For my final project, I created a wiki-unit on A Christmas Carol that would last a little over two weeks. In addition to the novel, various scenes from two wide ranging film adaptations are used, A Muppets' Christmas Carol and Scrooged. The original novel is useful in many ways. It is one of the more popular works from the iconic Victorian author, Charles Dickens, so it would easily fit into an British literature course. Dickens' writings are a great way to introduce a Marxist critical lens. And the majority of students are familiar with the storyline but more than likely do not know the details of the narrative and the lack of enchantment in the plot would allow for a closer reading of the work.
A Christmas Carol is one of the most adapted novels of all time, so it is only right to utilize film adaptations to underscore certain elements of the tale. The Muppets' version is much more closely linked to the original tale. However, the use of the Muppets (and the production by Disney) allows the students to examine and discuss the various changes that are made for the intended audience.
Scrooged on the other hand does not follow Dickens' completely. Rather, Dickens' story is in the backdrop of the movie, and a more modern day (more tangible to the students) adaptation is placed on the tale. The change in the setting from Victorian London, to late 80's early 90's New York City, allows the students to compare the different historical periods.
The novel is broken up into five staves, and that is also how the reading would be assigned. To accompany in class discussions, relevant clips would be shown. I also created some googledocs for students to contribute on character descriptions and vocabulary words. A few of the sections also have discussion forums on the wiki that students would be expected to answer. Also, there is a paper assignment comparing different elements of the book and the adaptations. In addition, there is a group video assignment that would allow the students to create their own adaptation of a scene.
Here is my wiki.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Adaptations of film and literature
In a literature class:
Integrating film into a literature class would allow the students to get a better grasp on the meanings. Not only would it help clarify the storyline, it could also point out some aspects that the students didn't quite catch. Recognizing the differences between the film and the book would circle around limitations. The film has a limited amount of time to get things done in. This means that some of the story lines are withheld, characters are missing, and so on. A film may also add in another piece to make it more interesting (make more money). Students would need to figure out who the intended audience is and such.
In a writing class:
Integrating film into a writing class would be a bit of a reversal of what usual occurs, the book going to the big screen. Here, I would have the students look at clips or short films and try to draw out what a story board would have looked like. They would extract that outline, and then rewrite there own scenarios. Hopefully, it would strengthen their organizing abilities and story building.
My final project demonstrates how to use video clips along with the text to reach many angles for the viewers. To create their own adaptations, I would have the students take a story and move it to their setting (physical setting or historical). This allows the student to both demonstrate an understanding of the original text but be critical of their own time period.
Integrating film into a literature class would allow the students to get a better grasp on the meanings. Not only would it help clarify the storyline, it could also point out some aspects that the students didn't quite catch. Recognizing the differences between the film and the book would circle around limitations. The film has a limited amount of time to get things done in. This means that some of the story lines are withheld, characters are missing, and so on. A film may also add in another piece to make it more interesting (make more money). Students would need to figure out who the intended audience is and such.
In a writing class:
Integrating film into a writing class would be a bit of a reversal of what usual occurs, the book going to the big screen. Here, I would have the students look at clips or short films and try to draw out what a story board would have looked like. They would extract that outline, and then rewrite there own scenarios. Hopefully, it would strengthen their organizing abilities and story building.
My final project demonstrates how to use video clips along with the text to reach many angles for the viewers. To create their own adaptations, I would have the students take a story and move it to their setting (physical setting or historical). This allows the student to both demonstrate an understanding of the original text but be critical of their own time period.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Music
Music. Music. Music. There are thousands of different genres, so many that no one should be able to say that they don't like music. Granted, the majority of music on the radio is commercialized garbage. For me, I prefer bands that play their own instruments. Write or at least perform songs with their own personalities behind them. The songs should be have some meaning, some message, some story that relates to my life or an idea I can comprehend. They show a bit of charisma, and confidence in their art form and do not need to be digitally mastered to perfection. For the most part, I would say my favorite genre is Folk music.
Eve of Destruction performed by Barry McGuire.
This song was written by P.F. Sloan in 1965 and has been performed by many different musicians. Barry McGuire's version is probably the most popular, and the vocals really show the passion of the lyrics and their critique of society. Openly addressing social issues is a key element of folk music. The historical context of the song is crucial. It came out during the height of the Vietnam War. Threat from the Cold War and nuclear warfare was on everyone's mind as well. These are fears that are just as relevant today, although the names have changed. Now there is a War on Terror, and the nuclear threat has moved away from Soviet Russia. The song also touches on some of the ironies of the American policies. The voting age at that time was higher than the age needed to be drafted into the army, racism was rampant within our borders, and numerous other atrocities.
One idea of how to teach this song would be to have students get into groups. First, they would listen to the song, while they read through the lyrics. They would talk about the issues that the song mentions. They would then write a remix to the song, adding in more modern happenings that have the same type of social impact. Then the groups would share there song (hopefully willing to sing it) and then explain their choices in lyrics.
Analyzing a Music Video
Mumford and Son's Little Lion Man
The video starts out with an empty stage, then zooming in on the instruments. Flash to an empty auditorium. Shadowy faces playing the instruments, zooming towards stage but never too close on to the faces. Everyone is jamming to their instrument, really feeling energetic. In the middle of the song, you start to get close ups of faces, but no one is really playing to the camera. They still are focused on singing. Shot of ceiling leading down to the stage, front and back views. Flashing lights where a crowd would be during the crescendo of the song. It ends zooming up from the stage into darkness.
This all portrays what folk music is really about. It is about the music itself. The zoomed in shots of the instruments and the lack of focus on the musicians shows where it all comes from. The fact that they are playing to an empty audience shows that they are there for the love of making music, not the fame.
The lyrics to the song go along with this interpretation in a way. They deal with someone messing it all up all due to his own fault. Often artists lose what they have because they try to be something they are not and lose the mentality they had when they started.
Mumford and Sons are growing popular rapidly, so they must be doing something right. Their simplicity of their music is something that I really enjoy, and the video really highlights that. It is simply done, just the band playing music and loving it. It is what I feel when they play, just real enjoyment.
PRESENTATION
Eve of Destruction performed by Barry McGuire.
