Understanding Y

CHAPTER 4 Educating Y

Charlie Caruso

Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

Generational differences have been around for as long as society has been documented. Even the Bible highlights the presence of intergenerational conflict. I'm sure there are cave paintings that reflect the same.

Once upon a time, there was a generation of parents who were certain that Elvis Presley's unashamed hip-swivelling was most certainly the end of society. In much the same way, parents today struggle to understand why their children might prefer to spend hours on interactive video games instead of playing outside with their friends.

Our world today is very different to that of our parents and grandparents, as has always been the case. So it stands to reason that generations adapt to the changing environment as well as influence the one that they inherit.

In today's digital age of abundant information, it is almost unheard-of to get information from a single source. Educators are facing a reality where those they were traditionally expected to inform are challenging their ideas. Gen Ys are bringing new theories to their education, and alternative expectations about how learning occurs and how and what they expect to be taught. Because Millennials have lived their whole lives surrounded by technology, those charged with their edification are involved in an incessant effort to keep them engaged in learning. As stated by ...