Richard Miller, Wendy Drexler, and Michael Wesch

Richard Miller: This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2





In part 1, the video was a little boring. They could have made it more interesting by adding the effects they were talking about. In this video, he discussed how nowadays people do not go to the library to get research. People are looking up research on the computer and not taking one step into the library. Actually, if you go around campus here and ask where the library is, they would have no idea. Then he talked about how kids don't use word processors anymore because they are doing more for documents. Students are using audio, images, and video to work on documents instead of just plain text. You also can collaborate while sitting at home with chats and video chats.

Part 2 mentioned that we can follow data that is constantly changing before our eyes and the information is updated instantly. You now can use itunesU to give students information for a class. Ideas don't just belong to me, but they belong to the culture as well. We share our ideas by using blogs and youtube to share information. He mentioned a video was put up on youtube, and the number of views just skyrocket. People are composing with the web itself, instead of only word documents. The idea of figuring out the emotion of the world through blogging is crazy and an entertaining idea. He mentioned that we don't have the ability to teach what was explained about composing with the web because we don't have the technology in the schools.

I say the same thing; I do not believe that I will be able to teach what was explained because we don't have the technology we need to teach the concept. I believe that as technology grows, we will get the supplies we need to show it to our students. I still don't know if I am at the level to teach something that high tech in technology. I still think of myself as a beginner.

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler


A network student uses the information he finds to help others by sharing his information with RSS feeds. He uses delicious to organize the information. He also uses blogs to read what other kids are writing about. He can talk to experts over a chat or even a video chat on Skype. Building a network and finding information is important, but one may not know how to do this unless instructed by a teacher.

Teachers help by showing students how to build the network, take advantages of learning opportunities. A teacher also gives the students guidance when a student is stuck, shows the student how to communicate properly, and ask respectfully for help from experts. The teacher shows the student how to differentiate from the good material and propaganda, and how to vet a resource. Students can learn how to turn a web search into a scavenger hunt and get excited when he finds the information. Finally a teacher can help a student by showing one how to use the resources they have in the future.

The question was "am I ready?" Well, I am not ready to teach this right now, because I am still learning myself, and until I have everything down and comprehend it myself, I don't feel right teaching it. I hope by the end of this semester, I will have the basic knowledge down. I am learning about all of those concepts and building my own network now.

Toward A New Future of Whatever - Michael Wesch



In Mr. Wesch's video he mentioned some interesting facts. He mentioned the term Media Ecology. Media is not just a tool and not just communication, but media mediates our conversations. A good quote was "We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us" by Marshal McLuhan. The history brought up in the video was interesting. One of the things he mentioned was he said that he was from the MTV generation,who were known to have short attention spans and were materialistic, narcissistic, and not easily impressed. The history of the word "Whatever" was cool. In the pre-1960s, "whatever" meant "that's what I meant." In the late 60s "whatever" meant "I don't care." The 1990s generation, the MTV generation, it meant indifference; "Meh." Then in the late 90s, the term "whatever" was said by people who thought high of themselves. This generation was known as the generation of "ME". The stats of Youtube was surprising they were saying that 1,000,000+ videos are uploaded on the internet everyday so Media is changing. I really enjoyed the hand project.

I really do believe that we are living in a generation of "ME". We have the people who think they are the next idol or the people who think the universe revolve around them. I see people that think that they are supposed to be the center of attention all of the time. I do think that we can send a message through videos now, and the hand project was very touching. I believe that generations change. People should now care and change what needs to be changed to make the world a better place.