A volume in Lifespan Learning The communication and technology revolution presents each age group of adults with new expectations for learning. This book describes how education for young adults (20 to 40 years of age), persons of middle age (40 to 60 years of age) and older adults (age 60 +) can be differentiated to fulfill changing role demands emerging in response to social transformation. Developmental tasks for a society of longevity are defined including why youth should be seen as essential sources of learning for adults. Themes for each generation are school, work, family, and personal identity. The way to ensure consideration of cultural evolution and cultural preservation is for intergenerational communication to become a common obligation. Reliance on age-segregated communication is popular and comfortable because peer conversations have greater agreement and less uncertainty. However, this practice prevents reflection on views regarded as important by other age groups. When greater amounts of time are devoted to intergenerational dialogue, the usual outcomes are reciprocal learning, mutual respect, and harmony. This book identifies and elaborates the conditions of learning needed to motivate an age-integrated society. This book is for several audiences. Faculty and students studying development will find insights on learning at successive ages. Counselors will learn about client needs across the full age range of adulthood. Social service providers will recognize transition in family relationships. Nurses and administrators will discover ways to help assisted living residents maintain mental abilities and build social networks. General readers will understand ways to improve life for relatives, friends, co-workers, and themselves.

People generally acknowledge the superiority of adolescents in using technology tools needed for learning in the future. The purpose of this book is to describe an online polling strategy that allows adolescents to make known how they view conditions of learning at their school. A school improvement model illustrates how to combine results of student polling with stakeholders' perceptions in the scheme of school reform. Student polling differs from other strategies because the target for gathering data is a single school. This deliberately narrow base for sampling student opinion ensures poll results have local relevance that can motivate stakeholder involvement and guide their response. Over 14,000 secondary students have completed polls examined in the text. These ten polls include: career exploration, time management, selective attention and distraction, motivation for Internet learning, tutoring, peer support, cheating, frustration, cyberbullying, and school stress. Students are the stakeholders with the most to gain or lose in efforts to keep American education competitive. Accordingly, their views should be sought as part of decision making about reform. When student opinion and adult observation are considered, an intergenerational perspective can emerge that more accurately portrays institutional strengths and limitations. School principals, superintendents, and state department of education leaders are invited to consider a collaborative project with the authors. Software offers administrators rapid feedback on whole school results. Finding out how special education, gifted and talented, and second language acquisition students view their conditions of learning gives additional insight about school improvement.

The dangers of age segregation and the benefits of age integration are examined. Each generation should be recognized as an essential source for learning. Harmony will increasingly depend on general awareness of how other age groups interpret events, respect for values that guide their behavior, responsiveness to their needs and concerns, consideration of their criticisms and solutions, and acknowledgement of their contributions. This book describes: (a) personality assets and mental abilities to focus learning at each stage of development; (b) obstacles to anticipate and overcome; (c) a rationale to make reciprocal learning common; (d) research findings which identify generational learning needs; and (e) benefits of providing lifelong education. Six stages are explored: infancy and early childhood (birth-age 6); middle and later childhood (ages 6-10); adolescence (ages 10-20); early adulthood (ages 20-40); middle adulthood (ages 40-60); and older adulthood (age 60+). Some outcomes of lifelong learning include self-control, patience, integrity, resilience, persistence, problem solving ability, acceptance of criticism, and generativity. The intended audiences for this book are professionals working with individuals and families.

Until recently educators were expected to provide all the knowledge students would need to ensure their future. However, the Internet has altered conditions of learning in ways that motivate students to be more self-directed and less dependent on direct instruction. Neuroscience discoveries about brain functioning also urge schools to adopt thinking as an aspect of core curriculum. Students who acquire thinking skills needed to locate information, process and organize data, generate creative and practical ideas, communicate with all age groups, and collaborate can adapt to technology change and social evolution. Encouraging adolescents to choose some goals they pursue respects their need for autonomy. Recognizing the need to amend certain goals is important so a person knows when change in personal direction is warranted. Exploring careers in a low risk setting motivates realistic aspirations and helps students to shape their future. Employer expectations for teamwork require attention. Performing well in groups including peer and self-evaluation yields productive thinking and is conducive to mental health. The intended audience for this book is college students preparing to become teachers in preschool, elementary or secondary education. The book describes ways schools and families can support higher order thinking during childhood and adolescence. Learning that occurs outside school is ignored by tests that reflect only classroom lessons. New instruments that measure thinking are needed to enable transformation of school goals and evaluation of student progress. Shifting to a dual emphasis on thinking and learning is a challenge for teachers of all grade levels.

