Beloit College Mindset list.

The Beloit College Mindset list came out this week. Find it here or find some discussion why it’s relevant here. In it teachers are reminded that most freshman this semester were born in 1992, and their cultural references differ from those of their teachers who come from different generations.

I’m struck by the following – this year’s crop of students

• have always had email and may never have written a letter and sent it “snail mail.”
• They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day (and likely don’t wear watches).
• “Go west, young college grad,” has always implied “and don’t stop until you get to Asia and learn Chinese along the way.”
• With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.
• Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.
• Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.
• Secondhand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.

NPR offers a nice and well-thought-out riposte – that the list tells us more about the people making the list than it tells us about the new crop of students.