Learning in New Media Environments

What does this mean for me: as a person, an educator, and a leader?

There were a lot of little things that resonated & made me think while watching this video. It's amazing to see how much even a simple media like a fixed census book can change people and a whole society. Wesch's statement about how even when we use media it can sometimes end up using us is quite powerful. I think that is something to remember as we begin using an integrating these new technologies into our lives. Along that same note, he stated that there is no opting out of these new media--that the media changes society as a whole and we cannot avoid it. As both a teacher and an individual I think that is important to recognize. We are doing ourselves and our students a disservice if we do not become familiar with the tools that are shaping our society today. It's hard (read: nearly impossible) to predict where we will be or what tools we will be using even one year from now let alone five, but if we begin opening our eyes to what's out there we (and our students) will be better prepared for what there is to come.

As a teacher I also find his comment on student's questions to be very important. Are my students asking questions that provoke learning or are they looking for the limits of their learning? ("Will this be on the test?") I can see myself using this method of thinking as a litmus test to gauge where my students are mentally during a class. Trying to get students (and myself, to be honest) to step away from this traditional limited thinking is going to be really challenging at first, but I can definitely see a great value in the benefits that can come because of it. I like the idea of doing something as simple as stepping outside of the confinements of the classroom and allowing students to guide (and sometimes lead) in their learning.