playing on the computer or watching TV. These students are mesmerized on a computer in reading and math stations and always want to do those stations over any pencil and paper or book reading station. It is important for me to keep in mind that the computer and Internet is what reaches these children and I need to incorporate this into more of my instruction. Using technology in the classroom is what appeals to them so I need to be sure that I meet them at their interest level.
Although my students are first graders, they can navigate on the Internet better than some adults. They do, however; struggle with Word Processing. They are not sure where the keys are or even how to space when typing. I try to have the students type more of their stories by the end of the year to encourage the use of Word Processing. I agree with the article in the fact that these students connect more to documents online whether that is through email, articles online or even text messages. They need to be taught how to type as well as write because most likely everything they produce as they get older will need to be typed because of the availability of computers. I do believe that the need to know how to spell will diminish as these students get older because of the access to spell check and dictionaries online. I still think that spelling is extremely important, but I think the technological world would think otherwise.
After reading Teaching and Reaching the Millennial Generation Through Media Literacy, I realized that even though these students were born in the Millennial generation and can navigate a computer well, they do struggle to analyze content online. There are so many places for these students to obtain information, but they need to be knowledgeable about what information is fact and what information is fiction. The wonderful thing about the Internet is that anyone can post however; this is the terrible thing about the Internet. Students do not know what information is truthful and how to analyze the information to determine if it is, in fact, a reliable source. I like the T.A.P . model that is suggested in this article. I think it would be a helpful organizer to use as a middle or high schools students to organize information about the Internet to decide what is credible.
I also thought it was interesting to read about media literacy. This article says "Media literacy requires teaching about media-the language it uses along with its narrative, codes and conventions." I had always assumed that if one knew a lot about a computer or the Internet, they would know all of these terms, but this article explains that these students are not aware of these terms and must be taught. Millennials understand how to navigate the Internet how to find certain pages and information, but they are not aware of the terminology and struggle to comprehend information. I think this article makes a good point that it is our responsibility to incorporate media literacy into our instruction. With the demands of state standards, I think that meeting some of these goals will be difficult because of time constraints, but I also think that informing students of how to use the Internet and analyze the information online, is a valuable use of our time. This world is becoming more and more technologically advanced and these students need to know how to handle the mass of information they are receiving daily.

After reading Millennials and How to Teach them, I have become more aware of the differences in each generation. I looked at the 7 traits that define the Millenials and agree with them. I have only taught mellinials but I am a Gen X person. I think that millennials are confident, team-oriented, pressured, and conventional makes my job easier by expecting the students to collaborate and be successful at an assignment. I do find some struggles with team-oriented at times because even with collaboration it is difficult to determine how a child achieves individually and that is how I am supposed to evaluate them. There also is a problem with owner borrowing. For example writing everything about a subject and present that information as the child's work. I am not sure it is intended by the student but it is often done. I can see how cut and paste makes it seem like if it is on a new document it really isn't plagerism.
I agree that millennials have learned to multitask, network and learn through trial and error like the article says. I also find the students undisciplined and unreflective in their writing. This often shows up when I conference with a student and he or she cannot tell his or her own thoughts on a subject apart from what the author has written.
This generation demands that teacher integrate the classroom and it is an exciting time. I am especially thankful for the students in my class who can help me. I know they are more literate than I am with computers and technology. Using their knowledge and experience coupled with my expectations for reflection and discipline, I am excited about the students' progress.
After Reading Teaching and Reaching the Millennial Gen...., I agree that I do have an accent when it comes to technology. But I am willing to learn the language. I do have a hard time imagining what the future will be like for my students. They may have 10- 14 jobs in their lifetimes. This is overwhelming to me. I do think the TAP model is a great idea for helping children to analyze data and help with comprehension. I also wonder about how testing for the mellinnials will change in the future.

The article about the Millennial generation helps pose the question of how do older teachers reach/teach children who know more technology than they do? The answer seems to be-get with it older teachers and learn the computer!! There are so many ways to enhance learning through technology. Teachers can not teach by just their old methods alone! Not that each teacher needs to know everything about technology, however they should be equipped to different ways in communication. Just as there are different learning styles, there are different ways to communicate. Technology-blogging, emails, face book and etc...is how most students interact today. When I began teaching in 1989, as well as now, administration was always looking for new and innovative ways to reach students and family. We as teachers try to have a team approach with parents and students. Teachers of certain subjects have their own website they are knowledgeable in using and guide students on how to use it. This helps lessen the communication gap. The only concern I have for this is many times we take the personal engagement out of the scenario because of time constraints. We need to be mindful when technology would be better suited than a one on one with the student.

