Monthly Archives: August 2008

Thank you Jon Stewart

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There is a terrific article in this weekend’s NY Times about The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I’ve occasionally been embarrassed to admit that I watch very little broadcast news – except The Daily Show. However, I’m really not so embarrassed by that anymore, given the deplorable state of most network and cable news programming. I’m more embarrassed when I leave the US and occasionally see references to American broadcasts. Then I cringe at the drivel that serves as “news” – especially on the 24-hour networks.

And loathe as I am to give away my political views, being a Daily Show fan won’t tell you which I way I lean being that “for all its eviscerations of the administration, “The Daily Show” is animated not by partisanship but by a deep mistrust of all ideology. A sane voice in a noisy red-blue echo chamber, Mr. Stewart displays an impatience with the platitudes of both the right and the left …”

Why am I blogging about this – other than to hope that more folks will watch the show? Well, Stewart maintains that his brand of comedic satire is a catharsis, a daily cleansing of his “morning cup of sadness” drunk each day when he reviews the toxins of the world.

I think differently: in this information age, we (and especially our young students) are bombarded by media messages in all forms, some blatant, others not so obvious. We desperately need critical thinkers who will help us filter the messages and provide the context we need in this sound bite era. Stewart and the Daily Show staff do that for us on a regular basis. So what if there’s a fart joke thrown in there every once in a while? We need to help our students learn to think critically about the world, not be passive media consumers. Thank you Jon Stewart for being a role model in that regard.

The latest “must see” video

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There have been a slew of great videos related to 21st century learning and web 2.0, but this one is absolutely the “must see” for educators prior to starting the school year. It’s 55 minutes long, so make sure you have some time before sitting down to watch – but DO watch it. This is Professor Michael Wesch‘s brilliant presentation to the Library of Congress from June. Using an anthropological lens, he presents an excellent foundation for understanding social media, user-generated content, and online communities. It’s a critical companion to Clay Shirky‘s Here Comes Everybody.

Teachers note: watch ALL before sharing with students. There are a few “inappropriate” words and images – although they are perfectly appropriate in the discussion context. And I hope that won’t dissuade teachers from sharing this with students.

Visa … priceless

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So I’m moving to England next month … didn’t seem like such a big deal when I agreed to take the job at ACS (well, it did actually – but that’s another story). Seems like getting a work visa stamp for the passport entails more hoop-jumping than I’ve done in a long time. I told my 13-year-old that there was a lot of red tape and she asked my where all the red tape is, ‘cos she didn’t see any …

So, after renewing my passport (has to be good for at least five years, and mine was rather worn out and due to expire) … applying (and paying!) for the work visa, getting approved by the UK government for a work permit, notarizing all sorts of documents (marriage license, birth certificate, etc) … still had one more thing to do: get my biometrics taken.

biometrics

Sounds a bit invasive, but really it was just fingerprints and a digital photo. I went to the local processing center which turned out to be the US immigration services center. Wow! Must have heard 20 different languages in the waiting room. So many people all coming from so many countries. I saw most continents represented (don’t think there was anyone from Antarctica). There was a big sign on the wall: Can you recite the pledge of allegiance? Gary was teasing me – do you know it? will you be able to recite it? I replied that I am fairly sure you don’t need to say the pledge of allegiance to leave the US … but you never know.

Bit of a strange experience … but since I took the day off for a 20-minute appointment, we wen to the movies in the middle of the day (decadent!). Saw The Wackness (Ben Kingsley is great – or should I say DOPE – in this film). Then ate at Cuba Libre in Old City … if you’re in Philly – check it out.