Teaching the Millennial Generation

With each new generation, pedagogues must take stock of their teaching strategies in terms of effectiveness and relevance. As we take on the education of the "Millennial Generation," those students born between 1982-2002, it is incredibly clear that the educational landscape has changed. These are students who have never known life without the Internet. Cell phones are readily available and do much more than serve as a verbal communication tool. MP3 players are in the hands of all. Text messaging and online social sites are the choice means of communication. For those of us in other generations, some of the above terms may be as foreign as another language. While it is important to understand our students' technology-driven lives and adapt our teaching to enhance their learning, how much is too much? Are the time-tested methods of educating still relevant or do they not keep up with our multitasking students? How do we teach music, especially acoustic instruments, to students who are surrounded by electronics? To answer these questions, we must answer one question first: Who are the "Millennials"?