Michael Wesch's "Anti Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance" focuses on how to inspire curiosity in our students. I think every teacher has struggled with how to get students to become life long learners. The idea of getting students to ask better questions by creating real learning opportunities for them was intriguing if somewhat intimidating given the current state of test-driven curriculum and performance targets.
Yet as I was shaking my head in agreement with Wesch, a little voice from the far reaches of my brain, keep asking how does Wesch knows that his students are really learning anything? He is vague on how he assesses his students' knowledge. Now I realize that Wesch's goal is to inspire students to ask questions but I'm not sure that making a documentary or creating a simulation of world history really proves that all of his students are learning. He seems to be implying that if we hand the reigns over to students that learning will just happen. Still he admits in this TED talk (13:39 min) that the world simulation game he has his students create "almost always fails" but that it "fails in the best possible way" because students leave his class asking the questions that will help them pass the test of life. While that sound amazing, I'm left a bit uneasy. Wesch either downplays his role as "manager" while discussing his innovative anti-teaching or he puts way more trust in his students ability to find, analyze, and present real information than I am comfortable with.
For while I agree with Wesch's point that we should see our students as resources, that collectively we have more "knowledge and life experience" (6) than any one person, teacher included, could hope to exude, I still firmly believe that the teacher should be the resident "expert" in the room. In my experience students tend to believe they know everything. Pushing them to step outside of their comfort zone, exposing them to new ideas and perspectives, challenging their assumptions is the role of every good educator. To hand over too much of that control to the students invites the possibility that their beliefs are never challenged. That doesn't mean that we need to pretend to know about things we don't but it also doesn't mean we let 17 year olds tell us how the world works without making sure we've prepared them appropriately to answer this question. I'd be interested in hearing more about how Wesch manages his students efforts. What does he do when his students cite weak sources or fail to ask deep questions?
As I was preparing for our presentation, I believe I read a quote from Wesch saying that good learning comes from a combination of teaching and anti-teaching (but since I can't seem to find the quote again, it may just be my subconscious getting feisty). Regardless of whether or not Wesch said it, I believe it. If Wesch and Delpit had a baby, it would be my version of good teaching--a little bit of explicit instruction combined with a bit of open ended creative problem solving.
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteYou raise some valid points regarding the Wesch article. At one point I do believe I ,too, questioned the motives and depth of knowledge of the insignificant college students. I don't want to be grumpy here but when you measure a college student's feelings of insignificance against the students who are struggling to make it through high school-who may never have the opportunity to attend post-education-who may be relegated to a lifetime of struggle by virtue of their birthright, I'm thinking that these issues are much more significant and deserving of attention. At any rate, I would sign up for his class-it sounds like fun.
Thanks for the comment, Kelly.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I actually believe this or if I just think it sounds nice, but: if I am guiding my class through the woods on a trail I've been down a hundred times, it's my job to let their footfalls bring them toward moments of self-revelation in the face of discovery. Also, to allow room for the experience of each student to enhance the group.
That sounds pretty abstract and dreamy, but what I probably mean is that the composition of the class has an effect on the way I teach it. I understand that Wesch's soft assessment strategies sit uneasily with you, but I think one of the things teachers value highly is their ability to shape the experience of the students in their classroom, including their assessment prerogative. Whatever works at whatever time for whatever situation.