The article about the Millennial generation helps pose the question of how do older teachers reach/teach children who know more technology than they do? The answer seems to be-get with it older teachers and learn the computer!! There are so many ways to enhance learning through technology. Teachers can not teach by just their old methods alone! Not that each teacher needs to know everything about technology, however they should be equipped to different ways in communication. Just as there are different learning styles, there are different ways to communicate. Technology-blogging, emails, face book and etc...is how most students interact today. When I began teaching in 1989, as well as now, administration was always looking for new and innovative ways to reach students and family. We as teachers try to have a team approach with parents and students. Teachers of certain subjects have their own website they are knowledgeable in using and guide students on how to use it. This helps lessen the communication gap. The only concern I have for this is many times we take the personal engagement out of the scenario because of time constraints. We need to be mindful when technology would be better suited than a one on one with the student.

I was born in 1986, so according to the article, I am technically a millennial myself. I do find myself explaining how to do something on a computer or a smartphone to someone like my mom or an older teacher at my school. I think that growing up with some of the technology that we have today just made me better at troubleshooting because I was exposed to it early and often. I did find myself agreeing with the point the article made about kids having so many resources today but not necessarily knowing how to use them well. I remember back in high school searching for websites to use in papers for class and I’m pretty sure I didn’t always use the most reliable ones. Kids today know how to search and find things on the internet, but they still need good instruction on how to sort through the thousands of search results they come up with, and how to decide what resource is a reliable one.
I also liked the point the article made by saying that “media literacy is not merely teaching with or through media or technology.” It’s not just using a SMART board or the internet or a DVD player. Its more than simply using it. It’s also teaching about that type of media, how to use it and the language of it.
I was in a second grade classroom that I work in on Friday and the teacher asked her class the question “What does the word ‘text’ mean?” Every single hand in the class shot up. The answer that was given by the student she called on was “It’s a message you send to your friend on your phone.” The teacher acknowledged this as one meaning for the word text and asked the class for another, and all the hands went down. Kids today are different kinds of learners and as teachers we need to adapt our teaching to reach them in the best way we can.

The Millennial generation has come of age with a completely different educational awareness than prior generations because of their everyday use of communications, media, and digital technologies in their social environment. As educators teaching students who engage in our current global network of information, we must find a connection between the literary skills used outside the classroom and the ones used inside the school environment. This requires offering a variety of media sources that require the ability to question and analyze text rather than accept it for complete accuracy. Text is no longer simply opening a particular genre and gaining knowledge or entertainment from the words. It has become an interactive collection of media that should be critically analyzed based on three components of literature; text, audience, and production, as outlined in the T.A.P. model.

Although I did not grow up using technology on a daily basis, I have raised two Millennial kids who have shown me how reliant this generation is on both technology and the information available through its media. Cell phones, computers, and digital media sources have become a daily necessity in both their social lives as well as their educational careers in high school and college. I understand the need to make that connection in the classroom, although some grades levels and demographics more than others. In our equity plus elementary school, very few students own home computers or laptops with access to the internet. Their home and school environment is not greatly disconnected as it might be in a school where homes are equipped with up to date technology, such as the iPad, and its abundant resources. Regardless, it is important for all educators to be aware of this shift in learning styles and resources to help students be better prepared for our ever-changing global world.

I think it's fair to characterize people based on their generational labels. Of course there will always be an exception to the rule; however, often times it does explain why people act the way that they do. For instance, I was born in 1986 and I feel like the term Millennial describes me perfectly. I am technologically savvy, impatient, sometimes overly confident and so much more. I know that this can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. After reading the articles, I agree that Millennial's often times have a hard time telling the difference between a reliable and non-reliable sources. I believe this is due to our impatience. We know how to access so much information in such a short period of time, that we don't even begin to think that the internet would ever lie to us.
I feel as though the millennial teacher has a lot of pressure of them. Often times this teacher becomes the go to person for all things dealing with technology. But these are the teachers who know how to engage the their students where they are without any hesitation. I can also see why it would be hard to teach a millennial student, because everything can not always be done on the computer. Students must learn how to do the basics: reading from an actual book or newspaper, writing, taking the time to go to a library and practice the art/skill of doing great research. These students need to strengthen their mental and long-term memories.

