Learning in New Media Environments Reflection

Learning in New Media Environments  by Dr. Michael Welsch

This video really resonated with me in a variety of ways. As a person, I really valued the sense of community that could be established within a classroom in the way that students are reprimanded. I liked that Dr. Welsch used the analogy: "When somebody does something wrong in the village they are not put on trial as an individual instead the relationship that they violated is put on trial and they try to heal that relationship in these open forums." This is invaluable. Too often, I hear teachers complain about a certain student's disruptive or inappropriate behavior and shrug it off as part of the student's personality. Perceived as an aspect of their character that can not be changed but rather deterred through continual detentions and suspensions. But by doing so, there is never an attempt to address the behavior and discuss the violation with the student. Too often students are reprimanded and they do not understand why.  We are educators. It is our job to address and explain the why. As an educator, I disagreed with one of the Doctor's comments specifically when he stated that "these walls don't matter." If the walls of a classroom truly did not matter then I would not be a teacher. Unless, he is arguing that the walls do not matter because what is learned in a classroom permeates every facet of a student's life. If this is what he is implying then I wholeheartedly agree. That is the beauty of a classroom especially one like English where the teacher has the ability to create connections for the students to take what they have learned in a classroom and apply it to a larger picture. That is the beauty of learning. It does not matter how many facts you memorize. What matters is if you can see the larger picture. How do all of these pieces fit together? And, most importantly, why do they fit together and how have they shaped our culture and world today?