The changing nature of college students
The Washington Post reports on how difficult it has become for colleges to communicate with their students, because of the myriad of communication pathways.
Students no longer have land lines in many colleges, change cell numbers frequently, and may not check their campus email often, since they prefer instant messaging or Facebook.
A couple of universities are experimenting with letting students sign up for emergency text alerts to their cell phones, while others are letting them tailor what the college sends to their email, so they’ll know it pertains to them.
I was at a lecture on campus recently and realized how many students in the lecture hall were working on laptops while listening to the lecture. Colleges are having to address how technologies are changing the classroom in ways high schools are not yet. But my question is–are we preparing our students to be successful in these kinds of environments?
VickyA Said,
March 8, 2007 @ 2:43 am
In recent conversations, the site visits team discussed Facebook and the phenomenon sweeping the planet with this online social network that EVERYONE under 25 is addicted to. So, I went to the site … but what intrigued me was the BLOGS (link found at bottom of Facebook homepage) which were enlightening, relevant, and juicy, maybe because I’m still feeling West Coast-ish!
Check it out:
Readership trends of Facebook (popular TV shows effect whose online)
How to explain RSS the Oprah way
Enthusiast Evangelist at Microsoft - “The newly created position at Microsoft … Our jobs are basically to go out and mingle, bond, and touch influential end users and show them all the cool things that Microsoft has to offer” … (you have to read the blog, name dropping like “I got to see Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer in person. Ballmer screams loudly like Chris Farley’s motivational speaker character … I got to visit the mother ship. I got to be an insider at one of the most influential companies in the world.”), oh but then her next blog …”9-1/2 weeks: Leaving Microsoft not as sexy or tormenting … I am a creative, right-brainer, and truly passionate lover of the web … (Steph’s life story) explaining, “People are literally creating great things out of nothing because, well, we can, with open source, web-based apps … explaining 2.0 is the democratizing technology making it accessible to anyone regardless of economic status, class, or means. If you have some kind of computer or handheld device, web 2.0 has everything one needs to start their own business … so many thoughts strengths of blogging, Microsoft Office, winning behind the scenes, etc.” Conflicts from within for this idealist, so she resigns … A great read!