This song was written by P.F. Sloan in 1965 and has been performed by many different musicians. Barry McGuire's version is probably the most popular, and the vocals really show the passion of the lyrics and their critique of society. Openly addressing social issues is a key element of folk music. The historical context of the song is crucial. It came out during the height of the Vietnam War. Threat from the Cold War and nuclear warfare was on everyone's mind as well. These are fears that are just as relevant today, although the names have changed. Now there is a War on Terror, and the nuclear threat has moved away from Soviet Russia. The song also touches on some of the ironies of the American policies. The voting age at that time was higher than the age needed to be drafted into the army, racism was rampant within our borders, and numerous other atrocities.
One idea of how to teach this song would be to have students get into groups. First, they would listen to the song, while they read through the lyrics. They would talk about the issues that the song mentions. They would then write a remix to the song, adding in more modern happenings that have the same type of social impact. Then the groups would share there song (hopefully willing to sing it) and then explain their choices in lyrics.
Analyzing a Music Video
Mumford and Son's Little Lion Man
The video starts out with an empty stage, then zooming in on the instruments. Flash to an empty auditorium. Shadowy faces playing the instruments, zooming towards stage but never too close on to the faces. Everyone is jamming to their instrument, really feeling energetic. In the middle of the song, you start to get close ups of faces, but no one is really playing to the camera. They still are focused on singing. Shot of ceiling leading down to the stage, front and back views. Flashing lights where a crowd would be during the crescendo of the song. It ends zooming up from the stage into darkness.
This all portrays what folk music is really about. It is about the music itself. The zoomed in shots of the instruments and the lack of focus on the musicians shows where it all comes from. The fact that they are playing to an empty audience shows that they are there for the love of making music, not the fame.
The lyrics to the song go along with this interpretation in a way. They deal with someone messing it all up all due to his own fault. Often artists lose what they have because they try to be something they are not and lose the mentality they had when they started.
Mumford and Sons are growing popular rapidly, so they must be doing something right. Their simplicity of their music is something that I really enjoy, and the video really highlights that. It is simply done, just the band playing music and loving it. It is what I feel when they play, just real enjoyment.
PRESENTATION
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Documentaries
Recently, I watched the documentary Waiting for Superman, which has been nominated for an Oscar. The film had a pretty clear-cut message. The school system as it is set up now, in a macro-level view, is failing. It points to many reasons why schools are becoming these “failure factories”, but the main obstacle (read: cause) is lazy teachers, and their protective unions. Davis Guggenheim (the director) showcases various students, along with their caretakers, on their quest to join savior-esque charter schools. These charter schools are meant to be the super heroes in the quest to save public education.
The audience for this film is primarily parents and educators, but Guggenheim tries to make it reach everyone. Problems with education translates to problems with all of society. America has fallen of the pedestal of number one in the country, and being surpassed. If we want to get back, everyone needs to heed reforms to public education.
Guggenheim uses various sources and techniques in the documentary. His following of a few students and their families allows the viewer to relate to the struggle. In the end when the lotteries for the charter schools are being conducted, most viewers are hoping to hear these students be chosen. Along with this technique of putting a face to the statistics, there are of course the statistics. Graphs and various other research tactics are shown throughout the film to show the wasting of tax dollars, to the fall in the education system, and many other elements. The film presents the views of quite a few different perspectives. There is a white girl from a two parent household in a suburban school trying to get into a school, all the way to a single parent and her daughter who can no longer afford a private school in New York. Politicians, parents, school administrators and teachers are all given there chance to voice their opinions, but the opinions are usually in favor of what the film is promoting.
But how can’t they be. Everyone agrees that the school system is not working perfectly. The achievement gap is horrible, and growing worse and worse. However, the filmmakers are praising charter schools they neglect the fact that the majority of the schools fail. They are blaming teacher’s unions for slowing down progress, but not taking into consideration the reason behind its’ disapproval of merit pay.
Due to this lack of seeing all aspects of the situation (granted it is a near impossibility to do), I don’t think the film really captures the reality of the issue. It shows the problem and provides a solution to it, but I feel it isn’t hitting all sides of the issues. But I have also seen the argument against the film from Not Waiting for Superman. So it is probably pretty successful in reaching the audience of parents who are easy to look for someone to put the blame of their children’s failures.
Class Assignment:
I would probably not have the students watch this documentary. It would be a little too risky in causing students’ putting the blame on the system and letting them not put forth effort. They’d have a scapegoat. Instead, I would have them watch a documentary such as Food, Inc. We would then talk about the credibility of the film (who funded it, who is portrayed in it), the underlining message, and whether it will change their perspectives (change there eating habits, social change, etc.). I like the four-corners activity (with one corner strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree) and I would do a variation on that. Some questions would be: documentaries persuade the audience therefore have some element of bias, documentaries are entirely realistic, documentaries utilize fear tactics to form their audiences, and I believe in this film. After each topic, each corner would discuss their reasoning and then have a spokeperson state their corner’s case.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
TV News Log
I streamed the November 8th Kare11 ten-o'clock newscast. Here is the log of the program:
Introductions (Oil prices hit highs, human sex-trafficking, and a car-deer collision) 30 seconds
Car-Deer Collision (Out-state news) 2:13
Sex Trafficking Arrests (Metro News) 2:17
Man released from jail, suing Toyota (Metro News) 0:27
Governor's Race (State News) 0:27
Gas Prices hit high (National News) 0:27
Coming up: Weather, Vikings win. 0:15
Also coming up as a Kare 11 Extra, a heart defect issue (Health) 0:13
Heart Defect, in anchor's family. (Health) 6:40
Weatherwoman thanking anchor for sharing the heart story 0:20
Weather 2:15
Tomorrow Night: Increased use at food shelf's 0:25
Coming up: Sports 0:15
Reminder: Phone number for heart clinic 0:10
Story on Vikings and Childress (Sports) 0:43
Gopher Basketball team finishes exhibition season (Sports) 0:29
Athletes of the Week (Sports) 2:00
Middle School football team does a trick play (Sports) 0:36
Before we go: Queen gets a Facebook (Entertainment) 0:37
News topics received 5:44. Out of these topics there was "news" from around the state and nation. But out of that news, only two stories (governor's race and gas prices) have an actually effect on myself or anyone else not personally involved in the story. They are there to entertain through emotional tactics (car-deer incident), crime (sex-trafficking) and also revenge (Toyota being sued). Sports topics got 5:13. The sports portion was all local/state sports with a range from professional all the way down to Middle School, with the largest allotment for prep sports which the majority of sports fans would not really care about. Weather got 2:15 seconds, it was mostly local weather with a little bit of a mention of other areas, with the reason being it will be coming our direction. Health Features took up the majority of the news cast at 6:40. This story was one of the most personally you will get on the news as the head anchor interviewed his wife and family about the illness. Intros, Coming ups and Tommorrows got 1:23 seconds. These didn't tell anything of any value but are used as a hook to get you to stay tuned or watch tomorrow. Entertainment came in with 37 seconds, thanks to the Queen of England getting a Facebook page.
