According to Jason L. Frand who published The Information-Age Mindset, there are 10 characteristics:
Four related to change
“Computers Aren’t Technology”
“Internet Better Than TV”
“Reality No Longer Real”
“Doing Rather Than Knowing”
Three that address how people do things
"Nintendo Over Logic"
"Multitasking Way of Life"
"Typing Rather Than Handwriting"
Last three are subliminal needs conditioned by the cyber-age
“Staying Connected”
“Zero Tolerance for Delays”
“Consumer/Creator Blurring”
My thoughts on each of the characteristics are as follows:
I feel that computers are technology and even if they wouldn't have been around when I was born I would still consider them as technology, as they are used as technology. Is internet better than tv? According to the article since the internet has came about and evolved the number of tv viewers has declined due to the internet being more interactive to which I understand this point. The article also talks about the validity of information when you search for it on the internet that has more unvalidated and passed off facts versus that of written facts that are on the television. The aspect that reality is no longer real, having the knowledge that something is original is hard for us to do now. As the article refers to the data manipulation technology that is now used it is hard to distinguish what is real and what isn't real. An example that is used in the article is when you receive an e-mail message from someone is it "real?" In the sense that the person sending it is who they claim to be and is the content accurate. I agree with this statement that it is hard to determine what really is reality with the advancements of the digital age. The last characteristic that is related to broad observation of change is "doing rather than knowing." With the world we live where digital technologies have altered time, so that now events occur in real time the effects are now immediate and the reaction times are cut short. The ability of people to deal with complex information will be more important than knowing the facts. With the information-age of today when given something new instead of looking at the manual first they take it and try to figure it out through trial and error and doing it constantly until it is figured out, just like a Nintendo game. According to the article the repetitive trial and error experiment shouldn't be the only approach to figuring something out, that there are times when using logic and reading the manual first is the best approach, which I do agree with. According to the article many of today's young people are able to do multiple tasks all at once and don't just concentrate on one activity at at time. I myself multitask, my job requires me to multitask and while I am at home I multitask as well. School-aged children also multitask in the aspect where they need to listen to the teacher lecture and be able to take notes. For one to focus on only one task for a period of time is a luxury. I agree with this article in the way that most jobs require one to have the ability to multitask and it is nice when you have the time to only focus on one aspect of your job instead of all 4 or 5. Is typing preferred over hand-writing? For people of the information-age mindset typing is the preferred method, as it is easier to proof read and it will always be legible. By using the word processor when you put down an idea it can be expanded, taken apart and reassembled in a more meaningful way. Also, with the use of spreadsheet applications we are enabled to create models to evaluate situations and solve problems. I too feel that it is more personable when you hand-write a thank you note instead of typing one up. In the school system, I can see that the times have changed from when I was in school there was more time spent on handwriting than there is now within the schools. As technology has developed myself and I am sure other people have a "Zero tolerance for delays." With the way that information is readily available and e-mails can be received on phones, everyone, including myself don't want to have to wait for a response. We feel that it should be available to us in a very timely fashion. The last characteristic Frand listed is "Consumer/Creator Blurring," which enables the consumer to have an input in to the product, so that the product may have a better outcome.
Reflecting on the ISTE.NETS-T standard, teachers will need to develop, design and evaluate original learning experiences and assessment (2 a,b,c,d).
The educators will be faced with a new challenge, of incorporating the information-age mindset of the the learners into the educational programs so that they continue to learn. Teacher's must make it their goal/priority to make the use of technology inside the classroom match the content, teacher's style and the way the student(s) learn.
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