FINAL -- POWTOON

http://www.powtoon.com/show/fmftGwng9aV/school-rules/#
/

Weekly Reading 12

List from p. 169 (top 5):

1. to increase students' knowledge of the mass media in society

2. to develop students' skills in using digital technology tools

3. to modernize the curriculum and make it more relevant to students

4. to promote creativity and self-expression (thereby lowering incidents of plagiarism)

5. to help students use their own voices for advocacy and social change

Quotes from text:

p. 168:  "A passionate teacher, armed with a good idea, can be tremendously inspiring to other colleagues."

I agree that passion for teaching should be the ultimate criteria for wanting a teaching career. I think that passion not only motivates colleagues, but also students. I despise math, but I had a college algebra teacher who made it fun and new because of his passion and delivery. I think delivery is the second most important criteria. If you have a great idea and passion coming out of your ears, it won't matter unless you deliver your message in a dynamic way.

p. 173: ". . . stand-alone courses in digital and media literacy are generally available to only a tiny proportion of students, not the whole population."

I understand doing DML as a separate course, in order to maintain focus and so that it won't "become invisible" in every classroom, but I think this course should be put in the core classes that all students must take because it is so important and relevant to today's students. I know when I was in high school, driver's ed was only offered to juniors and seniors. . . that seems counterproductive to me. By the time you are in those grades you probably have some experience driving--why not education the students who have less experience, and be proactive instead of reactive?

p. 179: "When it comes to cell phones, educators in some schools are discovering that policies based on respect and courtesy have a bigger positive impact than those based on control and prohibition."

I am sort of on the fence about cell phone use in class. I think they are great distractors and there is no way to filter out social media on a personal cellphone, like you can on a computer. Of course, cell phones now are like mini computers, so I can see how they could be a handy tool, but maybe just sitting the students down in front of a filtered computer would keep them on-task better. Not sure how I feel about this debate, I don't have any experience with it and teaching yet. 

Weekly Reading 11

The astounding video by Sarah Stuteville was captivating and direct. She used her love for journalism to begin the Common Language Project. With this project, she travels the world with her two friends to seek out the truth and often persecution of other cultures. In Chapter 8, there are also stories about teachers who try to get their students involved with global current events. As Hobbs relates on page 145, redlasso.com allows students to look at news stories, blogs, etc. of over 150 cities across the US. This enables students to get a feel for cities that they have never visited. Mr. Landis helped his students by teaching them the process that journalists use to question and identify news sources. News and media are everywhere. We come in contact with current events through shows even like House and The Simpsons by the characters voicing their opinions and views. For example, the forms of media that I have used to do this blog have shared common opinions about teaching world events.

PSA final

I created a video with statistics and facts about the sexualization of tween girls. I intended to reach tweens as well as their parents. As for persuasive techniques, I used fear as my leading motivator.

PSA outline of ideas

A PSA has four essential components:

• Significance of Issue to the Public: What is the proposed issue? Describe the problem and why it is important to the public? Are there any statistics involved which might be useful?  I am looking to explore the types of risky behaviors teens are currently involverd in, online and in real-time. It is important for teens and parents to be aware of the statistics and the possible ways to prevent risky behaviors from happening. According to a CDC report, in 2013, 7.3% of students were forced to have sex without their consent; 46.8% of teens had been sexually active; and 5.6 % of those teens had been sexually active before age 13. 
• Target Audience: Whom do I want to speak to? Mostly, i want parents to be aware of what is going on with their children, because I, too, will want to know when that time comes!
• Message: What is the proposed message? What do I want the person who is watching this to understand? i want parents to understand the "struggle is real" for teens. They are pressured in school and online into maturing (example: sexually) earlier than ever before.
• Action Step: What is the call to action? What do I want the person to do? What can an individual do in the home or community? How will the action solve the problem? I want parents to be aware of these risky behaviors, talk to their children, and be informed about what the majority of adolescents are into today.

Identify the topic for your PSA Risky behaviors of teens today (online & in real-time)

Research the topic and 3 facts or statistics you will use to shape your PSA.  According to a CDC report, in 2013, 7.3% of students were forced to have sex without their consent; 46.8% of teens had been sexually active; and 5.6 % of those teens had been sexually active before age 13. 