As I do not have cable, I do not watch television news often. I get my news from reading online news sites and actually streaming The Daily Show. The nightly news is geared towards older people. The stories are never anything near breaking news. (I heard about the Queen getting a Facebook over a week ago. I didn't care then, and I still don't.) They are all moderate, relatively conservative minded. Show the police doing good work busting up the sex-trafficking, but then do not talk more about the man released from prison because his case was overruled. They do not want to anger anyone by pointing out a flaw like that in the judicial system, because people want to think that the system in place is always perfect. The health feature didn't really pertain to a very vast audience. The disease has no visible signs, so it does not cause any real warnings. You can get tested to see if you are at risk, but they do not make any mention of the high cost the testing must be because that would get to close to an issue of a lack of universal healthcare. As I mentioned before, the sports section showed a bit of all levels. But if you were a sports fan, you would have known the day before that the Vikings won, probably would not care too much about an exhibition basketball game against a Division 2 school. Since I watched the newscast online, I did not see any ads.
Teaching Activity: For my teaching activity, I would have students do a similar task. They would first watch and keep a log of a local nightly newscast. However, they would also watch a national news show from Fox News and one from MSNBC. The key would be to have all three shows air on the same day. After writing out what topics are covered, and the different stories in the topics, I would have the students engage in a dialogue about what stories are being covered by what stations. Is there any bias? Is there a reason for the different views given?
Introductions (Oil prices hit highs, human sex-trafficking, and a car-deer collision) 30 seconds
Car-Deer Collision (Out-state news) 2:13
Sex Trafficking Arrests (Metro News) 2:17
Man released from jail, suing Toyota (Metro News) 0:27
Governor's Race (State News) 0:27
Gas Prices hit high (National News) 0:27
Coming up: Weather, Vikings win. 0:15
Also coming up as a Kare 11 Extra, a heart defect issue (Health) 0:13
Heart Defect, in anchor's family. (Health) 6:40
Weatherwoman thanking anchor for sharing the heart story 0:20
Weather 2:15
Tomorrow Night: Increased use at food shelf's 0:25
Coming up: Sports 0:15
Reminder: Phone number for heart clinic 0:10
Story on Vikings and Childress (Sports) 0:43
Gopher Basketball team finishes exhibition season (Sports) 0:29
Athletes of the Week (Sports) 2:00
Middle School football team does a trick play (Sports) 0:36
Before we go: Queen gets a Facebook (Entertainment) 0:37
News topics received 5:44. Out of these topics there was "news" from around the state and nation. But out of that news, only two stories (governor's race and gas prices) have an actually effect on myself or anyone else not personally involved in the story. They are there to entertain through emotional tactics (car-deer incident), crime (sex-trafficking) and also revenge (Toyota being sued). Sports topics got 5:13. The sports portion was all local/state sports with a range from professional all the way down to Middle School, with the largest allotment for prep sports which the majority of sports fans would not really care about. Weather got 2:15 seconds, it was mostly local weather with a little bit of a mention of other areas, with the reason being it will be coming our direction. Health Features took up the majority of the news cast at 6:40. This story was one of the most personally you will get on the news as the head anchor interviewed his wife and family about the illness. Intros, Coming ups and Tommorrows got 1:23 seconds. These didn't tell anything of any value but are used as a hook to get you to stay tuned or watch tomorrow. Entertainment came in with 37 seconds, thanks to the Queen of England getting a Facebook page.
As I do not have cable, I do not watch television news often. I get my news from reading online news sites and actually streaming The Daily Show. The nightly news is geared towards older people. The stories are never anything near breaking news. (I heard about the Queen getting a Facebook over a week ago. I didn't care then, and I still don't.) They are all moderate, relatively conservative minded. Show the police doing good work busting up the sex-trafficking, but then do not talk more about the man released from prison because his case was overruled. They do not want to anger anyone by pointing out a flaw like that in the judicial system, because people want to think that the system in place is always perfect. The health feature didn't really pertain to a very vast audience. The disease has no visible signs, so it does not cause any real warnings. You can get tested to see if you are at risk, but they do not make any mention of the high cost the testing must be because that would get to close to an issue of a lack of universal healthcare. As I mentioned before, the sports section showed a bit of all levels. But if you were a sports fan, you would have known the day before that the Vikings won, probably would not care too much about an exhibition basketball game against a Division 2 school. Since I watched the newscast online, I did not see any ads.
Teaching Activity: For my teaching activity, I would have students do a similar task. They would first watch and keep a log of a local nightly newscast. However, they would also watch a national news show from Fox News and one from MSNBC. The key would be to have all three shows air on the same day. After writing out what topics are covered, and the different stories in the topics, I would have the students engage in a dialogue about what stories are being covered by what stations. Is there any bias? Is there a reason for the different views given?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Food and Cooking Genres
Food and Cooking Genres
Food Network is my favorite channel. When nothing else is on, I will turn the television to whatever is cooking (or being shown). Why? Because I love food, I love cooking. Cooking reminds me of my mom, and of family. I am not unusual by any means in this regard. So what is it about this genre that makes it special? What does the Food Network bring to the table?
