Michael Wesch's "The Machine is (Changing) Us"

It seems that no matter how much of a grasp I think I have on the world I live in, every time I am introduced to a video like this, that grasp tends to get smaller and re-adjusted. So how does this video and the comments that Dr. Wesch made relate to my life, school and future in teaching?

For my life, I think it has had a very positive impact. This collaborative ideology that is so prevalent in our society today has allowed me to gain contacts and friends that I would have never been able to accomplish without it. I have seen people on YouTube post things I can relate to. I have met people on Facebook that have the same life goals as I do. I do not think I am a very narcissistic person when it comes to my life. Wesch talks a great deal about this "ME" generation. Although I agree with his argument, I do not think that it should label the generation as a whole. I think this collaborative phenomenon is allowing people to, like Dr. Wesch said, be more self-aware than ever.

As for my college experience, I am extremely thankful that I have the ability to gain contacts with professors, fellow students and others with whom I can gain advice and share ideas with. For example, when I have trouble in German class, I can Skype my friend Theresa who lives in Innsbruck, Austria. She hates history, so she emails and Skypes me when she needs help memorizing dates or studying. I can email Dr. Rogers and get advice on a good thesis topic, or anything else I might need advice on for history class. This ability to collaborate and help one another is a great thing.

As for my future endeavors as a teacher, I hope to be able to collaborate with students and colleagues alike. I envision myself being able to mentor students as my professors have helped me. I see other professors and I working together and being able to enrich each others' classes. For example, I could see a German culture professor come to a Hitler and Nazi Germany class to discuss how culture has changed since the Third Reich. Now, more than ever before, the possibilities are endless.

Here is a link to the video.