PAST

This page is devoted to comments, resource links and various musings about week 1 which looks to the past.

This first week reflected an historic perspective of how we look at our future through dystopian and utopian eyes. There are many examples in film and media where this perspective dominates. In fact I can only think of a few popular cultural examples where the opposite prevails...Star Trek and most of the late Gerry Anderson's work..fireball XL5, Thunderbirds etc had an air of utopian optimism. (sign of the times?)

Of the 4 films offered to get our thinking juices going, the Bendito Machine III presented humans misplaced trust in the capabilities of new technology. Best of all  for fun I edited it to present the film with a Scottish theme to it. see video link above

InBox from me being a babyboomer portrayed a worrying development in people's (Digital natives and Millenials) decreasing capacity to express friendliness, attractiveness and engagement in a direct face to face situation. I think that is a consequence of technological driven communication. While any form of communication is positive the nuances of speech, touch, sight ,smell and emotional context enable humans to develop relationships and friendships with confidence and trust. 

Mind you digital communication does challenge older teachers to embrace the new codes and language of our young people....Can old Dogs learn new tricks?....hope so!!