The Difference Between a ‘GradeCraft Learner’ and an ‘Old School Learner’

I graduated from high school in 1985, when we had two extremely basic computers in a side closet next to the main office that no one really used. There were no cell phones, and answering machines were how you knew if a friend wanted to get ahold of you. My daughter is graduating from high school this year, Class of 2017. We were talking about the GradeCraft system of grading, where you start at 0 and earn your way up vs. the way I was raised, starting with an A, and trying to keep your grade. My daughter was very excited and connected right away with the GradeCraft system, mostly when I said that what you earn, you cannot lose. She debated me for quite a while that my ‘old school way of thinking’ didn’t motivate as much as this new thinking, and that it was like when she played video games. This made me realize that the Net-Gen is really tuned in to technology, motivation and learning as one connection, and I am going to have to adjust my thinking and teaching as I move back into this profession. These two images are my comparison of myself and my daughter, where technology and learning styles are concerned. This is not always a bad thing, as I think traditional systems are a very good way to learn, and I have taught her in these methods, but I do believe that moving into the forward thinking technology age is appropriate for my teaching (and my mothering!).