Share your experiences teaching Gen Z. What are their characteristics? What are some of the challenges? What strategies could be used to manage these challenges?
What types of technology do you use in your teaching practices to engage your students? Share any resources, links or strategies you have found to be effective.
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I think the generations bring a new and exciting challenge. We need to understand and relate to these students as we can, as they need. We need to learn as much as we can and involve each student in their learning. We need to remember they are part of a generation but also individuals.
so true Tracey and we need to remember that the learning is theirs and not ours, We are providing the context, tasks and experiences, but it is for our students and not for our teaching experience. Our teaching practice is defined by the k=learning characteristics of our learners, not the other way around.
Yes I agree all very exciting times to be a learner now in this environment
This generation is far more adaptable to the use of technology, which was recently demonstrated to me when we moved from face-to-face classes to connected delivery via MS Teams. The challenge for me has been to balance the variety of generations in the classroom and cater to all their needs with the move to connected delivery. Overall it has been positive. Students have been interested and engaged with the new methods of teaching.
I agree Barb challenging but an opportunity and overall very positive.
I too agree Barb, the challenge is trying to adapt with the many generations in the one classroom. I have found that the younger students are very willing to help the older students with any tech challenges.
its great to embrace the learners mode of learning however I find that organizationally we don’t have the equipment or resources to do so
Our methods of assessment are outdated and also don’t suit these skill sets that this generation have
This is a tough one Jean. Hang in there and remember you can only do what you can do,with what you are given.
Jean, yes you are right. We as educators can do our bit but until organisation tools such as assessments catch up it still makes it tricky for the students.
In F2F classes they see their mobile phones as mandatory. On the positive side, with many of my students having English as a 2nd language, they use their phones to look up a translation or something they don’t understand. On the negative side, they are also constantly checking their phones – messages, FB, Instagram. This fear of missing something is a constant challenge in the classroom, trying to keep them focused. Now with COVID and online teaching it is harder to monitor, (so heavens knows what else they are doing during online classtime!) although they do seem quite happy to contribute on the chat line, just not to talk.
I often think are my very young students standing on their head? I wouldnt know. Overall though I find them engaged and participating.
In the COVID connected learning environment, I’m finding the Gen Z are engaging well. They will comment and interact far more than in a face to face situation. I have also noticed that they will help guide others in this connected forum. This is quite different in face to face where they will not offer as much assistance to others.
this comment is interesting as I teach health and find that this group of students have great computer skills but limited interpersonal skills essential for industry
Maybe their strengths need to be extended to real people
I find a lot of this generation have limited oral communication skills and do not like speaking on the telephone.
David, this is an interesting observation and definitely holds truth to what Michael has just been talking about.
Yes I have seen this a lot with our connected learning as well.
I deliver a lot of short live online courses using connected classroom technology where students are required to be visible and in attendance for a minimum of 6 hours. This is quite a challenge especially when the Gen Z students are wired to their mobile phones and are expected to focus on other forms of technology to successfully complete the course. They may also be in a classroom by themselves so I have adopted a method of ensuring I communicate with each student regularly and make a note of each time I have interacted with them. It is vitally important the students have a good understanding of the course content, are engaged, participating in discussion and ultimately not bored. Older students, on the other hand, tend to interact more effectively without the social media distraction. You can usually identify the students who are “tech savvy” as they tend to experiment with the technology resulting in some interesting scenarios sometimes.
With COVID-19 we are no longer able to teach face to face during the pandemic. I was nervous about going to connected learning methods. i.e. Microsoft Teams and how we would keep students engaged online. I find the conversation and interaction seems to be less in an online class, however, they will happily comment in the chat bar, or scan QR codes and complete Microsoft Forms, and also menti meter works well. I think we have to be constantly trying new things and be willing to adapt to working with the students in what formats they respond best too. I have been surprised with the satisfaction from our students and the quality of feedback and assessment work is just as good as if they were in a face to face classroom.
My experiences with the move to connected delivery is similar to yours Nardia.
I suppose COVID has forced n-many educators to upskill in their capability in delivering online learning, which is a good thing if we are to be responsive to learners changing the way of learning. As most of us use these modes of delivery differently we need to become more creative in how we manage our learning experiences during online learning. I believe this is a very exciting time for teachers as it is shaking up what we do and how we do it, fantastic!!
