Reading Response #1

In Micheal Wesch's recent video he implies that we have relied so much upon technology that it has not only become a burden, it has become almost an obsession of sorts. Stating that student A has spent x amount of hours on twittering, and student B has spent x amount of hours surfing the web. Yet they only spend a small amount of time on schoolwork in comparison. I've always believed that technology should be embraced rather than ostracized. but this is not the belief of everyone.
I think that this video was made to create awareness and prompt response, and that its main message is change. That change needs to happen within our school system, and soon. Although Micheal Wesch does not say so directly, he apparently assumes that with this constant barrage of technology the school education system will degrade.
On the other hand, common sense seems to dictate that students have a very strong connection with technology. Some parents and teachers who do not share this connection may view this as a problem. Just as some view it as a technological revolution. Even now there is conflict between traditional teaching and "online classes". So this leaves us individually with a choice on whether to embrace technology as many have, or to reject it for being harmful to education.
When it comes to the topic of technology in school, most of us will readily agree that it is used and needed within our school system. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how far this should be taken. Should we completely integrate blogging and e-mailing into our school system? Whereas some are convinced that we should absolutely integrate technology into our school courses, others maintain that it could be harmful. Especially if you have an older generation of students mixed in with the younger more tech savvy crowd. One might assume that everyone would know how to blog, but unfortunately that is not the case. But should we let this hold everyone else back that is more comfortable online? I believe that these questions have gone un-asked, or whomever should be asking them choose not to.
As the video illustrates, a new standard of learning is being brought down upon college students. And along with this, there is also a new standard of importance. Many students, myself included, feel like they are just jumping through imaginary hoops to meet whatever end goal they may have. This new standard of learning has been significantly lowered. We are no longer learning about what we want, or what is necessary, only what others tell us we need to know. As a result half the students aren't even listening or thinking about what is being taught because they remain uninterested.
For example, I have a text book that i bought. It was well over $100 dollars, and I opened it maybe two or three times and studied a few pages. But when it came time to return it, they wouldn't accept that copy of the book. Apparently they had moved on to a new eddition. How is that fair? What kind of "learning" is really taking place?
Also the video makes it a point to ask, how much learning is really going on, with stadium sized classes and almost no one-on-one time? Where are the students really getting thier writing practice from? The 100 texts per day or the 1 essay they write a week? There is also a problem of relevancy. How important are your classes to you? Maybe not at all. I'm sure that there are several students out there that are only taking thier classes only because they are either being told to, or it is some sort of prerequisite for a class they are actually interested in.
In conclusion i think that we have an unrecognized crisis coming up, that is best defined by a quote in the video. "I did not create the problems. But they are MY problems."