Millennials are the American teens and twenty-somethings who are making the passage into adulthood at the start of a new millennium.
Here is a millennial survey that I took to determine my millennial score. According to the survey - my millennial score is 98.
Having such a high millennial score is good for my future students, as many of my students will most likely also have high millennial scores. Computer, communication, and information technology are just getting more and more useful and valued. Being able to teach my students how to use these things to their best ability will be helpful to their future.
Frand gives ten attributes of the “information-age mindset.” The first four relate to broad observations of change, three address how people do things, and the last three are subliminal needs conditioned by the cyber age.
1. Computers Aren’t Technology - Technology, to the information-age generation, is everything that surrounds computers and is made possible by computers but only incidentally the computers themselves. Young people naturally gravitate to these kinds of interactive, input/output devices. They make the devices work without a manual, without the instruction set, as if the device is hardwired into their psyche.
· Seeing as how I completed this entire assignment on my brand new IPAD2, that I just had to have as soon as I could afford it, I would say that computers aren't technology to me. I have had a computer all of my life, as far back as I can remember. I have always been a whiz at computers and the Internet - as if my mind was programmed to be able to do technological things.
2. Internet Better Than TV - During 1998, for the first time since television was introduced fifty years ago, the number of hours young people spent watching TV decreased. This time was transferred to the computer, with its Internet connectivity.
· I do spend lots of time on the Internet. I even watch TV shows and movies on the Internet instead of a TV most of the time. When I do watch TV it is "TiVo" TV so that I can watch what I want when it is convenient.
3. Reality No Longer Real - We have entered a period of such advanced data-manipulation capability that photography can no longer be trusted.
· I understand that not all things you see and hear a real. That's not to say I haven't fallen for an "unreal" email a time or two, it happens. It is extremely easy for people to create fake identities and such with the various social networks or email.
4. Doing Rather Than Knowing - Today we live in a world in which digital technologies have altered time and space so that events occur in real time, effects are immediate, and reaction times are cut short. In many disciplines, the half-life of information is measured in months and years. From this perspective, what a person can do is more important than what degree they obtained. The ability to deal with complex and often ambiguous information will be more important than simply knowing a lot of facts or having an accumulation of knowledge.
· I feel as though I know a good bit of information. I have a hi school diploma, a bachelor’s degree, and am working on a master’s degree, however, what is more important to my future is knowing how and where to find various knowledge. I agree with the fact that It is more important to do than it is to know.
5. Nintendo over Logic - The key to winning in Nintendo is constant, persistent trial-and-error to discover the hidden doors. The fastest way to winning is through losing, since each loss is a learning experience. It’s no wonder manuals or instruction sets aren’t used by today’s students—they aren’t needed. When handed a digital gadget, these students turn it on, push the buttons, and try the knobs. A balance is needed between didactic and discovery approaches.
· I believe that I have a bit of a balance between the two even though I typically lean more towards discovery and trial and error first. I work with trial and error until it doesn't work, then I go to the manual or instructions.
6. Multitasking Way of Life - Many young people today are accustomed to watching TV, talking on the phone, doing homework, eating, and interacting with their parents all at the same time. They don’t concentrate on one activity at a time.
· I am 125% guilty of multitasking to the extent that I am not paying enough attention to one activity in particular. I can do homework, laundry, text, Skype, eat, and wash the dishes all at the same time, well maybe not, but I can definitely do many things at once and definitely do all the time.
7. Typing Rather Than Handwriting - The hundreds of hours previous generations spent practicing penmanship were spent by my generation as well as those younger than me, at the keyboard. And maybe even more important, typed prose is always easy to read, even weeks after being typed; it can be checked for spelling errors, searched for key words, retrieved after filing, and easily manipulated for reuse.
· I love writing handwritten things, like lecture notes, homework, and personal letters and cards, but it seems, in this day in age that typing is the way to go. With all of its benefits like spell check and being able to manipulate it for reuse. I type pretty much everything now, especially since all of my education classes are online.
8. Staying Connected - Advanced telecommunication connectivity is a natural part of living for information-age students. Beepers, cell phones, and PDAs are standard operating equipment. The idea of not being in touch anyplace, anytime—even in the middle of a classroom or a movie theater—is unthinkable.
· I am constantly attached to my cell phone and now my ipad2. I text 24 hours a day and make cell phone calls as well as Skype & Face Time calls. I am always connected and feel lost when I am not.
9. Zero Tolerance for Delays - It is human nature to want the immediate gratification of our desires, not just physical but informational as well. Having grown up with automatic teller machines, information-age students expect banking services 24/7. Voice mail and e-mail are more efficient and less formal, which implies “I want a quick response.” On the other hand, they create time-expansion capabilities. We can store and retrieve messages until we’re ready to reply, which also implies “at your convenience.”
· I am definitely impatient when it comes to most things. With emails, texting, and messaging systems like AIM and Skype, I have learned that if I want a quick response, which type of messaging I can use. Delays just aggravate me. If I have to wait for information I usually try my hardest to try to work around whatever I am waiting on and find another source for it.
10. Consumer/Creator Blurring - In today’s parlance, there is no distinction between the owner, the creator, and the user of information.
· We are asked to use others work to complete various assignments for college. We, however, must cite where they came from so that we are not stealing someone's knowledge and works. I understand the blur. Both as a student and as a teacher, it is something we must watch out for so to ensure that plagiarism isn't occurring.
I am a Millennial of the information-age. I believe it is important to be up-to-date when it comes to technology and information. I think that seems to be what people are striving for, to be more tech savvy. The lack of an information age mind set could spell doom for us. If teachers continue to teach in the same way that they have always taught, there will be little value added from classroom and campus networks. Until the nature of the educational relationships change in the classroom and at the institutional level, we will not realize the full value of the computer, communication, and information technology investments that we are making today. We need to think in terms of transforming the educational experience so that it is meaningful to the information-age learner.
I had my mom take the test to see how her scores vary. Birthdate speaking, I am a "Millennial" and she is a "Baby Boomer." Before quizzing though, I would rank her more as a "Generation X.". Once she took the quiz she got - a 47, which is exactly what I thought.
Although she is age-wise grouped into “Baby Boomer” the quiz deemed her “Generation X.” I think this is because she has two kids who are Millennial and is trying to keep up.
While I was quizzing my mother, a cow-worker of hers came in and we quizzed him to, for fun. His name is Randy and he is 51.
Age wise, he should be considered a “Baby-Boomer,” however, he scored a 5! That puts him way down around “Silent.” He never has had any desire to become tech savvy – he doesn’t even own a cell phone. How interesting?!
ISTE Nets T Standard 3a, 3b, 3c. Demonstrated fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations, addressed the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. and promoted and modeled digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
