D2L Michael Wesch

Fusion started last night with an unconference in St. Paul. Unfortunately, there was a nasty accident on I-94 which caused the highway to be closed for 9 hours and I was stuck in that midst of the backup. It took me over two hours to go 9 miles and over 4 hours to get from the Clearwater cut across to the unconference (what should take just over an hour). So unfortunately I missed the presentations at the unconference but was able to get in on the social networking.

I was able to get a little time to work on my class last night after getting back to the hotel as the morning registration went from 9 to noon. After a quick lunch we had an award presentation and now...

Michael Wesch
moving from encouraging students to be knowledgeable to knowledge-abled.

Cultural Anthropologist. Talking about his experience in Guinea. "My little America"--cocoon with sleeping bag he'd surround himself with at night (keep out critters).

If you don't have writing and you live in a village where everyone knows everyone, people don't have names--defined by relationship. Caused issues to census takers number talk.

Media are not just means of communication--media mediates relationships (they are relationships)
"M.M.: "We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us"--new ways of connectng and building relationships, building our community.--Bring that into our classroom

Michael Wesch: "The hallmark of humanity is learning"

Compare/contrast classroom to stadium at American Idol (auditions?)

Media is coming at people. Making people not easily impressed in classroom because ready for real-world on stage (they think they're the next american idol and are shocked when they're not) Disengaged.

Conversations on TV to be significant (but one way conversation)

Look up use of the word "whatever"
pre-1960's : "Whatever. That's what I meant"
Late 60's " I don't care. Whatever" (cultural weigh to it. Disengaging from "the system")
1990's MTV: the indifference "meh
late 90's "Whatever. I'll do what I want" (narcicissm-I am the center of the world)

Jean Twenge, Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled, and Miserable"

"Something in the Air--there's a big change going on now" people are feeling more empowered now. Remakes (charlie bit my finger, soldier boy)

Playfullness and seriousness is happening online

John Mccain: Barbara Ann line at a meeting (didn't know he was being taped) within 3 days there were several remixes online

Chevy online-put out remix challenge

MadV (anonymous) to make statement: One word. Most reponded to video at the time. Write your message on your hand (love yourself, love others, hold me, we are all connected, come together, one world etc.) Expressions from very private places to a very public forum (1.4 billion people) "Not just statements--call to actions"

M.M. "The medium is the message"

The way you set things up is the message. The classroom --information dump (learning is to acquire--scarce and ahrd to find--trust authority for good information, authorized info is beyond student control, don't question authority, just follow along. Questions reflected that learning environment. Crisis of signficance--just worried about the grade not the learning.

Love your audience and they'll you back--love the experience.

The Art of Loving (& Learning) shifting from getting people to love you, instead trying to care

Care
Responsibility RESPONDING
Respect
Knowledge ACTUALLY KNOWING SOMETHING ABOUT

Interconnected 4 (without the 4 together--on their own--then idolizing, patronizing, )

Truly loving (instead of focusing on content, focusing on them opens it up to so much more.

Harness environment. Not just to take in but share and create meaningful significance together-relationships--living subjects bring student in instead of preaching at.

Parker Palmer:The courage to teach.

Look
Engage real problems engage together harnessing the existing media environment. Build a serious community. "COLLECTIVE WE" "Work to unfold it and bring it to life" Requires balance

"No one is as smart as everybody" missed who that was by--sorry. Kevin Kelly--just got it. Thanks Twitter

Video: Google docs that lead to a script for "A Vision of Students Today" (most blogged about video at the time) Harvesting information to create something together

Documentary about youtube An anthropologist approach to youtube

Learning how to engage with each other and subject--"living" "learning is all about making conections"

To move toward a new future of "whatever": To whatever meaning "I care let's do whatever it takes...by whatever means necessary"