Attitude is certainly the first characteristic that comes to mind and after session one mentioning that I am part of this Gen-Y bracket I can see these shifts even in myself and the way I have learned or learning. Always leaving things till the last minute is another but the most interesting is they are able to do anything on a phone including emails but unable to do them on a laptop or desk top; also including emails.
Challenges are keeping them engaged and keeping them on a schedule (to get assessments in on time). Technology used to keep them engaged are drop-in sessions (teams) & read&write if poor literacy skills. We have self assessments, quizzes and puzzles on our online portal to also keep them engaged.
I find phones really useful for recording results of group activities such as observations of appearances of test samples etc – this is useful for reports on the investigations. Also group tasks recorded on the whiteboard etc. If they are recording what they see in the microscope their hands are much steadier than mine – younger or better fine motor skills?
I find some students unable to mix both interpersonal communication and gross motor skills i.e. in showering a client
perhaps being a Gen z is a disadvantage in the real world?
I agree with many on here. I have found that allowing students to use their phones as part of their learning helps in keeping them interested and engaged.
Also, encouraging the students to take a little control of which content they want to explore and which activities they would like to do, can make the classroom experience more enjoyable for all.
I agree with you, I use Microsoft Forms often and students can just scan the QR code, they seem to just jump in and do it, however, if you were to ask them to hand write answers, they would put off doing it.
Carol I totally agree. The mobile phone is the Gen Z note pad and pen !!
I agree with your comment Carol.
Having flexible students means I do not have the F2F problems with Gen Z, but they do want links on where they can find information and expect instant answers from the sites.
There is an assumption that Gen Z have great tech skills – I feel they have great Social Media skills – but need help creating a work document, or inserting a table!
It is sad they avoid taking risks – with risk comes reward
This may vary – some young people have no qualms in doing operations and not worrying whether it will do something bad, unlike people who are afraid of doing anything in case it mucked something up.
I tend to agree with Neryl here as I have come across the same characteristics. Students have been whizzes on their phones i.e. messages (they type so fast!) understanding how to engage others on FB, Instagram and even use email however short the sentence but once they are on a desk or laptop seem to struggle to put together a word doc or attach it to a email not to mention formatting.
I’m sure there are others that debate this but this is only my experience in my short time of online teaching.
I have noticed that Gen Z students are always easily distracted by the messages on the phones They are always connected on social media and feel like lost if they are asked to switch off their phones in class. I find their distraction becomes less if they are given some visual presentation and are using technology to learn.
I agree, rather than fight it, use it by getting students to find information or research something relevant that they can contribute to the class discussion.
My experience with generation Z is that they expect to be connected and able to access information at any time. My approach to is to use teaching methods that engage them through the use of technology.
Agree with this , Gen Z like technology for learning very much.
I agree with this too, we used to email out resources, however, have now created an online learning profile with very clear sections and all information is available when they want it. Very well received.
Mounir I encourage Gen Z to use their phones as part of the lessons and set tasks that use this technology. I often say the mobile phone is Gen Z note pad and pen!!
I find that the experience of teaching Gen Z is that they often come to a classroom with substantial prior knowledge of the subject being taught. Teaching trade skills to high school students that interest them, ensures that they are well researched via social media, facebook , ista and YouTube clips . The main challenge is demonstrating and gaining their acceptance that I am also an expert in my field and guiding them to resources that are indeed excellent in the social media realm.
Many short sharp activities, group discussions, whole class discussions work well.
As long as everyone has a smart phone or device I will utilise that for research activities. Quick PP with visuals and clips embedded work well to engage Gen Z.
I find Gen Z to be confident and tech savvy. The challenges for this group of learners is they have short attention span, they become bored quickly and skim through things.
Strategies I use to engage my learners is to be more specific and to the point, to be done in chunks and give regular breaks.
Resources used are light probe, desk computers, powerpoint presentation and email. With COVID-19 and remote delivery use of Microsoft teams meetings, smart phones, Microsoft forms and electronic documents.
I agree with the challenges Tamar outlined. To overcome these challenges I use multiple teaching/learning methods, use technology and get them to contribute to their own learning.
Agreed, these are good ways to get their attention in the class
Students are NOT all ‘tech savvy’. In fact, the whole myth of the ‘digital native’ overlooks the fact that kids simply use technology as a tool, as when they need it. This is different from being ‘tech savvy’ . What young people are is less worried about technology then older people, simply because they have grown up with it. They don’t worry about making mistakes.
