Techno Teaching: What Educators Can
Learn from DJs at MACUL 2015 was an interesting presentation. And
thought provoking.
Presenter Gary Abud described the work
of the DJ as someone with a number of complex skills managing many
different things at once, responding successful in the moment to
contingencies. A DJ creates a compelling environment for clubbers.
The DJ can get clubber to dance, put their hands up... you name it.
The analogy with teachers is obvious, and a very good one.
While compelling, however, it also has
a less attractive side.
The subtext, as I see it, is about
creating the “wow” lesson: a flashy, hypnotic, and mesmerizing
performance. In this scenario the DJ-teacher alone has agency. The
clubbers-students can only respond, only go where they are led. There
is only one response.
I think I'd rather have some
co-creation. Some back and forth. This DJ stuff shuts down all
spontaneity and responsiveness.
And then there's the beat, the DJ beat
Abud said was so great... that it's all about how a DJ appropriates
another DJ's beat, modifying it... (way too PoMo for me!) Don't tell
me there's a person behind it--a machine is the soul of that "beat."
In other words, no soul. Why do you Gen Y people and millennials
think there's a grove there? There ain't no groove there. This is a
groove: Bernard
Purdie putsdown a groove on “Home at Last.”
Or this groove? Nuff said.
Hey John - I find it so interesting that you were offended by this analogy; (on the surface at least) I think its sweet. Wish I could have been there to hear what the presenter said "from the horse's mouth."
ReplyDeleteIn general, I'm a big fan of the idea that one of the responsibilities of the teacher is to entertain. I like viewing teaching as a performance; it lends an element of fun without needing to undermine the quality and meaning behind the teaching.
I'm probably misunderstanding what you're trying to say..I know you're an actor; I assume you absolutely value performance. So what you don't like is the lack of agency that this analogy assigns to the clubber-students? So would a better analogy be like an improv performance where the audience plays an important role in the direction the performance goes in? Or does that still place too much emphasis on the role of the teacher over the role of the student?
Hmm, you offer a lot of interesting insights into what you think the role of a teacher is. But like Rachel says, a dj is different depending on the person. Indeed, a teacher should "entertain" but I think what that means in our professional language is motivating. I am reminded of the time in our psych class when we watched the two videos of the teachers, one who was very quiet and structured while the other teacher was more about keeping the class active. Both can be effective if done in a certain way and students are kept accountable, but the key is that regardless the students had to be motivated by the teacher to do work. While one was more "flashy" than the other, they both could be effective.
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