Teaching 2.0 Emancipation

Hey, anytime someone swings by "think:lab" and leaves an energetic comment, I take notice.  But tonight I need to take that up a level and simply re-publish the comment almost word for word.  Drew was writing in response to a recent post I offered about the possibilities of edu-Vloggies coming our way one day soon. His response pushes me (appropriately) out of the way and shows in real time what is possible when teachers in the trenches go beyond the status quo and begin giving their kiddos access to the best the world offers.  Give it a read.  Better yet, give him a ring.  And spread the good Teaching 2.0 word!

He writes:

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I totally agree with what's being said here. In fact, I think the web 2.0 process offers an emancipation for teachers to express themselves and sculpt their content into amazing new types of curriculum. To this end, I'm having a blast.

I teach a grade 10 planning course. Last year I was doing straight up videos around resumes and job search topics. Great experience for me, boring for kids. So this year, as I sat awake at 3 am one night, I realized that this digital medium gives me the freedom to present things anyway I like and be anyone I want. So.... I created a set of characters who each present the content in their own ways. The kids loved it! Kids were shaking my hands in halls thanking me for doing it. I had parents emailing me and addressing me, tongue in cheek, as one of the characters. I made posters in my class of each of the characters and I've designed an online "living on your own" simulation using these characters as members of this new community. All the students will have wiki "apartments" where we visit each other and do "work" and these characters I've created will drop into student wikis with quick video and audio visits. Along the way I'll use these characters to weave stories and raise issues in the community and integrate myself into this world in a multitude of ways. Its just starting now!!! I'm turning my curriculum into a living narrative of characters and story lines.

Now its still sort of new and the videos are very homespun but I'm experiencing a profound level of creative expression. And I can see the day when lessons and units become something else, like a curriculum sculpture or a knowledge party. Its crazy, but its truly possible. Here take a look at my videos, see what you think. They're "wack" but they work. I embedded these videos into our school community system. (We have this great system that allows me to gather feedback and create discussion within the page.)

The videos

resumes part 1
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3885011043238591450

resumes part 2
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8612694389249642178

cover letters
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8208744442802376121

interviews part 1
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7423775096484496613

Comments

[marcopolo47]

Hm. Interesting, wacky, creative, fun. They still seem more fun for the creator than for students, but still...Thanks for highlighting this, Aaron. I'd never have seen it otherwise.

[Aaron Nelson]

Marco, Christian, and anyone who reads this comment:

I wonder something about your comment Marco: You said: "They seem more fun for the creator than the student."

Maybe I'm reading your wrongly, but it seems that there is something sorta wrong with the teacher having fun.

I wonder what would happen if more teachers had fun while teaching. Still teaching what needs to be taught, but actually enjoying the process.

Great teachers, I think, inspire their students to dive deeper. Our job is to influence, as well as deliver the curriculum in meaningful ways. Power to you and what you teach if you can honestly say that you have fun while you do it...don't you think?