However, they do push back when technology is imposed on them unexpectedly ( as in the recent lock up of the world), and the suspension of face to face classes.
So many assumptions are presented as fact; a more critical analysis would be welcome.
I agree with Jennifer- like so many others having to teach digitally due to COVID whilst delivering to high school students, I had a expectation that the majority of the students would breeze through the tech part. This was definitely not the case. As well as some students lacking the ability to engage online,I also experienced a degree of push back.
Some students dealt with the connected learning fine – others didn’t . It seems to be quite variable. Having access to good internet is paramount as well though.
Agree Jennifer, this is how I have found them to be! Not necessarily tech savvy but using technology only when needed, as a tool. I also find that they are afraid to push buttons, it is only a computer generally anything you do can be undone…
In 2020 i used ZOOM to communicate with the student for Home Learning.. Due to COVID 19 lock down.
For the lower grade disability students, I set up SEESAW which is a primary level of technology platform.
I teach YK and my students ask me to look up informations on subjects such as sharks and spiders on google. The use of books as information is almost redundant. Although I provide opportunities for them to undertake “hands on” learning, IT is unsurpassable – saves time finding specific information and engages students with video.
Hi, I use a lot of books, and take the student to the library each week. As a student to read a book to you, see how they remember a certain story part on specific pages.
Technology keeps changing. I still prefer to read a chapter from a book and ask the students to extend (imagination) how would they change the story or a paragraph.
Books are like technology in that they are also a tool for learning. Reading a book is actually more comfortable for many. Click and search is more about finding initial information. As well, if you are researching, you will print out the article so that you can 1. Keep it to remind you of its existence, 2. Make notes all over it. Much better than ipad and pen on many cognitive levels.
Younger students love to interact and be given responsibility to help out. They enjoy stories that show a little vulnerability on the part of the teacher and love to tell their own stories.
Yes i agree you must be an early childhood teacher or Kindie, The foundation of the literacy and imagination begins here. And exploring with creative art hands on activity is sensory engagement and exploring. That is one thing an I Pad is restricted at providing all the different feelings of material in one ART trolley. i do like technology… But, i still see the benefits in the original way of teaching, reading books, writing on paper, constructing messy art work and exploring ideas by experiments, take now the notes and reflect on the notes before writing review.
Younger students always have their phones in the classroom, they feel lost without them and we have to work out how to use the tool of their phone in an engaging and collaborative way – Kahoot is a great example of how to use technology as a weekly review of work form the previous week and its is also fun. My experience is that all students love Kahoot and we often have lots of laughs – which also assists relationship building
Totally agree! Kahoot is great 🙂
The majority of my students are older women who are wanting to get back into the workforce and are not tech savvy, during the recent changes whereby we had to continue lessons via connected delivery using Microsoft TEAMS and a virtual network to access Medical software presented many challenges, however their resilience and perseverance in using these new platforms has benefited them by teaching them to be adaptability.
Sounds like you did a great job with helping them through the transition to connected learning which can be particularly challenging for those of us who are older.
Yes, I find the older students to be more determined and resilient especially with the connected delivery as they are able to manage their time and priorities tasks.
I agree the older students are often more motivated, the younger ones can become bored and can give up too easily. With mixed ages in a class and having to teach online can certainly be an interesting challenge for teachers, but like the students, we are constantly having to learn and adapt!
My students are mostly aged NESB learners and therefore getting them to do activities online was a big challenge especially when we started online classes on TEAMS. But perseverance paid off and now 99% of my class are literally experts on TEAMS and they enjoy this mode of learning
I also found it a challenge to engage all students/families with Google classroom when adapting learning to online during lockdown.
Exactly! Many students resist the change – for many reasons. What is happening now is that technology ( which is fun to use and useful) is being imposed on those who do not want to use it.
This was a really interesting topic. I primarily teach Accounting students online and find for many of the mostly mature students providing good support early on & them gaining confidence in technology is a key to success in the course.
My experience with Gen Z on the other hand is primarily face to face in the classroom. I found quick sharp sessions on a topic with an allowance for interactive “chat” throughout the longer sessions helped. Earbuds did seem to aid concentration, and I have certainly observed anxiety induced in some students by not being able to constantly react to their mobile phones during class.
This discussion has really made me think about whether our boundaries in the class were actually in the best interests of Gen Z students!