Identify the Audience for your PSA: Unsuspe

weekly reading 10

p. 128:  "At least 26 names of cartoon characters are linked to porn sites . . . "

This is infuriatingly disturbing to me! This paragraph also states that 90% of kids age 8-15 have seen porn online and that the porn industry does this purposely to attract children's attention. i mean, I am all for the First Amendment, but this coupled with the paragraph about "crush"/killing animals videos is crossing a line. What is going on with humanity that we have become this desperate and attention-seeking? I am appalled . . . and apparently very naive because I truly had no idea about the information and statistics given throughout this chapter.

p. 132:  (speaking of the scary maze videos) . . . At the moment of the scare, the child (7 y.o. female) cries and sobs uncontrollably, looking to her mother for comfort as the adults in the room laugh."

Yeah, that's not disturbing at all. Put your child in a traumatic situatio, do not comfort her, instead laugh at her and watch the bill for therapy grow. What a terrible idea this is. I am shocked that a parent would intentionally scare such a young child. As we prepare for our first trick or treat, I am worried about costumes that might frighten my daughter, so we are dressing as matching honeybees. I know I sound so sheltered and uppity in this post, but I am just surprised by all of this!

p. 137:  "Every young person will, at one time or another, fail to anticipate the consequences of his or her communication behavior."

As a new parent, I am not looking forward to this stage in my daughter's development. I am scared, nervous, and anxious about the world that my now 10-month-old will mature in and grow up because of. . . this chapter sure did not help to squash that anxiety! I am so glad we have this text as a resource, there are so many things that I have found interesting in it that I  would have otherwise been blind to had I not read it here.

weekly reading 9

 Weekly Reading #9Help on this Pagelink opens in new window

Directions

Evaluation Method

Text and Image Section  

p. 106: “In 2010, more than 200,000 teens under age 18 had some kind of cosmetic surgery—including hair removal, nose jobs, and liposuction.”



This quote follows an excerpt about self-objectification and the sexualization of teen girls. I found this statistic to be very sad. We have become a society so consumed with small dress size instead of large IQ that it is frightening. In my Victorian Literature studies, women who were more “plump” were actually more “sexy” and wealthier than those who were thin. I still do not think the haggard, poverty-stricken, starvation image is at all attractive. I think it is so startling, though, that so many young people are looking at these airbrushed and unrealistic photos and trying to conform to them.



p. 112: “As a result, it becomes the job of the parents to choose whether or not (or how) to attempt to restrict access to particular media content.”



The key word here, I believe, is “attempt.” No matter how much we may try to protect our children from certain genres of media, there will always be a curiosity on the part of our own children or there will be that one sneakier chum who is well-versed in elicit lyrics or pornography. I think our youth are becoming more and more sexualized at a younger age. I think there is a loss of childhood innocence, as stated earlier in this text. Children are maturing faster, pubescently-speaking, and the media seems to be focusing on it.



p. 119: “To support the development of critical autonomy, teaching and learning must be student-centered and inquiry-oriented.”



I know there is a time for direct regurgitation of information for things like important dates, places, people, etc., but at the same time students should still be able to connect those things to critical thinking. Just knowing that MLK Jr. was alive in the 1960s does not fully prepare students for understanding how important his role was to the 1960s. Being able to relay information to students and have them make connections based on their own interpretations and questions is of the utmost importance, in my view.

Week 10: Media Deconstruction

• Do you agree with the claims made in the deconstruction? Yes, I absolutely do. I think that Alltel is definitely speaking to a middle-class, white family. And, sadly, the ethnic group renting the room is a poor display of respect for other cultures by Alltel
•  Is the Century Link ad really a cover for a company that is making profits over customer satisfaction? Probably, I do not believe that most companies have our well-being, as consumers, in their sights. The text that goes along with the Century Link ad seems to suggest that the company is most interested in money and not customer relations. I would have to agree that this is true of most businesses.
• Does the Alltel ad really promote racism or stereotypes of immigrants? I definitely do not think Alltel is doing themselves any favors with the non-white population, I think the appearance of the “renters” is definitely filled with racism and prejudice.
• What is your interpretation of the commercial? I have to say, my jaw dropped when the door opened to the dancing renters performing for their chicken. I can honestly say that I hope they pulled the ad shortly after it aired and maybe reassigned their writers to different positions. I thought it was very offensive.
• How does it differ from the interpretation offered by the Center for Media Literacy? I mostly agree with the CLM’s views. I think this was a poorly though out commercial—on all sides

