Transcript The Millennials - Fellowship of Christian Counselors

The Millennials
Michele Mallett, MSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Social Work--Taylor University
Indiana Association of Social Work Educators
Ball State University
September 15, 2006
Learning Objectives

Identify characteristics of the Millennial student

Address how helicopter parenting has impacted the
Millennial student and their learning experience.

Identify tools that can be of assistance in enhancing
the Millennial student’s learning experience in light
of what we understand about their life experience.
Who Are They?

Born between 1982-2000

Civic minded

Confident

Inclusive

Optimistic


High sense of values
Fewer barriers with gender
and ethnicity

Multitasking is the norm

Technological savvy


Goal and achievement
oriented
More educated than parents
and expect to make more
money
Who Are They?

In the article “Managing Millennials” by Claire Raines she states,
“They’re sociable, optimistic, talented, well-educated,
collaborative, open-minded, influential, and achievement
oriented.”

Neil Howe and William Strauss authors of Generations of
American Society and Millennials Go to College state that as a
group the millennial’s are:

-Optimistic about the future
-Realistic about the
present

-Resilient and hard-working
-Set goals and meet
those goals
Seven traits Howe and Strauss use to
describe them

Special—older generations have instilled in the
Millennial the sense that they are, collectively, vital
to the nation and to their parent’s sense of purpose.

Sheltered—the lack of safety prevalent for gen Xers
has created a youth safety movement for the
Millennial.

Confident—High levels of trust and optimism results
from relationships with parents. Boastful about their
power and potential.
Seven traits Howe and Strauss use to
describe them

Team-oriented—soccer teams, school uniforms,
classes emphasizing group learning has developed
strong group instincts for this generation.

Achieving—accountability and higher school
standards put Millennials’ on track to be the best
educated adults in our history.

Pressured—pushed to study hard, avoid personal
risks, and take full advantage of collective
opportunities.

Conventional—support the idea that social rules can
help.
Survey:

"THE AMERICAN FRESHMAN: NATIONAL NORMS FOR
FALL 2002," PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON
EDUCATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT
LOS ANGELES HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
Survey

Agree strongly or somewhat that:

The federal government should do more to
control the sale of handguns 77.8%

There is too much concern in the courts for rights
of criminals 64.0%

Colleges should prohibit racist and sexist speech
on campus 60.0 %

Same-sex couples should have the right to legal
marital status 59.3 %

Abortion should be legal 53.6 %

Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes
than they do now 50.1 %
Survey

Federal military spending should be increased
45.0 %

Marijuana should be legalized 39.7 %

People should not obey laws that violate their
personal values 35.3 %

The death penalty should be abolished 32.1 %

Realistically, an individual can do little to bring
about changes in our society 27.5 %

It is important to have laws prohibiting
homosexual relationships 24.8%
Survey


The activities of married women are best confined
to the home and family 21.5 %
(Agree strongly or somewhat )

Affirmative action in college admissions should
be abolished 49.0%

Racial discrimination is no longer a major
problem in America 21.8%
Survey

Top reasons noted as very important in deciding to
go to college

To learn more about things that interest me
77.5%

To get training for a specific career 71.6%

To be able to make more money 71.1 %

To gain a general education and appreciating of
ideas 70.5%
Survey

Top reasons noted as very important in selecting
college attended

College has a very good academic reputation
55.4%

Was offered financial assistance 34.1%

Wanted to go to a school about the size of this
college 33.7 %

College has a good reputation for its social
activities 28.7%

College has low tuition 21.7%
Survey

Traits that describe student to a great extent

Being honest in my relationships with others 71.5%

Searching for mission/purpose in life 34.5

Get a bachelor's degree 79.5%

Develop close friendships with other students 71.5

Socialize with someone of another racial/ethnic group 66.6

Make at least "B" average 60.2

Be satisfied with college 51.8

Communicate regularly with professors 35.6

Participate in volunteer or community service 25.2

Participate in a study-abroad program 20.8
Characteristics that may contribute to the
classroom experience


Get along with parents
and rely on parents.
Share parents’ attitudes
and values
Focused on grades and
performance

Busy with
extracurricular activities

Eager to take part in
community activities

More interest in math
and science than the
humanities

Demanding of a secure,
regulated environment

Sheltered and protected
in ways that previous
generations were not
Characteristics that may contribute to the
classroom experience

Multitasking is a way of life

Want to learn by working
collaboratively; need for
group activity


Want to be involved in real
life issues
Want to learn only what
they have to learn and want
to learn it in style that is
best for them. Prefer to
learn by doing.

Fascination with new
technologies

Even when with friends,
wrapped up in electronic
conversation

Consequence of their tech
savvy is a decline in face to
face social skills and a
potential inability to lose
track of body language.
Characteristics that may contribute to the
classroom experience

http://www.musictechteacher.com/kgpics/garrett_b
and_112205.jpg

Their view of the traditional
classroom is that a professor
who used to be considered
excellent for their engaging
lecture are now considered
boring.

Emphasis on extracurricular
activities

Little tolerance for delays

Seeks immediate information
and knowledge (connection to
the internet)

Smart, but inpatient; expect
results immediately
“Helicopter” Parents

Hover about their child’s college life

Ready to step in and make decisions and use their
influence

Call to complain about things like assignments,
roommates, grades, and food.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/oct/03/grounding_helicopter_parents/?print
“Helicopter” Parents

These parents invested in seeing what they are investing in.

Survey of young adults by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research
found that 90% of Millennials call their relationship with their
mother close; 65% describe a close relationship with their father
“Helicopter” Parents

Survey released in March by the College Parents of
America surveyed 839 parents:

74% communicated with their student two or three times a
week. One in three communicated at least once a day.

