How Youth Want To Learn

August 25, 2009 By

I was pointed to an enlightening video today in Training magazine’s weekly newsletter, Training Tech Talk.  It shows all of us involved in learning that the old methods are not going to work with the generation coming into the workforce.  Larry Edelman from the University of Colorado Denver produced this video titled “Youth, Technology, and Learning: Opportunities for Educators and Future Employers”.  “On the video, high-school students discuss how they use technology for communication, problems they have with traditional education, and how they would best learn a new job,” explains Edelman.


Most of the training I do for my Library System involves hands-on use of technology.  I’m grateful that I have a training lab where we can actually do the work on the various software programs.  However, I do have to do demos where everyone is just sitting and watching me show the software when I go outside of our building and there is no training lab setup.  I’ve known for awhile that the old sit and watch method doesn’t work as well, but as the newer, younger library workers come into my classes it’s becoming even more apparent.  After watching this video, I feel a new fire underneath of me to ge cracking on new ways of teaching.  These highschool freshmen explain very well what it’s like to try and learn all day in school using the old methods when the rest of their world involves an entirely different way of interacting and communicating.  What a disconnect.  Go ahead, watch for yourself and please leave some comments with suggestions to help build the fire!


Stephanie Zimmerman

Stephanie Zimmerman is the Training Coordinator for the Library System of Lancaster County (Pennsylvania), a federated system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile, which serves 490,562 residents. She designs and implements technology and development training and consulting to the member libraries. This includes training on Innovative’s Millennium Integrated Library System, Microsoft Office Applications, emerging technologies (i.e. social media) and various other areas. Her goal is to remove the fear of technology and help others to realize the amazing possibilities it provides. Teaching others to do things for themselves and see their excitement when they break through their barriers is her greatest reward. Stephanie has been a software trainer for 15 years. Her past employment involved training on federal and county government applications. She also worked for a private industry marketing company where she traveled across the country showing manufacturers and retailers in the consumer packaged goods industry how to use geodemographic targeting software. Always wanting to help others, Stephanie graduated from Millersville University (in Pennsylvania) cum laude with a BA in Social Work. She was also a student in the Computer Information Systems program at Harrisburg Area Community College. She is a member of ASTD (American Society of Training and Development). She is also a regular contributor to the T is for Training podcast which focuses on training in libraries. She was a trainer for WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach project and has done training for Commonwealth Libraries. She is grateful to have landed in the world of libraries. When she began her current job in January of 2004, there were no other library trainers in her immediate area. She turned to the social web to begin networking with other library trainers across the world and immediately realized her passion for social networking and social media. All of her continuing education has been done through these networks and she can’t help but push others to discover the immense opportunities available through online collaboration. Stephanie lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family which includes husband, Bill (a self-employed stay-at-home-dad) and two children (ages 2 and 4 months). When she’s not being Mommy, or working, you’ll most likely find her singing. Stephanie can be reached at szimmerman[at]lancasterlibraries.org.

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Comments

  1. Betha Gutsche says:
    August 25, 2009 at 2:18 pm

    Well worth watching –thanks Stephanie!

    Of course, I picked up on the social learning bits. I love the confirmation of the power of learning in groups:

    “by yourself, it’s just what you know and what the teacher knows. … when you’re working with other people, it’s like everyone’s knowledge”
    :-)

  2. Paul Signorelli says:
    October 11, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    Delighted to see the wonderful resource and read the thoughts you have expressed so eloquently. Another great source of information is Netday & Blackboard’s (2006) report, “Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning.” It’s concise, available free of charge online (although I couldn’t seem to get our blog to take the url in this response), and a wonderful reminder of how much we have to continue working to keep up with the learning styles of those we’re meant to help.