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It’s amazing how much students have changed in my six years of teaching. They are increasingly immersed in technology – all of my students have cell phones and many are avid gamers and (all?) are involved with social media in some way or another. It’s neat to witness this transformation, but with it comes some serious questions. How is all this technology changing who we are? Why are we so enamored with gaming? Is technology robbing us of important human experiences? Should we be concerned about the rapid growth and development of technology?
To help me explore some of these questions with my students I show them a short film called “Play.” It’s a gritty and somewhat disturbing glimpse into the future of gaming and technology. It’s totally unpredictable. And because of these things it is also incredibly engaging. Watch it – you’ll enjoy it. It’ll make you think.
If you enjoy it and want to use it with your students, there is a lesson plan that you can access here plus a bunch of other mindbending, short films that give compelling visions for the future.
Last week I had a student tell me that he hates poetry. A number of other students expressed a similar sentiment. ”Fair enough,” I told this student, “but I don’t believe you. I think you actually like poetry.” Presumptuous? Maybe. Then I showed my class this video:
It’s rare for my class to be so completely engaged in something that everything else fades away – yet as I watched my students watch this video they were captivated. When the video finished, instead of the usual chatter of opinions and thoughts, there were a few seconds of complete silence. This isn’t a normal occurrence in my class! A student asked if I knew of any other videos like this one – when I said yes, but that I was going to share them at some other point, I nearly had a mutiny on my hands!
I still get a lump in my throat every time I watch this video.
This is a fantastic video that pokes fun at how ‘fotoshop’ can be used to give someone the appearance of beauty. It’s a humorous and sobering look at a serious issue. This video was created by Jesse Rosten. Enjoy!
