Week #2: VIDEO: Michael Wesch's "A Vision of Students Today"

With the advent of media technology over the last ten plus years, the educational system we once engaged in has been turned upside down. The YouTube video, “A Vision of Students Today” by Professor Michael Wesch and his 200 students from his spring 2007 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class is a strong statement about “what the roles and responsibilities are of teachers, students and technology in the 21st century classroom”. Through careful examination of the film in terms of the media tools used as a means to present the premise, the role that media technology plays in the classroom, it is quite apparent to me that our educational system is archaic and in need of a makeover.

The film begins by engaging the reptilian part of what Paul MacLean termed the triune brain through the clunky and startling opening of the classroom door. The production technique of a hand held camera is used as you are led through the door of the classroom with a visual looking into the lecture size room with empty seats. You are asked to quickly engage the neocortex part of your brain through reading the quote by English professor, Marshall McLuhan on the plight of our educational system in 1967 which is also used by the authors as a testimonial persuasive technique. At the same time a soft, soothing musical tone begins to engage the limbic part of the brain. Rhetorical questions are used to set the premise of the film as they are written both on the walls and on the backs of the chairs. I noticed that the pacing of the film shots are rapid enough as the camera flashes quickly to each piece of script in the ethnographical signs hand held by the various student participants portraying their observations on the current educational system. The persuasive technique of scapegoating is used in one of the student’s sign as she states that these problems with the educational system were not created by “us” but yet “we” must deal with them. The absence of speaking is a strong statement in further conveying their message about education. In the students’ eyes there is a sense of anonymity in our educational system if you are able to marginally pay attention and still get by.

A strong drum beat is quickly introduced about a quarter of the way into the film again engaging the reptilian part of the triune brain. Throughout this film it is so clear that the technology shift which we are all experiencing as part of the 21st century media culture through the use of MP3 players, cell phones, blackberries, personal computers, the internet, social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook that we have not quite figured out what their roles are in our educational system. By students choosing to not engage in the classroom, they are becoming disengaged in the educational system and using media technology as an outlet to ignore the problems. I think that the value messaging which comes across in this film is that the students are more interested in using the media technology for personal use when the real question is how to incorporate it into the educational experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if some schools ban the use of certain media devices in classrooms.

Since this film was first posted on YouTube it has engaged many individuals in the dialogue on the current state of our educational system. In reading many of the blog posts to this short film and also going to the website created by Professor Wesch for further discussion, it is apparent to me that this issue has sparked something in enough people that it will be interesting to watch how the educational system responds to the onset of media technology in the 21st century.