A New Generation of Students: The Millennials
The generation of young adults born since 1981, dubbed the Millennials-a group that now inhabits campuses across the country-are defined by seven core traits. Considered "special, protected, team-oriented, trusting optimists, conventional, achieving, and pressured," the Millennials' personalities, values, and expectations have been shaped by their parents: the Baby Boomers, who are a very child-centric generation.
Teaching this latest generation of students presents a unique set of
challenges to institutions of higher learning.
Those challenges were addressed in a half-day seminar at Trinity called
"Winter Institute on Teaching with
Technology: Teaching the Millennials."
The gathering in Mather Hall, exceptionally well attended, was sponsored by The Center for Teaching and Learning, the Dean of Faculty's Office, the Office of Academic Computing, the Trinity library, the Social Science Center, and the Blume Language and Culture Learning Center.
The consensus is that professors need to understand and adapt to the fact that Millennials are adept at multitasking; highly dependent on technology; enjoy working on team projects; prefer to study together; don't have to occupy the same space to feel connected; and take their cell phones everywhere, including to the bathroom and bed.
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| (L) Elaine Rojas-Castillo '12 and (R) Adana Contreras '12 |
Trinfo.Café's 10th anniversary
Nearly 100 city residents, many of whom have benefited from Trinfo.Café's vast array of programs and services, attended a festive celebration last November for the 10th anniversary of the technology center's efforts to close Hartford's digital divide.
Among the attendees were state Senator John Fonfara, co-chairman of the legislature's Energy and Technology Committee. Fonfara presented Trinity with a proclamation from the State of Connecticut in recognition of the facility's outstanding work. Also present were patrons of Trinfo.Café and representatives of many of the 135 community organizations who have benefited from the center's outreach programs.
Trinfo.Café is a multi-faceted neighborhood technology center whose mission has been to close the digital divide and offer Hartford residents and community organizations, primarily those in the South End, a place where they can learn about computer technology as it has evolved and become ever more sophisticated and complex. The facility recorded more than 25,000 visits last year.
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Faculty Accomplishments Judy Dworin, professor of theater and dance— Hartford Courant's Tapestry Award for The Judy Dworin Performance Project. Susan . Dana Research Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience— Awarded a four-year, $1.8 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help determine whether adenosine is a critical mechanism underlying the success of ketogenic diet therapy in treating epilepsy. Seth Sanders, assistant professor of religion— | Frank Moore Cross, Jr.
Award for his 2009 volume, The Invention of Hebrew. Professor of English Sheila Fisher was invited to speak in May at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in connection with the publication of her new book, The Selected Canterbury Tales - A New Verse Translation, published by W. W. Norton. Promoted to full professor: Sheila Fisher, English, Thomas Mitzel, Chemistry Sarah Raskin, Psychology and Neuroscience Gail Woldu, Music |
