A Vision of Students
If these walls could talk
What would they say?
If students learn what they do
What are they learning sitting here?
The information is up here
Follow along
Of course, walls and desks cannot talk
But students can.
Created by the Dr. Michael Wesch and his Introduction to Anthropology class, the video explores many of the new ways that students are learning and interacting with one another using new media and social networking, and is part of the Digital Ethnography project, which investigates the impact of media on society and culture.
The students frame some of the new challenges, constraints and possibilties for learning around a number of topics, including collaborative writing, multitasking, reading online, grappling with identity in physical spaces, the value of a college degree, preparing students to be workers in fields that don’t yet exist, technological determinism, and inheriting the problems created by others.
Ultimately, the video raises many questions about the relationship between media, technology, learning, and entering the workforce, but instead of suggesting solutions, advocates for increased awareness, dialogue, and conversation in communities to find ways of negotiating many of these important topics. You can follow the conversation at the Digital Ethnography project website.
