I saw Juan Tamariz, one of the greatest magicians in the world, perform card magic at the 2010 Magic Con conference last summer. I had seen him perform on video many times but it paled in comparison to seeing him live. It was an amazing and transformative experience. Not only did he do a formal performance from the stage; but on the first night he simply sat in a chair at a small table in the hotel hallway and proceeded to hold court in front of a huge group of magicians who crowded and surrounded the table at least 10 rows deep. I saw an entire audience of well-posted, knowledgeable magicians with their jaws on the floor and in a complete state of astonishment. He completely devastated the crowd. He took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride and weaved a masterful performance that was not just amazing and entertaining, but was also inspiring and uplifting. It was a once in a lifetime moment. Why was it so powerful? It was LIVE! He was able to play off of the crowd, improvise, shift and change directions, and build his effects into emotional climaxes. He wasn’t just manipulating pasteboards…he was manipulating people. Furthermore, it was powerful because it was a shared experience. It was the group dynamic that helped to create the electricity in the air. It will never be duplicated. If there was a video of the performance you might as well burn it because, like so many things in life, it was one of those “you had to be there” moments.
Compare listening to a music CD in your car to going to a live concert. It is undeniably and qualitatively different. What if you were the only person there? That would also be qualitatively different because a large part of the magic of a live concert is the shared experience and feeling of community. Ask a Deadhead if the CD of the show is the same as being there. How about watching the football game on your couch vs. at the stadium with 70,000 of your closest friends? Even just having friends over to your house to watch is a different experience as you share in the triumphs and disappointments of the game. I’ve listened on the radio as Trevor Hoffman entered the game for the Padres in the 9th inning and I’ve been in the stadium when “Hells Bells” started ringing and the crowd leaped up and a jolt of electricity surged through the crowd. It’s different. I saw Mama Mia live on stage and then I saw the movie. There is just something more powerful about a live performance.
Try this: Go to Youtube and watch someone walking on the beach. Then go to the beach (I know, I know, easy to say writing fromSan Diego!) and feel the waves wash over your feet and the sand between your toes. Punch “Grand Canyon” into Google images and take a look. Then go stand on the edge and gaze down. Let’s assume you can’t swim. Go do a month’s worth of online research and read and watch everything you can about how to swim. Now go jump in the deep end of the pool. I’m guessing 30 minutes with a live instructor in the water would have served you better.
I have always resisted the temptation (and request) to have my Outrageous Teaching seminars and workshops videotaped and made available. The primary reason is that I strongly believe that the video would be much less impactful. There is just something about being in a jam-packed room and seeing it in person that contributes to the successful delivery of the message and the intensity of the experience. A two-dimensional version won’t cut it.
There is nothing more powerful than a master teacher standing before a class of students and orchestrating the learning experience. The teacher can instantly shift directions after intuitively sensing a lack of understanding or engagement. They can provide instantaneous feedback, and read body language, facial expressions and vocal intonation. They can lead discussions, bring enthusiasm, and inject emotion and intensity at just the right time. A masterful teacher can determine when it is appropriate to temporarily drop the lesson all together in order to capture that elusive “teachable moment” that might be far more significant than the content standard on the board. Every year and even every period will be a little different because of the different students that make up the community of the classroom. A group of people sharing a common experience and interacting in a face-to-face environment is not outdated or obsolete. It is the handwritten thank you note in a world of email, tweets, and texts. It still works.
Technology, as one of a multitude of tools in the hands of an expert educator, can be undeniably powerful. However, technology as a replacement for live interaction between teachers and students concerns me. Sure, I know some students are bored and disengaged in their traditional classes but that sounds like an argument for better professional development and training for teachers, not for sticking kids in front of a computer screen all day. I’m just not ready to jump completely onto the online learning bandwagon quite yet. I know the horse might be out of the barn, but I have concerns that the pendulum might be swinging too far towards a love affair with technology just for the sake of technology. Using it in new and creative ways is a natural progression that is positive and should be encouraged but I fear many have become almost cult-like in there allegiance to it and have sipped a little too much of the Kool Aid.
I have been too slow to embrace innovative technology in my classroom and I know this is one of my weaknesses. Part of it is fear, part of it is ignorance, and part of it is probably just laziness. There is something else, though, and it is important. I still believe in the “POWER OF LIVE!”
Dave Burgess