Final Project: Incorporating Media into Existing Teaching Strategies

Sub day... Movie. Work day... Movie. No idea what to do today... Movie. In classes across numerous content areas, media often acts as a filler for times when the teacher is gone, needs a break, or is completely unprepared for the day's lesson. This final project will explore the use of media to emphasize existing teaching strategies, rather than replacing them.




The project has been split into sections, with each title identifying a specific teaching strategy. Within each section, you will find activities from existing lesson plans, media clips, and an explanation regarding the use of media to intensify these teaching strategies.


The ulitmate goal of this project is to identify how media, when used properly in the classroom, can develop, elaborate, or intensify numerous teaching strategies across content areas.

Media Use: Scaffolding

Lesson Plan Activities:

Introduction: As students walk into the class, have the song “I'll Be There For You” projected with music and video. When song is finished, pose the following questions to students:
a. What makes a good friend?
b. Which of these qualities does this song highlight?



1. Quick Summary: Compare friendships in “House on Mango Street” to friendships often idealized in society, like those highlighted in the song:
a. Is this a realistic portrayal?
b. Are these true friendships?

2. Circuit Popcorn Activity: As an entire class, popcorn the excerpt from 'The Circuit'. Compare this type of friendship to those relationships in Cisneros' life.
a. Which type of friendship is better?
b. Why are these relationships so dysfunctional?
c. How do your friendships influence your identity?

3. Realistic Vows: Rewrite the wedding vows to become friendship vows. Have students think about the their friendships. Purpose the following questions:
What would you want to commit to? What would you expect?
Be funny, be creative, be yourself. These should be unique to you.
They must be at least a half page long!

Have students write in quiet, then ask for a few volunteers to read their work. This is the exit slip at the door. Be sure to give let students know periodically how much time they have left to finish this assignment (ten minutes, five minutes, etc).

Implications:

In this case, the media clip is not the center of the lesson, but rather a stepping off point for discussion. Students are able to generate a working definition of a 'good friend' based on what is higlighted in this song and their personal experiences. When the lesson progresses to deaper reading ("The Circuit" excerpt), students are still able to discuss friendships in this reading based on their discoveries from the music clip. Ultimately, this use of media scaffolds, or builds, the students' understandings; this allows them to tackle more complicated texts with a level of ease that would have otherwise been missing from this lesson.

Media Use: Entry Points

Lesson Plan Activities:

1. Review behavior in class-
-all have bad days
-going to be examining how those days can be a learning experience

2. Victim- write this word on the board inside a big circle
a. language of a victim- have students think of times when they didn't do their homework, were acting unruly, or made bad decisions. Make a list of these thoughts/explanations inside the victim circle.
b. have students compare these thoughts to their free write of a victim. Do these things look like something a victim would say?
*play Pink 'Don't Want to Get Me' song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR6Ugzbe7eI

c. what are the downfalls of being a victim? Put on board.

3. Punisher- other option (add to graphic organizer on the board)
a. what does a punisher do? Put on board
*play Disturbed 'Sickness' song

b. What are the downfalls of being a punisher? Put on board.

4. Rescuer- other option (add to graphic organizer on the board)
a. what does a rescuer do? Put on board.
*play Owen 'Don't Think I Can't Love You' song

b. What are the downfalls of being a rescuer? Put on board.

5. Link these roles to high school- students becoming victims
a. How have you taken a victim role in this classroom? In this high school?
b. how do you stop being a victim?
c. What other roles can you take in this class? In this school? (add to board)

6. My role- teacher
a. not rescuer
b. not punisher
c. guide, assistant, illustrator

Implications:

In this lesson, students may not be familiar with the terms 'victim', 'punisher', or 'rescuer'. However, using songs to highlight these roles gives students a familiar entry point, or way to approach the material. Each of these songs highlights important characteristics, actions, and behaviors of the specified role. After hearing these songs and reading the lyrics, students can move on to create concrete definitions of a term that may be very foreign to many adolescents. Ultimately, media provides students a concrete entry point to the definitions of abstract words.