As a vocational teacher, my students are a mixture of Gen X, Y and Z. In the 2nd term this year (2020) I had to switch to connected learning using MS Teams and I noticed that Gen Y are more comfortable with the change than previous generations.
I have classes with generational divides from ages 16-70+. The younger ones are great at helping the older ones with their IT skills and it is great to see them helping each other. The younger ones don’t often contribute as much in class discussions though but are constantly on their phones and will come to class without even a pen or pencil to write with as they take notes, pictures etc electronically. I am happy when I have IT problems, help is usually at hand within the class room!
Hi Trish, yes, I often feel the same way with having multi generational learner groups. I was struck recently though, as I make assumptions that younger learners have the technology skills to access drives, Moodles, virtual meeting rooms…. One learner, late teenager, certainly struggled with accessing these platforms and using the technology required to support their learning process. I have had to reflect on the assumptions I make about technology and the younger learner.
Absolutely. I use multiage groupings with the same positive results.
I also feel the same way having the generational divides in a classroom has many benefits, with the younger students being tech savvy and able to assist our older learners adapt to the technological changes.
I am always happy to acknowledge the expertise in the room when it comes to technology, and the younger cohorts always engage in this space with their phones and supporting other mature students, has some great outcomes for both groups
Occasionally a class will come along with attendees aged 18 -78. Gen Z folks tend to have the confidence to ask questions when many older members of the group would prefer to say nothing so as to not appear less smart. I never cease to be delighted at the impact this group has on other class members – emboldening them to find the courage to speak up and to have faith in themselves. The phone certainly plays a significant role for this group and I do encourage appropriate use in class to check uploads and demonstrate research.
I have had the opposite experience where the older students have had lots of input and life experiences to share and the younger ones seem to be hesitant to share. Maybe because we are learning about aged care, that may make the difference.
I agree that the younger learners and older learners can learn so much from each other. Its also good for them to share their experiences and show empathy and understanding to people in different generations.
What an interesting group to work with – such and age range and skill level.
Have had this cohorts of students in the past as well and I agree with your comments. Gen Z students are great at offering assistance with technology, on the other hand the older students seem to offer assistance with communication techniques. An interesting contrast and learning experience
I am the parent of 2 Gen Zs, however I am also not your typical Gen Y parent, perhaps because of teaching.
I have in my career met many parents who shield their children (my students) and turn to blame rather than realise the wrong their own child has been involved in. As such I am supportive of my own children’s teachers and first question my child as to what they may have done/not done. I do see that this has lead my children to own their mistakes, be honest and learn from the mistake.
I find Kahoot a great resource as it is fun and competitive, yet allows a certain amount of anonymity for students who prefer this but like to be involved.
When working in the field of Creative Arts it is wonderful to see the enjoyment of students when they take, edit and create digital works of art and or videos using digital programs.
I mostly have Generations older than Z but occasionally there will be a couple of them in class.They are definitely ‘the driving force’ in the class and often ask questions no one else would. I love it !
As for the technology, I am often overwhelmed by the amount of apps we can use today so I am trying to limit myself to a few at a time.ATM my favorite are Kahoot, Quizlet and Google Forms/Classroom.I love using mobile technology for gaming in class- it’s a great resource.
So true about the abundance of apps out there Marina!
Yes I feel the same way too Marina. Often, we have so many options when it comes to technology, I have to remind myself of the one constraint, time! These options to support the learning process need to be balanced with the time constraints that exist for our courses.
I feel the same way Marina, there seems to be so many options associated with technology. Students definitely like the use of the various apps.
The use of technological tools like Kahoot in particular engages younger students and they also in my experience assist the mature students to get access to the quiz if they are having difficulty, which has a nice flow on effect of building a collaborative, cohesive and respectful classroom.
The difficulty as an ESOL teacher is that older and less tech savvy students sit side by side with young Gen Ys. When using PCs the former tend to struggle with managing different passwords and simply navigating websites, while the Gen Ys complete tasks in no time. There is certainly a massive digital divide in certain learner groups. However, mobile phones seem to be working for the older generation who can use online dictionaries, but may be less confident with using the internet.
I found it interesting to hear about the benefits of technology to this generation of learners. I am often caught up in what I think is being lost. The implications such as fine motor skill development for surgeons is quite fascinating. It is good to consider the wider perspective so as to consider how we can best harness the skills of these learners while ensuring key interpersonal are maintained.
