What does it all MEME?

Why do we need to pay attention to the e-culture of memes?

In this fantastic TEDx talk by Doug Belshaw, we are to learn that it isn't the memes that are so different, rather just the way they can spread that has changed.

Why should we care?  Because, as Belshaw states, "every time you are given a new tool, it gives you a different way of impacting upon the world...the medium is always going to be a part of the message."

Every year that I have taught, the number of tools that I see students introduced to has grown.  Are students becoming more  understanding of how to interact with the world?

In this talk, we learn that an idea's power is immeasurable.  As an educator, I cannot stress that statement enough.  It is why I believe that we need to reassure students that they are creative, that creative thinking is not limited to some.  Memes, and the culture of the web, serve as remarkable evidence that innovation is about collaboration.  If that isn't the very essence of TED, I don't know what is.

This brings me to the conversation starter of the post:  What are we doing to model collaboration?  How do we show our students and children that we too believe in the power of community?