1. Identifiable Hosts
Each show has an audience in mind. Want some southern hospitality? Paula Dean demonstrates the classic southern belle who uses food to welcome you into her home, to accompany her family. She is outspoken to say the least. The Neeely's display similar traits of welcoming you to eat with their family. They also attempt to show the love that can come from cooking with their husband/wife combination and frequent displays of affection. More of a science-orientated viewer? Alton Brown's show Good Eats uses scientific explanations and slapstick humor to draw the audience in. If you are looking to bring more of an international flavor to your life there are numerous hosts that bring a taste of the world into your kitchen. Even more importantly in our time crunched society, there is every working mom's lifesaver, Rachel Ray. All of these hosts bring personal taste to their shows, but all demonstrate a love of food, that translates into easy to follow steps to create your own.
2. Settings
The settings for these shows of course is centered around the kitchen, and occasional into their own family's kitchen. Unlike most kitchens I have seen, they are always immaculately cleaned for of every appliance you can think of not to mention every ingredient imaginable. However, some go into grocery stores, markets, and butchers, to show viewers how and where to purchase ingredients.
3. Entertaining
Cooking is never dull when you are doing the work, but watching it can be. Especially due to lack of smell-o-vision technology. Luckily, hosts seems to have a pretty unique sense of humor that they use to keep audiences engaged. Another technique to keep the viewer engaged is adding a bit of a personal narrative such as the history of the dish or what it stirs in the host's memory.
4. Ease
While each host may warn of the varying difficulties involved in each dish, they go slowly. Each step is carefully detailed, allowing almost anyone who can follow directions to be able to cook. Recipes and videos are displayed on the website, allowing you to go back and make sure you know what you are doing. The main goal is to take the fear out of cooking, and bring the fun home made food can be.
5. Time
Each show, except for Rachel Ray's, is usually time-edited. It is rarely shot in real time as the cooking would take too long and dull the audience to sleep. This also allows for perfection, every time.
Critical Analyis
With the rise of obesity due to the over-consumption of fast-food and reliance on pre-made, processed foods, why are these shows that demonstrate home-cooking ideas and techniques so popular? Michael Pollen points out the obvious answer, time. The average American spends 27 minutes cooking a day. That is the same amount of time most of these shows run. But even some of the recipes shown on the shows can easily lead to obesity. (see Paula Dean) Thankfully, some food hosts address the issue head on. Jamie Oliver, for one, has started a crusade against processed foods, primarily in school lunch programs. Another critique could be the element of the all-mighty dollar. Few have the luxury to have access to appliances and ingredients. However, hosts provide alternatives quite often. Alton Brown shows how to make some tools at home, with common and cheap items. Some negative assumptions these all these shows display is the idea of community and family. Recipes are almost never meant for individual consumption, leading one to assume that everyone should have others to enjoy their food with. In addition, there is also the need to keep in mind that most of these hosts are also spokespeople for various food related advertisements. Many have their own line of pots and pans, and food stuffs.
Teaching Activity: The activity I would have my students do would involve them making their own cooking show based on satirizing one of the shows we discussed. (Paula Dean, the Neely’s, Alton Brown, and Rachel Ray). This assignment would involve aspects of research and filming. First, the students would break into groups, and decide on which show they’d like to satirize. Satire is very intelligent and therefore difficult humor to achieve. This means that the students will have to be able to firmly grasp what the show is attempting to do, and how it does it. The students would have to decide on a recipe. They can use one from the site, or bring one from home. They would then watch clips from the various shows and take notes based on the characteristics of the show (thoughts on the host, setting, comedic elements, ease and time). Working together, each group would then discuss these elements and use their knowledge to create a satirized storyboard of the recipe they want to do, along with a script. They would then videotape their shows. They would then be posted to a class wiki, and students would be required to comment on other group’s work detailing what works and what could improve the clip.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Facebook is has over five-hundred million different users worldwide. Each profile is personalized by the users choice and there are few limitations as to what you can use your profile (and friend's profiles) to do. I surveyed a random sample of seven of my Facebook friends asking them three questions; When did they first use Facebook? Why did they start? and What do they spend the majority of their time doing? I then examined there profiles to see what each one said about themselves through pictures, albums, "likes", etc.
Originally, even after Facebook left Harvard, it was intended to be for college students only. However, this is not the case. Now high school students, college students, and adults all use Facebook for various reasons. For that purpose, I broke up the participants into three groups: A)16-19 years old B)20-24 years old and C)24 years and older. This is to help to see if there is any homogeneity with-in groups or between.
Group A: 16-19 years old
Participant 1: One started using her Facebook account when she was in eighth grade (2008). Her reason for joining was because of friend's having one and telling her about it. She uses Facebook for primarily "creeping". Analysis of her profile shows that she has 502 friends, 68 likes, five albums, and 348 pictures in which she is tagged. Personal information she discloses include her email address and phone number.
Participant 2: Two started using her Facebook account in the tenth grade (2008). Her reason was the combination of friends having an account and Myspace becoming incompetent. She enjoys the aspect of "creeping" on her friends, and also staying in touch with them. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 638 friends, 30 likes, 21 photo albums, and 546 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email address.
Group A: It is quite interesting that both One and Two voiced that "creeping" is their most frequent activity online. "Creeping" has such a negative connotation, but yet they openly chose that word. It shows that it is an acceptable hobby in the social community of Facebook. A little bit of fear arises in who else might be "creeping", primarily for One as she discloses her phone number. Both of them have quite a high number of "friends", leading me to believe that they probably do not keep up with all of them. Yet it was the influence of friends, that led to their starting their use. And while they claim that "creeping" is their favorite past time, they both use the "likes" to express their own feelings and opinions, painting a picture of themselves in the community.
Group B: 20-24 years old
Participant 3: Three started using Facebook when she turned 18 (2007). She wanted to put up the photos from her eighteenth birthday (being from England, the 18th birthday is the equivalent to a 21st birthday celebration here). Her main activities are looking at photos, browsing the newsfeed, and keeping up with friends. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 462 friends, 11 likes, 80 photo albums, and 1268 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email addresses.
Participant 4: Four started using Facebook in 2007, the reason being that Myspace was bad. She uses it to "talk with friends" and for pictures. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 471 friends, 1607 likes, 43 albums, and 2178 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email address.
Participant 5: Five started using Facebook as a high school senior (2007). His reasoning was that my space was sub-par. The activity he partakes in the most is "creeping" on profiles. His profile shows that he has 543 friends, 207 likes, 9 albums, and 247 tagged photos. His email address, phone number and address are all disclosed.
