Twitter and World Malaria Day This is another example of a video that could be used to start a discussion about the power of activism, especially the ability to use technology in raising awareness and money to support a cause. Middle school students are drawn to technology and are extremely tech savvy, so this video could help them to begin thinking about using technology in new and creative ways to address real world problems.
The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version) This video would be an excellent introduction to the idea of web 2.0. In general it's a great resource to get middle school students to expand their idea of what the internet can be used for. Since YAs are already so inclined to network and be social, and are already so tech savvy, it would be easy to get them excited about finding, creating, and connecting to meaningful content on the web.
Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law This video does a good job of introducing the complicated issue of digital media rights and the changing landscape of what is considered fair and legal. It also provides a good overview of the evolution of different media technologies. I would use this video in a middle school classroom to have a discussion about digital media rights that could be expanded into the writing of persuasive essays or researched and debated by teams in front of the class.
In general watching these videos makes me more excited about being a classroom teacher. Technology is changing the world quickly and making new kinds of connections between people possible. As an educator it is intimidating to keep up to date with this technology, but ultimately it's engaging and a good way to keep the curriculum fresh. I'm excited to learn alongside my students about the new opportunities technology is constantly bringing.