I personally feel that the term Millennial fits anyone in this day and age how has a great deal of interaction with today's technology. However, Millennial is the perfect word to describe this generation. I actually enjoy teaching this era of Millennials more than my first class who would also be considered Millennials due to the fact that technology has allowed me to have more fun with them. Today's youth get more information from facebook than a newspaper. Some would say it is because as a society everyone is so busy. I would tend to agree with that, but also I feel it is because the internet has made the spread of information almost instantaneous! I, a Gen Xer, have even caught myself saying; "No, that can't be true. No one posted about it on Facebok or Twitter."
I do feel that schools are ill equipped to deal with Millennials. Our resources in the classroom are too underfunded to meet the demand. We are not provided with the technology to keep up. Until every classroom is equipped with a smartboard or document camera cart, there will always be a faction of students who are missing out.
Another issue is the technology itself. The internet is a wonderful tool, but it is not always the safest. Even those classrooms fortunate enough have the technology are blocked in what they can do because of website restrictions put in place by the school system.

Reading these articles on the Millennial generation and how we as teachers can teach them better was thought provoking. Certainly Millenials are very different as far as technology is concerned. I am a Gen-Xer, but just miss the beginning of the Millennial generation by a couple of years and I strongly agree that Millennials are excellent with technology and think the term “digital natives” is quite fitting. My brother, who is seven years younger than me, and I are strikingly different in our technology abilities. He is comfortable with technology and with the changes that are constantly occurring with it. While I don’t feel completely uncomfortable with technology, it seems I don’t pick up on it as easily as a Millennial might (although I feel fairly comfortable that I am much more proficient in technology than most Baby Boomers). I think the key when teaching Millennials is to make sure that we are taking advantage of what they do best, how they learn best, and help them use their strengths to build on the things that they aren’t good at. In the article Millennials and How to Teach Them, we learn that Millennials excel at multitasking and networking, both important skills in the real word.

Hopefully I’m not ruffling too many feathers here, but I feel like Millennials tend to feel like they are special. Whether that came from overprotective parents, or other sources, I think that reputation follows them. There is an increase in boutique style, private universities and that cater to students’ every need, making sure that the customers (both students and parents) are happy. To me, it’s our job as educators to prepare students gently for life after high school and college. Making sure that students don’t feel disappointment, or frustration is where part of the Millennial’s reputation has come from. It seems like this sort of hand-holding might be doing more harm than good, and certainly isn’t preparing this generation for independent living, and real world jobs.

I also think that Millennials like to be entertained, and in a sense need to be entertained in order to reach them in the classroom. I believe that more teacher training needs to be done to help teachers reach Millennials in the classroom. Lectures and powerpoints just don’t make an impact on these students.

I think it is completely fair to characterize people by their generation. The term "Millenials" fits this generation perfect. Whether it's social networking, assessing students, get in touch with a friend, etc. all of it is technology based. I think that society has advanced over time so much that we as humans are so impatient to use anything other than the internet as a source. Whether you are using your personal computer, a computer at work, or your cell phone there is almost always internet available every where. I think, due to this unlimited access, we automatically trust whatever the internet tells us. Using books or any other part of history to do research is unheard of this day and age.

I agree with Nakita, that schools are underfunded to keep up with the technological advances. As important as reading is, reading straight from a text and/or trade book is taking a step back for students when they can follow along with a "Tumblebook" on the smart board. Most students these days have cellphones, video games, computers, etc. to help them learn and grow.

The articles about the millennial generation opened up a lot for me. I have never considered myself as a part of the millennial generation but I guess I am. I think that it is so important that as educators we find a way to bridge the gap between what done at home and what is done at school in the terms of technology. I really wish that our schools would allow us to have more technology. I find it very difficult to teach my first graders all about the different things about a computer and how technology and literacy connect but it is very hard when we don’t have the correct technology to use. It is amazing the millennials know where to find a lot of information but for them to differentiate what is fact and what is fiction is hard for them. I would read my students a story and ask them the difference between fact and fiction and they have no idea. It is really scary because they might say things that they saw on the computer and think that they are real. We really need to teach the students how to differentiate.

As a young teacher I need to take this opportunity to teach my students how to surf the Internet safely. I need to make sure that I show them how to go on to find information safely and securely. I need to make sure that I show them where they need to find information for their research projects safely. It is so important and something that we all need to take seriously.