People generally acknowledge the superiority of adolescents in using technology tools needed for learning in the future. The purpose of this book is to describe an online polling strategy that allows adolescents to make known how they view conditions of learning at their school. A school improvement model illustrates how to combine results of student polling with stakeholders' perceptions in the scheme of school reform. Student polling differs from other strategies because the target for gathering data is a single school. This deliberately narrow base for sampling student opinion ensures poll results have local relevance that can motivate stakeholder involvement and guide their response. Over 14,000 secondary students have completed polls examined in the text. These ten polls include: career exploration, time management, selective attention and distraction, motivation for Internet learning, tutoring, peer support, cheating, frustration, cyberbullying, and school stress. Students are the stakeholders with the most to gain or lose in efforts to keep American education competitive. Accordingly, their views should be sought as part of decision making about reform. When student opinion and adult observation are considered, an intergenerational perspective can emerge that more accurately portrays institutional strengths and limitations. School principals, superintendents, and state department of education leaders are invited to consider a collaborative project with the authors. Software offers administrators rapid feedback on whole school results. Finding out how special education, gifted and talented, and second language acquisition students view their conditions of learning gives additional insight about school improvement.

Until recently educators were expected to provide all the knowledge students would need to ensure their future. However, the Internet has altered conditions of learning in ways that motivate students to be more self-directed and less dependent on direct instruction. Neuroscience discoveries about brain functioning also urge schools to adopt thinking as an aspect of core curriculum. Students who acquire thinking skills needed to locate information, process and organize data, generate creative and practical ideas, communicate with all age groups, and collaborate can adapt to technology change and social evolution. Encouraging adolescents to choose some goals they pursue respects their need for autonomy. Recognizing the need to amend certain goals is important so a person knows when change in personal direction is warranted. Exploring careers in a low risk setting motivates realistic aspirations and helps students to shape their future. Employer expectations for teamwork require attention. Performing well in groups including peer and self-evaluation yields productive thinking and is conducive to mental health. The intended audience for this book is college students preparing to become teachers in preschool, elementary or secondary education. The book describes ways schools and families can support higher order thinking during childhood and adolescence. Learning that occurs outside school is ignored by tests that reflect only classroom lessons. New instruments that measure thinking are needed to enable transformation of school goals and evaluation of student progress. Shifting to a dual emphasis on thinking and learning is a challenge for teachers of all grade levels.

The dangers of age segregation and the benefits of age integration are examined. Each generation should be recognized as an essential source for learning. Harmony will increasingly depend on general awareness of how other age groups interpret events, respect for values that guide their behavior, responsiveness to their needs and concerns, consideration of their criticisms and solutions, and acknowledgement of their contributions. This book describes: (a) personality assets and mental abilities to focus learning at each stage of development; (b) obstacles to anticipate and overcome; (c) a rationale to make reciprocal learning common; (d) research findings which identify generational learning needs; and (e) benefits of providing lifelong education. Six stages are explored: infancy and early childhood (birth-age 6); middle and later childhood (ages 6-10); adolescence (ages 10-20); early adulthood (ages 20-40); middle adulthood (ages 40-60); and older adulthood (age 60+). Some outcomes of lifelong learning include self-control, patience, integrity, resilience, persistence, problem solving ability, acceptance of criticism, and generativity. The intended audiences for this book are professionals working with individuals and families.

A volume in Lifespan Learning The communication and technology revolution presents each age group of adults with new expectations for learning. This book describes how education for young adults (20 to 40 years of age), persons of middle age (40 to 60 years of age) and older adults (age 60 +) can be differentiated to fulfill changing role demands emerging in response to social transformation. Developmental tasks for a society of longevity are defined including why youth should be seen as essential sources of learning for adults. Themes for each generation are school, work, family, and personal identity. The way to ensure consideration of cultural evolution and cultural preservation is for intergenerational communication to become a common obligation. Reliance on age-segregated communication is popular and comfortable because peer conversations have greater agreement and less uncertainty. However, this practice prevents reflection on views regarded as important by other age groups. When greater amounts of time are devoted to intergenerational dialogue, the usual outcomes are reciprocal learning, mutual respect, and harmony. This book identifies and elaborates the conditions of learning needed to motivate an age-integrated society. This book is for several audiences. Faculty and students studying development will find insights on learning at successive ages. Counselors will learn about client needs across the full age range of adulthood. Social service providers will recognize transition in family relationships. Nurses and administrators will discover ways to help assisted living residents maintain mental abilities and build social networks. General readers will understand ways to improve life for relatives, friends, co-workers, and themselves.