Several questions are posed in relation to technology not just being an age related phenomenon. Ask yourself and answer the following:
1) Are you more comfortable composing documents online than longhand?
I am definitely more comfortable composing documents online than longhand; I don’t even remember when I last wrote a document out longhand. I believe I’ve been composing documents on a word processing tool since third grade. One of the great things about composing documents online is the ability to edit your document as you go. No more cross outs, spaghetti maps of arrows to new edits, and eraser smears! Also, having a spell checker and a grammar checker guide you as you type is a must-have tool that no one should live without!
2) Have you turned your “remembering” (phone numbers, meetings, and so on) over to a technology device?
Most d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y! I absolutely could not live without my Google calendar. Google got it right with this app! I have at least five Google calendars that help me track everything from my schedule, Danielle’s school/band schedule, when our bills should be paid, insurance claim information, to football games. It’s awesome! I just hope Google never decides to hang up their calendar app. My iPhone contains all my contacts with detailed notes including related websites, email addresses, and such. I can also link contacts with other contacts by a relationship! Also, because we have a teenager in the house, my memory is not as superb as it used to be. To help with this, I have downloaded an app that alerts/reminds me to take my pills or remind others to take theirs, give our kitty medicine, when to perform maintenance on various appliances in the house, when to check various accounts, and there’s even a reminder to check when a particular seasonal beer hits the shelf. Again, awesome! I definitely rely on all these apps to get me through my day! And thank goodness for backups to the iCloud! Heh, technology is great!
3) Do you go to meetings with your laptop, iPad, or tablet?
If I had a laptop at my last job, then I would have attended meetings with it when necessary. Most of the company had desktops, but those who had laptops did attend meetings with them. This was beneficial to the Business Analysts because it allowed them to edit their requirements document during the meeting or update meeting notes, etc. Also, if the laptop is hooked up to a projector, the meeting attendees have the benefit of seeing the presentation on a screen. This is extremely helpful when walking through a new application or new functionality of an application. Laptops and other devices did become annoying in meetings when people would pay more attention to them than to the business at hand.
4) Are you constantly connected? Is the Internet always on whether you are at home or work? Is your cell phone always with you?
Yes, our computer is always on and the internet is always up and ready to go. And, now, since I have an iPhone, I am also constantly connected when on-the-go.
5) How many different activities can you effectively engage in at one time?
Well, that’s a matter of opinion and also depends on my definition of effective. I think we might be able to do one or maybe two things effectively at a time even though we try to do three, four, or even more. At times, I catch myself switching between work, reading through personal emails, updating or adding event(s) to my Google calendar, checking various account(s), and googling various topics that have come up in past conversations or popped into my head. But, in the end, the primary thing I should be effectively working on is probably not getting as much attention as it should.
6) Do you play video or computer games?
I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a gamer, but I definitely like video games. I go through spurts of playing our Wii. I really enjoy it when I am playing and can play for hours. I’m quite good at most of the games we have and rock at Super Mario Bros!
7) What generational category do you fall in or are you a mixture of a few?
I fall on the later end of the Generation X generational category, but because of my indoctrination to technology at such a young age, I think I possess some of the Net Generation’s characteristics as well. When it comes to the Generation X characteristics, I definitely find myself being independent and skeptical and wanting to have a work-life balance. As pointed out before, I definitely attempt to multitask on a daily basis in an effort to complete my tasks sooner. I enjoy freedom and definitely dislike hype. As for the Net Generation’s characteristics, I would definitely say I’m determined. I’m probably not up with the latest technology as much as the Net Generation, but I am also not afraid to jump on the bandwagon when need be. Since I am a skeptic, I can’t say I’m extremely hopeful. And while I like some things to be fast paced, I wish the world would slow down a bit.
I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a gamer, but I definitely like video games. I go through spurts of playing our Wii. I really enjoy it when I am playing and can play for hours. I’m quite good at most of the games we have and rock at Super Mario Bros!
7) What generational category do you fall in or are you a mixture of a few?
I fall on the later end of the Generation X generational category, but because of my indoctrination to technology at such a young age, I think I possess some of the Net Generation’s characteristics as well. When it comes to the Generation X characteristics, I definitely find myself being independent and skeptical and wanting to have a work-life balance. As pointed out before, I definitely attempt to multitask on a daily basis in an effort to complete my tasks sooner. I enjoy freedom and definitely dislike hype. As for the Net Generation’s characteristics, I would definitely say I’m determined. I’m probably not up with the latest technology as much as the Net Generation, but I am also not afraid to jump on the bandwagon when need be. Since I am a skeptic, I can’t say I’m extremely hopeful. And while I like some things to be fast paced, I wish the world would slow down a bit.
The article 'Is it Age or IT: First Steps Toward Understanding the Net Generation' focused on implications primarily for higher education; however, the characteristics for the Net Generation remain true for students in K-12. What and how do we need to change?
I believe we, as teachers and adults, need to adapt cautiously to our student’s and children’s learning needs. I mention the word cautiously because everyone is different. We can’t just teach with the most popular method(s) students indicate on a poll. Each of us is different and no one fits into a mold perfectly. So even though you might have been born between the years 1965 and 1982, you might not fit the Generation X mold perfectly just like I do not. We all have traits that span widely between categories researchers have tried to quantify. However, we need to change with the times, be our own researchers of our classroom, come to conclusions about our students’ learning skills and methods, and adapt. We should rotate through various classroom structures, have individual vs. group projects, allow the students to define how they want to carry out a project, work problems out by long hand and via technology, teach with pictorial slides vs. writing on the board, etc. The world will always be made up of a mixture of people, personalities, and generations. We can’t just throw out the traditional ways of doing things because we all have to work and adapt to one another at some time in our lives.
I believe we, as teachers and adults, need to adapt cautiously to our student’s and children’s learning needs. I mention the word cautiously because everyone is different. We can’t just teach with the most popular method(s) students indicate on a poll. Each of us is different and no one fits into a mold perfectly. So even though you might have been born between the years 1965 and 1982, you might not fit the Generation X mold perfectly just like I do not. We all have traits that span widely between categories researchers have tried to quantify. However, we need to change with the times, be our own researchers of our classroom, come to conclusions about our students’ learning skills and methods, and adapt. We should rotate through various classroom structures, have individual vs. group projects, allow the students to define how they want to carry out a project, work problems out by long hand and via technology, teach with pictorial slides vs. writing on the board, etc. The world will always be made up of a mixture of people, personalities, and generations. We can’t just throw out the traditional ways of doing things because we all have to work and adapt to one another at some time in our lives.
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