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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In my experience I find that my students are all very different. Yes they do have limitless information at their disposal and have grown up in a diverse world, however some also will not adapt to doing assessment’s on line and taking classes on a digital platform. Some still prefer prefer paper based assessments.
So for me its about getting to know them all and adapting very quickly.
I agree with you Poppy Conroy, my students are the same. They are not Gen Z, they are adult mature migrants. They prefer paper based resources. They like to watch yuotube videos, though.
So true.
We have to be able to adapt to different student needs for example not all students have access to technology due to economic factors .
I find it goes both ways – I have very tech savvy students then I had a group of school based students that genuinely didn’t know what MS Word was and only wanted to do their assignments from their mobile phones (no laptops!) I struggled to comprehend that.
Yes, Jo. We should always take students’ digital literacy into account.
I do feel that some students have been left with technology on their own for quite some time and they are not able to communicate in the way we were taught from a young age.
They don’t seem to have any limitations with screen time and the challenge is to get them off it for your teaching session without restricting them.
Showing that I care to hear their opinion, that I want to spent ‘time’ with them, seems to be quite a new experience for many.
It is about connection before correction.
This is a great point! Particularly with all the social media trends e.g. Tik Tok (IUs that how you spell it??)
I too am a TAFE teacher and found that Covid-19 threw us into online learning at a fast pace. My favourite experience of all is when I am having trouble with technology. My students are very willing to show me short-cuts and easy access options. I now ask my students to assist me from the beginning. They will add extra info in the chat and we add this into our learning program. I love that they are interacting and they feel that they are assisting an “old-school” teacher with technology 🙂
Absolutely. Being online and not knowing how to get the sound sorted for my video…the students helped and when I showed my appreciation, they knew they could step in anytime and I would be grateful. We couldn’t learn fast enough during Covid and it is an extra skill we now have under our belt 🙂 Involving students and admitting that they are more tech savy, but we are catching up and it then connects us.
I hear you.
On a Friday I was in a room . On the weekend cramming on how to use Teams and on Monday delivering via Teams
I learnt so much from my students who were in many cases more comfortable with the technology and were more than willing to help where needed.
In the end we all gained from the experience and I benefited in finding new ways to deliver using technology.
It also helped me to anticipate the problems for those who weren’t so comfortable with technology driven learning
What a great experience, Kylie. I think in some way students felt they were respected and trusted by you. They could definitely get a good sense of achievement during this process, which can boost their engagement to a large extent.
The Gen Z’s ability to multitask makes it really hard to read how engaged they are, they seem to look distracted or dis interested while still ‘concentrating’ (or so they say)
I had one Gen z watching a TV series on her phone in class and airpods in, i told her to put it away so she said “Okay, ill just listen to it” and seemed to think that was acceptable.
or, another time
took a phone call in class, when i told her not to she responded with “but miss, its just my nan”
Sometimes i am so shocked that i dont quite know how to respond LOL
I completely agree; I have one student who wears one ear phone because he can’t work in complete silence. I was concerned but his results show a positive outcome, so I have taken that onboard.
Yes, some students can not switch off from technology and feel it is okay to sit and look at their phones while in class or to accept phone calls while someone is talking.
Class rules are needed at the beginning and though they might be able to work while listening to music, they are not fully engaged when looking at screens when we go through power points etc.
Nicely but politely I acknowledge that every teacher is different, but that I have certain expectations as I want to see their faces, hear their thoughts and opinions and I want them to be part of the group activities.
Teaching online i found very challenging as i felt i couldn’t gauge their level of interest and understanding. I developed a lot of group work to help as well as Kahoots to engage the students on a more personal level with questions related to their interests as well as points i want to drive home from my teachings.
yes absolutely, i find it hard at times to gauge their level on interest when face to face, let alone online :O
I do this as well but i struggle when it relates to some of the class but not others! Its a hard balance!
Working in Tafe during Covid has indeed been challenging…mainly for the teachers though. I found I needed to upskill quite a lot to be able to meet the student’s needs. An interesting side effect of using online delivery was that those students who normally don’t comment in face to face delivery were more vocal using the chat function. There is a level of security or safety using this medium.
