The TED talk by Michael Wesch, "Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able" was humourous and right on point. I wholeheartedly agree with Wesch's assertions about the potentials of technology today, and the catch-up game that the education industry has been playing or avoiding for the last few decades.
Wesch points out that "literally there is something in the air," and that "something" is everything ever recorded in all of human history. It is absurd to continue to operate schools as if the teacher is the holder of all the content.
Wesch's example of the Dove rebuttal video that went viral and actually effected real change in the world, is a great example of just how easily our students can make real things happen if given the opportunity. Imagine the learning that takes place when they are working for real audiences, and know that they may have a real time effect.
I do appreciate that Wesch makes a distinction between the fact that the technology is "ridiculously easily" while the skills are not so much. In the article we read about Twitter it discusses how hard it is to effectively "teach" these skills, and students have to really use them to "get" them.
I could see myself using his idea to use accessible, real world problems, specifically ones there are no answers for. I think it's really powerful to teach kids the answer isn't always the end game, and that sometimes the journey to the answer causes more questions and that is totally okay. I can only imagine the empowerment my students would feel if they, incarcerated kids that may have given up on, could affect real change and make a difference.
Wesch points out that "literally there is something in the air," and that "something" is everything ever recorded in all of human history. It is absurd to continue to operate schools as if the teacher is the holder of all the content.
Wesch's example of the Dove rebuttal video that went viral and actually effected real change in the world, is a great example of just how easily our students can make real things happen if given the opportunity. Imagine the learning that takes place when they are working for real audiences, and know that they may have a real time effect.
I do appreciate that Wesch makes a distinction between the fact that the technology is "ridiculously easily" while the skills are not so much. In the article we read about Twitter it discusses how hard it is to effectively "teach" these skills, and students have to really use them to "get" them.
I could see myself using his idea to use accessible, real world problems, specifically ones there are no answers for. I think it's really powerful to teach kids the answer isn't always the end game, and that sometimes the journey to the answer causes more questions and that is totally okay. I can only imagine the empowerment my students would feel if they, incarcerated kids that may have given up on, could affect real change and make a difference.