How "Millennial" am I?

     On a scale of 1 to 100, 100 being the most like a "Millennial," I scored a 63 on Pew Research Center's Millennial quiz. This is in between a "Generation X" and "Millennial." Basically, I do pose many of the qualities of a Millennial, but I would not be quite defined as a "Millennial," even though, chronologically, I am. My mother also took the quiz, and since she is a baby boomer, she received a lower score than me, a 43. Although she is still quite ahead of what I expected her to be.
     I feel, in the field of education, that this number means almost nothing. I say this because, yes students are going to show more "Millennial" characteristics the further in time I am, but I will continually grow, mature, and my score will move around the chart. Do I have a tattoo right now? Of course not, that doesn't mean I won't get one in the future. Do I read the newspaper every day right now? No, but as I grow and become more concerned with the world's daily happenings, I most likely will. All of these things and more will change my score as time goes by. So, at this stage in the game, is this score relevant? I would say no. As I grow I will learn to be more like the new generations just form experiences and going out of my way to keep up with styles.

     Frand's ten characteristics of the information-age mindset are "Computers aren't technology," "Internet better than TV," "Reality no longer real," "Doing rather than knowing," "Nintendo over logic," "Multitasking way of life," "Typing rather than handwriting," "Staying connected," "Zero tolerance for delays," and "Consumer/ Creator Blurring."
     In the computers aren't technology argument, I am to rational to not consider computers technology, the article even considers computers a technical form of technology, because technically, that's what it is. In the information-age mind set, though, people don't consider computers themselves a form of technology, but a requirement of it. I consider anything that is considered to be technology, technology. In the Internet better than TV argument, I am in it, because interacting and learning on the internet makes more sense than passively watching TV. With the reality is no longer real argument, I agree with it, and the article basically explains it in the best way, because no one can trust anyone on the internet. Doing rather than knowing, again, I agree with this, people are going out and doing things, not knowing what the consequences will be, sort of like risky decisions. Nintendo over logic explains that people live in a trial-error mindset and that the old way of experimentation is out the door. I believe many people live this way, even though I try to avoid it, I find this to be true for me as well.
     In a multitasking way of life, I feel that this is very common as well, because everyone is trying to do so many things at once, but only halfway. Typing rather than handwriting is again, true even to me, I much prefer typing, since I am a slow, sloppy writer.Staying connected is true for most everyone these days, just in different degrees. Zero tolerance for delays, I hate having to wait on things. Why? I don't know, but I hate when a plan doesn't come together and delays tend to do that. Finally, consumer/ creator blurring, these days the creators need the consumers input on products to grow into a better product and become more successful, and with so many ways to do that, it is all around us.

     What does all of this mean? For the most part, I would say I am in an information-age mindset, and that I follow along with most of the thinking in today's youth. Does not having the mindset spell doom for an educator? No, of course not, many people go through it every day. As the world grows though, and many old-fashioned teachers begin retiring and newer teachers with the mindset start in the workforce, then it will begin to spell doom. But until then, there is a mixed bag of old and new teachers doing both old and new things in their classrooms, and that is all right.