Yes; if you ask for mic comments, there is silence but they are happy to type away on the chat. I have always found it easier to just talk, but they interact so much more through the chat and include very inciteful information.
I’m in the TAFE system and have mostly Gen Z students. With the recent COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, converting students to an on-line learning environment has been relatively ‘easy’, and it would often be the teachers who needed the additional technology training. Introducing on-line activities such as Kahoots and collaborative Google doc exercises into the virtual classroom have been a great way to keep the student engaged and students appeared to adapt easily and enjoy the technology experience. It is clearly something they are familiar and comfortable with.
Tina, I am in Tafe as well and like you have found using different applications on line has actually improved engagement.
Hi Tina, i too found Kahoots a great way to engage with the students and help with revision!
I agree, the gen z’s students adapted the best of all gens to online learning.
Some characteristics of the Gen Z students I have taught include; they are obsessive about their phones, react quite negatively about writing things down (off the board), need support to organise paperwork, don’t necessarily like reading or researching & would rather you…..’give them the answer’.
I encourage the students to use their phones for educational purposes only, give them some hints & tips about organising their learning materials, reading text books & researching a topic areas & sometimes, we do the research together in the classroom – that way I can monitor them doing it & support & guide where necessary.
I agree Leanne, almost like they are physically attached to their phones! I have stopped asking for them to put their phones away and have instead asked them to use them at times for class work.
I too accept that phones are part of the learning environment. I encourage that they be used to research. Being a parent means I am always contactable. I am always plugged in and accept that students too, feel more secure when they are plugged in.
As Charles Darwin discusses, being willing to adapt is critical if we want to survive. Teaching is a profession I love, it does requires me to learn, unlearn and learn again every term.
Depending on the definition used, I am considered to be a part of this generation. In my own schooling I saw teachers experiment with the use of a broad range of technologies in their teaching. I aim to follow this practise in my own teaching, aiming to prepare the children I teach for the 21st century world they live in. Like it or not, technology is a huge part of that world.
Generally speaking, I find students to have gaps in the fundamental skills that made up so much of my own technology learning- typing, copy, paste, passwords, etc.
However their research capabilities, their ability to source and evaluate the integrity of digital resources, and their multitasking capabilities, far exceed my own skills at their age. It is important to recognise that even digital natives have gaps in their skills, explicit modelling and practise, and mixing up my use of tablets, laptops, desktops, to encourage a more broad application of ICT capabilities.
I have found great success in the use of programs such as MathSpace, Stile and Literacy Pro, these are engaging, while also offering a range of educator functions to assist in classroom organisation, data collection, etc.
I agree, technology is to be embraced. Enjoyed your post.
I try to endeavour to use more practical hands on activities as this is what students crave and then support this with theory that is given via a variety of ways and concentrete it usually a variety of technological methods and old school discussion.
Yes that exactly what Im finding works best with the learner of today
100% agree with you. I can usually see the students disconnect as I start to ‘chalk and talk’ the necessary theory. But adding the hands-on practical activities wakes them up again.
Yes so important the practical side, really helps having theory and then a large chunk of the class dedicated to the practical skill side. Keeps them engaged!
I was discussing with a colleague recently the need to change the way we deliver in theory class – less whiteboard/talking from trainer to more activities and use of online platforms. We have started to use quizzes and make the classes shorter with more practical activities.
My students absolutely love Kahoots, they also work as a great brain break for my class.
Yes, I hope to do this more…..I just need to practice it myself first!!
We too have made a conscious effort to go down this path and have noticed a change in overall student engagement and results. Good luck with it.
Keeping the lectures short, lots of activities as long as they pa attention and complete work to the required standards I am happy for the students to listen to music outside lectures.
Exactly, they only want to be in class for exactly what they need to be and no moreso the challenge is making all learning as essential and interesting as possible using a variety of appealing learning techniques. So much different to how I was taught.
