Thanks to A source of inspiration blog (www.asourceofinspiration.com/
2007/10/ ) for highlighting a new video from Michael Wesch. It comes out of an exercise where 200 of his students were ask to contribute to a Google Document (i.e. shared via Google Docs) about a students' life (by implication, in the USA). The video mostly consists of students holding up placards, pieces of paper etc. with "facts" about their lives - that they will read 8 books a year, but read over a 1000 facebook profiles, for example. However it does end with a few comments about the value of using chalk and blackboard (it makes the lecturer move about!)
Interesting, I think, as a starting point for discussion with colleagues or students themselves - does this correspond with their worlds? And if so - so what? Is the implication that because a student doesn't read books but does use the web, the learning should be more web based? Or (also) that there needs to be more time devoted to helping students understand why books (whether e- or print) are valuable, and providing support in learning how to "read" and "access" academic texts (this is my view: I'm helping students explore Second Life, but also they need to learn how to follow through and critique an argument in an article, or understand summarised knowledge in a book).
The video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o and is called A Vision of Students Today
2007/10/ ) for highlighting a new video from Michael Wesch. It comes out of an exercise where 200 of his students were ask to contribute to a Google Document (i.e. shared via Google Docs) about a students' life (by implication, in the USA). The video mostly consists of students holding up placards, pieces of paper etc. with "facts" about their lives - that they will read 8 books a year, but read over a 1000 facebook profiles, for example. However it does end with a few comments about the value of using chalk and blackboard (it makes the lecturer move about!)
Interesting, I think, as a starting point for discussion with colleagues or students themselves - does this correspond with their worlds? And if so - so what? Is the implication that because a student doesn't read books but does use the web, the learning should be more web based? Or (also) that there needs to be more time devoted to helping students understand why books (whether e- or print) are valuable, and providing support in learning how to "read" and "access" academic texts (this is my view: I'm helping students explore Second Life, but also they need to learn how to follow through and critique an argument in an article, or understand summarised knowledge in a book).
The video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o and is called A Vision of Students Today
Photo by Ishbel Hartmann: our first student on our Second Life island (outnumbered 3 to one at that point)
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