I like to think of my classroom as a place for solid infotainment, to steal an idea from television news. Students need new content to dissect and discuss constantly. Like it or not, we live in a fast paced society, and that lifestyle has found its way into the classroom. Better to embrace it and adapt then to “fight the good fight” to the bitter end. The fact is, students need teachers to look for many different ways to facilitate open communication and expose new college students to a wide range of ideas.
Which is why this talk comes in handy during week one. Why People Believe Weird Things from @michaelshermer is the perfect antidote to the clock-watching and smartphone searching that begins in earnest as we start the fourth hour of class together. It’s funny, moves from point to point with purpose, and uses so many cultural references (UFO’s, drugs, music, religion) that almost anyone can find a part to enjoy. I particularly love the backward-masking section because in high school, we actually studied how to find all the hidden satanic messages in heavy metal 80’s rock.
The title gets people talking. Students come to understand the joke in the title…what we consider weird is usually a matter of perspective. What I think is normal; what you think is weird. Five weeks of critical thinking will cure most of that illness. A video that makes people laugh, makes people think, and provides dozens of discussion topics, is certainly worthy of any educator’s attention.