Mike Wesch Learning from Baby George

   This ted talk was a very interesting one.  Mike Wesch talks about what learning means. In college the one size fits all lecture halls, and dumping of information is not the true learning.  I think of the classes I was forced to take as a undergrad that I did not have a interest in. He shows baby George and how he keeps trying to make the step.  Each time he doesn't succeed he laughs. We should be designing projects/activities that are relevant to students and give all students opportunities to demonstrate their strengths.  Grades/scores should not be the focus. In the class we talked about standardized testing and how that does not show what are students can do.  They dislike it and do not see the benefit to them (and teachers don't neither).  Instead of an F, there should be a not yet.  Learning is collective and people can help each other reach the top where ever that maybe.  

    He acts on these beliefs by getting to know his students.  Taking them to lunch, and learning about their lives.  He asks how he can build on the lives the student's are leading.  The boy that slept in class would be looked at negatively, especially when it was due to gaming.  Mike Wesch was able to see that he threw himself into projects, and worked well in groups, and was designing complex games using his creativity.  So many of our students have strengths in so many places and those strengths can be stifled if it is not the norm.  I see my IEP kids often struggle with confidence in their school work, but really like games, or building, or playing a sport.  It is important for me to find out how to leverage that in my teaching and make the learning worth it to the students.