I like to integrate technology in my lessons to enrich the learning experience and make learning fun for my students. I use smartboards, online quizzes, interactive activities and Kahoot games. The students work really hard to learn the material because they want to win the interactive games.
I think that is great. Motivated and happy learners, the best way to learn!
My biggest challenge so far adapting to younger generations has been to restructure classes into shorter bite-size chunks with more fluidity. More frequent break times, even if short seems to be working well.
Yes, I have found the same thing. I need to remember, what it feels like to be in the classroom…..listening, listening, listening…..it gets boring & you get tired very quickly. Bite-size chucks with flexibility is my goal for 2022!
Dealing with phones can be very challenging, I chat with the student and work out an agreement together. We havea “no phone” during lectures and I play music during practical and usually allow the students to choose as long as it not too loud. Students can also check their phone during day. It interesting when you give student permission, they will ask if they can check their phone and over time it minimises. Gen Y don’t like sitting for long periods of time so I keep power points and notes short and if need be schedule throughout the day. I incorporate Kahoot and mentimeter to keep students focused.
I appreciate your adaptions Karen. I also find mobile phones challenging, and have learnt over time with more engaging use of visual stimulus during class, their addiction to their own phones have decreased.
Karen Richmond, I like the way you have tried to work with this generation. I give a break during the session and most of them get on their phones ( most of them are mums)
Most students in our cohort tend to be Gen Y rather than Gen Z (VET) .. when we get the Gen Z they generally sit up the back of the class so they can use their phones without too much disruption – I tell the students that if they listen to the ”lecture” part of the class, they can put their ear phones in and listen to music as long as they are working through the exercises. Most students are more than happy to do this – the older students tend not to, but some take the opportunity. We do try to use the mobiles for quizzes, though many Gen Y do not like to use their phones in class.
I use the same strategies in class and I find it very effective. It give the students a bit of ownership of their learning.
Many of the Gen Z students I teach love listening to background music. They often hide wireless earphones behind mullets which makes it difficult to notice. They literally cannot stay off their phones. Every notification must be attended to with urgency. I find these traits very challenging. While it may be true they like learning while multitasking and having noise in the background, I have found many struggle. They miss basic concepts because of distraction and limited attention spans. They struggle to see the importance of remembering something if they can just google it.
I find video’s and Kahoots are welcomed. I like using activities where they use their phones to find information and specifications and how one needs to be careful where they source information. It helps them appreciate not everything on the web is accurate.
When I taught TVET students we would reach an agreement where the students could listen to music while they worked through their exercises, but not during any ”lectures”. I remember when we were doing a computer class and as a teacher we could see what students had on their screens – and the students were aware. some students were playing cards against each other, and another was bidding on something on ebay. They knew I could disconnect their screens. I warned them as they weren’t doing their work I would disconnect their screens. I disconnected the ebay bidder just before the end of the bid .. they were cranky but would always ensure they did their work (as well as have a play) before they spent time online.
My main challenge with Gen Z is getting them to use their mobile phones in a useful way, rather than distracting way. A huge challenge.
I fully agree Nicola. You let them loose to use their phones for a specific task only to find them surfing Facebook buy/swap and sell or watching something random on TikTok. Phones are the highway to their soul the challenge is finding the right vehicle!
I agree Nicola, I allow my apprentices to have their phones in the kitchen to take photos and research, but often they are checking socials. Hard to keep under control, however most do the right thing.
My limited experience shows me they approach computer based activities like a game. They go full speed to get to the end but show little interest in learning anything thoroughly which gets poor results with complex software like geographic information systems.
So true, learning needs to be designed to ensure comprehension is achieved, rather than just ways to reach the end…
I concur. It is a real challenge to make learning stick. I feel the availability of quick access to information via internet search engines is one reason. Another is seemingly having no comprehension of what plagiarism is about 🙂
It is certainly easier dealing with students who are open for technology when delivery and online learning is involved.
Agree, they are very quick to pick things up and adapt.
Absolutely. They are far more savvy finding their way around online learning portals without hardly any assistance in comparison to more mature age learners.