Participant 6: Six started using Facebook last year (2009). His reasoning was that it was better than Myspace. He enjoys "laughing at status updates". His profile shows that he has 225 friends, 16 likes, seven albums, and 24 tagged photos. No private information.
Group B: This group is more so a cohort that grew up with the onslaught of online communities as evident by their reasoning of joining Facebook was the fact it seemed like an update from Myspace. With the exception of one, no body uses the word "creeping" and rather likes to talk/keep up with friends. Also, the amount of friends, all seem to be relatively more believable than in Group A, especially since this group contains two Europeans who have lived in multiple countries and therefore have multiple friend groups. Two of them also voiced an interest in photos online which was made evident by the amount of photo albums and tagged photos. In addition, participant Four and Five seem to express themselves with their likes, especially Four. It seems that she really enjoys expressing herself online. Overall, privacy concerns only come up for one participant.
Group C: 24-30
Participant 7: Seven started using Facebook in 2007 at the urging of her younger siblings. She uses it to keep up with friends and family, while also using it to "elicit feedback on cooking and research thoughts". Her profile lists 325 friends, 2 likes, 3 albums and 117 tagged photos. She lists her email address and academic website.
Group C: As I was only able to obtain one participant for this group, it is hard to base any conclusions. However, a couple interesting things still stand out to me. For one, Seven was told to join by younger siblings to join. This shows that even though she is in her late twenties, social networking was not something she grew up with. To this effect, she uses this online community in a way that no one else mentioned; she tries to "elicit feedback". She uses this as an actual network to communicate on things beyond friendships and social lives, but into the realm of academia.
With over half a billion people signed in to the social community of Facebook, it is evident in this sampling of seven individuals that everyone uses it in a different way. It is what you make out of it.
Originally, even after Facebook left Harvard, it was intended to be for college students only. However, this is not the case. Now high school students, college students, and adults all use Facebook for various reasons. For that purpose, I broke up the participants into three groups: A)16-19 years old B)20-24 years old and C)24 years and older. This is to help to see if there is any homogeneity with-in groups or between.
Group A: 16-19 years old
Participant 1: One started using her Facebook account when she was in eighth grade (2008). Her reason for joining was because of friend's having one and telling her about it. She uses Facebook for primarily "creeping". Analysis of her profile shows that she has 502 friends, 68 likes, five albums, and 348 pictures in which she is tagged. Personal information she discloses include her email address and phone number.
Participant 2: Two started using her Facebook account in the tenth grade (2008). Her reason was the combination of friends having an account and Myspace becoming incompetent. She enjoys the aspect of "creeping" on her friends, and also staying in touch with them. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 638 friends, 30 likes, 21 photo albums, and 546 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email address.
Group A: It is quite interesting that both One and Two voiced that "creeping" is their most frequent activity online. "Creeping" has such a negative connotation, but yet they openly chose that word. It shows that it is an acceptable hobby in the social community of Facebook. A little bit of fear arises in who else might be "creeping", primarily for One as she discloses her phone number. Both of them have quite a high number of "friends", leading me to believe that they probably do not keep up with all of them. Yet it was the influence of friends, that led to their starting their use. And while they claim that "creeping" is their favorite past time, they both use the "likes" to express their own feelings and opinions, painting a picture of themselves in the community.
Group B: 20-24 years old
Participant 3: Three started using Facebook when she turned 18 (2007). She wanted to put up the photos from her eighteenth birthday (being from England, the 18th birthday is the equivalent to a 21st birthday celebration here). Her main activities are looking at photos, browsing the newsfeed, and keeping up with friends. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 462 friends, 11 likes, 80 photo albums, and 1268 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email addresses.
Participant 4: Four started using Facebook in 2007, the reason being that Myspace was bad. She uses it to "talk with friends" and for pictures. Analysis of her profile shows that she has 471 friends, 1607 likes, 43 albums, and 2178 tagged photos. The only personal information she discloses is her email address.
Participant 5: Five started using Facebook as a high school senior (2007). His reasoning was that my space was sub-par. The activity he partakes in the most is "creeping" on profiles. His profile shows that he has 543 friends, 207 likes, 9 albums, and 247 tagged photos. His email address, phone number and address are all disclosed.
Participant 6: Six started using Facebook last year (2009). His reasoning was that it was better than Myspace. He enjoys "laughing at status updates". His profile shows that he has 225 friends, 16 likes, seven albums, and 24 tagged photos. No private information.
Group B: This group is more so a cohort that grew up with the onslaught of online communities as evident by their reasoning of joining Facebook was the fact it seemed like an update from Myspace. With the exception of one, no body uses the word "creeping" and rather likes to talk/keep up with friends. Also, the amount of friends, all seem to be relatively more believable than in Group A, especially since this group contains two Europeans who have lived in multiple countries and therefore have multiple friend groups. Two of them also voiced an interest in photos online which was made evident by the amount of photo albums and tagged photos. In addition, participant Four and Five seem to express themselves with their likes, especially Four. It seems that she really enjoys expressing herself online. Overall, privacy concerns only come up for one participant.
Group C: 24-30
Participant 7: Seven started using Facebook in 2007 at the urging of her younger siblings. She uses it to keep up with friends and family, while also using it to "elicit feedback on cooking and research thoughts". Her profile lists 325 friends, 2 likes, 3 albums and 117 tagged photos. She lists her email address and academic website.
Group C: As I was only able to obtain one participant for this group, it is hard to base any conclusions. However, a couple interesting things still stand out to me. For one, Seven was told to join by younger siblings to join. This shows that even though she is in her late twenties, social networking was not something she grew up with. To this effect, she uses this online community in a way that no one else mentioned; she tries to "elicit feedback". She uses this as an actual network to communicate on things beyond friendships and social lives, but into the realm of academia.
With over half a billion people signed in to the social community of Facebook, it is evident in this sampling of seven individuals that everyone uses it in a different way. It is what you make out of it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Digital Media
When it comes to digital media, Facebook is what I use the most. I have had my account for probably six years or so, and have witnessed my own profile's changes and adaptations as well as the site itself.
