Why is it so important in Online Course Development to look at the differences in generations? Are we really that different? Is it only in our students that we see differences?
At the August FISH meeting in Nashville, I presented an overview of PLS Online Course Development: who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we do what we do. The Why portion of the presentation allowed us to discuss the generational differences we see not just in our students, but also our colleagues.
Many of us PLSers are from the Boomer generation. Generalizations about Boomers are included in a scenario I shared at FISH about Mrs. Cooper.
Mrs. Cooper is dedicated to her children and grandchildren. She has worked in the same district for the past 17 years and cannot imagine teaching elsewhere. In fact, she plans to continue teaching after she is eligible for retirement, possibly part-time. The respect of her students is very important to Mrs. Cooper and evident in her classroom management style. She sometimes feels that younger teachers have not “paid their dues.”
Sound like anyone you know?
Now, contrast Mrs. Cooper with Mr. Harris, a Gen-Xer.
For Mr. Harris a work-life balance is important. Sure, he enjoys teaching, but there is life after 3:00 o’clock. His choice of school district had little to do with money and all to do with location, location, location.
Where he lives and available lifestyle amenities are important. Mr. Harris works hard when praised, but does not handle criticism well. He is not motivated by a sense of duty; he believes teaching makes him a better person. He is honest, blunt and cynical at times. Which puts him at odds with Mrs. Cooper and other “seasoned” teachers. He learns by doing and believes so do his students. He needs flexibility in his schedule and in his teaching. Mr. Harris embraces technology in the classroom and not just for his own use. He uses a blog to teach concepts and projects are showcased in e-portfolios of student work.
Think about the possibility of Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Harris working in the same department within a school. Or… think about Mrs. Cooper as a PLS course facilitator and Mr. Harris as a facilitator in training for the same online course. If they both see the world through myopic eyes, conflicts can result.
It’s easy to see how conflicts can exist between team members sparked by a desire to work collaboratively or one generation’s lack of intimidation for authority. But how can we together reconcile the importance for authority and doing things traditionally with the desire to change? Perhaps leveraging the other generation as mentors and then continuing to use the younger generation as instructors or guides to new ways is a place to start (it still requires that both sides are open to both change and compromise). Not an easy task!
Take a look at the characteristics chart below taken from Generations: Dealing with Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Beyond. If your team is comprised of people with the qualities listed below, how would you encourage the team to work positively with each other? How would you facilitate support of one another’s strengths? What applications can you make to your role at PLS?
|
Boomers
|
Generation X
|
|
|
Additional Resources and Readings:
