The "selfie generation?"

There is a lot to like here (possibly behind a paywall now). If more universities are attempting to change curricula so that they better connect with students' lives, yea for them. But...

(1) "Selfie generation?" Really? I'm not a millennial and I'm pissed off for them. It seems pejorative and about a breath away from yelling at those kids to stay off your lawn. I also doubt that students today are any more "me-centric" than the generations before them were at 18 years old. Hell, I'm in my 30s and I'm blogging and tweeting, which on the narcissistic scale is somewhere just below looking at your reflection in every window you walk by.

(2) The article has a lot of non-millennials talking about what this generation wants and needs in a curriculum. Speaking for others is always fun, and guessing what others want is good sport, too, but maybe somebody should actually talk to students about what they want and need. There is surprisingly little of that here. The older I get the more I realize that I suck at guessing what students want. It's much easier to just ask. (Though, of course, they might not answer. Yes, I'm talking to you.)

(3) My guess (see, it's fun) is that the changes these universities are making are for the better, but mainly because they are taking the time to think about the curriculum at all and to make thoughtful changes. I'd guess it doesn't have much to do with some revelation that kids these days are so me-centric. Curricula get stale. They need to be rethought and revised from time to time. This needs to happen even if the next generation happens to be incredibly other-centric.

(4) On a less critical note, this seems absolutely right to me:

Some curricular experts note that students' professional preparation, academic training, and personal development need not be separated as much as they often are.

Part of what we're trying to do with Collo is help connect all of these dots. Easier said than done.

So I'm on board in general with rethinking the curriculum along the lines suggested here, but I doubt that this has much at all to do with the unique needs of this generation. These students need what all students need--a curriculum that makes sense and teachers who can teach it effectively.