Education for the “ Fast-Twitch Generation ”

1. Education for the “Fast-Twitch Generation” Laurie Ayre Education Department King’s College United States lmayre@kings.edu Marian W. Boscia McGowan School of Business King’s College United States mwboscia@kings.edu Presented at the Technology, Reading and Learning Difficulties 23th Annual International Conference: January 27 – 29, 2005 at the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco, CA

2. Purpose This presentation is designed to raise elementary and secondary educators’ awareness of the influence of various medias on today’s students’ literacy(ies) and learning styles and to introduce ideas and resources that can help instruct these learners.

3. Introduction “The average American child lives in a household with 2.9 televisions, 1.8 VCRs, 3.1 radios, 2.6 tape players, 2.1CD players, 1.4 video game players, and 1 computer….A great deal about the lives of children depends on their race, sex, and social class, but access to major media does not (p. 17). Gitlin, T. (2001). Media unlimited: how the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives. New York: Metropolitan.

4. Introduction • Report of the Kaiser Family Foundation (1999) “Kids & Media @ the New Millennium” • Excluding media used in school & for homework, children spend 38 hours immersed in media a week. • Per Day…. • Children in the study used media for five hours and 29 minutes. • Boys and girls had equal exposure to media. • Minority children spent six hours & eight minutes, while white children spent five hours & eight minutes.

5. Introduction • Creators of commercial media for today’s under-19 crowd, such as Marc Prensky, founder and CEO of Games2train, have identified their target market as the “fast-twitch generation.” • Description: • “This generation grew up on video games ("twitch speed"), MTV (more than 100 images a minute), and the ultra-fast speed of action films. Their developing minds learned to adapt to speed and thrive on it.” Resource: Prensky, Marc [1998]. “10 Cognitive Style Changes of the Fast-Twitch Generation.”Across the Board (January 1998)available on line athttp://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Twitch%20Speed.html

6. Introduction • When “children’s experience changes significantly, so will their brains. Part of the brain’s physical structure comes from the way it is used” (p. 15). Healy, Jane M. (1991).Endangered minds: Why our children don’t think. 1st touchstone ed. New York: Free Press.

7. Introduction This presentation will • Discuss how and why the so-called “fast-twitch generation” is unique. • Share ideas for using technology and other approaches to meet their learning needs. • Invite you as audience to comment and share your ideas on these vital topics.

8. 10 Cognitive Style Changes of the Fast-Twitch Generation Twitch Speed vs. Conventional Speed Parallel Processing vs. Linear Processing Random Access vs. Linear Thinking Graphics First vs. Text First Connected vs. Stand-alone Active vs. Passive Play vs. Work Payoff vs. Patience Fantasy vs. Reality Technology as Friend vs. Technology as Foe

9. Important Suggestions for Educators • Get to know children better. 2. Create exciting, meaningful experiences in the classroom. • Be open to all the modes of expression technology provides. Consider “Digital Literacy.” Intrator, S. (2001). Teaching the media child in the digital swarm. Media Literacy and Arts Education 102(6), pp. 25-27.

10. 1. Twitch Speed vs. Conventional Speed • This generation is accustomed to speed. • They want faster delivery, less time spent on tasks, and shorter lead times to success.

11. Twitch Speed vs. Conventional Speed– Meeting Students’ Needs • Technology can be used to exploit students’ “twitch speed.” • Examples: Streaming video of news stories • CBS news at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml • The FeedRoom at http://national.feedroom.com

12. 2. Parallel Processing vs. Linear Processing • Students are accustomed to multi-tasking. • “Much of the under-30 generation grew up doing homework while watching TV and doing almost everything while wearing a Walkman.” (Prensky, 1998). • Examples of multi-tasking content: • CNN News • Bloomberg TV News

13. Parallel Processing vs. Linear Processing– Meeting Students’ Needs • Maybe we shouldn’t feel that we have to demand what to us would appear as perfect attention when we lecture.

14. Parallel Processing vs. Linear Processing– Resources • Huitt, W. (1998). “Critical thinking: An overview.” Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Available at http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/critthnk.html • Rubinstein, Joshua S., Hughes, William J., Meyer, David E. and Evans, Jeffrey E. [2001].“Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching.” Journal of ExperimentalPsychology: Vol. 27, No. 4, 763-797.Available at http://www.apa.org/journals/xhp/press_releases/august_2001/xhp274763.html

15. 3. Random Access vs. Linear Thinking • “The under-30 generation is the first to experience hypertext and ‘clicking around.”

