Beloit College (Beloit, WI) just released its Mindset List for the Class of 2014. The list highlights the cultural touch points that distinguish this year’s freshman class, born mainly in 1992, from the rest of us dinosaurs. If you remember when Ice T (reference #24) was a rapper, and not a veteran actor on a hit TV show, then reading this list will make you feel geriatric.

Despite the fact that this author felt compelled to call for check in times at her nearby assisted-living facility, Beloit’s intention, one hopes, is not to make you feel old. The school hopes that understanding their students’ unique world view will help professors plan better lessons with cultural references that students can relate to.

Sadly, many instructors do not make any effort to incorporate current events, popular media, and real-world examples into their classes, and they disparage colleagues who do as pandering dopes. Here’s why that attitude is dead wrong:

First, faculty, you are the ambassadors of the material. The amount of relevance a student assigns to the subject matter is directly tied to how relevant they think YOU are. If you can’t draw connections between your course content and the realities of contemporary life, how can you expect them to?

Second, integrating the occasional pop culture or news reference into a lecture is a sign of respect. Yes, respect. When you demonstrate your knowledge of the events and culture touch points that influence their lives, it is the pedagogical equivalent of saying to students, “you matter.” Students are more receptive to teachers and mentors who recognize the worth of their own life experiences. In that way, students are like the rest of us.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Try adding a few video clips to your syllabus. Video is a familiar and captivating medium for members of the YouTube generation, and a simple Google or YouTube search will generally yield hundreds (or more) video results on any given topic.  We have gathered several of best web videos available for teaching college-level courses here, and paired them with teaching notes for easy adoption.

1. Make sure the clip, article, etc., is carefully tied to the lesson objective.  You are trying to help students learn better, not turn your lecture into a standup routine or variety show.

1. Don’t force it. Use contemporary references that you and your students authentically share. For example, plenty of young people watch Mad Men, and plenty of older adults watch Jersey Shore. Don’t make yourself look foolish by pretending to know something about Justin Bieber if you don’t.

Finally, find cultural ambassadors—a group of young people in your personal or professional life with whom you talk regularly and who can administer regular doses of youth culture.  The generational divide is only as vast as we allow it to be.