So very true Raquel, at this time of COVID lockdown and learning has switched to online delivery. All of my apprentices have adapted well to the change….I’m the one finding it a challenge!
Particularly in the current climate when our transitions from face to face to digital delivery have needed to occur so quickly.
In 2020 I had a group ranging all the generations. The bby boomer was keen to practise his skill, Gen X were comfortable with the tech, and gen Y & Z really had to be stimulated from a new angle regularly to maintain their attention.
Just when I thought I had the style down, I had to adjust to suit another gen!
Great to have diversity though!
We have to keep learning and stay up to date to suit students in these fast changing times.
When I was asked to switch my face to face class to MS Teams or Adobe connect it was a shock to most of my students as they were in that age group that felt unsure of using a new platform. I reassured them it would be ok and we will all learn together. To my surprise, most of them researched google to read up on MS Teams. In every class, they mentioned that they prefer being on campus connecting with friends and collaborating in a class atmosphere rather than on MS Teams. A few of the students did not feel comfortable being on MS Teams and dropped the course.
The one positive thing that came out for this was the other student’s support was amazing. I
took into account their different learning styles and changed the learning into making it more fun, adding MS forms, videos, and Kahoots. This change worked well as all the students were more engaged.
As someone else mentioned, I also found it interesting during COVID last year when we had to switch our delivery to online via MS Teams. Although most of the students coped with it, young and old alike, they mostly seemed to prefer the face to face classes. The one positive that I saw was some of the quieter students more willing to participate in the chat pod. I have used Kahoots and MS forms in the classroom successfully to create a blend of these environments and will look for more opportunities to engage learners in the mediums they are most comfortable with.
Agree, my learners were very keen to get back to face to face classes. Including my own children, the novelty of remote learning wore off very quickly – they missed the face to face contact.
Agreed. Even students whose primary delivery method is online prefer face to face over online classes.
Totally agree. They definitely enjoyed moving and interacting face to face, as long as they have their phone. Student loved chat pods but didn’t like showing their face.
My students and my teenage children also prefer the face-to-face classes as compared to the online/connected delivery. I guess, even though the students have integrated technology in their lives, they still need the physical interaction to full-fill their learning needs and their mental well-being.
Something that I learned from teaching online in 2020 due to Covid 19 was that most of my students (young adults, both domestic & international students), like technology but really value the face-to-face teaching as well. Some of them really struggled with the technology and didn’t like the assumption that Gen Z and Gen Y are all tech savvy. They struggled and many were embarassed to ask for or accept help.
When we returned to face-to-face teaching I found that some “hybrid” techniques worked well. For example I might run an in-class activity by providing a link to a Google doc or an MS Forms survey and students were able to participate anonymously while sitting in the classroom. This worked around the “fear of failure” (covered in Session 1) which can be a cultural issue and learned behaviour from their overseas schooling experiences. It does rely on students doing the right thing, but I found that the students stopped the ones who were being silly even though I didn’t know who it was. I found they preferred it to coming up to write on the whiteboard because it was anonymous.
I also find that when I’m teaching social media and message my students through Facebook I get a must faster response than through emails. I know that in Hospitality extra shifts are offered via text messages so that it is a fairer system with everyone receiving the offer simultaneously.
Hi Erica, I had similar experiences to you. I often use email, but will shift some of my notifications to sms and maybe even a Facebook or WhatsApp group, much faster uptake of info.
Hi Julie and Erica
I set up a WhatsApp class for all my students to go into. Worked great!!! The students tend to use this app more than others. If they were sick, they sent a message through WhatsApp or any other information
I had a class in ’20 that had a whatsapp group already setup. It was a great way to get info to students who missed a lesson, as well as get reminders out the the group.
The students really did look out for each other and share info quickly.
As an adult ed language teacher I don’t see many students in the Generation Z category.
The few that have attended class are usually very good with technology and are happy to help their classmates. They can get bored especially if they finish work quickly. I then usually have extension work for them or I ask them to help a classmate.
We use a SMART board and desktop computers as well as students’ personal mobile phones. I have used Kahoot as a warmer and for revision.
