Meet Generation Z. They are your current students (born in the mid-90s). While I don’t like to generalize, compared to previous generations, they are pretty impressive in terms of their willingness to challenge the status quo. If the author of this article‘s observations are accurate, many are driven by having a purpose and want to make their mark on the world. But we don’t need to take Ms. Levit’s word for it. Just look at what a group of our own 4th graders in Michael Ginsburg’s class hope to accomplish–to find a way to restore sight to the visually impaired through contact lenses that connect directly to the optic nerve with nanotechnology. And now, they are one of six teams in the country left vying for the NSTA/Toshiba Exploravision Awards national championship.

If the Gen Z profile in the article linked at the top of this post is accurate, Gen Zers are counting on us to deliver learning experiences that equip them with the skills they’ll need to contribute to society, engage in complex global issues, and make ethical, responsible decisions while they persevere when tackling tough problems. In other words, while fostering content skills, we may need to focus more on these.