Mr. Evil Eyes’s Othello video has really taken off. I recorded several thousand page viewings just yesterday — which is a major jump in traffic for our little newspaper. The feedback is pretty positive — and the grades on the project were turned in months ago. This is so not about school anymore. All I did in the classroom was teach the Shakespeare. This is about flexing one’s creative muscles. This is about the power of audience.
Of course, Mr. Evil Eyes wasn’t creating for the world — he was creating for his teachers. But I wonder what this positive attention will do for him for future projects. I have a hunch that it’ll be a good thing.
Good stuff rises on the Internet. Students are not students — they’re participants in a community of creation and consumption where they are judged on their work — that’s all. And the Internet, it seems, is big enough to embrace most everyones’ interests. I think everybody can find an audience here.
Interestingly, I learned a lot following the postings about the video around the ‘net. For example, did you know that there’s live theater in Second Life? I sure didn’t. Lots of potential here.
I love it “the power of audience!” That is such an amazing statement. I am getting ready to edit and work with video in my dream computer lab that I’m working on. I’ve been working on the specs on westwoodtechplan.wikispaces.com. Would you mind posting what you use for video and editing so that I can learn from you. (Software and hardware!) I would appreciate it so much. I have some money now and will not have another chance for several years. I can add you to the wiki as well if you’d like to do it that way!