Magazine Construction

I chose the cover line and sell line based on the negative views of the Common Core Standards. The Cover story (at the top left of the blue box) reflects a few persuasive techniques. I used a sort of dark humor in the “should you drink the Kool-Aid” context to show that the CCS can be seen as a cult-like experience that the government is trying to get you on board about. The sell line, (Common “bore” standards), is also meant to be humorous and uses a pun based on the name of the program Common Core Standards. I thought that both of these article titles would lead the reader to want to read the obviously negative evidential support that I am leading you to believe lies within the pages of my magazine. These lines also use repetition to drive home that the CCS is obvious not the best alternative to the No Child left Behind system that was previously in place. The timing is also right, as I am striking while the educational iron is hot when dealing with the CCS revamping. I also thought that the name of the magazine was intriguing, showing that I (the owner) am all about revamping and concentrating on the education system. In the thought bubble, I used an analogy that has good timing with what is currently going on in the world with the fear of Ebola. Fear is another persuasive tactic I tried to highlight in order to garner readership. The entire persuasive idea behind the magazine is based on the slippery-slope and trying to catch the readers’ eyes with glittering generalities. I also chose the image because it relates to the magazine’s name by showing the core of the human anatomy, the brain. The image also conveys an academic-looking graphic that might just catch the eyes of educators and students alike. 

R&D 7

Read the Common Core standards page titled "Key Shifts in English Language Arts" In a blog posting explain how media the media literacy activity described in the chapter are examples of literacy practices support by the Common Core.

The 5-Step assignment, given at the end of Chapter 4 of our text, absolutely meets the 3 key shifts in language arts now needed for the Common Core:

1.       Regular practice with complex texts and their academic language

Step 1, Watch & Listen, gives students 3 excerpts from MLK’s speeches. These texts are written in MLK’s own language & are therefore relevant to the Common Core standards. Students are also directed to take notes which will help them paraphrase the texts in their own language, so they can better understand the texts’ relevance.

2.       Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from texts, both literary and informational

Steps 2 & 3 & 5 of the Chapter 4 lesson plan ask students to do some creative writing based on literary & informational texts. They must create characters, a dialogue & recreate time & place in order to better understand the nonfiction texts that they have read.

3.       Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

Step 4 requests that students do further research in order to broaden their knowledge base on the nonfiction texts by MLK they have read. 

Media Deconstruction

Media Deconstruction:

Deconstruct the magazine cover below: Click here to get a closer look at this magazine cover. Use the following questions to guide your deconstruction. The answers to this question will require research. 

Authors and Audience:

• Who produced this document, and for what purpose? The “about us” section leads you to believe that this site is run by unbiased Americans, but the last line says that they answer to “God and you” so I think the founders must be a faith-based group.

• When was this produced, and what was its historical context? This document was produced in May of 2014 which makes it relevant to today’s world

• Who is the target audience? I would guess the audience is parents of school children, given the photo & the remarks about education & college.

Messages and Meanings

• What are the messages communicated? There are questions of faith, the value of higher education, and oddly, nuclear energy

• What techniques are used to attract and hold attention? The font and image really grab your attention, making you curious to read the fine print

• How might people interpret this message differently? I raised my skeptical little eyebrow, once I read the fine print at the top. I don’t know how others interpret it, there are all sorts of perspectives that could work here, faith-driven, education-naysayers, etc.

• Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message? I think the message seems for harmful to people. It seems to deliver some false accusations and opinions right off the bat.

Representation and Reality

• What information or perspective is left out of this message? I think this message seems highly faith-driven, so I think a worldly perspective is left out.

• Is this an accurate and credible representation? No, I do not think opinion can be seen as credible or factual information.

• How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator? This is definitely biased by those of faith. It seems mostly to be a little on the brainwashing side, if you ask me.

