Leadership Miscellanies, I sincerely appreciate your transparency as it relates to your classroom experience. Paralleling your classroom topography to geographical topography was quite interesting. Having students that present anxiety or apprehensive as it relates to the employment of the classroom technologies immediately made me assume that these students were adult learners. In curiosity, are they? I assume this because I have not come across too many younger students who share this same caution. As the instructor and leader of this course, how do you encourage your students to step outside of their comfort zone to participate and engage in course content? How do you facilitate Friedman’s “flat” world? I must admit, while reading and responding to your blog, I have had a real aha moment. In reflecting upon the composition of today’s organization, there are at least 3 – 4 generations operating under one roof. Generated by my initial assumption that your technologically hesitant students were adult, this same concern may also occur in the workplace. Illustrating Florida’s “spiky” theory, Generations X, Y, and Millenials generally navigate technology with ease, while their Baby Boomer co-workers are uneasy. Mirroring Florida’s theory, technology within the organization will be focused in one area (i.e. Generations X, Y, etc.) and not so much in another (i.e. Baby Boomers). How will a leader facilitate Freidman’s “flattening” theory within an organization?
Very interesting thought about Generations X, Y, and Z as they relate to a "spiky" classroom world. Often I do observe the younger students creating the spike, but since I teach in an urban area it can also have to do with socio-economic status. Students can be hesitant to ask teachers questions. I try to break down those barriers with chocolate and extra-credit bribery. The best tool I have found to help students is other students. The trick to using other students in a community college setting that is very transient is trying to find ways to connect students. Once they are connected, the change can be very dramatic.
Leadership Miscellanies,
ReplyDeleteI sincerely appreciate your transparency as it relates to your classroom experience. Paralleling your classroom topography to geographical topography was quite interesting. Having students that present anxiety or apprehensive as it relates to the employment of the classroom technologies immediately made me assume that these students were adult learners. In curiosity, are they? I assume this because I have not come across too many younger students who share this same caution. As the instructor and leader of this course, how do you encourage your students to step outside of their comfort zone to participate and engage in course content? How do you facilitate Friedman’s “flat” world?
I must admit, while reading and responding to your blog, I have had a real aha moment. In reflecting upon the composition of today’s organization, there are at least 3 – 4 generations operating under one roof. Generated by my initial assumption that your technologically hesitant students were adult, this same concern may also occur in the workplace. Illustrating Florida’s “spiky” theory, Generations X, Y, and Millenials generally navigate technology with ease, while their Baby Boomer co-workers are uneasy. Mirroring Florida’s theory, technology within the organization will be focused in one area (i.e. Generations X, Y, etc.) and not so much in another (i.e. Baby Boomers). How will a leader facilitate Freidman’s “flattening” theory within an organization?
Very interesting thought about Generations X, Y, and Z as they relate to a "spiky" classroom world. Often I do observe the younger students creating the spike, but since I teach in an urban area it can also have to do with socio-economic status. Students can be hesitant to ask teachers questions. I try to break down those barriers with chocolate and extra-credit bribery. The best tool I have found to help students is other students. The trick to using other students in a community college setting that is very transient is trying to find ways to connect students. Once they are connected, the change can be very dramatic.
ReplyDelete