The first thing that came to my mind when I was reading this was Meme's. I kept reading and saw that I was on the right track and was enlightened by other things I didn't think much about. I had almost forgotten about AMV's, which I use to watch all the time, and Lessing is definitely right. All the different remixes out there are a form of writing, much like writing a script is a form of writing. Something like a Meme takes a lot of thought process because one has to get a big message across in a few amount of words. This is the same way people have to deal with tweets, because they are character limited, the message has to be condensed. I remember listening to a Startalk podcast and Neil deGrasse Tyson was talking about how hard it was to condense what he wanted to say into the character limit of a tweet; it would sometimes take him hours to refine it down to what he wanted to say. So not only are these remixes technologically advanced, they take a lot of brain power to think about how to convey the message you want in a short amount of time or in a way that makes sense in the media that is used.
Chapter 16: "Rather, the point is that if it is possible to appropriate principles and procedures associated with efficacious learning from outside formal institutions in ways that enhance the efficacy of formal educational learning, other things being equal we would be silly not to."
It's like having a whole store room of lab supplies and only doing worksheets. There is so much technology available that it would be silly not to use it to our advantage and education people with it. The concept this chapter presents with the classroom seems to be familiar, because I have classes like that and because it reminds me a lot of what I do a work everyday. I use most of those tools on a daily basis and I know that I have to use Google multiple times a day just to survive. I have even put some of resources it mentions into the class I am building, but it has given me some new ideas for future assignments. There is certainly a lack of group work right now, but that may change soon. This last chapter finished off the book well and combined all the other chapters into a class that uses it all in the way we all hope to.
Ha! I just saw the fine print at the bottom of the meme! It would be great to put this up in my classroom since all my students have a computer with internet access in front of them at all times but my principal might not approve. But, you make a good point. You, me, and basically all my colleagues, friends and family (my kids!), use Google often to get to the bottom of any question/curiosity they have.
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding chapter 15, I like your thought process with memes and tweets. This also made me think of a Digital Imaging assignment I gave to students to create two different greeting cards. They had to create the graphics and also create the message. As I mentioned in my case, this was difficult for some students but some could were very effective in creating that short amount of text that conveyed their message, "i.e. A birthday card with a cheerful cake graphic that says, "Happy Birthday" outside but when you open it in the perfect simple font it say, "You are now one step closer to the cold embrace of death." The students decided to sell these cards to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The card I described was the best seller. The next best seller was a 'doge' inspired card. You might have to Google that one. I had to. But the students all 'got it'.
Sean, I liked this Lessig quote too because it does in fact point to the evolution that is education... I truly wish I could hear some of the teacher's and contemporaries of the time make their comments about what young Billy Shakespeare was doing. Making up words... changing their usage... why I'm sure that he was single handily ruining the English language... yet in that reflective view that we have now... he is revered as a genius and his works masterpieces. Your comments about having all you need to make learning real and authentic, but choosing to do worksheets always leads me to this question... Is it ignorance or lazy? because so much information exists just a good "google" search away... I contend it must be lazy... worksheets are a tool for practice in some cases, but Not a tool for learning... using good tools like technology and hands on activities that's where the learning should be. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments this semester!!!
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