Francis, Engelica: Beloit List

Citizens of the United States have experienced many lifestyle changes over the past 20 years: cell phones are now small computers, some cars do not need keys to start, and a Black president sits in the White House. New technology and the latest discoveries seems to cause more change daily. However, within all of these changes remains a consistent foundation of continuity in the roles of both student and professor. This is true of today’s college students and university faculty (born before 1980).

             

A list of the many differences in college life of today’s pupils and professors born before 1980 might start with online courses. One example that pops to mind is the option of taking online courses instead of sitting in a classroom with an actual teacher. Students can now take their portable computers anywhere and work online; they no longer need to wake up ten minutes before class starts and walk in wearing pajamas. If students choose to take a class face-to-face, most of the homework or lesson plans are on the Web. Now, Blackboard software holds Web addresses where teachers can post announcements, homework assignments, lesson plans, and class notes. Gone from the classroom are the traditional blackboard and chalk. Some professors recall that they had to type their theses with typewriters. Now, colleges offer computer labs in almost every building. Today, coaches get paid more than other professors and normally do not have to teach other classes, but they used to be paid the same as other faculty members and had to teach classes as well as coach their teams. This list of changes between then and now could go on forever because of all of the advances in technology.

             

Even though there are an abundance of differences between students from “back in the day” and today’s students, there are still a few similarities. Many classes are still held with a teacher standing in front of a room full of students. Teachers still hold conferences with their students about grades, attendance, mentoring, as well as adving them with their major course of study. Most courses still require expensive books from the campus bookstore, and everything else the bookstore offers remains overpriced. One thing that will likely never change about college life is that college students will still party and make unwise decisions. College, as always, offers degrees to further education as well as “Greek life” where students make connections that might last a lifetime. University traditions (specific to each campus) will always stay the same, because traditions are not meant to be broken; they are highly resistant to change.

             

College life has changed so much from when today’s professors were college students to being a college student today. Even though they differ so much, a few similarities remain. Universities will change with the times as technology advances, but some things will never change.

Plunk, Allen: Beloit List

Growing up in an era of technology has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I can communicate more quickly with members of my generation who grew up playing with the same new devices. But, it is almost like I’m speaking a different language to teachers and instructors who are not familiar with this new technology . During their childhood they didn’t have cell phones, computers, MP3 players, and many didn’t even have color television. Some of them have been able to adapt and accept change and use it to the best of their abilities while remain clueless now than ever before when it comes to the latest technology. In a perfect world, everyone would maintain a balance between technological knowledge and personal communication skills but today it seems that most people posses either one or the other of these traits and rarely does anyone combine these skills. So how do I communicate to a professor and vice versa? Are there really that many differences in the two of us? Maybe the bigger question is are there any similarities between us?

            

 Dictionary.com states that communication is defined as the imparting or interchanging of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writings, or signs. Thus, the first similarity between students and pre-technology age instructors is that both must  figure out a way to communicate to each other because their goals are the same. The education of students is what is important in the college setting.  So both students and faculty should be focused on making it as easy as possible to learn and to teach. The concept that students’ education is the most important issue is another similarity. Because both live at the same time, no matter what their ages, all must pay the same prices for necessities. Gas, food, tobacco, toiletry items, cars, and houses among hundreds of other items are going to be the exact price for all. The current price of gas is the same for all.       

             

While there are some similarities between 45-year-old college professors and a 18-year-old freshmen there are probably twice as many differences between them. Obviously, freshmen have grown up in an environment that is more accepting of homosexual relationships, where music is just one kid star after another, and Apple, not Bill Gates and Microsoft rules the world of technology. Books are almost useless now that there are tablets on which to download digital books. Gas prices being below $2 sounds absolutely impossible and implausible. Wars today can be fought so that the push of a button in one country causes the lives of 10,000 people in another to end. These professors were old enough to understand the full effect that September 11, 2001 had on America. Even though I knew that many people had died and that this was not how the world should be, as a third grader I didn’t have the age and maturity to realize everything that had happened.

           

            When you hold them up side by side it seems the differences between generations outweigh the similarities but I believe that this is only true in the quantity and not the quality of the similarites.  By this statement I mean that the similarities that we have are larger issues and more important than the several small, almost insignificant differences we have in our relationship between our professors. Education must come first in the relationship between a professor and a student and no matter the age of either individual balance and understanding can be achieved.

Jeon, Heekyung: Beloit List

Even after generational change, college education is still considered important, or even more important than the past; teaching and learning have never stopped. Faculty members teach students as effectively as possible regarding what they have studied for their entire lives, and students are willing to learn. College students are not only customers who purchase lectures, but also active participants communicating with professors. This concept has never been changed, however, current faculty members sometimes realize how much everything has changed over the past few decades when looking back on the past and comparing their old college life to the present.

The most noticeable difference between generation X and Y is familiarity with the Internet and other electronic devices. Thanks to considerable improvement in technology, present students take advantage of its convenience. For example, current students bring laptops to class and write lecture notes on computer, which older faculty members never imagined. Students no longer have to sit and write an in-class essay counting 350 words to fulfill the minimum word requirement. Instead, Microsoft Word automatically counts words and changes misspelled words to correct ones for them. They show YouTube videos in their presentation, summarize online news, articles, or journals, use clickers for quizzes and tests, e-mail teachers to notify their absences ahead, read e-books, and talk about new devices released from Apple while taking a break. Some students declare “I cannot live without my cell phone or computer.”

Meanwhile, older faculties are more conservative, learn new technology slowly, and keep their own traditions and old ideas. For instance, some do not have a cell phone or only use it as a means of calling people whereas students cannot keep their hands off their cell phones. They also Facebook, game, text message, listen to music, and watch movies on them. Moreover, some teachers do not allow students to use their laptops in class. They also do not know Internet slang words and spend a lot of time figuring out how to chat with their friends on Skype. They take a long time to find information they want on the Internet, typing slowly and confusingly while looking at the computer screen.

However, faculty try their best to catch up with technologies and adjust themselves to this rapidly-changing society. They try a variety of new teaching methods and choose the best way to be an effective communicator. Instead of writing on the chalkboard, most of them prefer using a big computer screen and showing students PowerPoint slides. In addition, a few clicks of a presentation remote control enable them to teach students more effectively. Also, with the advent of online education, the old thought of emphasizing face-to-face communication between professors and students has changed. Many schools have gradually increased online and hybrid courses, and all course instructions are given via e-mail or Blackboard.

                        

 In spite of faculty member’s efforts, the technology still creates a big generation gap between generation X and Y. However, all generations go through an inevitable generation gap. They should understand one another, accepting that they grew up at different times and have been taught different values. Therefore, respect and proper attitude toward each other would make the world a better place for all to live all together.

Mahelona, Ryan: Bucket List

Many people live their lives putting little thought into their list of decisions. Students are taught that being goal oriented will produce good grades and give them the tools to build a successful life. A bucket list is one physical way to summarize life goals. In the sake of time, I will provide my abridged bucket list.

             

Much of my childhood was spent watching action-packed movies where characters like John McClain and Walker, the famous Texas ranger, sprung into action. These fictional heroes were the inspirations for the first item on my bucket list.

1) Kick down a door

The desired here is the need to do something masculine and awesome to tell my friends about.  

 On to a more serious subject, Item number two on my list is one that many people have and, may even be a bit cliché.

2) Meet Kenneth Joel Hotz

Kenny of the television show “Kenny Vs Spenny” is the funniest person. After watching and re-watching his competitions, I have decided that one day I will make a trip to meet him. 

Third on my list is a goal that I am currently pursuing through my education.

            3) Become Dr. Ryan Mahelona

This goal is most likely the one that will require the most time and work. However, for several years now, my education has been committed to achieve this title through a degree from medical school. 

Second runner up for my list is one that may seem a bit dark or strange.

            4) Save someone’s life that I love, at the risk of my own

People often ask, “Would you kill to save someone you love?” to invoke thought. In my mind I know for my family or the ones I love, I would put myself in harm’s way to ensure their safety. 

Last on the list is a testament to my megalomania.

5) Do something great

In my mind, I see something great, as an action that leaves not only the ones who knew you with a fond memory but for people who have never met you with one.

             

Most of my goals listed here are very achievable. Some, obviously, are more important than others are but everyone’s bucket list has to unique. I will continue to add and complete tasks off my checklist of things to do. Setting our self up for success happens now and in the words of Lawrence J. Peter “If you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”

Bowling, Emily: Beloit List

The generation gap has grown. With all the advances in technology people are living much longer. Women also have started having children later in life. There are several generations alive at one time and the differences between them have gotten harder and harder to mend.

In many larger colleges classes are normally taught by graduate assistants. Professors whose names are on the schedule spend most of their time performing research or getting grants for the college. Students may go through a whole semester and never see their professor. Many of these professors remember a time when the average grade a student got was a “C." Instead many students now believe an “A” is the only satisfactory letter grade. Many students stress to get an “A,” but normally do not put in all the effort to truly deserve that high of a grade.

Many professors remember a time when sports were not the reason why many came to college. One professor, who has been teaching for a decade, remembers when living a nice life did not require making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Professors remember when coaches were not getting paid million-dollar salaries. Back then, students actually decided what school they wanted to attend by its educational reputation instead of its football team. Football games took place on campus and were rarely on TV. Students didn’t spend hours before games tailgating to prepare for a game. Many professors still think that “tailgating” means students were following too closely behind another car.

There was a time when students did not have so many distractions. Students used pens and notepads to take notes instead of using laptops or portable tablets. Professors used to get on to their students’ for passing notes in class. Now professors have to deal with students’ addiction to texting. Students constantly surround themselves with technology that, at times, distracts them from being fully engaged in lectures Professors used to hand out assignments in hard copy, now they have to adjust to a technology-savvy world. Professors are now using the Internet and blogs to post their notes and homework. Professors have to adapt to all the new technology to keep their students’ attention and to keep up in this fast changing world.

Today, the world is so fast paced that students are used to everything being urgent or an emergency. Many professors have more of a procrastinator’s mindset. They do not get in a big hurry to reply to students emails even if they are marked “urgent”.  They were raised in a simpler, slower time.

I believe that sometimes the generation gap can help students’ education. They can learn many valuable things from older professors, who are so wise and have so much to offer to educational programs. They can teach students to appreciate their own era and our personal gifts. Students should learn to appreciate the age differences between themselves and the professors and be open to what professors can teach them.

Acharya, Prashant: Beloit List

Suppose you had been in a coma the last 20 years and woke up today. You might be better off slipping back into it than trying to grasp today’s world. It has altered so much that even Arthur C. Clarke himself could not have imagined the changes.

Communication itself has changed. The words “iPhone” can no longer be used as a noun or a verb like in “I will phone, I have phoned.”  Before you went into a coma, schools had coaches who were just other faculty members teaching Health Science or English but no longer. Now, they are professional coaches whose earnings may approach half of a school’s annual budget. Your family might have paid in cash or check for your medical bills when you were first admitted for your coma but now they pay with a simple swipe of a card.

The Beloit College Mind Set List of the entering freshmen (Internet generation) and Beloit College Mind Set List of Faculty Members Born Before 1980 each identifies the gaping hole in the thinking and way of life between these two generations. The college freshmen of today have always known a place to find the answers to all to the questions: “Google”, unlike those faculty members who had to go through piles of encyclopedias and books to squeeze out an answer.

For today’s freshmen, the days of gender and racial inequality have never existed, one could always surf the Internet to download music for free, people always read their news online, and no one bought the printed version.

Faculty members scratch their heads trying to understand the relevance of the E- Channel, the appeal of Kardashians, and the reality show programs depicting people living their worthless lives. Faculty members also vividly remember the days when C was the average grade students received in courses, because it represented an ancient concept called “satisfactory”.

It might surprise freshmen who have always seen American tax forms available in Spanish, always gone school with classmates named Mohammed and Jesus and always seen “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on television to hear faculty members say that "Amazon" once only referred to the largest river on the planet, that they only read books in libraries and never used them as restaurants to Facebook from, and that Russia was once ruled by communists who were the biggest threat to the United States. In the past public schools did not have space available for advertising, nor could people buy nearly anything from just the couches at their house.

“Altar girls? They never have been a big deal” might be the typical response one can expect from these freshmen. Playing games has always included annihilating the enemy soldiers with anything from a pistol to a RPG in Call of Duty. To play basketball or football freshmen don't necessarily need to go outside. To make friends, they don’t have to meet and talk with that person face-to-face. They can always send friend requests using Facebook.

Coffee used to be made by a person at his home every morning not just bought down the street at Starbucks. Entering freshmen have always broken up with their partners via texting. They have always seen women kissing other women on television. They grew up in a world where they believe nurses have always been in short supply.

Faculty members born before 1980 remember a world in which people lived entire days without access to bottled water while for the entering freshmen life has always been very different from that of their professors.

Sorsby, Amy: Beloit List

The teacher and freshman of 2011-12 were not raised up differently, but were raised in a different time with different technologies. As a student, I do not realize how someone could be raised without technology, and teachers do not understand what it is like to be spoiled with all the technology we now have. Although teachers and students have some major differences, there is a way to connect each other in order to learn.

            

 Freshmen rely on technology. They have the Internet set up on their phones. Teachers often can barely find anything they need to know on the Internet even if they even had access to a computer. When students do not know the answer, they can simply type it in their phone as a message and send it to Google and then get the answer sent to them in a matter of seconds. Also, they have not been taught to think as teachers were because they have always had something to think for them- calculators, computers, and phones, for example. Students know what they have to do, but they have not been thoroughly taught how to put it on paper and actually write a paper without an Internet tab of information pulled up on the screen along with the paper that they are typing. They have always been allowed to make mistakes and not have to get it right the first time because it does not take long to backspace and redo what they were actually trying to say. Compared to professors, students have always had easy ways to do the hard things they had to do. In math class they can put formula straight into the calculator and get the answer instead of having to write the problem down on paper and working it out step-by-step. A few years ago touch screens became an everyday appliance and they are already so helpful that they are being used in schools to teach students.

            

 Teachers do not fully understand that students can get the same amount of work done in class that they did without having to do the same amount of work. Students also learned how to do what they can by experiencing it, and not hearing what is possible and what is not. When students do not understand what is going on in government and in our country, it is because they have not been through the things that affect what is going on now. When there is a crisis, students cannot connect the present to the past. The history that that students learn in class is the personal past for many professors. When a freshman comes home and asks his parent about what it was like when the races were divided, our parents know because they were a part of the problem or had parents who were a part. America has an eventful past that has forced people to think outside the box and change the world in a short span of time, not giving us students the chance to understand what our professors and parents went through.

             

The lives of teachers and students illustrate a gap in learning. It is hard for teachers to teach things that students cannot understand. Teachers have to connect with each student and each student is different. There is such variety of learners that each student cannot be taught the same way. Teachers have to split up the lesson in order to teach auditory learners, hands-on learners, and read-it-all-yourself learners. The teacher has to put the time in to know what each learner can do with what they are given and how it is given to them.