Text and Subtext

Describe the text and subtext presented in this magazine cover. You can find a example of what this means on p.5 in this Intro to Media Literacy Project. The text here gives you opinions on different subjects, religion, education, and nuclear energy. The subtext, I think, is to ward off all the evil of education from your child & to value Christianity & nuclear energy, of all things.

Language of Persuasion

Starting on P.6 of the Intro to Media literacy document there are 40 persuasive techniques listed and described. Which ones are used in this magazine cover? Association, bandwagon, explicit claims, fear, intensity, maybe, plain folks, glittering generalities, extrapolation, slippery slope, ad hominem, card stacking, cause vs. correlation, group dynamics, majority belief, timing. 

Reading & Discussion #4

I could not get the link to our course blog to work, so I am posting here . . . 

In sum, the best advertisements use images, jingles, and stories to focus attention on the brand. They are not just creative for creative's sake.

I used to work in advertising and this is definitely true. There were specific websites we used to buy similar images for each customer’s advertisements (getty images, for example). We used them across all media we offered (web, collateral, audio, etc.). Now, any time I see an elderly couple on a tandem bike, I automatically think “Del Webb” communities. There were other customers too, who preferred to stick to the same types backgrounds and such & just switch out images, so that their audience would always associate those color combinations with their brand. Although I worked in the industry, these ads did work on me because I know now what images are brought to mind by certain billboards, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47cAxRX3aDg

This ad works on so many levels. The motto "like a good neighbor, State Farm is there" sings in my head every time i see a State Farm commercial. . .  and no one can say "khakis" now without me immediately thinking of Jake. I have also learned from State Farm, that no matter where Iam, my agent can come and save me when I am having car issues. These jungles and images will forever be burned in my head attached to State Farm, well-played, Stet farm, well-played.

Digital Story FINAL VERSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAVe25t0F8&feature=youtube_gdata

Reading 6

QUOTE & REACTION:

"But overuse of closed questions risks turning students into barking seals, performing the role of good student." p. 54

This statement was so powerful to me. When teachers have asked me closed questions, whether verbally or on an assessment, I knew that I was just looking to regurgitate what they had previously taught. Although this method may be effective in some instances, I think critical thinking is what is of utmost importance. Regurgitation of information is just a churched-up way of saying memorization. Memorization can be helpful, but I do not wish to create tiny little yes-men who cannot critically think their way out of a situation. If I use this method of closed questions, I am truly doing my students a disservice in the grand scheme of things. All people should be able to critically analyze the information they come in contact with on a daily basis.

MEDIA DECONSTRUCTION:

Headquartered in Baltimore Maryland, Sylvan Learning offers a variety of tutoring services at locations nationwide. Their primary audience is supposed to be students who need additional help outside of school, but their audience is truly the parents of those children. The purpose of this particular media message (from their website’s homepage) is to draw attention to the success of their brand. Clearly, they have been and will continue to “deliver results” and “inspire success” as it is highlighted in their opening page. The photo featured is that of a possibly Middle-Eastern “tween” who seems somewhat content. By doing this, I believe Sylvan wants to give the vibe that they are multi-cultural and have had success with all students--male, female, black, white, otherwise. Their phone number is highlighted in yellow and is at the right of the page right above the graphic of the girl, thereby drawing your attention from the largest image directly to the contact number. There is also a large font used for the word “success” so that if you read the idea from left to right, you assume that Sylvan has had success in tutoring this young female. This young female, has, in turn, been happy with the success received through her tutoring at Sylvan. The word success is used twice on this page, showing that the values that Sylvan holds are those of success through their brand…getting results. What this initial page is not telling you is the price of success. They have chosen to hide that information a little deeper in their website. As a matter of fact, in the FAQs, they continue to dance around the finance issue by saying that each program is specific to each student therefore there is no “set” price for Sylvan.  

DRAFT of Digital Story

http://youtu.be/kHFCr3ZMmyM

Note Card Confessional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJ8VONokuo&list=PL6VylCoO5mhagYMwLdSluHV9bhDq3xeKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJ8VONokuo&list=PL6VylCoO5mhagYMwLdSluHV9bhDq3xeKw

Story Board

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1g1tCbH7ilb3A7kYNT-NvTHlq8wVJE9dleTFw5TmJmU4/edit#slide=id.g4760d8a91_730

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1g1tCbH7ilb3A7kYNT-NvTHlq8wVJE9dleTFw5TmJmU4/edit#slide=id.g4760d8a91_730

Addressing the seven Elements of Digital Storytelling.