I have found WhatsApp and MS Teams to be effective for connected learning. Gen Z learners are more likely to be able to use both.
Hi Kim, it’s great that you have such an engaging classroom. I will have to employ these technologies more often.
Hi Kim, What a great idea for providing those students that finish early extension work.
I used the SMARTboard with my TVET students while the students used their personal mobile phones. It worked very well with that class. They love their Technology
A great way to reach students of Gen Z is via the use of tehir mobile phones. Because they are wired all the time to their phones, to use apps like Kahoot, I find that they become instantly more engaged. Communicating important information like enrolment confirmation and assessment work due and online meeting times, I find responses are much better when sms is used rather than email.
Yes I too have found that responses from my adult ESL Learners are better via WhatsApp messaging rather than emails.
I have found the same with Facebook Messenger but only when I’m teaching social media and therefore can contact them that way. Texting works but only if it’s appropriate to contact them that way.
Unique Characteristics about Gen Z is about technology and being connected on line.
I find it challenging when their phones are a distraction in a class lesson environment which can be distracting to me a as a teacher.
Strategies i have used is asking them how we can create a win win solution so it’s fair to both myself and them which seems to work.
I like to use SWAY for presentations and photos of their work and send links to students which they find helpful and easy to access on their phones. Students who require more one on one support I like to use PADLET which i create as an individual profile on there very own page which we can communicate through.
Caterina, getting students to publish their work for their peers to see is a great way of getting them invested in the content of the lesson.
Marie I agree. I have used Padlet where the whole class can publish their work, leave ideas or build texts as a class. It can be anonymous, this can motivate less confident learners to become more involved.
Great tips. I keep meaning to start making Sways for learning resources, but getting students to submit in that format opens lots of interesting possibilities.
Another thing I find is that they often lack the concentration is on 1 task for too long whether it is a practical skill or on technology. And when on technology if they don’t find what they are after ASAP there is frustration setting in too quickly and it is someone else fault they can’ t find what they are after.
Carol, I agree with you as I have found the same issue.
I have had to now design my class programs where there is more practical activities to break up the theory component to keep them engaged.
I find that the students are very excited to take part in the interactive games or learning activities such as Kahoot games. If you can spend some time in making Kahoots that are aligned to your learning units, it could be a great way to attract their attention and support their learning.
We need to encourage students to use a range of technology and resources that support their learning. Sometimes i notice that students get hooked on a particular piece of technology or program that is not adaptable, they then get stuck… and need to be encouraged to try new resources.
Cassie, I agree however I need to update myself with the technology so I can keep up with this generation.
A characteristic I regularly find when teaching Gen Z students is that they have access to multiple alternative sources of information on the subject that we are learning about.
My key challenge is to point out to them to ensure the credibility of the source as otherwise they may get misguided.
The strategy I use is to constantly ask them to access credible sources only. (For example if they are studying about the economy of Australia the Reserve Bank of Australia website will be a credible source, however most times they will access a non-credible source by web browsing).
Not everything on the internet is a reliable source. Your suggestion to help them to weed out unreliable sources of information when conducting research is an important life and academic skill to impart to students.
That’s a very good point Dylan. I have seen learners refer to law from another country when asked about Australian Law.
I have this issue too because US websites are more likely to pop in Google. I find I have to teach my young adult students how to effectively use Google through “key words”. This means getting them to think about the information they need and working backwards from there, adding “Australia” or “NSW” depending on what they’re looking for. My skills in this have improved through learning about search engine optimisation for websites from teaching Marketing!
I enjoy teaching gen Z since i need to continuously dance on my toes, it keeps me “alive”. They do tend as Chris was saying rely a lot on technology, but if you use that reliance to your advantage and provide students with a lot of engaging platforms you do get a high level of student participation.
Thats a great idea Ijiljana – to provide students with the details of engaging platforms.
