EDSS 530 Response #2

Prompt

Watch this presentation, Learning in New Media Environments. and write a reflection (as as new blog post) based on this idea: What does this video mean for you as a person, a parent, an educator, and a leader? You can answer any or all of the ideas that apply. Please share your post on Twitter and comment on your peers' posts as well.

Reflection

Throughout the course of his presentation Mike Wesch discusses the relationship between the emergence of technology, in particular social media, and society.  Dr. Wesch begins his presentation by presenting a case study on a remote indigenous village in Papua New Guinea.  Dr. Wesch was first introduced to the culture and experience a large degree of culture shock.  The people of the village did not have formal names, settled disputes in a communal setting and lived in buildings that were not organized in a formal manner.  During the visit the indigenous village was introduced to census books and maps.  With the introduction of books and maps the village instantly began to change.  Disputes were settled in a court house, villagers acquired full-time names and buildings were reorganized to match the census books and maps of the village.  In Dr. Wesch's opinion the introductions forced the culture to adapt.  In an additional case study Dr. Wesch discusses how he changed the culture of his college class from one built around the authority of the instructor to one that gives students continual input into the learning.  The culture of the class also changed from preparing for the next test or paper to preparation for the world.

While the video discussed the potential damage technology can have on indigenous cultures and a classroom it did offer hope.  Without technology many of the strategies implemented by Dr. Wesch would have been impossible.  Therefore the difference between a classroom where a teachers is the final authority and students have little vested interest and a classroom similar to Dr. Wesch's is quite simply the instructor.  As a future educator I see the need for an instructor who is willing to relinquish power and authority in exchange for greater learning.  I know that as an educator I can not allow my students to feel content with writing a certain number of pages or memorizing certain information.  I must push my students to learn life lessons.  I must provide them with a vested interest in their learning.  I must make my students knowledge-able rather than knowledgeable.