90% of parents use cell phones to keep in touch.

58% frequently used email to correspond. 75% said that they
dropped in at least once or twice during the semester. 17%
visited once a month or more.
Consequences of “Helicopter” Parenting?

Students expect individual attention, extra help, and other
institutional resources to be provided in order to help them
with any difficulties which they encounter.

Lack the bad experiences and failures that help us learn how to
cope

Lack of challenges make them unable to learn creative ways to
overcome these challenges and contribute to the fear of taking
risks

Since 1996 the most common problem raised by students is
anxiety. Prior to that it was relationship issues which is
developmentally appropriate.
Consequences of “Helicopter” Parenting?

Millennials are over monitored and over sheltered

Spend less time in free unstructured play where we
learn to give and take which is a fundamental to
relationship.

Millennials are not moving fully into adulthood
(traditional definition is finishing school, landing a
job with benefits, marrying and parenting)

Using this traditional definition in 1960, 65% of
males had reached adulthood by age 30 compared
to 31% in 2000.
What else has Shaped Who They Are?


“Helicopter” Parents
focus on their children
and family

Older parents

Father’s involvement in
birthing process

Emphasis on family
time
Scheduled and
structured lives
What has Shaped Who They Are?



Multiculturalism

Terrorism

Heroism/patriotism
ttp://www.uwstout.edu/multicultural/mss_hands.jpg
http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/july03/images/patriotisma.jpg
What Do Millennial’s Want?

Good leaders

To be challenged

Enjoyment/fun in the school and work environment

Good friendships in the work environment

Respect

Flexibility
Preferred Learning Techniques

Technology

Entertainment and excitement

Teamwork

Structure

Experiential activities
Teaching Strategies

Research shows that active engagement promoted
deeper levels of processing and learning because it
creates stronger connections

The goal for our students is to foster academic
success

McGlynn notes:

We have to know the cultural context of the
Millennial student so we can maximize their
strengths

We have to engage them with cooperative
learning exercises, empowering them to be
decision makers in the course and getting them
to analyze their own learning strategies.
Teaching Strategies

Assign more group projects

Small group discussions

Use more technology in the classroom

Web surfing, text messaging and blogging are a part
of their technology. Use these methods for class
projects and interaction with the student

Post course notes with relevant web links so that
they might explore relevant resources and become
engaged with the content

Develop a web page for your course

Make video games a part of your pedagogy
Teaching Strategies

Make communication with you through

Email or IM

Message boards

Chat rooms or web casts (blend this with face to
face time)

Don’t proselytize

Teach them to be effective learners and guide them
in improvement of critical thinking skills

Active learning approach that facilitates long term
memory
Teaching Strategies

Use examples that students can relate to or have
them develop their own examples to help create
meaning between their life experience and the
material that they are learning

Use simulations, case analysis, service learning and
field experiences

Use interactive response devices in the classroom

Giving them guidelines; provide opportunities for
them to create a project

Use clips of current DVD’s to help them identify the
issues from a current perspective
References

http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/millenials.htm

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/oct/03/grounding_helicopter_parents/?print




Carlson, Scott. (2005). The Net Generation in the Classroom. Chronicle of Higher
Education, Vol. 52 Issue 7, pA34-A37. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=101&sid=73b8b63c-9206-47d38b5b-2e2684531359%40sessionmgr4
DeBard, Robert.(2004). Millennials coming to college. New Directions for Student
Services, Issue 106, p33-45. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=1&sid=38900112-4df0-4436-8186203a9b10f792%40sessionmgr4
Galagan, Pat. (2006). Engaging Generation Y. T+D. Vol. 60 Issue 8, p27-30. Retrieved
August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=2&sid=3bd3b733-7003-4db4-a84520059d2500f5%40sessionmgr2
Howe, Neil and Strauss, William. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation.
Vintage Books. New York.




Jayson,Sharon. (06/29/2006). The 'millennials' come of age. USA Today. Retrieved
August 17, 2006 from http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=1&sid=a99f9038daef-4eab-bc1a-23a08724ca0a%40sessionmgr4
Marano, Hara Estroff. (2004) A NATION OF WIMPS Psychology Today, Vol. 37 Issue 6,
p58-103. Retrieved August 17, 2006, from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=102&sid=9e3ca9cb-8402-4495-98d0d38028c72461%40sessionmgr4
McGlynn, Angela Provitera. (2005). Teaching Millennials, Our Newest Cultural Chort.
Education Digest, Vol. 71 Issue 4, p12-16. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=102&sid=d2eacc55-40c0-4952-a94168611d5684d6%40sessionmgr4
Skiba, Diane J.; Barton, Amy J..(2006) ADAPTING YOUR TEACHING TO ACCOMMODATE
THE NET GENERATION OF LEARNERS. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, Vol. 11 Issue
2, p15-15. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=4&sid=82dbb3cd-87bc-48c5-82e961398d540e6a%40SRCSM1



Strauss, William. (2001) The MILLENNIALS COME to CAMPUS. About Campus, Vol. 6
Issue 3, p6, 7p. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=1&sid=474c91b7-8da2-4d91-bc9d9989954cedfb%40sessionmgr4
Tucker, Patrick.(2006).Teaching the Millennial Generation. Futurist, Vol. 40 Issue 3, p77. Retrieved August 17. 2006 from
http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=1&sid=4b7b1e5a-0e90-4596-a8bf33c616e0e97d%40sessionmgr103
Young, Jeffrey R. (2003). A New Take on What Today's Students Want From College.
Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol. 49 Issue 21, pA37, 1/3p. Retrieved August 17, 2006
from http://plinks.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=102&sid=2f1f5509-0d854746-87a9-e5856c7af49c%40sessionmgr4