Teens have always thought that adults just don't understand them.  Today's teens are growing up in a world which is so totally different than what we adults had, this age-old truism may be an even bigger divide today than ever.  I spend quite a bit of time interacting with students, teachers, administrators and parents and being charged with technology leadership in the district, my conversations are always about this difference.  The struggle to understand and connect is at the core of these conversations and sometimes I find it helpful to use an old language arts activity to bridge the gap: similes.  By comparing something you don't understand with something you do, it is possible to gain an insight that you would otherwise miss.  Here are a few I've recently come across in speaking today's youth:

"Not having text messaging today is like growing up without a bike in the 20th Century."  For us, the bicycle was the means of socialization.  If you had a bike, you could meetup with your friends and participate...

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I just got a tip that the next TIMMS (Trends in International Mathmatics and Science Study) report is due out next week and will tell some compelling stories...

On our visit to China last spring, we stopped at a beautiful high school in Tianjin city.  This blog posting is for our friends at Haihe High School!