Students in Today’s Schools John Bailey Director of Educational Technology U.S. Department of Education

Who Are Today’s Students?  Millennial Generation  Born between  Almost 100 million young adults between 0-24 years old (2000).  Largest generation (36% of total population).  31% are minorities; more diverse than the adult population.  Have come of age along with the Internet.  Information has been universally available and free to them.  Community is a digital place of common interest, not just a shared physical space.  60% of 2002 teens feel that it is harder to be a young person today than in their parents’ day, compared to 35% of 1966 teens feeling the same way.

Millennials Feel They’re Unique

Family is Important  91% of students felt they have at least one family member they can confide in.  If they could, 50% of students would spend more time with their family.  74% get along with their parents extremely or very well.  When picking one person as a role model, 44% of students pick a family member.

Are Ambitious  88% of students report that attending college is critical or very important to future success.  94% plan to continue their education after high school.  90% feel being personal satisfied is very important for success; 81% include close family relationships.

Education Beliefs  91% of students have a teacher/administrator who personally cares about their success.  60% of students report that standardized tests are a good measure of progress.

Interested in World and Community  76% of students would like to learn more about the world.  28% of high school students use a foreign news source to learn about current events.  After September 11, 2001, 78% of students felt optimistic and hopeful. Two years later, 75% still look toward a future with optimism and hope.  70% of students report volunteering or participating in community service.

Have Substantial Purchasing Power  In 2002, teens (ages 12-19) spent $170 billion.  15.6 million college students (ages 18-30) spend almost $200 billion annually.  Two out of three students report influencing their parents’ buying decisions.  20% of teens own stock.

Millennials are perhaps most defined by the way they have grown up with technology.

Internet Use by Age

Teen Access to Technologies

Even Young Children  72% of all first graders used a home computer during the summer on a weekly basis.  Over 85% of young children with home computers used them for educational purposes.  By 1999, 97% of kindergartners had access to a computer at school or home.  35% of children ages 2-5 use the Internet from any location.

Internet is Medium of Choice  Children and teenagers use computers and the Internet more than any other age group. Ninety percent (90%) of children between the ages of 5 and 17 use computers.  In 2003, the time spent with the Internet exceeded the time spent with TV for ages

“Teens and young adults are searching for independence and control, and the Internet gives it to them like no other media can. Millennials vividly expressed excitement, freedom, immediacy, and most of all control over their experience – where they go, what they learn, what they buy, whom they talk to, and how they live their lives.” Yahoo: Born to Be Wired

Online Teens  71% of online teens say they relied mostly on Internet sources for the last big project they did for school.  94% of online teens report using the Internet for school-related research.  74% of online teens use instant messaging.  24% of online teens have created their own Web pages.  The number of children ages 4 to 18 who own at least one wireless device (e.g. cell phones, PDAs) grew from 32% in 2002 to 43% in  13% of those age 7 and under own a wireless device

Parents of Online Teens  87% of parents believe the Internet helps their children in school; 78% of teens agree.  64% of online teens say they know more about the Internet than their parents and 66% of parents agree.  40% of parents have had an argument about the Internet with their children.

But kids are still reading…  Harry Potter sales broke all publishing industry records.  Fastest selling book in history (5 million in first 24 hours).  80 million: Harry Potter books sold in the United States, or 1 for every 3.6 people, or 5 for every 9- to 12-year-old.  896: number of pages in “ Order of the Phoenix ”  255,000: number of words in “ Order of the Phoenix ”  55: Languages in which the Harry Potter books have been published in 200 countries.  $444 million: Estimated wealth of author J.K. Rowling  $397 million: Estimated wealth of the Queen of England

Millennials influence the present and are the future. Pay close attention to them, as their usage of media influences other demographic groups and they literally represent the world to come. Yahoo: Born to Be Wired

Our Challenge  Are our schools ready for this generation?  How do we create the learning environments that engage this generation to help them reach their full potential?  How do we equip these students with the skills and knowledge they need to be competitive in a global, information-based economy and contributing citizens?  What assumptions about education do we need to question?

12 th Graders Perceptions About School

National Ed Tech Plan  Required by NCLB to be submitted to Congress  Rapidly evolving needs and expectations from two areas: –students (shaped largely in part by their exposure and use of technology) –21 st century society requiring new skills to be competitive in today’s economy  These needs and expectations require new models of education.  The tension between holding on to our traditional values of “public education” while modernizing our methods and means.  Exploring the role technology can plan in supporting such a system.

How Can TechnologySupport NCLB?  Equipping teachers with productivity tools.  Empowering teachers, parents and decision makers with real-time data.  Expanding access to the best resources and learning opportunities, increasing choices.  Engaging students in their education.  Individualize learning by personalizing instruction for each student’s unique learning needs.