I decided to both read the article and Watch the TED video. So
my response is a mix of the two.
The main argument is that students need to be more than
knowledgeable, they need to be “Knowledge-able.” Because in this new media age,
information is infinite and at the tip of our fingers. Students need to be
experienced in navigating the dearth of information, rather than memorize it. Because
of that, media does matter and needs to be incorporated into classrooms because
the traditional ways of teaching no longer holds the same meaning and so
students are alienated and often disengaged from the learning experience. Media
is also important to incorporate into the classroom because media is becoming a
global conversation, why should the information continue to be at the front of
the classroom, where the students have no choice but “follow along.” He argues that contrary to popular belief, Social Media can bring about real change. Wesch
points out that despite is being alarmingly difficult to communicate and
collaborate, with the use of technology it can be done on a global scale within
seconds. He goes father that students need to stop believing that learning is a
one things, that once you learn something, you’re finished. Students need to
know that learning is a never-ending practiced. He argues that students need to
be taught that they are not meaning seekers, but meaning makers, and in order
to do that teachers and professors need to embrace that as well.
I think that what Michael Wesch is talking about is very
important, and connectable to other readings that we’ve discussed in class. One
connection is to Croteau’s “Media and Ideology.” Croteau often talks about how
the media, through narrow messages, controls dominant ideology. This relates to
the Wesch reading because he wants to change that. He wants everyone to embrace
the media, in order to collaborate and expand understanding. I think that this
connects because this is what Croteau wants to happen, he wants the dominant
media to have a less controlling aspect, and if we follow Wesch’s teaching,
that is entirely possible.
Another reading this can connect to is the Raby’s “A Tangle
of Discourses.” I think that this connects to the discourse of “becoming.” This
is because Raby argues that this category makes teenagers into “Others” and
therefore makes them into “aliens.” This idea connects to the Wesch reading
because Wesch argues that students are alienated because teaching has not
changed or progressed with changing students. Everything has changed, and in
order to reconnect with students, and connect what students learn to their own
lives, students need to be engaged with relevant discussions. Topics for Class:
What Wesch is talking about is so true. When I think back about my own education history, I am reminded about how my most effective classes were classes that incorporated different medias. That encouraged active participation, and making the connections to my own life. However, what I wished he talked about just a little is the number of students within a classroom. It is so much easier to participate and grow comfortable when it is a smaller classroom environment
