Changing youth engagements

     Every generation worries about the next one, and the following generation subsequently fears for the one after that. Eventually, the current generation voices concerns for the older citizens. This has been an ongoing action among societies the world over.

     Currently, an issue that concerns every generation today is the increased use of digital technology and a change in youth engagement in civil affairs in the public and social domain. While youth today are growing up in the digital age and adapting rapidly, older generations struggle and must give up their old way of life, adapt, or be left behind. The older generations fear that by evolving with technology, they are letting down future youth by giving up on the past.

     Youth today have stunned and fascinated the world with the unique application and methodological utilization of digital technology. I have been concerned with the thought of losing touch with ideas that have historically proven to be sound in regards to producing effective and competent citizens to continue our economic growth. Lance Bennet, in Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age, shows incredible insight into the shifting roles that society is experiencing in regards to future citizenship and responsibilities. Bennet (2008) reminds us that in the past, our identity was governed by the groups we were closely related to such as the particular church we attended, our social class, and so forth. (p.13)

     “Political participation does not come naturally, nor do powerful institutions have incentives to encourage it. In short, we must not only prepare citizens for politics but also improve politics for citizens.” (Bennet, 2008, p.4)

     “In the network society, individuals may belong to many loosely tied associational chains that connect them to their social and occupational worlds.” (Bennet, 2008, p.13) Making a connection and understanding these associations will help to assimilate past knowledge with current trends and future goals. “Effective teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods and techniques.” (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan, & Brown, 2010, p. 162) Effective learners and productive citizens accept and utilize a wide variety of new techniques to accomplish their objectives.

     The opinion is made in Darling-Hammonds Preparing Teachers for a Changing World that prospective teachers are taught how to be the most effective in instructional delivery with concepts of backwards planning, thoughtful performance assessments, clear criteria, thought provoking inquiry, productive feedback, and lots of guided practice. (Darling-Hammond, & Bransford, 2005, p.197) With instructional advice such as this to follow, concerns that the digital era will degrade our youth or that life lessons from the past will be forgotten are all but voided.

References

Bennett, W. Lance. “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age." Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth. Edited by W. Lance Bennett. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT

Press, 2008. 1–24. doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.001

Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing world. SanFrancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Orlich, D.C., Harder, R.J., Callahan, R.C., Trevisan, M.S., & Brown, A.H. (2010). Teaching strategies a guide to effective instruction. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.