While in highschool, I had an account but didn't really ever use it. The people I communicated with, I usually came into contact with every day in real life, so I never really used a virtual meeting place. Now, however, I find that this virtual meeting place is what appeals to me the most about Facebook. I come from a large family and have many friends that are spread out across the globe; my cousin lives in China, another one in Germany, friends studying abroad, sister living in Canada, and my girlfriend lives in England. Facebook allows me to keep in contact with all of them for free. Long distance, international calls are expensive, and the time differences don't allow for immediate communication. I can send messages, wall posts, and even look at their pictures, all without a specific time schedule.
One element of Facebook that everyone is somewhat worried about is privacy. Postings, comments, and pictures online are readily accessible and fairly permanent. You can be searched for by almost anyone, but luckily I have a pseudonym for my account so that few people can find me. An interesting thing about having a different name on my account is that some "friends" actually believe that that is my real name. This definitely helps explain what is meant as a "friend" online.
Other than a different name on my account, my profile is pretty informative. I have on it my hometown, current town, school, and job. However, all my photos are blocked so no one else can look at them unless I give them access.
Another feature I enjoy is the ability to post sites and articles from all over the web. I often post anything that I have read in various news sources, to a music video, on my wall or even on to my friends' walls. The comments that follow allow for a debate on topics and issues that we find interesting.
Facebook helps in forming and maintaining relationships with people I know and interact with often in real life. Every few months or so I do what I like to call a "friend purge" and delete any "friends" that I do not actually communicate. I like to keep my list small so as to build meaningful relationships that can in turn be forms of networking for the future. I have some teachers I have had in the past, along with adults such as relatives and friends' mothers.
When it comes to friends' mothers, an issue of appropriateness comes up. I have had friends delete articles or videos I have posted on their walls because they feared their parent reading it, when in reality it is an issue that the wall owner is actually passionate about. This shows that some people wish to portray an ideal self on the web.
Rick Ayers makes some good points about Facebook for educators. It is a great tool to network and keep people informed like his wife does with each grade levels. Creating groups and events lets the message get out about issues and deadlines. For myself, I could see myself creating groups for my classes, (under a different profile than my personal account) and displaying assignments and help. The students and I could even have a question and answer forum in case their are difficulties with an assignment. This could be a bit better than having a class website since many students spend a majority of their web time on Facebook already.
While in highschool, I had an account but didn't really ever use it. The people I communicated with, I usually came into contact with every day in real life, so I never really used a virtual meeting place. Now, however, I find that this virtual meeting place is what appeals to me the most about Facebook. I come from a large family and have many friends that are spread out across the globe; my cousin lives in China, another one in Germany, friends studying abroad, sister living in Canada, and my girlfriend lives in England. Facebook allows me to keep in contact with all of them for free. Long distance, international calls are expensive, and the time differences don't allow for immediate communication. I can send messages, wall posts, and even look at their pictures, all without a specific time schedule.
One element of Facebook that everyone is somewhat worried about is privacy. Postings, comments, and pictures online are readily accessible and fairly permanent. You can be searched for by almost anyone, but luckily I have a pseudonym for my account so that few people can find me. An interesting thing about having a different name on my account is that some "friends" actually believe that that is my real name. This definitely helps explain what is meant as a "friend" online.
Other than a different name on my account, my profile is pretty informative. I have on it my hometown, current town, school, and job. However, all my photos are blocked so no one else can look at them unless I give them access.
Another feature I enjoy is the ability to post sites and articles from all over the web. I often post anything that I have read in various news sources, to a music video, on my wall or even on to my friends' walls. The comments that follow allow for a debate on topics and issues that we find interesting.
Facebook helps in forming and maintaining relationships with people I know and interact with often in real life. Every few months or so I do what I like to call a "friend purge" and delete any "friends" that I do not actually communicate. I like to keep my list small so as to build meaningful relationships that can in turn be forms of networking for the future. I have some teachers I have had in the past, along with adults such as relatives and friends' mothers.
When it comes to friends' mothers, an issue of appropriateness comes up. I have had friends delete articles or videos I have posted on their walls because they feared their parent reading it, when in reality it is an issue that the wall owner is actually passionate about. This shows that some people wish to portray an ideal self on the web.
Rick Ayers makes some good points about Facebook for educators. It is a great tool to network and keep people informed like his wife does with each grade levels. Creating groups and events lets the message get out about issues and deadlines. For myself, I could see myself creating groups for my classes, (under a different profile than my personal account) and displaying assignments and help. The students and I could even have a question and answer forum in case their are difficulties with an assignment. This could be a bit better than having a class website since many students spend a majority of their web time on Facebook already.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Advertising
Here is my VoiceThread regarding cigarette advertisements. These ads were chosen because they demonstrate the way one product can be advertised in many ways, and show a change in society values.
For my lesson plan, I would have my students talk about advertisement as propaganda for consumerism. First I would have students brainstorm where and when they see adverts. They would then keep a daily journal of ads, keeping in mind as to what they were doing when they saw the ads. We would particularly focus on the advertisements they see online, focusing on their social networks. Hopefully they will notice how some of the side ads on Facebook are geared towards them specifically. While this is going on, we would read M. T. Anderson's novel, Feed. I would then have students write a paper about any similarities or differences they see in the ads on "the feed" versus their daily lives.
For my lesson plan, I would have my students talk about advertisement as propaganda for consumerism. First I would have students brainstorm where and when they see adverts. They would then keep a daily journal of ads, keeping in mind as to what they were doing when they saw the ads. We would particularly focus on the advertisements they see online, focusing on their social networks. Hopefully they will notice how some of the side ads on Facebook are geared towards them specifically. While this is going on, we would read M. T. Anderson's novel, Feed. I would then have students write a paper about any similarities or differences they see in the ads on "the feed" versus their daily lives.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Who is an American? and Feminism in Sports
League of Their Own
This clip shows the Rockford Peaches singing in the locker room before a game. The song they sing and their actions while changing for the game can give insight to what it meant to be an American during WWII and also what role women had in society.
First off, this film reached a large audience, even becoming number one at the box office. Therefore, one can assume that it was received by both males and females. This particular scene demonstrates however, that these women are to be viewed by men. The little boy, Stilwell, has his eyes closed. He works as the signifier, but he signifies the male sex as a whole. His peaking through his hands, is the referent of men being able to view women as sexual objects.
