Digital Ethnography: The actual post -

Students are "becoming creators, not just consumers" - Michael Wesch

This statement was, for me, the "a ha" moment. The "wrapping it all up in an awesome 3-dimensional bow" moment. The "forget about an image of a kitten in a hard hat with one paw clawed into a branch captioned 'Hang in There,' this is my new motivational poster" moment.

Contenders for the motivational poster were Wesch's other statements regarding his teaching style. He teaches students "how to ask good questions" and to ask not what they'd need to know to pass the next test in class, but what they'd "need to know for this test of our lives."

At this point in my life, I am rolling the dice on a potential new career. I am trying to be a creator, answer and ask the important questions, and figure out what tools and lessons I need to build the life I picture for myself and my family. The questions that I have asked have somehow led me to this program and to this degree. Because I want to stay in Asheville and remain working in the arts, and because Asheville is a town where I've heard "BYOJ" over and over again ("bring your own job"), I am hoping to carve out a tiny little niche combining educational media - new media - and arts education. I want for a class of third graders to attend "Aesop's Fables" at a local theatre, and then go back to their classroom and do a virtual backstage tour of the same theatre. Meet the lighting designer via video, and then be able to adjust lighting levels and colors themselves using a 3-D model of the set. Use math skills to create a simple budget for the show, then choose costume and scenic pieces for a fable they've written based on that budget.

So how do I get there from here? What tools are out there? What can I download without giving myself another virus (laptop is in the shop for the second time since I started this program)? What can I design that can be accessed universally?

Here are a few pages that inspire me:
+ The multimedia page on the Kennedy Center's blog ARTSEDGE
+ The SPENT game on the Urban Ministries of Durham's page
+ A recent study guide from Seattle Children's Theatre, one of the best children's theatres in the country.  Wouldn't it be so cool to see and hear the interview with the three creators instead of reading it?  Hopefully, this is where I come in.