Point of view:  My story will be told from my perspective to other single mothers and to people concerned about one-parent households. I will be taking on the idea that a one-parent household is in no way bad for society or humanity and we should be seen as victors, not victims.

Dramatic question:  I am thinking of something along the lines of, “being a single mother IS the new ‘traditional’ family.”

Emotional Content:  Although being a single mother has had its tumultuous times, there are more rewards than I can count. I had a high risk pregnancy and was told I would probably not be able to “hold” my daughter to full term; I developed gestational diabetes and had to be medicated and change my diet dramatically; I was told I was high risk also because of my age; my daughter’s father left us homeless when I was 13 weeks pregnant; my daughter’s father now refuses to even prove paternity, so I receive no child support and am ok with doing this alone, with the help of great family and friends; my daughter has brought great people into our lives and pushed some bad & unnecessary people out of our lives; my daughter and I are happy together; she is my motivation to go back to school to get a Master’s and to build a better life for the two of us—we currently live in low-income housing and visit the food pantry monthly . . . and our car was stolen this week—but we will triumph, remember, we are victors, not victims; I have realized that the present is indeed a gift and no matter what financial strife I have, my daughter lights up my world with her laughter.

Soundtrack:  I would like to use a variety of tracks:  some audio of my daughter and some music that coordinates with the mood of each section of the video.

Economy: Boy, this will be a tough one for me! I tend to tell all, so keep me in line, guys!

Pacing:  I am hoping that since I am not speaking in public, I won’t come off sounding like an auctioneer (which is EXACTLY how it sounds in my head when I deliver speeches). 

note card confessional link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJ8VONokuo&list=PL6VylCoO5mhagYMwLdSluHV9bhDq3xeKw

Note Card Confessional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YJ8VONokuo&list=PL6VylCoO5mhagYMwLdSluHV9bhDq3xeKw


p. 43:  Both the immediacy and the immersive social characteristics of digital media are a double-edged sword

p. 29:  Children and young people grow up in mediaspheres that adults cab find difficult to understand. Similarly, many young people find the preoccupations of the adult world to be remote, disconnected from their lives, and incomprehensible. This fragmentation of culture is evident across all aspects of contemporary life, in news and current events, politics, and the arts.

p. 35:  Not only is important to be able to identify the source of information, we must also examine the quality of information we encounter
p. 42:  Verification  involves finding multiple sources, identifying the author or purpose, or examining the quality of evidence used.

Brainstorming My Digital Story

 In looking back on your life, you may be able to identify particular “turning points” – episodes through which you experienced an important change in your life. Please choose one key turning point scene and describe it in detail. If you feel your life story contains no clear turning points, then describe a particular episode in your life that comes closer than any other to qualifying for a turning point – a scene where you changed in some way. Again, please describe what led up to the event, what happened in the event, where and when it happened, who was involved, what you were thinking and feeling, and so on. Also, please tell me how you think you changed as a result of this event and why you consider this event to be an important scene in your life story today.

I think the most pivotal moment in my life has been becoming a mother. I had always desired to have children, but because of health issues, I was told that was probably not going to be an option for me. Although I did not plan my pregnancy, my daughter has been the biggest, best gift I have ever been given! Of course, with parenting, if there's one thing I've learned so far, it is to take the good with the bad. I can't say for certain that there has been "true" bad, but definitely points of contention and concern. 

Some of the key positive point I would like to explore are:

1. a closer relationship with my family (Raylie has become our glue)

2. choosing to go back to school, so that I may have a better career

3. my motivation and zest for life has increased exponentially

4. I've found my true friends

5. I had no idea I could love this much

Some of the key negative aspects have been:

1. I had a high risk pregnancy from conception to birth (SCARY!)

2. finances are a joke show, at this point

3. being a single mom is not as glamorous (haha) as it sounded

4. time management has me at a loss

Reflecting on our love/hate relationship with media

http://padlet.com/shannonddewitt/utqlgcgpdxme

I think the media form I have the biggest love/hate relationship with is text messages, which I assume falls into digital media. I love that text messages are so easy to send and receive; i love that texts are quick and to the point; I love that text messages are somewhat more acceptable in public than a loud phone conversation; I love that you can secretly text someone in the same room without much notice from others. However, what I hate about text messages, like emails, social media, blogs, etc., there is a lack in tone. People cannot appreciate my sarcasm like they could in a live conversation. I also think that when there is a delay in text messages in a conversation, the meanings can become muddled and difficult to follow.

