Blog Assignment 6

The Networked Student



I liked the presentation of this video. I thought that it was a creative way of getting the message across, instead of simply talking in front of a camera. I also liked the idea of "connectivism" and how it can be taught in the classroom. I believe that the main idea of connectivism can be beneficial for students as they connect with others who are learning the same material in order to "strengthen the learning process." The idea of a personal learning network (PLN) was also really interesting to me. In my experience, I see a lot of my friends and the students in my classes doing this already (e.g. building resources, checking for credibility, and sharing sites found, among other things). Building a PLN and organizing one are two different projects, I suppose.

I liked how the video mentioned that blogs are usually opinion-based, so it's a more appropriate venue for discussion and debates. I haven't learned too much about iTunesU, but I think I'm going to research it after watching this video. I like the idea of having audio and video podcasts, such as lectures or other educational media, on your iPod.

I also agree that it never hurts to ask!

In the end, I also believe that the teacher is still needed for the networked student as a guide and facilitator for learning. If a student has a question, someone should be there with the answer, or at least the knowledge of a path towards the answer.

A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Environment



First of all, I was very impressed by the work this seventh grader put into making this video. The screen capture and other video capture techniques used were very beneficial to not only telling people about her PLE but showing it to them.

I'm not sure what program her class uses to show the different rounded squares for each topic/area, but I really liked it! I also thought it was creative to surround the Google search box with these icons. I thought that her audio recording was well-rehearsed and very clear. This is important, I think, in making a video because if your listener can't understand (or even hear) what you're saying, the positive results you desire may not come about, whether this is how many people viewed your video or even commented on it.

I really enjoyed being shown her different pages, especially the one about the leopard geckos! Also, the idea of a classroom without paper is probably very appealing to many educators. Plus, in today's time, where recycling and minimizing energy and resource waste is so important, this is another great idea.

The Machine is (Changing)Us: YouTube and the Politics of Authenticity - Michael Wesch



Even though this was the longest video assigned, this is the one I enjoyed the most! I thought that this talk, presented by Michael Wesch, was a great way to explain this feeling, this concept, this way of life that many people are experiencing (right now in fact!).

The idea of a "context collapse" was new to me. Wesch elaborated on this idea with an equation:

anonymity + physical distance + rare & ephemeral dialogue = hatred as public performance


However, the equation transformed into another one:

anonymity + physical distance + rare & ephemeral dialogue = freedom to experience humanity without fear or anxiety


I also really liked a quote from his video that reads "New forms of community create new forms of self-understanding". Also, I agree with Wesch in that what seems to be a private place is acutally one of the most public places in the world (YouTube). This can be both a powerful and a dangerous tool. Furthermore, I really appreciated the work, time, and research Wesch and his team must have put into this presentation. The sociological study of YouTube is certainly something that I think would interest many people. Personally, I have never recorded and published a video on YouTube simply because I never thought I had time, and also because I've had this mentality of "I'd rather go out in the real, non-virtual world and connect with people in-person." When I look at some of these videos, though, and see how people are either recording connections made or actually connecting via YouTube, it really makes me start to think differently about it all.