As a member of the Baby Boomer’s generation, reading these articles was fascinating. My children are part of the Millennial generation...and I think these descriptions “nailed” them! They can pick up a brand new cell phone, and while my husband and I struggle to get phone numbers transferred and to figure out how “this one” texts, the kids have downloaded multiple games and ringtones, changed the backgrounds and fonts, and negotiated through changing all of the settings. It is remarkable to me how much they are able to do...but, I agree with these authors, there are huge holes in their use of all of the technology. In one article, Considine defined media literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create information.” I believe that, as educators, guiding students toward such media literacy must be one of our primary goals if we are to truly prepare them to be lifelong learners. I also think that this is a more complicated issue than it appears, though – because, as Sally mentioned, we are still being assessed as teachers based on test scores in which traditional literacy skills are the measured skills. This change in our goals has to be recognized by those who set educational standards, by those who create testing materials, by legislators who pass bills such as NCLB and RttT, and by many others who are influential in both the education world and in general society.
I also agree that critically evaluating the materials that are available online is of great importance. I can remember when my kids were in high school, researching a topic consisted of “googling” their topic. I asked them occasionally if they knew that the information they had gotten was really accurate, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They responded that of course it was true, it was in this article, right? As college students, I know that they have become much more savvy in their evaluations of available information – and I’m glad for that – but I wish that they had been more aware, as high schoolers, that all of the information out there is not accurate.
As I mentioned earlier, these articles really captured my interest. I wonder if this new definition of literacy, this necessary change in our focus as educators, will instigate the next sweeping change in our profession.

I had a chance to read both articles and I found them both pretty interesting. I was born in 1982 so I have grown up with technology all of my life. I have seen technology change so rapidly that I feel like I can't keep up sometimes. I can't imagine what it would be like to have never used a computer and suddenly have to learn latter in life. There were computers in my kindergarten class room. They were huge and we used floppy disks the size of my hand, but we had computers to use. I agree that the millennial generation has been a little sheltered, they are confident,team-oriented, achieving, pressured, and conventional. I think that Millennials do spend a lot of time on the computer. We use it to look up invormation, socialize, and complet work. Most of us probably do spend more time on the internet than watching television. I write very few things down. I use the computer to type everything. I type a lot faster than I can wriet and I am a horrible speller so I use the computer for that too. I think because I use the internet so much I incorporate it into my teaching. I love the Smartboard and I am not sure I would be able to teach without it now. It will be interesting to see how the millennial generation grows and changes and technology continues to develop rapidly.

Millennials and How to Teach Them really helped me to understand how differently each generation is comfortable with and values technology. Millennials have been brought up with technology and this gives them a level of comfort that other generations may lack. Technology is second nature for these millennials. Their ability to multi-task amazes me with my own group of first graders this year. I remember when I first began my teaching career and it was necessary to spend time teaching students computer basics. We would spend time working on keyboarding skills as well as what a mouse was and how to use it. These “basics” are no longer necessary. Just as the article pointed out it’s their language. My students know how to look for frequently visited webpages by clicking on the bookmark tab at just six years old.

I love the fact that this generation is so comfortable with technology they have the confidence and know how to teach some of their teachers. I agree with MaryBeth’s comment on feeling as if Millenials need to be entertained. This generation has not dealt with a short supply of interactive, engaging products and technology at their fingertips. It makes me feel a little uneasy about the current situation at my elementary school. We do not have any technology in our classrooms. My common teaching tool is a dry erase board and marker. It is evident that my students need more. I have implemented a document camera recently, connected it to my laptop and it is amazing to see the students become engaged so quickly. I am interested in seeing what jobs will be available for these technologically savvy Millenials.

I agree that it is absolutely valid to “characterize people according to the times in which they were born.” After all, are we not a product of our surroundings and experiences? If that is true, then those experiences occur in the times in which we are born. Reading this article reminds me of the email that has gone around in many different forms, basically pointing out the generational divides. You know the one that reminds you just how old you are and how quickly technology has changed in the world. For instance, the kindergarteners that I teach today have absolutely no concept of a record player. In fact, on numerous occasions they have asked me, when referring to a record, “why is that CD so big?” I think I often forget just how far we have advanced with technology as a society. This directly impacts our students, their experiences in and out of the classroom, and most importantly the way in which they will perceive instruction in our classrooms. As teachers, we need to not only keep up with and be knowledgeable of the latest advances in technology but continuously seek to use it to improve our instruction. Millennials communicate, learn, and live daily life in a completely different way from any generation before them. We would only be doing them a disservice by refusing to adjust instruction from the way it has always been delivered.