Michael Wesch's "Vision of Students Today"

In his recent work, Michael Wesch suggests that technology is not saving us, but in all actuallity, bringing us farther apart, especially in classrooms. Technology allows students to steer away from the subject they're suppose to be learning, and while they appear to be participating in academics, they're actually on other sites such as facebook or email. Although Wesch does not say so directly, he apparantly assumes that technology is not helping students stay focused in class, it's allowing them to wander off and get off task easier than they would without a computer or cell phone in front of them. Students pay tuition and pay for some of the technology they bring to class such as cell phones or laptops, and end up leaving class without a great sense of what the lesson was because of all of the technological distractions, which really in the long run, is a waste of money and time.

My own view is that technology in the classroom is a major distraction, but having it outside of class might not be such a bad thing because it allows students to write on thier own time. Though I concede that Wesch has some powerful and well thought ideas. For example, when the students hold up their signs saying they spend much of their class time on facebook, or pretending to listen but really visiting other websites; this is a clear representation of lack of interest in the class, due to the distraction of technology. Some people may argue that it's a personal choice, and if the students want to pay for their schooling and not pay attention, let them. Although, I still say that without the distraction of internet or texting in class, that i'm sure there would be a definite increase in studies and complete, well thought out work. This issue is extremely important because education is something that many people need to succeed in life, and with the interference of technology in the classroom, it is making a struggle for people to stay focused and actively participate. Overall, technology has really come a long way, but without it there in the classroom, students would most likely be much more successful and eager to learn.