There’s an adult soap opera airing on HBO these days. My wife, the boy, and I all enjoy watching Westworld, which is kind of a take-off on the old movie with Yul Brynner and the book by Michael Chrichton. It’s fun, sometimes not appropriate for the boy, but offers an evolving narrative that talks too much, gets a little artsy, but seems to have something to say. Sunday nights–check it out.
Last night’s episode reminded me of teaching. Long story short, rich people (or folks who have the means) come to Westworld to “live” in the Old West. The setting is made up of “hosts,” which are artificial intelligence on a loop, designed to provide a good time for all. The hosts are tweaked all the time by humans, who decide storylines for them. Some hosts die thousands of times, but then are fixed up and sent back to their loops–gunfighter, bartender, madame, farm girl. The list goes on.
Last night, one of the principal characters showed another character a farm house that was sort of “off the grid.” It was dark inside and one of the characters started talking about how the hosts can’t see a door even if it’s right in front of them. A second later, one character asks the other to “hold the door,” and the response is, “What door?” Plot twist–the major character is a host, something created, and living in a false world that is created by someone else. And, the character doesn’t know it. After all, we accept the reality with which we are presented.
The one non-host was also killed, and a viewer infers that the character will be replaced by a host that goes through the same storylines, but is controlled to believe their reality, true or not. That’s the deal with Westworld–many “people” are walking around as hosts, not knowing what their true realities are.
Needless to say, we’re on the same loop in teaching, which makes it hard for some to see the door that’s right in front of them. It’s pretty tough to break out of the loop when our textbooks are over 20 years old. Still teaching that writing has an introduction, body, and conclusion in the 5-paragraph format? See how that works out in the storyline we call college.
September through June. Six periods a day. Ring those bells. Summer, so we can work in the fields. Common core. PLC. RTI. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
I doubt that I have a storyline going because I’m always trying new things, adapting and adjusting to meet students’ needs. But, when it is time to walk out the door, I better be able to see it.