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GLOBALISTIC by Ramsey Brookhart


: Writings from a Millennial Classroom 2008-2009

By Ramsey Brookhart

Pub Date: May 19th, 2009
ISBN: 978-1442174528

An introduction to several students who grew up around the millennium and attend a unique school for learning differences.

Brookhart, a teacher at Denver Academy, notes that older generations often label children born between 1990 and 2009 (who he dubs â€œMillenials”) as spoiled, overscheduled, collaborative and wise beyond their years. A generation raised by celebrity culture, cell phones and MySpace, these Millennials grew up immersed in technology and accustomed to the reality that their every action might be recorded or documented. The author believes that despite their negative stereotypes, Millennials are the first truly global generation and, due to their celebration of diversity, could potentially bridge the gaps among different cultures around the world. In this class-project book, several of Brookhart’s students share their learning experiences, personal histories, academic papers and creative writing. Denver Academy caters to students who, despite their intelligence, have problems in the public school system due to learning disabilities or behavioral problems such as ADHD, sensory disorders or severe dyslexia. Teachers at Denver Academy incorporate unique teaching techniques–the use of electronic multimedia tools or allowing for extra breaks–that cater to each student’s style and drastically improve their performances. The most compelling sections of the book consist of the kids’ personal stories, although their constant references to the Myers-Briggs personality test and the inclusion of typical â€œcompare and contrast” essays make their accounts sound distractingly academic at times. The editor purposely made minimal changes to the students’ writing to preserve the original spirit of their work, but the occasional misspelled word could easily be corrected without sacrificing the students’ voices. The Millennial generation, the students of Denver Academy and the teaching methods used at the school could easily be three separate books, so Globalistic sometimes struggles in presenting a cohesive collection.

Successfully captures the enthusiasm of an inspirational student body.