16. Random Access vs. Linear Thinking– Meeting Students’ Needs • Teaching Through Technology: Middle School Projects at http://www.ecb.org/ttt/middle.htm • Move the goal of comprehension of texts from “the big ideas” to “shared ideas.” • Research: Enciso, P. (2000). What will be the influences of media on literacy in the next millenium? Reading Research Quarterly (35)2, pp. 278-280.

17. 4. Graphics First vs. Text First • Today’s students have grown up in a media-rich Internet environment. • For them, text explains visual images. • People who do not have internet access rely on television and print materials for information. • With books and magazines, visual images illustrate the more important text. • Today’s students often find learning more natural when it begins with images.

18. Graphics First vs. Text First – Meeting Students’ Needs • The burning of a Viking longship [available from: http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/history/contents.htm]. • Virtual Tours at: http://www.virtualfreesites.com/tours.html • Media integrated in PowerPoint – example: La geografía de España--Segunda Parte.ppt

19. 5. Connected vs. Stand-alone • “Fast-twitchers” are accustomed to world-wide, asynchronous communication using: • E-mail, • Messages boards and blogs, • Chat rooms, and • Internet searches. • Information is richer, but harder to evaluate.

20. Connected vs. Stand-alone–Meeting Students’ Needs • Example: • Global SchoolNet Foundation provides a registration site for online collaborative projects, organized by topic, grade, and project date. Their Web address is:http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.html

21. 6. Active vs. Passive • The fast-twitch generation uses the heuristic: “When in doubt, read.” • The fast-twitch generation is fearless – they click everywhere. • They have learned to hunt for hidden surprises or "Easter eggs." • Go on an Easter eggs hunt with hints from Eeggs.Com and EggHeaven2000.Com

22. Active vs. Passive–Meeting Student Needs • Classroom Resources in Technology: Websites compiled by Sue LeBeau athttp://www.suelebeau.com/techresources.htm • Electronic Response Systems • For an overview and list of vendors go to:http://www.foundationcoalition.org

23. 7. Play vs. Work • Prensky observes: “For today's younger generation, play is work, and work is increasingly seen in terms of games and game play.”* • Fast-twitch students enjoy games that reward problem solving, achievement, and competitiveness.

24. Play vs. Work –Meeting Students’ Needs Develop learning through games, e.g., “Jeopardy-type format” games & those of one’s own invention: • Economics Jeopardy.ppt (Developed by Jason Menghini, King’s College for Social Studies Methods with Maureen Gaffney) • JMR Jeopardy Template.ppt (Reworked by Jackie Ritzko, Penn State – Hazleton, PA) • La geografía de España--Introduction.ppt (Developed by Dr. Anne Massey, King’s College)

25. 8. Payoff vs. Patience • Fast-twitch students expect to be rewarded. • Feedback is particularly important • Give them opportunities for more feedback.

26. 9. Fantasy vs. Reality • Much of the favorite entertainments Fast-twitch students is based on fantasy • Harry Potter, • Chat-room conversations, • Online video game play. • Rather than admonish students to "grow up and get real." teachers should look for new ways to combine fantasy and reality.

27. Fantasy vs. Reality–Meeting Students’ Needs • Role Play Examples • Becoming an Archaeologist at http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/history/becominganarchaeologist.htm • Pavlac, Brian A. [2004] “A Witch Hunt: Germany 1628” by at http://www.kings.edu/womens_history/witch/hunt/index.html

28. Fantasy vs. Reality–Meeting Students’ Needs • Role Play Development Resources • Ip, Albert; Linser, Roni; and Naidu, Som [2001]. “Simulated Worlds: Rapid Generation of Web-Based Role-Play.” In the Proceedings of the Seventh Australian World Wide Web Conference, Opal Cover Resort, Coffs Harbour, 21-25 April 2001. Available online at: http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw01/papers/refereed/ip/paper.html

29. 10. Technology as Friend vs. Technology as Foe • Young people today embrace technology, while their parents and teachers are more afraid of it.

30. Technology as Friend vs. Technology as Foe –Meeting Students’ Needs • Integrate technology and ask students to be the experts!

31. 10 Cognitive Style Changes of the Fast-Twitch Generation –What do you think? I. Twitch Speed vs. Conventional SpeedII. Parallel Processing vs. Linear ProcessingIII. Random Access vs. Linear ThinkingIV. Graphics First vs. Text FirstV. Connected vs. Stand-aloneVI. Active vs. PassiveVII. Play vs. WorkVIII. Payoff vs. PatienceIX. Fantasy vs. RealityX. Technology as Friend vs. Technology as Foe

32. 10 Cognitive Style Changes of the Fast-Twitch Generation –What do you think? • Please email your ideas to: • Laurie Ayre at lmayre@kings.edu or • Marian W. Boscia at mwboscia@kings.edu The End