Technology is an advantage we have as teachers that supports participation
One of the main challenges I have noticed with teaching generation Z is their tendency to be dependent on technology. As a teacher who has taught in schools, universities and now in vocational institutions, students ability levels in writing, spelling and using correct grammatical rules has diminished greatly. They are also overly reliant on google. That said, using some of this technology within classes to reach students who, in the past have been unable to participate (think students with disabilities and learning difficulties) has been great, so technology has been a bit of a double edged sword.
I agree they do tend to be dependent on technology more and they are losing the writing levels, they’re losing the ability to communicate and hold proper conversations that aren’t through text messages.
True….and these skills are often essential for employability
I too agree Chris with Colleen and Cassie, they need to be able to keep the practical hand writing skills whilst navigating technology.
Share your experiences teaching Gen Z.
Gen Z want to learn when they see the purpose and fun way to work together to produce an item that they can share with the rest of the group. They are eager to use technology in this process.
What are their unique characteristics?
Most Gen Z students find writing for periods of time tiresome to the point of aguish. They are energetic groupwork/team players unaware of the noise they make. They want to publish and perform what they’ve created/researched/typed.
What are some of the challenges?
Encouraging students to proof read their projects and improve it. They need classes in meditation to calm their minds. Interruptions during class sessions can really set off some students and you have to take time to bring them back to concentrating on one task. They need to learn positive self talk as boredom and fear of failure can be monumental for some students.
What strategies could be used to manage these?
Keep the calm – Daily/Weekly routines; the structure of the day set out on the whiteboard; Time for meditation;
Resilience training – short videos and specific language applied to every day challenges to encourage resilience.
A balance between writing and typing as NAPLAN is a written test.
What types of technology do you use in your teaching practices to engage your students?
As a casual teacher I use the technologies used in the school eg: robotics, apps on iPads; I encourage students to teach each other as they are tech savvy.
Share any resources, links or strategies you have found to be effective. I’m eager to learn what others use.
Yes I agree. Proof reading may be a little old fashioned but is certainly a good way of improving the quality of any written response required of them,, especially in thier assessment tasks.
Sizable number of VET students where I teach comes from Gen Z. The most noticeable characteristic of this cohort in my opinion is the lack of communication and participation. They are generally quiet and don’t tell if they are having any difficulty. I encourage them to let their teachers know if they need any help. The message does not seem to be getting through as we lose several students halfway through the semester. When we try to contact them via email, normally we don’t hear back. One possible explanation is that they might have enrolled in a “wrong” course.
As far as use of electronic gadgets is concerned, I don’t ask them to switch their phones off. Instead, I ask them to put their phones on silent and take the call by going outside the classroom. This seems to work fine. There is always a chance that they will be checking their social apps while studying. Short breaks during long sessions are found to be helpful as they get the opportunity to play with their phone uninterrupted when on break.
Like any student group, engagement is the key with generation Z. It is important to read the signs of engagement. Gen Z may not say much but they could be engaging in their own way and teachers should not be discouraged when they do not get responded to according to their own expectations.
Hi Amir, I totally get that, have experienced this with some of my cohorts as well. EALD is a big challenge in the VET sector as is lack of knowledge and understanding around communication via email and phone.
Amir I totally agree they do lack how to communicate unless it is through a device. They don’t seem to like to reach out for help or follow up if they do read emails.
Technology is a great boon for education, the immediacy of information at your fingertips. However, conceptual learning and retention may be a problem. I used to think it didn’t matter if you could not recall information, because all you had to do is search again, and there it is again–and it may be an updated version.
Sheila, I agree, there are some professions that you definitely would want the person to know how to do it, without having to go and look it up again (i.e. surgeon), but in many professions because of technology there is no longer the inherent need to know everything off by-heart, which as you suggest does provide its own problems, both in teachers and in students.
Absolutely, recall is vital in some situations where the technology to research is not at hand or not permitted or the information is required as part of a problem-solving exercise.
I do find it hard to teach when students are looking on their phone. If you ask them to put them away its like you are punishing them or even physically hurting them. Its interesting hearing the statistics on this, they really have been raised to be addicted to these devices so we can’t expect any other behaviour.
