Wow! I was actually pretty shocked at my score of 72. Although I spend a fair amount time learning and using technology, I related don't consider myself millenial. Hey, I only missed it by one, so I'm going with it. I sent my husband to the website to take the quiz and discovered I'm married to my grandfather! He scored 13 points. I found that hilarious. I will expound a bit on the Frand's 10 characteristics of the information-age mind set:
1. Computers are not technology. Yes they are. I'm sorry, but I do feel that computers are a rapidly changing form of technology. Computers make our everyday lives easier and more enjoyable in a multitude of ways; from our cars, to our thermostats in our homes, to this little box I'm typing on right now.
2. Internet better than TV. I totally agree with this one. I find myself watching less and less TV all the time. I much prefer the hands on interaction on the computer. I feel like I am at least using my brain when I'm searching for information or playing word or number games with other people. Its enjoyable and relaxing, but I don't feel like a vegetable like when sitting in front of the TV.
3. Reality no longer real. I don't mean to sound cynical here, but my father also used to say "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." As with all things, the human mind has to be what decides truth from deception and reality from fantasy or fiction. Check your resources and keep everything in context.
4. Doing better than knowing. I'm kind of in the middle on this one. Yes, I definitely like the hands on approach, but I also think there are some things in life that you just need to "know." Some things just need to be accepted on faith.
5. Nintendo over logic. Ha ha. I hate to admit it, but I am still more logic driven. I still cringe when I'm not able to get something done on the computer and I have to start experimenting. I just know that I'm going to push a button that is going to crash the whole thing and I'll lose all my precious information. That being said, I am getting better; especially with smaller gadgets like my smart phone, Kindle and my i-pad from school. I am much more Nintendo like when using those devices.
6. Multitasking way of life. I see this everyday at school in my students and in my son, and I also see it in me to a certain extent. I find that I can concentrate on many different things at once and get by with a reasonable margin of error on everything. Therein lies the problem with this way of life. It tends to make for shallow knowledge bases, and heaven forbid, shallow people. There are also some things you just don't multitask at. i.e. driving while texting!!!!!
7.Typing rather than handwriting. I would much rather type something than write it out. It is faster and easier to read. In my professional life, it is just plain more professional and expected. I am not bothered by notes and such that come to me typed instead of hand written. If someone is taking the time to type a note, they took the time and caring to do it. Thats what counts. They obviously care or they would have done nothing. :)
8. Staying Connected. This one kind of makes me laugh. I like being connected when I want to be connected. I am guilty of turning my phone off sometimes simply because I don't want to be bothered at the moment. On the other hand, if I can't reach my husband the first time I call his cell phone, I find myself getting irritated. I know, its a double standard. Gee, I hope he doesn't read this. Staying connected is good in the fact that important information is not missed and time, money and worry can be saved. I have to say though, a little "alone" time now and then feels pretty good too.
9.Zero tolerance for delays. I didn't have patients before cell phones and i-pads and I have even less now. Enough said.
10.Consumer/Creator blurring. Oh my! As a high school teacher, I get comments quite similar to those stated by the author about simply putting in a link or cutting and pasting information from an article. I can't tell you how many plagiarism talks I have during every nonfiction or technical writing assignment I give. Also, due to the overwhelming amount of material out there, its almost impossible to know if its really your student's work or not. I suppose this is just one of those lessons we have to keep working on and push the ethical implications.
Some of the NETS addressed here are: 4a-c; Promote and Model Digital citizenship and Responsibility. Also, number 5, Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. By taking a look at ourselves first, we can see where our strengths lie and where we need the most work. Continued learning is part of teaching. I am always open to good knowledge.
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