Times Change

I live in a different world than my dad did when he was my age (and now for that matter). I live in a world where computers are ubiquitous. Where every house has more than one TV. Where the Internet exists...

College professors get a fresh new crew of students every year. These students come from all over the state, country and world. With different experiences among them. Some from every socio-economic, racial, and cultural background. Yet the professors don't change. That may be a good thing, but as the professors get older, they need to deal with a lot of "gaps" in the histories of their students. They must remember that students entering college this year, for instance, have never “rolled down” a car window (it's all automatic now). They must remember that for this generation of students, U2 has always been more than a spy plane. They must keep in mind that they learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcolm X from Spike Lee.

These are just a few of the reminders that the staff of Beloit College publishes each year as a reminder for instructors. They call it the Mindset list. Take a look. It might change your mindset -- even if you're not a professor.