Most people don't need research to tell them that there is a valid difference between a typical 20, 45 and 70 year old person, but the reasons why they are different is what was so interesting in this article. One of the statements from this site was that "young people may be different from older people today, but they will become more like them tomorrow". This was an interesting viewpoint in that it connects everyone of every age and reminds the younger generation that at some point in their life they will reach that older generations age.
There was a quiz available on this site to take and see how "millennial" you are. I scored a 93 on their quiz, showing that I have a tendency to be confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat, open to change, less religious than the older generation and on track to become highly educated.
http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/how-millennial-are-you/results/
I agree to an extent to the results of the quiz (especially since I answered the questions honestly and it calculated a result) but I do not feel like this defines me or my generation. As I continue with this course, I will be further along in my process of becoming a teacher of students with special needs. Taking into consideration that I am "millennial" I believe that it will incorporate into my teaching style and how I approach my students. Although I am not currently involved in a classroom in which I can discuss this topic with them, I would like to believe in my ideal classroom that I will incorporate modern technology, discuss their challenges and interests and make my lessons meaningful and relatable to my students everyday life.
Frand's list of 10 characteristics of the information-age mindset are as follows:
- Computers are not technology but a given. … (Students) make the devices work without a manual, without an instruction set.
- The Internet is better than TV … Many of our students do believe that everything they need to know is on the Web and it's free.
- Reality is no longer real. (e-mail authorship and even photographs can be manipulated).
- Doing is more important than learning … In many disciplines, the half-life of information is measured in months and years…. As our students enter the workforce, 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."
- Nintendo over logic. (Rephrased by Oblinger: "Nintendo symbolizes a trial and error approach to solving problems.")
- Typing rather than handwriting.
- Multitasking way of life.
- Staying connected.
- Zero tolerance for delays.
- Consumer/ creator blurring. In a cut and paste world, distinctions between creator, owner, and consumer of information are fading. "
1. Computers are a given in my personal and professional life. It is not something that I feel I need to follow directions to use. It is a part of my social, educational and professional daily progressions and I know I will continue to stay updated on computer usage and new technology.
2. The internet IS better than TV! I use Netflix for any show or movie that I actually want to watch or Hulu and connect my computer directly to my TV to watch it! If I want to do research on anything I immediately go to google.
3. Reality is no longer real-at least as depicted on TV. I believe that every show is edited and comprised specifically for audience attention and drama.
4. This is not a very specific characteristic and I think it is not clearly written. However, I am a hands-on learner and I prefer performing a task a few times in order to master it instead of reading about a task in a book.
5. Video games are not a part of my every day life, but I do play games on my Iphone and will continue to play levels until I master it.
6. Typing is 10x faster for me than writing with a pen. If I have to write something longer than a page it will immediately be typed on a computer.
7. Multitasking! What 20 something year old do you know that does not study with the TV, music playing and internet on? I take breaks during studying to check facebook, twitter, instagram.. ect! As I am typing this I am watching Alaska State Troopers on tv and have water boiling to make lunch... multitasking is a huge part of our lives and I think we get frustrated when the older generation cannot do so.
8. Staying connected- every morning I wake up I check my phone for the time. That will show me if I have any messages or notifications. I will check all of my social media outlets first thing to see if anything interesting catches my eye and then will update my own profiles! (sad, but true!)
9. Delays... impatience! I have been told I am the most impatient person my family knows- this is probably true. I have specifically noticed that in my hometown outside DC everything goes FAST! If a car hasn't gunned it as soon as a light turns green then you have a line of cars honking immediately.. restaurants go at a warped speed.. and then I moved to Fairmont. In my opinion, one of the slowest moving areas.. cars go slow, restaurants move slow, people even talk slower! SO FUSTRATING!
10. Taking credit for others thoughts, pictures, ideas and motivations is so easy. Cut, paste, post. You have now taken credit for whatever you want to without taking responsibility for correctly citing the source.
References
Frand, J. (2000). The information-age mindset: Changes in students and implications for higher education. EDUCAUSE Review. September/October15-24. Retreived December 21, 2011
Madrigal, O. & Schreiber, D. (2011). Student Information-Age Mindset: A Key to Success in Distance Learning Courses. International Journal on E-Learning, 10(3), 277-310. Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/33128.
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