THINKING DIFFERENTLY, DOING DIFFERENTLY -- WESCH

I had seen all three of these videos before, but it was good to see them again and watch more carefully, as well as think of how to update them (a little) for today.

VIDEOS: "THE MACHINE IS USING US" & "TODAY'S STUDENT"

Once when I was talking to teens about the internet, I blurted out: "The digital revolution is bigger than Gutenberg!" To my surprise, not only did these young people--who had grown up with internet--immediately get what I was saying, they grinned happily and nodded their heads in eager agreement.

I think this is what "The Machine Is Using Us" is trying to point out. We went from static words on paper--anchored to a physical location--to hypertext and totally non-location-specific, interactive and collaborative or "flexible" text almost over night. I suppose what always astounds me is how creatively the average person uses technology. How many different apps with so many different uses there can be. Once the realm of nerds, everyone can be a nerd today. And we can just lose ourselves in this vast universe (and never lift our heads up from our devices) if we're not intentional. Because, truly, we know have the world in our pockets and at our fingertips. Whole libraries of free scanned books, endless videos, films, encyclopedic information. Google Earth. And how are parents and adults going to model optimum use of new media and optimum balance of virtual and actual reality? Here's a great article that reflects some of the best in today's Media Literacy thinking:
http://www.thestar.com/life/parent/2015/01/19/kids-must-learn-to-control-their-own-screen-time.html

Of course, there is no machine. It's just human coders creating algorithms that can be both incredibly helpful and incredibly restricting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s

It seems some of the questions might be: Do we really need ALL this content online? How do we weed through the dross to what's truly best, useful, necessary? So many blogs, news outlets, opinions, "likes," "shares"--so little time! The one factoid I remembered most from seeing this video the first time was the students' signs: "There are 27.6 hours in my day." "I multi-task because I have to."

The 24 hour news cycle barely has time to fact check, and is everything happening every hour newsworthy? It seems to me that news should be more boring. Does the news stir up more violence? More controversy today? Could we even hold the news responsible for deaths that occur due to irresponsible and sensational news reporting, for example? Can we ever just live a moment without recording it? (Like Sean Penn's character and the snow leopart in the new "Walter Mitty" movie).

Even though the video is asking: "Why isn't our education reflect how we live our daily digital lives, and even our lives right in the classroom?" I think young people also need to be asked and ask themselves: Is there another way I can live my life and use media differently? Or do I have to just use it the way everyone else is--rather addictively? Is it good that I never read a book? [Stats in 2014 are that college students only read one book a year for enjoyment.] Should the not-fully-digital world bow down to me or should I be looking at unplugging more?" Or as my friend recently asked when she posted this pic: "Are we TOO digital?"

Are we TOO digital?

VIDEO: AWARDS DINNER HONORING WESCH

The young man introducing Wesch and Wesch's own speech made me think of all the great "teacher" movies: "Dead Poets' Society," "Wide Awake," "Freedom Writers," etc. Sometimes it's hard for me to get too excited about these "innovative" teachers because--although I had a 'traditional' education in it's structure, I had amazing teachers who sparked a love for learning in me. I would have to say that they didn't have us, encourage us, or even "allow" us to ask "life questions," as Wesch seems to be able to do (and or course his university students aren't minors, either).

For me, and for most people, if something isn't pertinent to life, to my life, I'm not interested. But the challenge can be: how do I MAKE this pertinent to my life. How do I APPLY this good learning and information (that may seem like it has nothing to do with me at first) to my life? I believe that teachers need to be able to teach their students HOW to connect the dots between learning and life. Something not so easily done today (perhaps more difficult today than in times past).

The Socractic method is asking (good) questions, and it's sad that it's so novel when this actually happens in the classroom! When Wesch began talking about love (Yes! It's OK to talk about love!), it reminded me of the much-feted film "Boyhood," where Patricia Arquette's character--also a university teacher--begins talking about "attachment theory" (love) and how it is necessary for survival and the future of civilization.