TED-Dr. Michael Wesch

  I really enjoyed Dr. Wesch's view points on society, media, and education.  As a new "qualified" educator in America, I find the structure of education to be based on a society that no longer exists.  Furthermore, this structure is skewed to fit a model of upper middle class caucasian people that could be plucked out of a Norman Rockwell work of art. Life is a game and the rules are created by the people with power and/or money.  These rules are essentially a reflection in fear of change and the unknown, set not to enhance and progress society, but instead to retard the uprising of others whom the rules were created to stifle in order to protect these particular individuals greed and need for control.
  When I substitute at various schools around the county, I often pose questions to the students that are completely open ended and unusual in a "traditional" school setting; for example "Why are you here today in this class? Explain."  Usually, I get blank stares and then cookie cutter answers.  Dr. Wesch's view of creating the motivation to learn and fix complex issues collaboratively is astonishing, especially the route he takes to enlighten his students.
  As an educator, I want students to have a drive to find answers to questions they do not know exist yet.  I believe this can only happen when they feel comfortable in a low anxiety environment and are not pigeonholed into studying to the test.  A major issue I see, is being an educator who wants to differ from the system, yet would like to keep his position (not that I have a full time gig, but you get the drift)  as a teacher in a fractured/broken system.  I truly believe that we have not discovered the cure for cancer and many, many other elusive solutions due to how we educated, or lack there of, only a small population of our own people.