Just saw this on Crooks and Liars, and think it’s worth sharing to teachers and students alike. Ira Glass, radio host of This American Life on (the USA’s) National Public Radio, shares how expectations - our own, and others’ - shouldn’t be too high for our media creations, because “it takes years” to bridge the gap between our “tastes” and our attempts to attain them in our media productions.

To teachers, this says, “Don’t grade blogging, podcasting, and other things too harshly.”  To students it says, “Whether you like it or not, it’s good to hold you to a required production schedule that forces you to regularly create - that’s the only way you’ll get better.” (Reminds me of the old saying, “Don’t wait for Inspiration.  She’s a lazy b*tch that has to be chased down.”)

Here’s the clip:

5 Comments

• At July 10, 2008, Rich Platts wrote:

  I saw this yesterday and thought about what it means to teachers in a different way. I think it says that as teachers begin to change their teaching, especially using technology to change the learning environment (teaching in general ought to be considered 'creative') , that you should keep your standard in mind, but realize that you might not always measure up to your own standard... and as long as you strive toward it you are on the right path.

  Simpler still . . . don't give up.

• At July 10, 2008, Clay Burell wrote:

  @Rich: That's a really nice angle for sure. Hadn't thought of it, glad you shared it :)

• At July 10, 2008, Andrew wrote:

  Clay,

  I shared some of this with my science class when we made iMovies. My high school students didn't know Ira Glass but their reaction was positive and they had a good class discussion.

  I also showed them Jack Black's acceptable.tv tutorial on "How to Edit". They thought he was hilarious.

  Result: they became more aggressive about editing and splicing clips together over and over again.

  I'll be showing these clips to another group of students in the fall. They might be good for other teachers to use as well.

  Andrew

• At July 10, 2008, Dean Shareski wrote:

  Do you think this only applies to multimedia or does it not apply to writing or another artistic endeavor?

• At July 10, 2008, Clay Burell wrote:

  Good question, Dean. I think teachers and students are attuned to the developmental curve of traditional reading and writing, but possibly don't transfer that to the new practices.