An updated Mindset . . .

Last August I did a post on the Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014 a reminder for professors of the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of incoming freshman.  The Mindset for the Class of 2015 is now available and once again there are many on the list of 75 that remind me of how old I am.

12. Amazon has never been just a river in South America.
13. Refer to LBJ, and they might assume you're talking about LeBron James.
23. There has never been an official Communist Party in Russia.
29. Arnold Palmer has always been a drink.
42. Electric cars have always been humming in relative silence on the road.
56. They've always wanted to be like Shaq or Kobe: Michael who?

I didn't list some that I don't even understand, that would be too embarrassing.  Though the list can be amusing, it is a reminder of the gap between my life experiences and those entering college this year.  We have the same or, perhaps even a larger gap, for many of us with those entering Kindergarten this year.  It is a reminder of the importance of making learning relevant for the student given their experience and future learning needs.  Making it relevant for me with my life experience and for others in our system might look and sound quite different than what we must do for our students.