<p>Now wasting time on YouTube can be classified as a meaningful EC activity in preparation for rigorous college coursework!</p>
<p>BB.</p>
<p>I might say that learning about youtube is potentially far more useful than most things you'll learn in "rigorous college coursework". The type of students likely to take this course may not be driven or desiring to learn a great deal, but the value of the content should not be disparaged likewise.</p>
<p>YouTube may be a way to catch the (often limited) attention of the current generation, but however worthy the content, I don't think its typical 3 or 4 minute format is very conducive to the thoughtful analysis, deep learning, and synthesis of new ideas that comprise the most valuable educational experiences. Plus, about 99% of the YouTube content available is pure superficial fluff (and that's being kind).</p>
<p>Actually, I agree with these arguments:</p>
<p>"[The professor]hopes the course will raise serious issues about YouTube, such as the role of "corporate-sponsored democratic media expression." YouTube is "a phenomenon that should be studied," student Darren Grose said. "You can learn a lot about American culture and just Internet culture in general.""</p>
<p>Why not study YouTube, just as media courses study film, journalism studies the news media, and English courses study short stories (including popular fiction)? Not only is it a lens on contemporary culture and media and the impact of the web on them, but it has already had a significant political impact. Without YouTube, George Allen would probably still be the Junior Senator from Virginia. And if that had occurred, the Republicans would now have a majority in the Senate.</p>
<p>That said, the course has the potential to be nonsense on stilts. But it also could be quite worthwhile, particularly if the professor places it in context of other media and democratic theory.</p>
<p>MomfromMe, good post. I agree.</p>
<p>Maybe there will be a course that studies College Confidential!! :D</p>
<p>I don't know how the Pitzer course is structured, but studying media and modern culture and the impact and so forth, could be done in a very educational way. It is hard to say without knowing the structure or depth of the course.</p>
<p>Soozie: I bet there will be one! </p>
<p>BB.</p>
<p>Here is what students think about the professor:
<a href="http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=247323&page=1%5B/url%5D">http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=247323&page=1</a></p>
<p>MomfromMe, I love your phrase, "Nonsense on Stilts"</p>
<p>My daughter stilts in a circus, no kidding, so I will try not to use it when I'm around her. Other than that, there's a lot of Nonsense on Stilts these days.</p>
<p>I'd like to steal your phrase. May I?</p>
<p>Thanks, paying3tuitions, but I got the phrase from reading the British press once in awhile. And this source <a href="http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1808564%5B/url%5D">http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1808564</a> attributes it to Bentham.</p>