In regards the link to Geena Davis' article, (Eye Candy is Not for Kids), it is interesting enough that Geena Davis actually plays the lead female character in the film. This film goes along with her article, as the story is all about females athletes, breaking perceived gender norms. Geena also points out that female screen writers make up only about 13%. This story was written by a team of women but rewritten for the screen by men.
Looking at this clip as a feminist critique, there are many things it is trying to say. If one was to define what it means to be women based on this particular clip (and the movie as a whole) it is quite clear. While they are playing baseball, they still have to play by "men's rules" so to speak. But there is a slight twist. They have to wear the revealing skirts so they remain appealing to men, which puts them in a vulnerable position for injuries from the sport itself. Being able to step out of the typical gender roles and into sports, they still need to hold on to their femininity. This is shown through the make up that most of the players are wearing, and also the clothes their are changing out of (leggings, etc). Evelyn Gardner demonstrates the duality of roles that is placed on women (particularly now in the new age as well as during war time with men away) to be breadwinner and mother. Ms. Cuthurt is the antithesis to what the era says is being female. When Jimmy Dugan slaps her bottom (a typical thing in male sports) he is treating her like a man, he then jokes and calls her "gorgeous". In his eyes, she is not attractive enough to be female. In addition, when Stillwell is playing around with the athletic tape, Dugan yells, "Get him away from the tape." What he is really saying is someone else take care of the kid, I am a man, it is not my job.
This clip, in a Post Modern view, also tries to answer what it means to be American. The song they sing epitomizes it all. "We are the members of the All-American league." Who is the we? They are all white, and the song breaks it down even more explicitly. "Canadians, Irish ones, and Swedes." Canadians are "Americans" although they are a neighboring country and to my knowledge did not make up a large immigrant contingent. The other two ethnic groups were common place in America society, (albeit the Irish's transition into acceptance is interesting in itself). It is the groups that do not get mentioned that not only demonstrates the current immigrants but also the ones who are "un-American". During WWII German-Americans and Asian-Americans experienced prejudice as their homelands were the enemy, while African-Americans, Native Americans and others still were just not accepted into society.
For the students: World Cup Barbie
Before showing the clip...
What does it mean to be a female, especially in sports?
What does it mean to be American?
Show the clip.
Ask the same questions.
One could say from the feminist perspective that this is very similar to League of Their Own. The Barbie dolls, and even the real actors in the advert are wearing makeup. Even Mia Hamm is wearing make-up even though she is a phenomenal athlete, and does not during an actual game. When the voice over comes in, the girl says "I can be champion of Women's World Cup Soccer." It is a common occurrence that those not in power need to explicitly define themselves. You would not hear a male say, "I can be champion of Men's World Cup Soccer." It would be just World Cup Soccer.
From a Post Modern angle, the question of who an American changes from the previous movie. The real people in the clip are of different ethnicities (or it appears). Also the dolls show a supposed variety of races (by different skin tones, hair colors, and names). It is important to note however another difference between this advert and the movie. In the movie the girls cheer when their "group" is mentioned. Now, the ethnic minorities are no longer mentioned. A color-blind approach is taken and they are all Americans, without regarding any of the differences between them.
This clip shows the Rockford Peaches singing in the locker room before a game. The song they sing and their actions while changing for the game can give insight to what it meant to be an American during WWII and also what role women had in society.
First off, this film reached a large audience, even becoming number one at the box office. Therefore, one can assume that it was received by both males and females. This particular scene demonstrates however, that these women are to be viewed by men. The little boy, Stilwell, has his eyes closed. He works as the signifier, but he signifies the male sex as a whole. His peaking through his hands, is the referent of men being able to view women as sexual objects.
In regards the link to Geena Davis' article, (Eye Candy is Not for Kids), it is interesting enough that Geena Davis actually plays the lead female character in the film. This film goes along with her article, as the story is all about females athletes, breaking perceived gender norms. Geena also points out that female screen writers make up only about 13%. This story was written by a team of women but rewritten for the screen by men.
Looking at this clip as a feminist critique, there are many things it is trying to say. If one was to define what it means to be women based on this particular clip (and the movie as a whole) it is quite clear. While they are playing baseball, they still have to play by "men's rules" so to speak. But there is a slight twist. They have to wear the revealing skirts so they remain appealing to men, which puts them in a vulnerable position for injuries from the sport itself. Being able to step out of the typical gender roles and into sports, they still need to hold on to their femininity. This is shown through the make up that most of the players are wearing, and also the clothes their are changing out of (leggings, etc). Evelyn Gardner demonstrates the duality of roles that is placed on women (particularly now in the new age as well as during war time with men away) to be breadwinner and mother. Ms. Cuthurt is the antithesis to what the era says is being female. When Jimmy Dugan slaps her bottom (a typical thing in male sports) he is treating her like a man, he then jokes and calls her "gorgeous". In his eyes, she is not attractive enough to be female. In addition, when Stillwell is playing around with the athletic tape, Dugan yells, "Get him away from the tape." What he is really saying is someone else take care of the kid, I am a man, it is not my job.
This clip, in a Post Modern view, also tries to answer what it means to be American. The song they sing epitomizes it all. "We are the members of the All-American league." Who is the we? They are all white, and the song breaks it down even more explicitly. "Canadians, Irish ones, and Swedes." Canadians are "Americans" although they are a neighboring country and to my knowledge did not make up a large immigrant contingent. The other two ethnic groups were common place in America society, (albeit the Irish's transition into acceptance is interesting in itself). It is the groups that do not get mentioned that not only demonstrates the current immigrants but also the ones who are "un-American". During WWII German-Americans and Asian-Americans experienced prejudice as their homelands were the enemy, while African-Americans, Native Americans and others still were just not accepted into society.
For the students: World Cup Barbie
Before showing the clip...
What does it mean to be a female, especially in sports?
What does it mean to be American?
Show the clip.
Ask the same questions.
One could say from the feminist perspective that this is very similar to League of Their Own. The Barbie dolls, and even the real actors in the advert are wearing makeup. Even Mia Hamm is wearing make-up even though she is a phenomenal athlete, and does not during an actual game. When the voice over comes in, the girl says "I can be champion of Women's World Cup Soccer." It is a common occurrence that those not in power need to explicitly define themselves. You would not hear a male say, "I can be champion of Men's World Cup Soccer." It would be just World Cup Soccer.