Very insightful information on our “plugged in” generation. I teach a range of ages with a varying degree of IT skills and adaptability – from no skills or interest at all in technology to totally reliant on and connected to “the phone”.
Makes for very interesting lesson preparation and delivery.
I find I am in the same situation Christine. I find,dependent on the situation beyond school, the skill of the students I teach ranges from no technological interest or capability through to highly capable and accomplished.
This whole concept of GenZ and multitasking still baffles me. I have recently completed training refugees that have been in our country for 4 years. They used their phones literally as a dictionary to find the meaning of any words I was using. However generally if I am training the same age group I don’t allow phones only in their breaks. This has been an interesting segment for me to listen to.
My experience with Gen Z in the classroom is that they are permanently switched on to their phone + social media. I try to incorporate this by using egagement tools like Kahoot & Mentimeter that they can access on their phone. Great recap for the start of a session or a way to determine understanding at the end and students love the competitiveness (+ the chocolate rewards). Some of my students like to setup FB groups to connect with others but this can be fraught with inclusivity and privacy issues and is something I don’t actively encourage.
I like to use Edmodo, which is a cross between Facebook and a moodle. It is free and easy to use, and encourages student interaction. I also like uploading additional materials, so students can practice their skills in their own time.
I agree Lisa, the Gen Z students that were engaged in online learning absolutely embraced the Kahoot & Mentimeter activities and they certainly enjoyed the instant collaboration aspects of their input being sought and valued.
Liza, yes this is a good strategy with keeping them engaged.
I teach in community services to a range of age groups and promote the value of learning from each other. I try to mix up the age groups in small group discussions and find that the Gen z people are as quick as whip with technology and latest trends, yet often lack the lived experience. This is where the older generation are beneficial. They each have tremendous amounts to offer each other and will build their experience in working with a variety of people.
Totally agree with your experience Renate – it is very inspiring to see the generations learning from each other.
being in the Higher Ed/VET space provides the challenge of having classes that can contain ‘old school’ learners with Gen z learners. i try to cater to all learning styles to be respectful of both. for Gen z i try to use technology as a platform of sharing information within them and for them to share information with me. in the classroom i have found success using programs such as zeetings and padlet
Michael, I too have a range of age groups in my class. I love the idea of zeetings and having students respond to questions electronically. It seems this is the way that they work. Great idea and thanks for sharing.
I have not used zeetings and padlets before. Will check these out.
Hey Michael thanks for the tip – I have not heard of zeetings. I too have a mix of generations in my classroom and find that within time they bounce information of one another. The Gen Zs love showing the Gen Xs (and me) the tech and it gives them a sense of achievement.
I have not used zeetings and padlets before. Will check these out.
Thanks for the tip,Michael. Have never heard of zeetings, will definitely check it out.
I will definitely check out these programs, thank you for sharing this.
I have used padlet but not zeetings, will check this out as well.
Interesting insights, certainly helps to understand why some students need to be listening to music while doing their theory learning activities. Interesting that they like noise, but not interruptions.
It’s so easy to put our own assumptions about the best way to learn on to students. As teachers we are always having to be open to individual differences and needs and ever evolving learners and learning environment.
I really struggle with the concept that my students are plugging away on their laptops whilst they are ‘meant’ to be listening to and watching me. But I am learning that they can multitask in this area. So, I will battle on and give them some credibility here- perhaps you are right!
This baffles me too Erica. I had a class situation where one was tapping on her laptop,
and actually other students asked her to stop, so they can listen. I loved that moment!
I’m amazed sometimes at their ability to “multi-task’ and not focus on one thing. I had a student that would sit in my class while I delivered my lesson and the whole time she tapped on the keyboard working on assignments. She was very clear about what she wanted to get done in the classroom as she had no time at home to study. To my surprise she somehow absorbed the content and always submitted well answered assignments. At least I knew it was her own work!!!
As teachers, we’re also permanent learners! Learning about each individual and their needs and learning rapidly and constantly about an ever-changing learning model.
I have realised that there is so much exciting stuff online that it’s often impossible for us,teachers, to compete so I have been using online videos to replace my explanation & then follow-up on that.I find it really handy , especially in an online delivery.
I have always had a problem getting students to not use their phones during class. After a lot of thought I have decided to empower them with activities that they can use their phones for as many dont have laptops or simply dont bring them to class…. the old adage ” if you cant beat them join them works well for me and my class. I also believe that as adult learners we need to trust that they will use them as they are being asked.
