Home PublicationsL&LIssuesVolume 27 (1999-2000) October (No. 2)

Download the full article (PDF, 62 KB, PDF Instructions)

This innovative program trains technology-savvy students to help teachers incorporate technology into their lessons.

What Is Generation www.Y?

Generation www.Y (pronounced “Generation Y” or “Gen Y,” for short) is a model of infusing the K–12 curriculum with technology to improve student learning. One of the premises of the Gen Y model is that it is not necessary to train teachers to be proficient with technology. The average student knows more about technology than the average teacher. Gen Y embraces this fact and has figured out a way to harness the K–12 students’ expertise and energy to help reform how schools approach technology training.

Instead of teaching technology skills to teachers and hoping that they will use these skills to improve their students’ learning, the Generation Y program trains students in the skills they need to partner with teachers to improve teaching and learning. Along with educators, students become agents of change, not just recipients of change. Generation Y is not a model in which the kids take over the technology usage of the school. Table 1 lists the differences between the traditional way of infusing technology and the Gen Y way.

How Does Gen Y Work?

The Generation Y class is offered as an 18-week class in middle and high schools and as a 30-week class in elementary schools. The curriculum materials include a Curriculum Guide (533 pages), a Student Workbook (173 pages), a CD-ROM, and a video (approx. 1 hour). The curriculum is divided into 12 units of study. Eight units cover technology skills, and the other four cover pedagogical issues, including collaboration, project development, and assessment. For Gen Y students, the emphasis is on how these skills can help teachers deliver more effective lessons that incorporate technology. Students learn about the variety of ways that such technology tools as e-mail, electronic slideshows, Web searching, and Web page construction enhance the learning process. All technology-related skills that students learn in Generation Y are aligned to ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students.

A few weeks into the course, each student in the Generation Y class is paired with one of his or her teachers (or former teacher). These partners decide which lesson or unit of study to infuse with technology (typically for use within one to three months). If the class using the Gen Y materials is an official part of the Gen Y program (official partners receive various benefits, including access to the entire Gen Y Web site at http://genwhy.wednet.edu; applications come with the curriculum materials), the partner teacher and student submit an online proposal for their lesson to a team of Gen Y consultants and receive feedback, usually within a week. Then, with the help and cooperation of the other Gen Y participants and materials, the student prepares the lesson that eventually is delivered to the partner teacher’s class.

Most lessons are delivered by teachers and use materials they jointly developed with their Gen Y partner students. However, the Gen Y student sometimes helps the teacher deliver the lesson and, on occasion, the student delivers the lesson to the class. 

Thousands of completed lessons are archived on the Gen Y Web site (select Projects, then Search Projects). These lessons cover nearly every subject and grade level. All lessons are aligned to district or state standards.

Who Benefits From Gen Y?

In a recent survey of 576 partner teachers, 87% said the project they developed with their partner students was of high quality, 95% said they will refine and reuse the lesson next year, 95% said that Gen Y is a good way to train staff to infuse technology into their lessons, and 97% of the teachers said they will continue to integrate technology to improve student learning. Complete research results along with annual reports to the U.S. Department of Education are located on the Gen Y Web site (choose Evaluation).

Many Gen Y partner teachers like being able to use today’s powerful computer and telecommunications technologies without having to master the applications and constantly keep up with new developments. Teachers like working with kids, and good teachers know they can learn from their students.

But, the real power of the Gen Y model goes well beyond the creation of a technology-infused lesson plan and alternative staff development model. Graduates (called Gen Dids) of the Gen Y program continue to help their teachers and become a continual resource for both school and the community. Gen Dids have worked with legislators, provided their expertise in after-school labs, established computer classes in housing projects, delivered presentations at conferences, taught preservice teachers, become members of district and school curriculum and technology committees, and have been involved in many other community service projects. The Gen Y philosophy of listening to students, working with them to improve learning, and creating leaders are major reasons for the model’s popularity.

In keeping with the idea of giving students a voice, see the comments by Gen Dids Jeff Conor and Amanda Course for some student perspectives on Gen Y. Other Gen Dids acknowledge the benefits their schools have realized from implementing the Gen Y model. Gen Y has been a: 

• developer of staff at their school,
• producer of technology leaders in their school,
• vehicle to integrate technology into the curriculum,
• vehicle for understanding lessons and state standards,
• method of involving students by collaborating with educators,
• vehicle for changing school culture,
• method of bringing students and teachers closer together,
• vehicle for improving student learning,
• course that shows students how technology can be used for learning,
• vehicle for developing self-esteem in students,
• vehicle for showing students how difficult teaching is, and
• course to help students plan, organize, and solve problems.

How is Gen Y Funded?

Gen Y is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, corporate sponsors, and the Washington State Competitive Technology Program. The program is administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI, www.ed.gov/Technology/challenge/index.html) and headquartered in the Olympia (Washington) School District. The curriculum materials are published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, www.iste.org).

Conclusion

Hundreds of schools in nearly every state are adding Gen Y to their plans to improve student learning with the help of technology. (Go to the Gen Y Web site to see a listing of schools and their e-mail addresses—select Schools.)

This article can only provide a quick glimpse of Gen Y. Interested readers should check out the Gen Y Web site (http://genwhy.wednet.edu) or view the Gen Y video and curriculum materials available from ISTE (call 800.336.5191).

Copyright © 1999, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.