As a matter of courtesy, I ask my students to put their mobile devices away. If they need to answer a call, then they asked to quietly leave the room. This is obviously much easier with adult learners.
I think that teaching Gen Z has its positives and negatives. Personally I have an 8yr old son who has Autism and technology has been amazing Ibn helloing him to engage and collaborate with peers. Something that he really has a hard time doing. I feel that as teachers and educators we need to adapt our teaching to meet the students needs and learning abilities;ities, no matter which generation they stem from
Sophie, I’ve worked with a range of children with varying degrees of autism. I found most of these children preferred quiet, calm learning environments and could not cope with noise. This seems very different to the general Gen Z group. All the children liked using technology and being able to type and use spell check and/or voice to type has been a game changer for their writing and project work.
As I teach in a trade class to engage students I give a research activity where they have to use YouTube to find a style they connect with then they have to create the style in class and then have a class discussion on the technique used.
Connecting research activity with Youtube sounds good idea. If they produce the work, it is a good stratey.
Gen Z do see short text like language as the norm. The challenge is to keep them focused and retaining their interest throughout a session. I find variety and mixed modes of delivery the key. There are a wealth of resources around on youtube, TED Talks and games, crosswords, multiple choice on moodle.
Thanks for the tips, Joy. I have to agree that variety and mised modes of delivery is key. I also find if I give them choices, then they are show far more commitment and energetic in the learning process.
Hi Joy, I agree with you, variety and mixed modes of delivery is a great way to keep students engaged especially in gen Z.
Sounds like he was just talking about my kids! I try to interact with my kids through Snap-chat etc but they generally just block me lol. My students however don’t (well most don’t). I set up groups on Whats App or Facebook in my ESL classrooms and i find its the younger students that contribute the most this way whereas in class they are often the quiet ones.
Some TAFE teachers were successfully using Facebook and WhatsApp to keep their students focussed and engaged. Students used to post questions and their fellow students would comment and provide answers. I think current TAFE policies don’t allow teachers to use such apps.
Most of my students are very engaged with technology because they are migrants and refugees who are in contact with family overseas, they love music and enjoy having it on in the background during class and they like a lot of action in the classroom. They come from cultures that have a lot of music and dancing.
Some of the challenges for me are using technology in meaningful ways (I am teaching English) and finding/creating technology resources that are interesting but adjusted for their level of English skills.
Strategies to use could be noticing what and how they use technology and integrating this style of use into the class e.g. sending a classroom text message as an activity, having resources, videos, fun things in English on an online platform so they can interact with it. using their phones to research topics.
i use powerpoint, you tube, phones, google translate.
I agree Keryn you have to keep it fun but as you say it is always about finding materials at a suitable level for their language development that will engage them.
I think its a fantastic way to engage your learners and make them feel comfortable, also a universal language 🙂
I find with teaching generation Z you need to keep it new and exciting. I often will have one outcome I want them to achieve and practice that skill or idea through various ways. I often will have 3-5 different tasks that achieve one outcome. Generation Z like to learn through practical means and pen to paper just doesn’t really engage them. This generation needs to feel engaged and as soon as they are not they want to focus on something else. Being flexible and keeping things new and exciting helps them to focus more.
Hi Jessica i tend to do the same thing – one outcome and attach it through a range of activities and because they are learning English – repetition.
it is great to give them practical work to do and work on together and keep the class lively so they feel it is an interesting class…they are quickly bored!!
I agree Jessica this also create a great atmosphere in the classroom.
I agree Jessica,
If you intend to sue technology in lessons it helps them feel engaged with the content. they also seem to like activities and games and this helps to cement the learning so I feel like its a good option to include in lessons.
I agree Jessica, these are the words fun and exciting for gen Z to keep them engaged. I find very inspiring to teach gen Z since I need to be flexible and think on the spot sometimes:).
The previous video made me rethink my expectations of how students “should” engage in a classroom. Even when I look at my own habits, I find I am getting better with multi tasking and interruptions, noise levels etc so I can see why my students can focus on more than one task or noise at a time.
