our young people...

"Some of my students can't get to think. If I ask them to write an essay, they can just cut and paste from texts found around the internet to produce it. Their thinking skills are close to none" ( M.B., professor at University, talking about her students of Modern History).

" At home I have to practice some grimaces to use when I want my students to behave. I try to avoid eye contact with them when I have to tell them off. This is the best way to reduce agressivity on their part" ( F.T., secondary school teacher, talking about disciplining her students)

I invite to read the following texts:

1 -"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"

2- "Children are now tyrants...they no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers."

Do they sound familiar ? Then, be surprised to know that the first one was written by Plato and the second one by Socrates about 2300 years ago.

It looks like older generations have some difficulties to accept younger people's ways of behaving and doing things... and this has persisted along the times.

When I was young, I would do cut & paste from texts in books and then type them on the paper. That took longer than nowadays with searching engines and computers, but basically the actions were the same. Of course, as I grew up, I would insert my personal input and comments. Would you say my thinking skills are close to none ? Well, I wouldn't.

Would you say a child can write only when he/she can handwrite ? If a child is able to type letters in a keyboard , making these letters readable, would you say he/she is able to write?

We should be able to accept that ways of doing things change and evolve, and see what is the real essence of what we do. Moreover, we should also take into account the utility of the skills we learn and want our students to develop. What is more important: what I already know, or the skills I have that will make me able to learn new things?

My conclusion: if you are not a digital native, either become an immigrant or at least get into their shoes to understand them. Because, it is a fact of life; the new generations think different, they behave different and they do things in a different way... and I am convinced this will allow them to grow up and continue to build the world.