Turkle and Wesch

 

What is the relationship between Turkle and Wesch? Do you see them as allies or opponents in this discussion of new media and technology?

Turkle (2012), starts by saying that “getting a text was like getting a hug.” She followed by pointing out that too many texts can be problematic. She also mentions what we learned in the virtual world, what we learned about ourselves, and our identities to live better lives in the real world. Turkle explained how sometimes technology takes us places where we don’t want to go. According to Turkle, technology can be psychologically powerful, somehow changing what we do and who we are. She presents the term “The Goldilocks effect” as being “not too close, not too far, just right”. But, what is “just right” for each of us?; What do we want to pay attention to? We can ask these questions to ourselves and we will have a variety of responses. As Turkle well said: “It’s time to talk!” Is not to get away from our devices, but to find a balance between technology and conversations. We need to talk and to listen to each other, show our feelings, express ourselves...we need to know that we have someone that listens to us.

“We expect more from technology and less from each other” (Turkle, 2012)

Wesch (2010), starts his article by presenting the “Problem of Significance” as if the students are struggling to find meaning and significance to their education. He continues by stating that “good questions are those that force students to challenge their taken-for-granted assumptions and see their own underlying biases” (p. 5). When students think about the term "education" they think about grades, rather than exploration/experiences of the world we live in. He presents how the learning environment is so important in education. He also called his techniques “anti-teaching”. According to Wesch (2010), “when students recognize their own importance in helping to shape the future of this increasingly global, interconnected society, the significance problem fades away" (p. 7). But simply telling them this narrative is not enough. Learning is meaningful for students. They need to be part of the solution to the problem.

“My job becomes less about teaching and more about encouraging students to join me on the quest.” (Wesch, 2010)

I think both Turkle (2012) and Wesch (2012) presented great ideas that go hand-in-hand. It is so important for learning to be meaningful for our students, more importantly, to build a positive learning environment where students feel valued. Technology is part of our learning experiences, but we must sustain a balance between this and effective communication. That’s why conversations are so important and necessary to collaborate to reach our maximum potential in the real world.

References: 

Turkle, S. (2012). TEDTalk: “Connected but Alone”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=t7Xr3AsBEK4

Wesch, M. (2010). Anti-Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance. (pp. 4-7). Education Canada Vol. 48