Can they problem solve?

Here’s the best lesson idea I’ve seen in quite some time.

Talk about problem-solving!

Talk about integrating technology in meaningful ways!

Talk about collaboration and social-networking!

Talk about:

what can happen when a tech-savvy victim gets tired of waiting for help!

This is the story of Jesse McPherson:

burglars…ripped McPherson’s flat-screen TV off the wall and nabbed his Xbox 360 and Apple PowerBook.

Jesse McPherson takes ownership over his content:

…McPherson began his own sleuthing. He did a Google search of neighborhood pawn shops, visited the closest one and learned that someone had come in right after the burglary, attempting to sell McPherson’s computer.

Jesse receives some corporate love:

Comcast gave McPherson a nex Xbox. He accessed its internet connection. A man purporting himself to be the thief demanded that McPherson buy his own Xbox back.

Jesse works to solve his problem.

McPherson had reached out to police with what clues he could gather. He…obtained a digital photo of the guy with his laptop from the pawn shop’s surveillance system…

…he posted his tale of woe, along with the digital photo and one of the Xbox voice messages, on a blog post that he submitted to www.digg.com…

The power of social-networking takes over:

Within hours, the post sparked reaction from people around the world, who formed their own investigatory team to solve McPherson’s case. Using the Xbox profile of the person who had contacted McPherson

…they then used an array of technologies to uncover much more info about the guy.

Photobucket. YouTube.

…McPherson’s supporters flooded the kid’s online accounts…demanding the return of McPherson’s stuff.

One avenger, from England, even posted a recording on YouTube of a phone call he had with the kid’s furious mom…

…a reporter from New Zealand, gave McPherson’s story major headline treatment.

In the end, McPherson and his merry mob prompted the return of his belongings (except the TV).

The story has a fairytale ending for Jesse, and a rock-solid example of collaboration in action for anyone who loves phrases like ‘collaboration in action’ and ‘ownership over content’.

But here’s the point:

Trying to increase student ownership over content is an admirable, albeit cute endeavor, but at the end of the day, the student better have a receipt.