Wesch and Turkle

I believe that both Wesch and Turkle bring powerful statements to the table, much of what connects to what we have been discussing in class this week. Technology is going to be around forever, but how we use it needs to be reevaluated. I believe that in a way, Wesch uses Turkles "argument" to help his.

"My job becomes less about teaching, and more about encouraging students to join me on the quest" - Michael Wesch

Wesch starts off the article Anti-Teaching: Confronting The Crisis of Significance by stating "students- our most important critics- are struggling to find meaning and significance in their education".  For me, this was extremely powerful to read and connects back to this week. Students, just like educators, need to find their WHY. Why are they in school? Why is there such a need for them to be critical thinkers? Why do they need to learn?...but then Wesch continues to state "The only answer to the best question is another good question". Students need to be pushed to ask questions that are going to lead them to more questions and further their thinking. It is going to be this that produces learning. I agreed with Wesch when he discussed that learning school has become a "meaningless game of grades rather than an important and meaningful exploration of the world in which we live and co-create". This made me think of my own education and how at some points, I was more worried about the grade rather than the learning that was produced. It made me think about how different that experience could have been for me if I was pushed to ask questions and dig deep into the learning. Overall, I believe that Wesch's argument was for students to become "active lifelong learners" who have these skills that will carry them anywhere they want as long as they have an environment that helps.

"Meaning and significance are assured only when our learning fits in with a grand narrative that motivates and guides us" -Michael Wesch

On the other hand, Turkles argument is explicitly about technology and how it has gotten in the way of being able to have conversations. The Goldilocks effect that Turkle discusses is something that really stuck with me. She states it as "We can't get enough of one another if we use technology to keep one another at distances we can control: not too close, not too far, just right". I believe her main argument is that we need to be able to find the balance to disconnect from technology in order to keep those face-to-face connections alive. She talks about having digital free rooms, which I love the idea of. I grew up not being able to have a cell phone at the dinner table. To this day, it is still something that I believe strongly in. I find it so sad that when I go out to eat, a family will all be on their phones rather than engaging in personal conversation and interacting with each other. She sums up her article by stating "But in our rush to connect, we flee from solitude, our ability to be separate and gather ourselves". 

"Our colleagues want to go to that board meeting but pay attention only to what interests them" -Sherry Turkle

While I don't think that Wesch and Turkle are necessarily allies, I don't think that they are in opposition either. Wesch doesn't bring up technology in his argument. But I think they agree on the idea that something needs to change. One connection that I did find between Turkle and Wesch was about the question people are asking. Wesch discussed the basic questions that students are asking in regards to what they need to know for a test, or how much of a grade it will be, etc whereas Turkle discusses how people want faster answers now and to do that we "ask one another simpler questions; we dumb down our communications, even on the most important matters".

I was extremely moved by both of these articles in different ways. Turkle moved me in a personal way. To make sure that I am engaging in connections with people rather than being on my phone in some instances. This is something that I feel like I am decent at, but definitely, have room for improvement. Turkle gave me a push I need to try and work on it. Wesch moved me in an educational sense. To make sure that my students find their why and that I take a step back from the teaching and ask my students to join me through the learning.