Week 3 R& D

http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/?custom=&id=54870


I think the article was helpful in identifying the key aspects of what an educator may face when teaching digital media literacy. Moore was especially helpful in identifying and defining five key concerns for educators:
1. Inappropriate material in the media text
2. Ignorance or lack of sufficient knowledge about popular culture
3. Dislikes of popular culture
4. Alienation from popular culture, for example, "I feel out of touch" or "It doesn't relate
to me"
5. Fear of offending administrators or parents.

I think all five are great examples of concerns I have about introducing digital media in a classroom. For example, how can I choose a topic that is relevant, but also appropriate, interesting, and not offensive to parents & administrators? Surely, if I chose a topic like same-sex marriage, this particular demographic would probably be instantly offended, alienated, and show extreme dislike for topic choice. Whereas, if I chose that same topic in, say, Provincetown, Massachusetts, it may not be met with such rebuke. It is really a slippery slope for the educator more so than any other party involved. There will always be someone who does not feel comfortable with a topic, but finding that ONE specific, distinct topic could be a real chore for the educator. How can one be relevant in this day and age without being somewhat controversial?

I believe the thing I would like to know more about is what are some "safe" examples of topics that might not raise every eyebrow?

Moore, D. (2011). Asking Questions First: Navigating Popular Culture and Transgression in an Inquiry-Based Media Literacy Classroom. Action in Teacher Education, 33, 219-230. (2011, January 1). Retrieved September 2, 2014, from Mediaeducationlab.com.

Week 3: Activity 3

My favorite video was Vanessa's. I think it had the strongest & best sense of the 7 elements of digital storytelling. She seems to be a natural at telling stories. I also enjoyed the other 2 (by Jared & Amber). The video by Sara was no longer available. I hope we get the chance to do a similar project, as their stories, photos, and musical choices fascinated me. I left encouraging comments on all of the videos I could view, not only because I was instructed to, but because it is important to give validation to creation. We are all finding our voices in this course & in life. Although, the video by Amber was not orally narrated, the story was a wonderful tribute. I think her words were powerful, but there is something lost in the tone when you can not audibly hear someone share their feelings. I think her video could have been even stronger with voice narration. The other videos by Jared & Vanessa were very emotionally strong & I felt better connected to their stories. I found Vanessa's to be the ideal standard to which I would hold my own aspiration up to, if I do such a project.

Week 3: Activity 2

This is my favorite video of the three I watched:

Finding - a digital story by Darius Gray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUenKFlQSAQ&list=UUKLPPDaG0bCj1Yqy6PlcouQ&index=61

Darius gives the story from his point of view, first person. He walks the viewer through a life transformed by sometimes random chance and sometimes personal decision. The question facing Darius is truly whether or not to remain sober, get help for his depression, and pursue a life he finds is worth living. Although Darius is still "finding: himself he has made great strides in his sobriety and life goals. Instead of continuing down the road of addiction, he has opted to join a 12-step program and take the advice of a random lady & go to college. He may not be completely transformed to his liking, but he is in the process of finding out what his life really is worth. I have often been faulted for sharing too much information, but here we go anyway:  My life has been similar to that of Darius. I, too, suffered from depression which lead to drug and alcohol experimentation. I, too, did not know where my life was heading. Although I did find some solace in friendships and writing poetry, like Darius, it was not until I immersed myself in education and community (which for me was my family I had become so isolated and detached from). I, too, never thought I could attend college. I, too, took the advice of a random acquaintance.  Although I did not find a voice in my community, as Darius has, i have found my voice within my family, and to me, that is the community I most yearn to belong in; it is my most important community. Darius' story really struck a chord with me because of our similarities in losing our way and finding an alternate route from what we had at first prescribed ourselves doomed to pursue. We both took chances and made decisions that made our lives better, although we didn't have to; we both could have stayed on that friend's couch, in that dank basement of despair, rendering our lives unworthy. Instead we chose to continue finding . . . 