Yes, I agree. I find that they are surprised and love watching their faces as I say ‘OK everyone, get your phone out!’
yes karen i too have experienced this – with students using their phones for social media, messaging in class etc. i used a program called ‘zeetings’ whereby the powerpoints i presented displayed on their phones and then they used their phones to respond to questions. it was a good way to use their skills / interest in technology to focus upon the content being delivered
I absolutely agree, Karen. Now its the reverse, we need them to use the phones, or any gadget to get going with the lessons
I know we need to incorporate technology in our teaching for this generation but I find that sending them back to their phones for things like Mentimeter or similar, not a great approach. I teach practical skills and I find the students often work best and engage more with practical classes that use the knowledge they have just learned by a mix of reading activities, some powerpoints and Q&A tutorials. Get them out of their seats as they are always tired!
Delivery sandwiches seem to work… I tend to deliver a small chunk of content, link it to a practical task, or a demonstration then review (in discussion) content. Serve with a side of story-telling 🙂
I agree – I think this style works well and gets their brains engaged, and avoids the sleepy nods, especially after lunch.
Love this approach!!
This approach resonates with me too!
It great video understanding the young generations we are teaching skill based training, insightful.
Reflecting on delivering to a group of dis-engaged Year 10 kids, i found the best strategy was to keep delivery sessions short, and mixed in activities much more frequently. Mixing up the modes of delivery was important too – their attention spans weren’t great – eg. a bit of video, then a discussion rather than trying to watch the whole thing. Trying to keep them away from their phones was a constant and tiring activity…..they just could not leave them alone – and getting them to use them (eg. to research a simple thing) didn’t help – it was like i’d let the genie out of the bottle!!
I agree that this age group can be a challenge. Perhaps because using their phones at school was such a novelty.
It may take time but empower them to do the right thing with their phones and the novelty will wear off.
Hi, Fran, I have found the same sort of strategy works as I do find that their attention span is very short. To be honest I feel if they are on their phones how can they be listening !!
As a teacher of apprentices, I have noticed the importance of variety in delivery. Things like Powerpoint presentations can lead to ‘death by powerpoint’ if overused. This type of technology is better used as a learning tool to assist engagement and discussion rather than becoming the whole lesson plan.
Agreed Glen, they will not engage with that at all – you have to mix it up.
Hi Glen, totally agree that PowerPoint can be overused. It had its place definitely at some stage but fortunately, we have so many options now.
I have taught Gen Y outreach cohort of students before, ranging from extremely reliant on their phones, to not so reliant. The reliant ones were almost at exploding point of anxiety…… the fear of missing out if they were unable to check her phone.
(in a prac learning environment with paying patrons)
To get through this, we would offer them a choice, if too difficult not to look at their phones, please put in bags, some did, some didn’t. We would say if we had to warn them, as we have found them on their phones, then they would get two warnings. On the third warning their phones would have to be placed in the plastic tub on the fridge.
They could get them back at break time. But back in the tub when back from their lunch break.
Most were happy to abide by these rules for the day.
I’d like to try this – I would think that it would need to be a rule they set themselves to have any hope of succeeding? Also, I wish there were still watches and calculators as many students ‘need’ their phones for those tasks 🙁
My students are mostly mature aged CALD learners, therefore IT skills are introduced into the course. Some are faster learners than others but most are adept at using learning apps and social media as their learning tool.
I have experienced a few groups like this Jane and find the more tech-savvy members of the group are generally happy to assist others. It feels to me like a win-win, particularly for those who prefer not to disclose their lack of IT experience with the teacher.
I’m a huge fan of gamification (Kahoot and Mentimeter are two of my most commonly used tools) to help in engaging my students and in letting the students drive some of their learning. I’m finding that particularly in this new age of connected learning that providing students with choices and being able to be flexible in both how and how topics delivered is helping providing benefits to the students and me as the teacher.
Love Kahoot! Even grown-ups get excited (and learn something!)
i find in a classroom mentimeter / kahoot quizzes with a bit of friendly competition and a chocolate to the winner encourages lots of engagement across all ages groups in my Higher ed classrooms
Being a Baby Boomer and a mother of Gen Y children, this was a very insightful video for me. Delivering online now, digital tools such as Slack may be quite productive.
