Engaging the Gen. C Learner

I was recently given the opportunity to attend the Wisconsin Technical College System's 2016 Tech Expo at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. The conference targeted faculty and staff that were interested in integrating technology to Enhance Teaching & Learning. I was especially intrigued by the keynote speaker, Dr. James May, who was an award winning Faculty Fellow for Innovation and Technology at Valencia College (FL). And he did not disappoint.

In an engaging, content rich, and powerful presentation, Dr. May encouraged participants to find a way to 'Engage Generation C with the Adjacent Possible". Dr. May described Generation C as “Generation C refers to Constantly Connected Citizens who are Creative, Capable, Content-Centric Curators, Copiers and Combiners who are Community-oriented, Collectively Communicative, Collaborative, and Co-developing Consumers of Common Content.” - via Allan J. Kimmel (teachertricks.org)

My Sketch Notes from Dr. James May's Session - Engaging Generation C with the Adjacent Possible 

While listening to Dr. May talk about how today's technology can provide so many possibilities, I found myself pondering how Flipped Learning can help open the door to the adjacent possible. How can Flipped Learning encourage learners to be Connected, Creative, Collaborative, Co-Developers, and Curators of their own learning? That's when it dawned on me - if we want students to develop these characteristics, we must also expect our educators to model them! 

You see, the age of your learner does not matter. When the transfer of ownership takes place between educator and learner, rich and life-changing learning occurs. Educators are too often constrained by the boundaries of institutional limitations, as well as their past experiences. To open the door to the adjacent possible, educators must be encouraged to explore beyond their boundaries and Create authentic learning for themselves and their learners. 

In a Connected, Content rich world, educators should Collaborate, Copy, Combine, and Collectively Communicate about what they are doing in their classrooms. Institutions should release the constraints of traditional learning and foster a growth mindset among their educators. Give educators more freedom to design their own Professional Development and Growth Plans. Begin to ask educators what they need to become better, what opportunities exist for them to improve. Transfer the ownership of learning and watch the Adjacent Possible expand to depths of all students!

Generation C - what a profound label to place on learners today!