Michael Wesch

I watched the Michael Wesch video called "Toward a New Future of Whatever". In this video he discussed how there is a strong bond between media and culture. When media changes, our conversations change. He showed a picture of his college class. The students looked like they were not paying much attention, and seemed very disinterested. Then he showed a picture of an American Idol casting call. Everyone seemed excited, and very interested in what was going on. He said that the difference was in the word "whatever." "Whatever" has changed into a word that describes our culture today: people think that the world is about them. They are self absorbed and miss opportunities to help others. People lose sight of what is really important and they seem to not actively work on their relationships. Mr Wesch said that things like youtube and blogging is a great way to keep connected. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace are other ways to keep in touch with friends and family. I use myspace to communicate with friends from high school, and my sister-in-law who lives 4 hours away. I also use blogging and twitter to communicate with my classmates and to ask questions about homework. As a future teacher I can see how these things will help me communicate with students and parents. They can use these new technologies to ask questions about homework, projects and other important information. It could also be a quick way for parents to write me a note concerning their child's progress in school. It opens up many doors for educators.