I like the energy that this generation have and enjoy teaching them. Challenges include getting the learners to focus on long text readings, retaining their interest and attention and their desire to multi-task e.g. fiddle, check their phone etc.
Strategies including using technology tools, breaking up readings into different groups and adopting a jigsaw approach where each group tackles a different part of the reading. They can then go online and present their answers through software such as MS teams or even learn how to use Sway from 0365 suite and present using Sway.
Link to how to use Sway:
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/sign-in-to-sway-b60d6dc4-d2bc-4740-ab1d-e2c4071dca03
Hi Margaret
Thank your for your suggestion on using Sway. At first glance it looks like a great tool that we could use in class to get students to present and share information to the class.
Hi Margaret
I’m really enjoying the extra interaction with my students and the personal touches, they are going though this new experience with us and I have found most of the students are really supportive in helping me though the process (reminding me to turn on and off the microphone and helping to answer other students questions in the chat pods)
Great suggestion.
I agree that this gen can be a real challenge. I love the fact that your aware of using different methods as children are different learners and will respond accordingly.
Hi Margaret,
I too love the energy the Gen z students bring to the class. I also love that they ask lots of questions to gain an understanding. It means I need to be on my game with what I deliver.
Your strategy for breaking up into smaller groups and tackling sections of reading is one I use too and find very effective.
Most of my classes are gen Z, and I allow them to use ear buds when doing computer work
I have noticed not all use them however the ones that do seem to be more efficient at getting the job done. This has been explained in the clip. One down fall with this cohort is mobile phones, they seem to distract them totally. Now with the covid 19 changes Gen Y & Z will have all the tech they need.
very good suggestion – also ear buds seem to help some students to focus better. I also give my learners this option and most use ear buds
Back when we had in class time I would start off my first session telling my students how addicted I am to the mobile phone activity and strategies that I use to try and make it easier to ignore my phone (including turning off the volume etc)
Totally agree Stephen, I had a student in my theory class, maybe 6 years ago. I actually found him focus more on the task with ear buds in than not.
I also said he could have them in, if he got his work done. And he was probably the fastest at completing the task set
When I started teaching (27 years ago….) I found students using headphones really confronting, and rude…..now, i just think “if it works for you, so be it – just don’t distract others”….times change!!
Agreed. The earbuds seem to help them stay in their own bubble and get the work done.
Because I, myself, am a Gen Z student and teacher, I have found that understanding the way these students learn and engage with education much simpler. For myself and for my students, listening to music while completing homework is a functional way to block out interruptions and disruptions to impede our learning, such as text messages, the phone ringing and our parents summoning us to do chores. However, from the perspective of teachers and students who grew up as part of Gens X and Y, or as Baby Boomers, the things we see as benefits to our learning are viewed as barriers.
Challenges that do exist for Gen Z, however, include the constant immersion in technology and multimedia. As the speaker says, because we are constantly plugged in, it mans that a digital detox is daunting and almost upsetting. I know that being plugged in at all times, even when at home, is useful for both me and my higher-achieving students who enjoy constant feedback and teacher availability, but not quite as useful for older teachers who need to disconnection at the end of each day. Some useful strategies I have found that work well include ensuring students are aware of your windows for being active and offering assistance – this lays out ground rules and helps students to recognise the effort we are putting into our teaching, particularly during this remote learning period. Team teaching, resource distribution and the breaking up of resource development has also been a useful strategy that allows for the challenge of increased workloads and technological immersion to be overcome.
What types of technology do you use in your teaching practices to engage your students? Share any resources, links or strategies you have found to be effective.
I find that Google Classroom, Adobe Connect and YouTube have become integral facets of my teaching in today’s day and age. However, in the search for resources, Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is a great website for the distribution of resources, Airdrop and Dropbox are great portals for the submission of work and assessments, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+. ABC iView, etc. are also incredibly beneficial.
Thank you for your very interesting and informative and well thought out post. As a baby boomer it can be challenging for me teaching this cohort although I try to be adaptable and am very flexible so I don’t find the strategies you outline in your first paragraph are a barrier. It also helps that I had my kids late so I have first hand knowledge of dealing with this generation at home.
I also think it is important to have boundaries as otherwise the work becomes too overwhelming and research has proven that if we can have detox days then we are actually more effective on the other days. I therefore try to not switch on my laptop one day each week and minimise my phone usage on that day. It seems to free me up to think more creatively and undertake more deep learning from reviewing physical texts, taking notes etc.