1. Reaching and Teaching the iPod Generation
Before:
Plug in clicker
Get iPod, PSP
Open web browser and load bookmarks
Start up Google Earth
Write URL on board
Reaching and Teaching the iPod Generation
Jim Gaston, Associate IT Director
South Orange County CCD
CASFAA
December, 2006

2. Overview The iPod Generation Students Today Technology Review
Student Services
Conclusions
Recommended Resources
Educating the Net Generation Diana G Oblinger and James L. Oblinger, Editors
Growing up Digital by Don Tapscott
marcprensky.com
Pew Internet and American Life Project
Slides and links can be found at:

3. If this interests you…

4. Why the “iPod Generation”?
Remarkable Success Story
Over 67 million iPods sold
70% market share of MP3 players
30% of 2006 cars have an iPod option
iTunes has sold over 1.5 billion songs – 80% of worldwide online digital music sales
July 26, 2004
Key to Apple’s success is not the technology itself, but the intelligent application of the technology
Students have come to expect everything to work as well as their iPods

5. Community Involvement
Generational Differences
Matures
Baby Boomers
Gen X
iPod Gen
Birth Dates
Description
Greatest Generation
Me Generation
Latchkey Generation
Millenials
Attributes
Command and Control
Self-Sacrifice
Optimistic
Workaholic
Independent
Skeptical
Hopeful
Determined
Likes
Respect for Authority
Family
Community Involvement
Responsibility
Work Ethic
Can-Do Attitude
Freedom
Multitasking
Work-Life Balance
Public Activism
Latest Technology
Parents
Dislikes
Waste
Technology
Laziness
Turning 50
Red Tape
Hype
Anything Slow
Negativity
To truly understand students today, we must understand how deeply and pervasively technology has permeated their lives…

6. Technology Usage Statistics
Among children ages 8 to 18:
96% have gone online.
74% have access at home
61% use it every day
13 to 17 year olds average:
3.1 hours a day with television, 3.5 with digital media
70% of teenagers use IM to stay in touch
56% prefer to use the Internet instead of the phone
students in grades 7-12 know more screen names than home phone numbers
12 to 15 year old California students:
Spend 90 minutes a day online
40 minutes with IM, 31 downloading music, 22 with
is now seen as a way to communicate with “old people”
MySpace has over 100 million user accounts
By the time a student is 21, he will have spent twice as many hours playing video games as reading!
Show PSP
High end video games
Full stereo sound
Amazing graphics
Wireless network access
Ability to show full length movies
Kevin figured it all out without once reading a manual

7. Video Games

8. Students Today Digital Natives Always Connected Immediate Access
Multitasking
Engagement and Experience
Social – Enjoy teamwork
Visual – Remember 10% of what they read, 30% of what they see
We are digital immigrants
Multitasking – this is a huge difference between us
Using technology to increase customization, convenience and collaboration is well received

9. Students Today Thought process has evolved around the web
We were raised reading books – they were raised on the web
Books reinforce a linear style of thinking and reasoning
They have developed a “hypertext” style of thinking

10. Technology Review Social Networking Software RSS Podcasting Cellphones
Instant Messaging (IM)
AIM, Yahoo, MSN Messenger
Blogs
Blogger
Typepad
Wikis
Jotspot
Wikispaces
Wikipedia
Social Bookmarking
Spurl
del.icio.us
Profiles
My Space
Facebook
RSS
Feedster
Yahoo
Bloglines
Podcasting
Podcast.net
Edupodder
iTunes
Cellphones
Text Messaging
Video
YouTube
Google Earth

11. Implications for Student Services
Technology Generation Gap
William Gibson: “The future is here, it is just not widely distributed”
It’s only going to get worse
Amazon Effect:
Expectation of immediate service – 7 x 24
Customized online experience
Helpful information offered at the right level
We need to learn how to leverage the differences to serve our students better

12. Conclusions
Students want high level of interaction, online and in-person
They want to be engaged in the learning process, not just passive receptors
A key component of their definition of technology is customization
The ability to adapt technology to meet individual needs, rather than vice versa
Students have come to expect a high level of customer service from their online experiences

13. What We’re Doing MySite SmartSchedule KnowledgeBase & MySite Agent
August 2000
SmartSchedule
July 2002
KnowledgeBase & MySite Agent
October 2003
Class Shopping Cart
August 2004
My Academic Plan
Coming Spring 2007

14. Questions?
Feel free to contact me: