In examining the unique characteristics of the Net Generation, this book addresses the national problem of escalating high-school dropout rates and student disengagement and offers solutions as to how to best involve students of the millennial generation. Besides contrasting this generation’s educational needs and expectations to those of their Gen-X parents and Baby Boomer grandparents, the narrative examines why many students resist participating in formalized education in schools and drop out. Subsequent chapters featuring student interviews and photographs synthesize the perspectives of current high schoolers as to their experiences, beliefs, and thoughts on learning while a parallel set of parent interviews, surveys, and photographs reveal what factors parents feel are important in their child’s education and how they would like to see schools engage their children in learning. Recommendations for changes in school policy and financial investment critical to turning the situation around are also included, along with an inventory/checklist for parents, teachers, and school administrators to determine if their individual school environment has what it takes to keep students motivated and engaged.
Pletka (associate superintendent, Vista Unifed Sch. District, CA; My So-Called Digital Life) here considers how to educate the millennial generation. Teaching kids born and raised on the Internet is fundamentally different, he argues, from teaching previous generations. Increasing high school dropout rates and widespread student disengagement are real problems, and Pletka explores the research on these conditions and talks with parents, teachers, and students about the needs of the latest generation. He offers credible strategies on how to reachthese students in order to teach them. His authority on the subject is clear, and he includes lists of references and web resources for further study. Concise and well written, this book would be an asset to any academic library supporting education programs. It would also be useful in public libraries catering to parents and in school libraries supporting professional development for teachers and administrators.
—Mark Bay
Overview
In examining the unique characteristics of the Net Generation, this book addresses the national problem of escalating high-school dropout rates and student disengagement and offers solutions as to how to best involve students of the millennial generation. Besides contrasting this generation’s educational needs and expectations to those of their Gen-X parents and Baby Boomer grandparents, the narrative examines why many students resist participating in formalized education in schools and drop out. Subsequent ...