Have you ever considered the number of "new" technologies
that have become obsolete during your lifetime.
Have you ever considered how much differently you might see the world if you had
never come into contact with items like vinyl records of rotary phones. Let me introduce you to
a hypothetical 8th grade student and tell you a few things about the
world as he or she might perceive it. You might want to brace
yourself for this:
They were probably born sometime in 1996 and
are about 13 years old.
The First Gulf War happened before they were
born as did the Cold War and as far as they know, there has always been a large US
military presence in the Middle East.
They have only really known two US
Presidents. They were in preschool when George Bush entered
office in 2001.
Keep in mind that this is just a partial list.
Consider how differently these kids might perceive the world with all
the new technologies they are experiencing. Consider the effects
of MP3 players, hybrid cars, cell phones with cameras, the internet. Any one of
these technologies can drastically change how you understand and view
the world. All music seems to be free online, new technology can
solve any energy crisis. Immediate communication is almost always
available. And just about any question you can think up can be answered
quickly online. This doesn't necessarily mean the physical or
psychological needs of human development have changed. But this
might mean that educators are challenged like never before to make their
curriculum relevant to their students. Something to think about.
If you'd like to read more on this topic consider
the following websites:
Beloit College
releases an annual "Mindsets List" to help their faculty better
understand incoming freshman. Here is a link to their most recent
lists: http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/
