Dr. Michael Wesch Makes Us Think

Dr. Michael Wesch, of Kansas State University, is at it again! I first saw his video, A Vision of Students Today, on YouTube a couple of months ago. It was very interesting. Today, I watched another of his videos, The Machine is (Changing) Us: You Tube and the Politics of Authenticity, and this one makes you THINK! Dr. Wesch discussed various ways that our culture, over the years and today, influences who we are and how we perceive ourselves. Something that jumped out at me is how media influences who we are and how we connect to others - in contrast, it brings us closer together while also allowing us to distance ourselves from each other.

So, what makes me scratch my head and think about this so hard? It presents some tricky questions for me - Is media in its myriad of forms good or bad for us? Is it okay to put yourself out there to try to connect with others even though they may not be seeing the "real" you? Is it possible to show your true self while not actually, personally interacting with others? I have no easy answers, being so new to the world of online media. I am torn, however, as a college student and prospective teacher, but I think that media will triumph over personal interaction. The trend of "putting yourself out there" is massive and moving at a high rate of speed. It does so many things, from creating an outlet for self-expression to allowing us to educate and be educated. While there are most certainly pros and cons to any venture, I think that the whirlwind of media in our society has its pros and I am just a little scared that the cons will be trampled into insignificance. How soon before we don't care what the cons are as long as we are being seen and heard by the nameless horde?

Why, Oh Why, Should We Blog?

One of the continuing lessons of my Educational Media class is that Blogging, i.e. posting your own or your student's work to the Internet, is a good idea - a good habit to get into in the teaching profession. It is a good idea for many reasons, and for each person, those reasons may vary. I think the main reason it is important for students to post their work is that the work gets perused and commented on by others. I think feedback is very important to any professional.

There are numerous ways that one can post their work to the Internet. Currently, in my class, I have used Blogger.com for both a personal and professional blog. I have also used iGoogle to create a web page that reflects my interest in physical education. My future students could use this page to do a variety of things, from playing a game to finding out the latest stats on their favorite team. Additionally, I have created a Personal Learning Network using various components of the Internet, including Facebook and Physical Education websites.

I think it is also important for students to post their work to the Internet because this allows them to become more familiar and comfortable with the Internet and all the avenues it offers. The more technologically savvy a teacher is, the more creative and varied her teaching may be. The Internet offers endless possibilities for teachers and students alike.