We all know, in theory, that the times are changing, and with each new generation of students there will be changes in educational curriculum, approach, and learning tools.
But just like how hard it can be to do the math to figure out how long ago we graduated from high school, it can be really hard to swallow the fact that school looks so incredibly different for students now than it did for Millennials and Gen-Xers.
TikToker @ms_d_math sat down with one of her colleagues, who is also a Millennial math teacher at the middle school where they work, to reflect on how different their students' school experience looks than when they were students themselves.
TikToker @ms_d_math introduced their project as:
"This is a list of things that were normal when we were in middle school but would completely make you guys [Gen Z and Gen Alpha] crash out."
Her colleague added:
"Spiral!"
The pair shared a few items that were not all that surprising, given technological advancement and the demands that arose because of the pandemic.
For example, students are now given the opportunity to rent out a laptop or tablet at the beginning of the school year and only need to return it at the end of the year, unlike the class-sized set of laptops Millennials had to share and return at the end of the class period in which they were needed, or the setup of desktop computers in a designated computer lab. Because of laptop and tablet availability, computer labs are no longer needed.
However, a less expected change is that most students don't have textbooks anymore. All of their educational materials are available online, often including novels that they might read for their English classes.
Most of their homework is done online, as well, so they don't have to worry about forgetting the textbook they need at school, and they can also check their answers online, instead of Millennials hoping they got the right answer or checking their answers in the back of their textbooks.
A few very Millennial-coded items have mostly disappeared from the classroom, as well, including Scantron tests and Little Blue Books for tests, the ELMO (Electric Light Machine Organization) projector we used to take notes from, and the large tube television on a rolling cart that promised a relaxed day in the classroom.
You can watch the video here:
Fellow TikTokers were shocked by the items that aren't used in the classroom anymore.
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
@ms_d_math/TikTok
The response was so extensive, the pair of teachers got together again to share more.
They first confirmed some of the things their students didn't use anymore, like physical textbooks, the Scantron, and the ELMO, because of the use of their laptops.
Their students also do not have to participate in summer school anymore if they fall behind in their studies or are unsuccessful in a class, they don't have to change clothes for gym class, and they can complete their SATs and ACTs online instead of in person and on paper.
You can watch the second video here:
It's mind-boggling to think about how much the education system has changed, mostly because of the extreme importance that teachers placed on these educational tools while Millennials were going to school.
