Clermont

So it’s not often that you are able to get just about everything you need in one place, but today I just may have.

I followed up my phone call with Summerville at Oak Park in Clermont.  It’s an assisted living community with dozens of residents.

In speaking with a program director there, they have a program there called “Bridging the Generations” where local teens and community members volunteer their time to the residents. Great part about it is that the residents are full of rich stories about the past, most of which missed their senior prom because of the Great Depression.

It is exactly what I am looking for!

I think in order to understand where we are now with technology, you have to understand your roots and what came before you.

This will truly serve that purpose in my story telling especially when I get a dialogue between the new and older generations. Who knows, there might be more in common with between the generations that we think.

I’m all set to meet with them the second day I’m on the ground there and I can’t wait to meet everyone!

The difference between generations:

But when you think about it, you are still doing the same thing!

The only change is how, when and how often.

Think about it.

So, it turns out the Lake County School District is doing EXACTLY what I’m trying to research.

The school district got a grant a couple years ago called Enhancing Education Through Technology. Some students put together this great podcast that talks about how you can learn anywhere and anyway.

Gave the school a call and talked to Kathy Halbig who is listed as the manager of Innovative Learning for Lake County Schools. Spoke to her on the phone for a bit and told her about the research we are doing and she was thrilled by the idea of getting the school and students involved. Looks like what we are doing is right up their alley.

This also got me thinking about how all this technology is creating a huge generational gap between the elders and their youngsters.

Donald Tapscott, a well-known author on the Net Generation, has said this is the first time the younger generation is getting ahead of the older generation, creating a generational lap as he calls it.

So I thought, is there anything that can be done to close this gap?

Turns out there is a retirement community called Summerville at Oak Park in Clermont that has a program called “Gapping the Generations”. Could it not be a more appropriate program?

It could be really interesting to see how these teens “unplug” themselves (sort of speak) to connect to a generation being lapped by the younger crowd.

Trying to get in touch with the program director there, looks like I missed her for the day. But tomorrow is always a new day to make those phone calls.