Intrepid Classroom

The following post is the first of what I hope to be several video lessons/lectures about a variety for topics here at the Intrepid Classroom. I hope that you will respond creatively and ardently. This lesson will most likely take about one hour to watch the material and another thirty minutes for you to respond.

Please read this post linearly. Watch the video below before proceeding to text.

1. One of my mantras in the classroom when dealing with global issues has always been that the problems we are trying to solve: poverty, human rights abuses, global warming, social equity etcetera are not symptoms of a system in crisis, but it can be better understood that the problems we face are the repercussions of a system working as it should. Or even better said, the global issues we face are the results of several systems working together, as they should. The systems are working as they should that is why we have problems. The issues, with which you are most concerned, will most likely have their source in one of the following systems. Can you think of other systems that affect people throughout the world?

Economic systems- free market capitalism, globalization, and trade
Political systems- Electoral policies, foreign policy, and war
Media- dissemination of information, free speech, rise of Internet activism
Educational systems- Public school systems, curricula, and what is taught and how and by whom.

The questions to ask are: Who benefits from these systems? Who established them and for what reasons? Are they working as they should? Why or why not? Are they interconnected?

Return to video.

Now, please watch Money and Debt below. You can watch it in full screen here. Remember to take notes and write down any questions you may have about what is being presented.

Now that you have watched the video, what do you think? Have you ever thought that money could be so complicated? What does the message tell you about the financial crisis in the world today? Are any of the candidates talking about money reform? Why not? Have you ever heard of Local Exchange Trading Systems? Could you start one amongst your friends?

I have also created a page on the wiki, where we can collectively start to build a resource that illustrates our understanding of money. If after watching the movie you further investigate this topic please add your finding here. If you need an invite to the wiki just request one and I will approve it shortly.