While we have highlighted only one major “starter” resource for the topic areas so far, the generations are such a complex area that we thought we’d suggest two:

1.     The Pew Internet & American Life Project provides continuing research into how the generations compare in their lives online.  Take a look at the Generations 2010 chart on the Pew site and consider whether it reflects your experience.  And be sure to click around and explore the other information the site offers about generations.

2.     Get the free download of Eric Greenberg’s Generation We, a book we reference in Shift Ed, and explore the other Millennial generation resources on the site.

How are differences among generations reflected in education in your community? Comment and share your perspectives. Here. also, is an introduction to the Millennials from the Generation We site:

The Knowledge Foundation has put together a great site on Creating the Future of Learning that covers six “drivers of change” (all of which we touch on in one way or another in Shift Ed):

• Altered Body (Self)
  You can alter your mind and body in ways you never imagined. Will you still be you?
• Amplified Organization (Organizations)
  Your organization will be amplified by a new generation of connected, innovative people. Will you be able do more, better?
• Platforms for Resilience (Systems)
  Systems will suffer from increasing shocks. How can you transform them to be more resilient?
• A New Civic Discourse (Society)
  Your sense of community and your own identity are changing in a global society. How will you shape our shared world?
• The Maker Economy (Economy)
  Your community will have the tools and know-how to produce custom goods. What will you make?
• Pattern Recognition (Knowledge)
  Your movements in the world create new kinds of data. How will you make sense of it all?

What do you think? Are you experiencing these drivers in your own life? How can we prepare our children effectively to deal with them?

As always, comment here, on Facebook, and/or on Twitter to share your thoughts. And be sure to include the phrase or tag/hashtag “whatifschools” in whatever you post.