Lifecourse Blog

Looks like High School Musical has graduated to The Sound of (Yale) Music.

The Millennial (born 1982-200?) thematic and imagery here are totally over the top, with every generational trait (from the confidence, specialness, and teamwork to the wall-to-wall sheltering and trust in friendly authority figures) emphasized.

Pretty soon Google and Apple will be doing these Busby Berkeley-style musical numbers to enhance their employer brands.

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Published:Jun.2007 | Price:$59.00*

Millennials Go to College: Strategies for A New Generation on Campus (2nd Edition) *Quantity discounts available

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Very interesting essay.  I.Q. scores seem to be continually rising with each passing cohort (the “Flynn effect”).  But creativity—as measured by the Torrence score—has turned direction.  It was rising until about 1990, but then started to turn down, starting with the younger grades.  Sounds like Millennial (born 1982-200?) are the culprit, doesn’t it?

On the road, when I talk with Generation X (born 1961-1981) managers, one of their biggest disappointments with entry-level employees is their lack of professional passion and willingness to take risks and think outside the box.

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OK, this is just one most good-news story about a turn-around middle school. But it’s interesting that time and again we notice the same ingredients for success whenever you read these stories.  There’s the fanatical emphasis on structure, even regimentation.  The nonstop checking to make sure every kid is accounted for.  The detailed scripting of lesson plans, including the use of “direct instruction.”  The constant use of testing-not for final evaluation, but to assess the exact extent of learning week to week.  The nonstop feedback to the kids themselves.   Every teacher checks to make sure that every student is accounted for, that every student is busy and engaged. Proper behavior comes first, then learning.  Bars on windows are replaced by bright colors.  And-here’s the Generation X (born 1961-1981) touch I really like-the school principal is fully in charge.  No one looks to “the system.”  It’s the principal who “owns” the school, is captain of the ship.

Principal: “”Children deserve the best, every day, now,” he said. ” ‘Can’t' shouldn’t even exist in your dictionary. You have to find a way. That’s why we’re getting paid.”

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Published:Oct.2008 | Price:$24.50*

Millennials and K–12 Schools: Educational Strategies for a New Generation *Quantity discounts available

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A very good piece about Generation X (born 1961-1981) moms are running against the tide of over-protection.  Unlike most X’er parents who want to protect their Homelander children at all costs, she instead suggest that kids should learn by being out in the world playing with peers on their own. She’s right, of course, that playing games with peers develops self regulation. But the new mode (see the  preschool “Tools of the Mind” curriculum) develops self-regulation by games with the teacher or by carefully supervised peer games in which the various roles play are all pre-chosen. That way you make sure that the games only teach the right lessons and none of the wrong ones.

The need to some kind of role-playing or game-playing to develop self-regulation is very well established.  In a famous European study, one group of 2nd graders was simply told to stand absolutely still for as long as they could.  Average time before giving up: around 2 minutes.  Another group was told to stand absolutely still because you are a sentry on duty guarding a post.  Average time: 12 minutes.  The need kids have to “imagine themselves into” a role of success or mastery at something (as a parent, doctor, patient, scientist, warrior, whatever) is so basic that one wonders why ordinary K-12 schools don’t tap into it more often.

This article in the Washington Post that describes the alternative to failing schools: going online. Like early college and service academies, the most innovative programs introducing on-line education to K-12 is happening with low-achieving, “at-risk”  kids.  Apparently, the school establishment would just as soon hive these off.  But they don’t dare give up their middle- and upper-achievers.

Interesting how parents are beginning to come around, probably due to the rising presence of Generation X (born 1961-1981).  On-line advocates need to stop trying to confirm quality of instruction and begin to address the community and civic dimensions of education, which I think give rise to most of the qualms.  The author mentions this objections, but doesn’t really say how the problem is solved.

She is absolutely right, though,  about the irony of the feds giving new R&D money to post-secondary schools to develop on-line education—as if they need it: The University of Phoenix is now hitting 500,000 enrollees, more than the Big Ten combined!  But nothing for K-12, which remains an utter backwater in the application of any kind of technology beyond the occasional classroom movie.  In this, the teachers unions truly are reactionary.

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Published:Oct.2008 | Price:$24.50*

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In 2007, PBS released a special documentary on Millennials that centered around interviews with me and Bill.  LifeCourse Associates has just been able to release the DVD  for sale on our website, and I thought you might be interested.  You can access it here.

Here’s the announcement from our site:

Announcing “Millennials,” a PBS Special Featuring Neil Howe and William Strauss

LifeCourse is pleased to announce the release of a 2007 PBS special documentary, Millennials: A Profile of the Next Great Generation, now available for sale in our bookstore.  Using the research of generational experts and bestselling authors Neil Howe and William Strauss, the documentary examines today’s rising Millennial Generation of youth.  Who are the Millennials?  What forces have shaped them as a generation?  And do they have what it takes to deal with the many political, environmental, and cultural issues that may now be reaching a crisis point?  This documentary looks for answers.  It brings the insights of Howe and Strauss to life through in-depth interviews with the authors as well as personal stories of Millennials coming of age.

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Published:Nov.2009 | Price:$19.99

Millennials DVD: A Profile of the Next Great Generation

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