Just For Fun

Animotot take 2

Reading & Discussion #2

Youth filmmaking is a marvelous idea! I wish it had been a common practice when i was a youth. Although I am an older and nontraditional student, i usually prefer the traditional paper and pencil way of storytelling, but not now. Now I think it is a much better way to preserve the (escpecially oral) storytelling tradition through these amazing short films. I think this medium does help to bridge a gap between those of us who have been stuck in tradition with the new tech-savvy youth we interact with daily. Once I begin my teaching career, I hope to use new types of storytelling assignments like this. Granted, I know that a lot of students do not have access to all of the latest technology, but possibly assigning group work and having each group use video equipment would be less difficult. There is so much value to allowing your students their own creative voice. This way, students could show teachers what their world looks like through audio, video, images, and their own beautifully unique talents. I think that if even an old fogy like myself can be turned on to this new way of storytelling, even the "fogiest" has a chance.

The REEL Works video I watched, by Mercedes Ortiz, showed exactly how the adolescent struggle into adulthood is shaping up these days. She gave an honest depiction of how difficult it is for students to finish high school in the 21st century. Even though it was obviously hard for her to share (as she is seen shedding tears at one point), she even gives her mother's view of her struggle to keep up with high school on high school's terms. Although she has obviously high intelligence, which she shows through her video collaboration, her words, and her images, she still has that angsty teenage rebellious side to her. I believe some of the words she chooses about high school being a waste of time are truly her way of building a wall and deflecting the true issue. One of the issues  she faces is a lack of positivity at home. It is difficult to try to build yourself up when someone is consistently tearing you down. I believe another of her issues is a lack of interest in the high school curriculum. I choose to believe that Mercedes is of above-average intelligence and that the regular curriculum is failing to keep her interest. Maybe Mercedes needed an alternative curriculum in order to graduate on time.

What children learn in school and out of school are equally important. For example, if education is not valued in your home, you may not value education as a student either. I know that when I decided to go to college I was met with a lot of naysaying. My paternal grandmother did not understand why I would choose to go to more school and "put off" getting a "real job" . . . in her eyes, i was being lazy and ignorant. I was the first person (besides a great aunt, who is my educational idol) to attend college. There were not a lot of "way to go Shannon"s in my path (until i graduated, of course, then everyone was behind my decision). I wonder what a video depicting my little story might look like? I think that it would look much different today than it would have years ago when I was in the thick of it.

Activity 3 "Reel Works"

http://reelworks.org/videos/work-in-progress/


I really enjoyed this digital story the most of the ones I've watched. Mercedes Ortiz gives her thoughts on dropping out of high school, as well as her mother's comments, images, and poetry to explain her story.  I learned through Mercedes that high school is even more difficult to contend with than it was when I was young. I also found that it is true that the more people put you down, the easier it is to believe it. i was surprised at ho derogatory and condescending her mother/caretaker is being toward her. Maybe if Mercedes had positive reinforcement she wouldn't view high school as such a waste of time; although I was happy to hear her say that she may not graduate on time, but she will graduate. Mercedes has a very strong voice in this video. She does not hold back on telling exactly what she thinks about the education system. She is a very intelligent young lady & gives hope to other youth that even if you can't finish high school on it's terms, you can still finish high school. I do believe that Mercedes has a good grasp on her culture; she shows exactly what it feels like to struggle with parental angst, the social acceptance struggle through her deconstruction of her appearance, and her own struggle with an education system that does not seem to meet her needs. These stories are a fabulous idea to give our youth a chance they may not otherwise have to share their unique voices and opinions. Although Mercedes is a latina, inner city youth, I doubt that her story differs much from even the most rural of white kids'. I think these stories a re a healthy way of depicting what struggles face all cultures. Some tend to think that certain struggles are only faced by certain ethnicities, but I chose this story because I think it tells a universal story:  adolescence is a struggle.

https://www.taskstream.com/pub/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TU2Sr2dMgdFck3jLCuXhqWkA1-vcMbu7ITD3_2ucnPM/edit?usp=sharing



1. I absolutely agree with Postman; without "crap-detection" and being able to see through the everyday propaganda that is our world, we are truly doing ourselves and our youth a disservice. We need to be able to understand who and what are behind our media.

