Realistic Expectations of the Net Gen

My daughter - beyond the Net Generation?

I listened to a podcast yesterday while doing some light cleaning around my home (I'm learning, Wendy!) One thing I noticed was that I didn't pay as close of attention as I meant to (partly because I was listening on my computer, not my iPod. I'm learning, but slowly!).

The podcast was from Educause, and the comment that stuck with me was when the interviewer asked about the Millennials, the Net Generation, and their ability to take technology and run with it. Brian Hughes, the interviewee, said that educators need to be thoughtful to recognize that not all member of the Net Gen have been raised with an iPhone in their hands. While there is likely to be a certain level of technological literacy, there is also likely to be a wide array of familiarity with certain websites, applications and social media platforms.

Another post on Twitter caught my eye today as well. One of my ongoing concerns with social media has been one of privacy. I'm not generally an open person, and the idea of having my life out there for people to see - and use! - can be a bit much. The post was on the 3 P's of Privacy on the Web.  While the post wasn't super informative, it did explain that the younger generation is being asked to learn about web privacy on their own instead of with any form of friendly guidance, and maybe it is a discussion we ought to open up about more often.

With any new technology, there is a need to start from scratch, in a sense, in order to really determine where your learners are. Maybe they are ready to jump in with both feet, but perhaps the waters must be tread more carefully.