Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

1. Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Vocational Education Leadership Institute

2. Navigating the Tides of Change: Occupational Education Leadership Now March 7, 2008 The Seascape Resort Aptos, CA

3. Why Can’t We ALL JUST GET ALONG? Leading Our Millennial Students in Vocational Programs

4. Who We Are: Presenters: James Forkum Dean and Athletic Director: Santa Rosa Junior College Sherry Forkum Director of Writing & English Professor: William Jessup University Principal Consultants: Advanced Knowledge Consulting gendiff.com

5. Presentation Agenda • Introduction • Review the Generations • Millennials • Practical Applications • Summary • Questions and Answers

6. Outcomes • Understanding of the Generational Divide and Importance in the Two-Year College Environment • Understanding the New Generation of Students • Knowledge of Millennial Characteristics (Technology)

7. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? • 4” in the Junior College Vocational/Academic Setting • Know to Them to Understand Them by Knowing Ourselves • Recruitment, Team-Building, Change, Motivation, and Maintaining/Increasing Productivity • Retention

8. GENERATIONAL YEARS • G. I. Generation – 1901-1924 (ages 84-107) • Silent Generation – 1925-1942 (ages 66-83) • Boomers – 1943-1960 (ages 48-65) • Generation X – 1961-1981 (ages 27-47) • Millennials – 1982-2002 (ages 6-26) • Homeland – 2003 - (Ages 5 and under)

9. GENERATIONAL COMPARISONS

10. Continued…

11. Demography of the Future • Paperless Learning/Work Environment Psychologically people are tactile Like to hold, handle, open something • Telecommuting/Virtual Classrooms Social need to work in groups Meet physically Interact

12. COHESIVENESS • Intergenerational Conflict – hinders plans, products, and ideas from moving forward • Detrimental Effects – communication, working relationships, undermining

13. Cohesiveness Continued… Team Conflicts – Boomers – view Gen Xers as too impatient, throw out tried and true Gen Xers – view Boomers as inflexible to change/ say the right thing to the right person Silents – view Boomers as self-absorbed, share too much information Boomers – view Traditionalists as rigid/dictatorial Gen Xers – view Millennials as too spoiled/self-absorbed Millennials – view Gen Xers as cynical/negative

14. “A team that allows choices and openly explores ideas, and whose members value learning, will better accommodate the needs and values of members of different generations.” Constance Patterson, PhD

15. Is this the image that came to mind?

16. Wired/Wireless • Digital Natives • Cell Phones • MP3 Players/iPods (iPhone) • Texting • Web Surfing • MySpace/Facebook • Finger on the pulse of the World • Right Here/Right Now Generation

17. Digitally Literate • Intuitive • Although, understanding technology and source quality may be shallow • More visually literate than any other generation • They move between real and the virtual instantaneously • Literacy goes well beyond text, because of visual media • Text literacy may be less well developed

18. 10 Attributes of an Information-Age Mindset (J. Frand) • Computers are not technology • The Internet is better than TV • Reality is no longer real • Doing is more important than knowing • Learning more closely resembles Nintendo than logic • Multitasking is a way of life • Typing is preferred to handwriting • Staying connected is essential • There is zero tolerance for delays • Consumer and Creator are blurring

19. The Millennial World • Average teenager spends more than 72 hours a week using electronic media (2006) • Pew Internet research – nearly 80% of 28 and younger regularly read blogs/ 30% of 29-40 • 40% of teenagers and 20-somethings have created their own blogs • A cult of groupthink, - collaborative and team-oriented

20. Learning Characteristics • Teamwork Activities • Cooperative Grouping • Experiential Activities • Structure • Use of Technology (SIDs, TM) • Email/Instant Messaging are Natural Communication and Socialization Mechanisms

21. Experiential • Learn by doing rather than by being told what to do • Learn through discovery, exploring for themselves or with peers • Learning in this manner enables them to retain the information and use it in creative and meaningful ways

22. Suggestions for Success • Tell the Truth • Let Them Know: What They Do Matters • Explain the “Why” and What Is In It For Them • Learn Their Language, Communicate In Their Terms • Make the Competitive Environment Fun • Model The “Way” • Build Relationships • Challenge To Find Technological Solutions To Everyday Issues

23. Something to Think About EmployeeEvolution.com – Created by 20-somethings Paugh and Healy- “create an anonymous dialogue between our generation and the corporations struggling to understand our attitudes about work.”

24. In “Where Should a Millennial Draw the Line?” Paugh writes, Part of being an entry-level worker is just waiting for something big to come your way. In the meantime, you bite your lip and act busy. Preceding generations say it’s normal. I say it sucks. If what our elders say is true, we’re supposed to keep on truckin’. Eventually we’ll have some real responsibility and the downtime will be nothing less than treasured. The problem is, I don’t live my life on blind faith.

25. Some Negatives • Multi-tasking • Poor Communication Skills (writing) • Oral Communication • Math Skills • Mass Stimulation • Lack of Critical Thinking/Problem Solving as an individual • Plagiarism/Cheating (turnitin.com) • Problem Discerning Truth (Wikipedia)

26. Strategies • Awareness of new Technology • Different methods of reporting information: podcasts, vodcasts, blackboard, forums, use of PowerPoint, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), LCS (Lecture Capture System), Students • Setting Parameters • Websites • Recruiting

27. Strategies Continued • Challenge them – They care about what matters and use responsibility as a reward. • Ask them their opinion – Collaboration and being part of a team is important to them. • Find them a mentor – They have great respect for Silents. • Provide timely (worthwhile) feedback – At the touch of a button.

28. 25 year old Chris HalesCEO of Anti-Matter Media Two things represent my generation. Technology and the “Do-It-Yourself” aesthetic. With the increase in technology, opportunities for networking with others seem endless, enabling us to turn out more authors, films, record labels and artists than previous generations. When you put the two together you have the recipe for a generation that is willing to go out and make stuff happen on their own.

29. Time for You Questions and Answers If you care to have a copy of this PowerPoint, please drop us an email through our website at gendiff.com, or download it from our website.