From a Post Modern angle, the question of who an American changes from the previous movie. The real people in the clip are of different ethnicities (or it appears). Also the dolls show a supposed variety of races (by different skin tones, hair colors, and names). It is important to note however another difference between this advert and the movie. In the movie the girls cheer when their "group" is mentioned. Now, the ethnic minorities are no longer mentioned. A color-blind approach is taken and they are all Americans, without regarding any of the differences between them.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Montage
Introduction: To begin the lesson, I would have students talk about what they know about montages. Depending on the responses, I would work them towards a definition that borders on being a bunch of short shots or clips put together in short amount of time to show a passage of time.
Show Clip: Rocky
Background of the clip: This montage explicitly shows Rocky's training. Underlying the training going on, some would say that this is demonstrating "the American Dream" of coming from nothing and making it to the top. How does the film show this?
Questions
The clip starts with Rocky standing in a run-down industrial setting, with the a tracking view. The camera is moving along in front of Rocky but then stops and watches him runaway from the setting. What does this switch say to you? (He is leaving that place behind him and going to a better life, etc)
As he is running through the residential area, there is a constant dolly shot with the camera always in front of Rocky. Similar to question one, this shows that he is leaving the life he had to move up. However, is there anything going on in the background to suggest that he will always be apart of this lower class? (People turning to watch him run, the man giving him a piece of fruit, etc)
During the training session in the gym, there are others speaking to him. And although these men are helping Rocky, what are some clues to show that he is doing this for himself and on his own? (He doesn't make eye contact, he doesn't talk, their voices aren't heard, when doing sit-ups {forced eye to eye contact} he keeps his eyes closed, etc)
When he finally does make eye contact with his trainer, what is it that shows he is in control? (His position on the right, fades to the left then back immediately, etc)
At the end of the clip, how do we know that Rocky is at his pinnacle shape? (He is at the top of the stairs, he is overlooking the city, the camera is angled upwards showing his superiority)
Show Clip: Rocky
Background of the clip: This montage explicitly shows Rocky's training. Underlying the training going on, some would say that this is demonstrating "the American Dream" of coming from nothing and making it to the top. How does the film show this?
Questions
The clip starts with Rocky standing in a run-down industrial setting, with the a tracking view. The camera is moving along in front of Rocky but then stops and watches him runaway from the setting. What does this switch say to you? (He is leaving that place behind him and going to a better life, etc)
As he is running through the residential area, there is a constant dolly shot with the camera always in front of Rocky. Similar to question one, this shows that he is leaving the life he had to move up. However, is there anything going on in the background to suggest that he will always be apart of this lower class? (People turning to watch him run, the man giving him a piece of fruit, etc)
During the training session in the gym, there are others speaking to him. And although these men are helping Rocky, what are some clues to show that he is doing this for himself and on his own? (He doesn't make eye contact, he doesn't talk, their voices aren't heard, when doing sit-ups {forced eye to eye contact} he keeps his eyes closed, etc)
When he finally does make eye contact with his trainer, what is it that shows he is in control? (His position on the right, fades to the left then back immediately, etc)
At the end of the clip, how do we know that Rocky is at his pinnacle shape? (He is at the top of the stairs, he is overlooking the city, the camera is angled upwards showing his superiority)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso
I feel that the overall cinematic quality of this clip from the film Cinema Paradiso clearing illustrates the pain/joy of young romance. The clip starts out with Salvatore in a dark street gazing up at the brightly lit window of his heart's desire. Camera angles upwards towards the window to show that he desires her and what she symbolizes. The music chosen underlines the romantic nature of the scene, while the changing weather and cut-ins of the calendar show that time is passing. The juxtaposition of the New Year's countdown compared to the excitement building on Salvatore's face demonstrates the rise before the fall of young love. His walking away from the camera shows that he is giving up on it. While he is in the backroom at the theatre, ripping the calendar apart, the camera is sneaking behind the frame created by the equipment. This is to show that he is not completely over his heart ache and the camera is gaining access to this secret by remaining in the background.
For some reason or another, I can only get the editable hyperlink. When I try clicking on the view only link, all my annotations disappear.
I feel that the overall cinematic quality of this clip from the film Cinema Paradiso clearing illustrates the pain/joy of young romance. The clip starts out with Salvatore in a dark street gazing up at the brightly lit window of his heart's desire. Camera angles upwards towards the window to show that he desires her and what she symbolizes. The music chosen underlines the romantic nature of the scene, while the changing weather and cut-ins of the calendar show that time is passing. The juxtaposition of the New Year's countdown compared to the excitement building on Salvatore's face demonstrates the rise before the fall of young love. His walking away from the camera shows that he is giving up on it. While he is in the backroom at the theatre, ripping the calendar apart, the camera is sneaking behind the frame created by the equipment. This is to show that he is not completely over his heart ache and the camera is gaining access to this secret by remaining in the background.
For some reason or another, I can only get the editable hyperlink. When I try clicking on the view only link, all my annotations disappear.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sample Vlog Post Critique
Let the Jelly Roll
I chose this vlog of a husband and wife team baking a jelly roll. I liked the simplicity of this vlog and overall the message of cooking is a learning experience. They follow a recipe but still make mistakes and learn from them. This illustrates the intended audience in that it is not for expert cooks, but amateurs who enjoy easy, simple recipes. This far from pristine video does not have very extensive visual rhetoric. It uses simple fading out or cut outs, and then moves forward in time. Occasional zooming in is used to show a closer look at the food and process of baking it, which is ideal for the audience. The audience desires to see how to make the food, simply. They are not watching to be wowed by special effects or the celebrity of the cooks.
I chose this vlog of a husband and wife team baking a jelly roll. I liked the simplicity of this vlog and overall the message of cooking is a learning experience. They follow a recipe but still make mistakes and learn from them. This illustrates the intended audience in that it is not for expert cooks, but amateurs who enjoy easy, simple recipes. This far from pristine video does not have very extensive visual rhetoric. It uses simple fading out or cut outs, and then moves forward in time. Occasional zooming in is used to show a closer look at the food and process of baking it, which is ideal for the audience. The audience desires to see how to make the food, simply. They are not watching to be wowed by special effects or the celebrity of the cooks.
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