they are different

I was at home this week when the phone rang ...
Hello
Hi Mum
...
Do you know which son this is?
Of course, I'm just picking my jaw up off the floor ...
hehe
You never phone me, in fact I don't think you have ever used a phone to call me!  What's wrong?

Well, nothing of course.  But our distance conversations since he left home 5 years ago had been purely Skype or text - or me ringing him.  So why the old fashioned phone call?  Ah, he had just got a VOIP account so he could use a generation friendly technology.  HE wasn't using a phone, it just rang MY phone.

At ULearn, one presenter talked about how this generation's brains ARE different. They can multi task (yes they can study with the music on, text and play video games), and therefore we need to adapt our methods to hook them in.  Layers need to be used to let them sift through the data and collaborate to ensure the learning is engaging and effective.  My son is a perfect example.  Phones are boring, but skype (chat, so he can multi task), text, voip, wave - different matter.  Did you notice that email was NOT on that list? It's too slow!  Anything that adds a bit of challenge and interest, and multiple points of entry and he'll use it.  So where's the twist in the approaches we are using to educate this generation?  Think about the courses or classes you run; what level of reliance on traditional resources do you have?  Are you expecting multi tasking or assuming that they are all like you?  We do tend to paint the world as we see it, how is that affecting the learning of those in your care?

The phone call? Oh, he was just going to pop up from Wellington with a mate in a helicopter and wanted to know which paddock was best to land in.  I think that phone call was worth the wait :)

who's in charge?

I was listening to a very proud grandmother last week who was sharing some gorgeous stories of the conversations her moko was having with her and her husband.  Nothing unusual perhaps, but this 3 year old 'doesn't talk'.  Her ECE teachers have shared concern, so these ramblings from her are significant.  But on this occasion, her imagination was running wild and she was talking happily.  The lights went on for me and I suggested that she create a blog for the granddaughter - let's call her Amy.  Amy cannot write obviously, but she can have her voice captured and shared.  What a powerful way to encourage her to keep on talking.  My friend can easily video or record her talking, produce a Voicethread and encourage all the relatives to comment.  Or she could just type what Amy is saying and post these snippets.  She can take photos of Amy playing and encourage her to talk about them digitally.  Amy was talking about the tigers that were in the trees near the house (dangerous place Napier), so she could be taken to a page of photos of tigers and select one to post with her stories.  Wow!!!

One of my reservations of blogs has been that they are 'owned' by the person who creates them.  While others can comment, in general, there is one driver.  For my friend, this is perfect.  It's their project creating a special bond between them, and what a powerful piece of evidence of prior learning to make available when she goes to school.  I'm excited, and can't wait to see how this one evolves.