Michael Wesch video

Michael Wesch's video made some great points. At the front of the video he showed the picture of his classroom and how disengaged and bored they seemed. Then he showed the picture of the American Idol auditions and how excited everyone seemed to be. This is a problem many teachers face it seems. Classrooms full of students who are not really that interested in participating in class, just there to get a passing grade. He also spoke of how people seem to feel insignificant in most places. In a big city people feel disconnected because there are so many people. In the suburbs people feel disconnected because they are away from everything and can only feel connected through television. This, he explains, is why people are so excited to be at American Idol. They have a chance to be on television for the world to see. There's not that feeling of being lost. They feel this is their chance to shine.

Teachers can take note of this in their classrooms. Classes should be less about the teacher standing up lecturing the entire time, and more about students and what they can do to make the classroom more fulfilling. This is why blogging and commenting is so crucial. With blogs, students can communicate with other students and teachers from around the world. Many classes have an isolation feel to them. It's just you, your classmates, and a teacher. Blogging takes this element out.

Wesch also spoke of the new generation and how "whatever" has translated over time. Today, the term "whatever" is an expression of each individual being the most important person on the planet. They don't do what's best for the class or society. They do what they think is best for them. As a future teacher, this will affect the classroom. Teachers should be able to adapt and design lesson plans that fit each student, not the entire classroom.

Later in the video, Michael Wesch talks about the comments people make on YouTube, and how obscene they are. He explains that anonymity, physical distance, and rare and ephemeral dialogue creates hatred as public performance. He also explains that people do this online because they don't have to worry about the fear of social anxiety. This could also be a problem for teachers because it almost seems as if all the social networking is causing students to be loss open in public. People have no problems at all expressing themselves online, yet are amazingly shy once they are in public. This is also a reason why blogging and online networking can benefit the classroom. Students can express themselves much more.

You can watch the video here