2. Postman was referring to exactly this state of the world. We text more than we speak, we watch more than we act, and I believe this is exactly what he was trying to prevent-- a world that hears, but does not truly listen to what is being said. We are an overly-stimulated population.

3. Video reaction:

The first time I watched the video, I cried. So, I watched it a second time. The first time, I cried because, not only am I woman whop grew up as a little girl in that 53% who hated her appearance, but now i am going to raise a little girl who I hope falls in the other 47%. I cried because the speaker, Cameron (whose name I could not, at first, remember), was right, although I fall in the 53%, I still wear the hat of the opressor: I am white, i am blonde, i may not have thin thighs or the shiniest hair, but i am mostly what she talks about. i will never truly know what it is like to be of another race or gender, no matter how much empathy i have for others. Critical literacy is so important, so that we may understand not only who we are, but who we are sharing our world with and how that impacts all of us.

Postman, I believe, would have been the first audience member to give Cameron a stranding-ovation. She is seeking to strike down all of the opacity that is the modeling industry. She is educating us on exactly what it is like to judge by appearance alone. Although she refers to herself as being the lucky lottery-winner of a legacy, she does not necessarily mean it is a valiant one. Postman may even have gone on the stage to hug her, maybe because she is a beautiful white woman, but also because she defines what his bullshit-detector was meant to embody. She deconstructs herself in front of a live audience and what is now a multinational audience. Could you imagine the courage it took to do this?

Teaching critical literacy, not just literacy, may be the most important legacy we can bestow on our youth. In their article, "Toward Critical Media Literacy:  Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy", Douglas Kellner and Jeff Share state that, "literacies evolve and shift in response to social and cultural change and the interests of elites who control hegemonic institutions" (1). It is not only imperative to be aware of these changes, but also to be aware of who is behind those changes. We must teach our youth to be critical of all the media that is coming so rapidly toward them every second. What do the people behind these changes stand to gain . . . or lose? The authors not only focus on who  is being taught, but also who is teaching. Are we, as educators, carrying in our own bias . . . sure. Everyone, no matter their age is always bringing theirown perceptions ion the door with them. that is no, however, always a bad thing. As Kellner and Share point out, "one can teach how media culture provides significant statements or insights about the social world, empowering visions of gender, race, and class or complex aesthetic structures and practices, thereby putting a positive spin on how it can provide significant contributions to education" (5). If we can use critical literacy to be constructive and not destructive, we are doing a great service to our youth. In order to deconstruct something, we do not necessarily have to be destructive about it. By that, I mean that we can unpack the meaning within a topic without having to make it mean-spirited; it is usually easier to understand a large topic when you can separate it into smaller chunks.

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward critical media literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 26(3), 369-386.

My World


1. Teaching media literacy is so important because everyone interacts with media on a daily basis. That media may come in the form of print, video, audio and a myriad of other venues. Teaching to decode that media is what is the most important, so that we are and raise a culture that can intelligently interpret what is going on in our environment. 2. I want to learn different different ways to deconstruct media and as many different perceptions and interpretations of that media as possible. 3. I am concerned that I do not know enough about the CREATION of digital media to compete on a professional, educational, or knowledgeable level. I hope to gain much-needed valuable insight from this course, not only from the professor, but also from my classmates. 4. Assignments are usually due in this course by Sundays at 11:59 p.m. 5. If an assignment is going to be late, you must contact the professor within 24 hours of missing the deadline. partial credit can be given, but not if you do not contact the professor within that 24 hour mark. 6. The best way to contact the professor is via her gmail account. 7. You should not work ahead in this course, as assignment details may change.

Hello! I am Shannon DeWitt. I am a single mother & full-time graduate student. I live in Clarksburg & was raised in this area. I have lived in several WV cities and in South Carolina for a number of years. This class seems very interesting & challenging & I hope to gain knowledge in digital literacy ( as an older/non-traditional student, there are times that I feel very technologically illiterate lol). I hope this class will be as interesting & fun as this first assignment has been! Cheers, all!