OMG, too much has been written over the past few years about the characteristics of the millennial generation and the challenges educators face when teaching this tech- savvy, My Space-using, information-saturated generation. How do we connect with them in the classroom? What are the best ways to engage their on-demand sensibilities? How do we stop their phones buzzing from the depths of their backpacks? Many of us have reached a saturation point with articles and documentaries describing the diverse needs and the complicated lives of this particular generation of students because, in fact, all students’ lives are diverse and complicated. The possibilities and distinctiveness they bring to our classrooms reach far beyond their birthdates.

Good educators have always asked questions about who their students are, and certainly at Alverno the questions are part of an ongoing dialogue, one that includes regularly revisiting the eight abilities at the core of our curriculum and that shapes the nature of the outcomes that focus our programs and courses. Because we see Alverno’s curriculum as organic, a shifting rather than a static system, we can adjust our course content, adapt our syllabi, toss out our calendars, rethink our outcomes, well, on-demand when necessary.

In an attempt to deepen this discourse about students beyond describing their generational characteristics, I cornered a few colleagues and with my iTalk plugged into my iPod, I asked them to share, in their own words, how they see their work at Alverno changing in light of this brave new YouTube world.