Belonging is a need we all have. In our Student Improvement Plan, we define it as “having healthy connections with trustworthy people, including those with similar strengths and interests and those who are different.” Helping students develop healthy belonging was one of our main goals during our abstinence-until-marriage and alcohol-reduction grants. It was exhilarating to see them make progress toward this goal. Addressing the issue of "belonging" remains important to me for many reasons. For the purposes of this post, it is partly because of my own use of Facebook as well as the incredible rise of online social networks. Did you know that it has been recently reported that Facebook now has 750 million users? That is world … [Read more...]
Project Based Learning Works for Millennials
We’ve decided here at Celebrate Kids, Inc., that there’s something more important than what methods teachers use and what skills they’re teaching. Yes, we’re excited about helping teachers and students understand, embrace, and use 21st-Century skills. We’re fans of authentic tasks and see benefits of project-based learning, especially when it starts with young children and they come to expect some of their learning and practicing of content and skills to be embedded in projects. This means they gain character qualities and skills necessary for successful project-based learning early on. But, what’s more important? Teachers, administrators, parents, and others who care about young people must understand who they’re teaching. … [Read more...]
Millennials And Their Experiences
In my last post, I wrote about the value Millennials place on relationships. (Millennials are those born after 1982.) They also place high value on experiences. That’s the subject of this post. Change is constant for Millennials. Many things in their world do not last. They often report feeling as if their opinions don’t matter and knowledge becomes irrelevant almost immediately after they’ve learned it. Their toys are broken and some things they’ve saved for and purchased became quickly outdated. They want and need things that last. That’s where experiences come in. No one can take their experiences away from them. They’re real in the moment and they last and can be relived alone and with friends. Another reason … [Read more...]
Milliennials And Their Relationships
If you’ve been confused by today’s young people, you’re not alone. They can make choices that surprise us. That’s what their observable behavior is, you know. It all starts with choice. A choice to believe this or that. To do this or that. To feel this or that. To say this or that. Because of the culture, Millennials, those born after 1982, value relationships and experiences. Think about what you value. Do these things influence your decisions, choices, and opinions? Sure, they do. So, think about your students, children, and grandchildren. They’re making decisions based on their need for experiences and the high value they place on relationships. That’s not wrong, just different. … [Read more...]
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