Kudos to anyone that can multitask with interruptions and noise. The older i get the worse i am becoming at it lol
I also have to rethink my expectations and have understanding that this is how this generation learns as I prefer no noise or distraction to learn they are great multi skilled.
I agree Amanda, we must remember out target audiences are not always going to learn in a way that we think they should
That’s so true, we always talk about writing and communicating to your audience. we need to know what engages our students and try to teach to them as much as possible. This should increase class participation and assist students to achieve their goals and desired outcomes.
Agreed. It is another skill that is learned and can be practised.
I teach Beauty Therapy at TAFE and I’m a X Gen teaching Gen Z so yes my School and TAFE experience is very different to what my learners are experiencing now. They are so lucky as they have so many more recourses to engage and use and the learning technology has come such a long way. Most of my learners have phones where you can get them to look up information and you can also have fun with Kahoot games. Plus we use Google classroom plus we have Moodle that engage our learner where ever they are now on campus or off Campus. I feel we just have to embrace this new way and learn with them:) Amazing Times.
I agree with you Megan, we Gen Xers need to embrace new things and look at technology as a bonus not a barrier particularly during Covid where students maybe not be on campus. We have also tried live cooking demos via teams for our apprentice chefs.
Listening to the lecture earlier I can see these traits in my win children who are GenZ. The way they learn and how they function is vastly different to mine as I grew up with chalk and talk method of learning (I did not do well there). I, as a learner, did well in the adult learning context where student verbal participation is most common verbalised, I talk and learn, Gen Z I have found in my teaching does not work so well, but they express themselves well using their e language which is a recent development.
Hi Kay
At least these days we can upload files and keep e-porfolios as evidence for assessments. Also we can use our phones to document our observations which is handy.
I think this is a very important issue for educators, especially those of us who are from a very different generation and have been teaching as long as the age of Gen Z students.
I still scratch my head sometimes why we still use very outdated methods (that we used as part of our education) of delivery and assessing to a generation who is used to a very different, modern technological world
Personally, from an education perspective, as a responsibility to the next generation, we should be grasping and engaging and looking at both ways to better deliver as well as the benefits of the new world Gen Z is growing up and the world they will be in
Actually, they are teaching us – which i think is exciting
I agree here. I also feel like they are teaching us. Which I too find very exciting. I think this is a great time to use the students to our benefit. Allowing everyone the opportunity to show their skills and teach each other in the classroom. I think we should definitely update our classrooms with a more modern approach to learning. Learning from one another not just from the teacher at the front of the room. Teachers should definitely be facilitating a lesson but students learn even more when teaching one another.
Hi Paul, I found your comments very interesting as i had never thought like this before. You are right though…. they are teaching us and keeping us up to date with their world and we need to watch and learn and use this information to underpin our classes. thanks for that insight.
I think once you have an understanding of the ability and actually comfort that students have in multitasking, working with distractions and noise….then it opens up exciting opportunities to assist your students to learn in this new environment.
Yes Jodie, not only understanding but possibly learning ourselves how to achieve this skill
I agree with your comments. I also think that once you have an understanding and appreciation of how younger students operate, your tolerance to this behaviour increases–Ie you understand why they feel so attached to their mobile devices.
I agree, understanding them and embracing the way they learn will hopefully teach us how to achieve a good part of this skill.
With COVID19 is challenging for many students to use technology. In many cases people don’t have the resources and money to access online education.
There is a genuine problem for some students to access online education but we need to make sure we don’t use this as a barrier,
I actually get these students to use their phones in class as tools for research and problem solving.
If they are using this time for social media i simply ask them if it is helping with research and problem solving. If it is helping they will volunteer the info quite happily. If they are using the time to ‘ not engage’ and chat with social media friends, this becomes a friendly reminder to re-join the class.
Adam, I agree so much with this. This is the technology they have access to, why are we not embracing it, learning from it and delivering from it
This is great. Making them use their phones as a learning tool in the classroom I feel helps them engage more effectively. After all this is most likely the same tool they would use at home when researching or looking for answers.