I chose the video above to give you a window into the lives of typical teenagers, AKA Gen-Z. Technology is woven into just about every waking moment of their lives. The Internet is to them what electricity is to our generation -- it's a given, it's the norm, it's expected. So what does this mean for educators? The following articles will help us to learn a bit more about our Gen-Zers and their motivations.

Read

Build your understanding of the lives our Gen Zers by reading the following articles. Of course, if you have a teen or work with them, much of these readings will resonate. In any case, Gen Zers are in a class of their own!

New Kids on the Block: A First Look at Gen Z, (The Hartman Group, 2016)

Millennials Who? Why You Need to Get to Know Generation Z, (Williamson, J., 2016)

Kids and the Connected Home, (Family Online Safety Institute, n.d.)

Tasks

Now that you have had time to engage in the materials exploring Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Growth Mindset, Technology Evolution and Gen-Z, it is time to reflect.

Breath deep. Close your eyes. Collect your thoughts.

Create

Use this Google Doc to write your reflection. Your 2-paragraph reflection needs to include the following:

• Thoughtful reflection of your mindset related to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory
• Discussion of which type of adopter you believe you are with an example that illustrates your adopter type
• Statement reflecting your own Growth Mindset, the "score" you received from Dweck's survey, whether you agree with your score, and an example that illustrates your Growth Mindset
• Brief discussion on how you believe these two frameworks, and your knowledge concerning evolving technologies, can help you to support your Gen-Z students

IMPORTANT: Make sure to SHARE this document so that others can view it!

Note: For details, see Mastery Checklist

Post

Post your response to the following, in our Google+ Community ("Mindset"). Due March 5, 2017, 11:59 pm -- Make sure you have shared it so others can view it! Your post needs to include the following elements:

• Link to your shared Google Doc of your Reflection
• Title that helps someone to understand the essence of "you"
• A one or two-sentence statement that helps the reader to understand a bit about your Reflection

Respond

Every so often, I will ask you to kindly respond to at least one of your colleague's postings. The goal of responding to one another is to not only provide each other with constructive feedback, but also to create an organic professional learning community in which we can rely on one another to help us grow and be inspired. I will not tell you who to respond to. Rather, I will encourage you to respond to a colleague who has created something that you find particularly intriguing, insightful or even perhaps something you deem out-of-left-field but inspiring because it is so different that what you have created.

In this first response, you will need to select one of your colleague's posted links and read her Reflection. Your goal here is to simply make a connection with a colleague and to communicate any similarities, differences or inspirations. This will be due by March 7, 2017, 11:59 pm.

Move onto Mod 2.0 when you've completed the tasks for this module.