Media Use: Multiple Intelligences

Lesson Plan Activities:

1. Historical Application: “Let's make a list of everything we know about the word in terms of its history.” After students generate a list on the board, ask the following questions-
a. Where did you learn this historical information?
b. Does this history influence your use of the n word? Link to Channel One Survey.

2. Cultural Application: “The history of the n word often seems to be far away from us. I want to bring this word into our reality and discuss it in terms of cultural uses. This word first started appearing in mainstream language in comedy.”
Show clips of Richard Pryor using the word.

Ask for student reactions to this clip. Show Pryor's new act without the word. Ask for reactions to this clip. “Most recently, this word has found itself in rap culture.” Play Nas NIGGER song with lyrics.

3. Circle Discussion: Link historical and cultural implications by listing arguments Francis says in his essay (homework). Arguments highlighted by the students should include the following:
a. The word just slips out in discussions
b. It is different if a white person vs a black person uses it
c. The word 'nigga' is different than 'nigger'
d. Some situations are okay to use the word
e. Each person should make their own decision about the word
Put each argument on a large piece of white tacky paper (Large Post it Pad). Disperse them around the room. Have students count off one to X (how ever many arguments there are). Give each group of students two minutes at each paper, writing a collective response to the original statement or remarks from previous groups.

Play the Def Jam slam poem regarding the n word.

Afterwards, have students think, pair, share about their reactions to this video compared to Julius' arguments (on the white papers). Bring the class back to big group, posing these questions:
a. Does Julius (Def Jam) agree or disagree with Francis based on our circle discussion argument?
b. What does Julius pose as a solution to the n word? How about Francis?

4. Classroom Application: “We've spent the hour talking about the n word. Now we need to decide how to address this word in our classroom. Whatever we decide, as a class, will be the expectation for the rest of the semester.”

Have students pose solutions to this word in our literature. Examples include: not saying the word, saying it only in reference to the text, saying it freely in the classroom, leaving it up to individual discretion. Come to a general consensus regarding the use of this word in the class.

Implications:

This lesson contains a vast degree of teaching tools: songs, video clips, silent reading, group discussion, entire class discussion. Each of these tools represents a level of multiple intelligences. Students may be auditory, visual, spacial, kinestic, social, or exclusionary learners. Whatever the type of intelligence, each student is given an entry into this lesson. Ultimately, media is used in these activities to engage the auditory, visual, and social learners.

Media Use: Differentiation

Lesson Plan Activities:

1. Jigsaw Activity: Instruct students about how jigsaw works, letting them know each of them will be responsible for reporting to a different group, so pay attention in this first group! Students will sit with their numbered groups and discuss the following board prompts:
a. Give a brief summary of the story.
b. Find one interesting thing about this story to share with the other group. After students have discussed these prompts in their groups, each student in that group will number 1-5 (or 6 depending on attendance numbers). Students will find their new groups (all 1's together, all 2's, etc) and discuss their story. Students will take notes on the other stories while they are being presented. These will be turned in, compiled, and posted to the blog. The class will come back together and discuss parallels between the two stories. Roles in a family will be highlighted during this entire class discussion.

2. Tu Pac “Dear Mama” dissection: Play 'Dear Mama' for students, with lyrics, up on the board. When finished, ask students about Tu Pac's mother's role in the family. Have students evaluate her role as either helpful or harmful to the family unit.

3. “Sylvia Plath- Daddy Poem”: Read this poem aloud with students. Dissect her relationship with her father, and her role in the family unit. Have students evaluate her role as either helpful or harmful to the family unit.

4. Class Discussion: Using what they have gathered from the multiple texts, have students describe the family roles being illustrated. How do these characters fit into these families? Is this structure 'healthy' for their identity? Why/Why not?

Implications:

The Tu Pac video and lyrics help to create a wide variety of leveled texts for students. Struggling students will use 'House on Mango Street' as a jump off point for discussion. Main stream ability students will refer to Tu Pac lyrics when discussing family roles. Higher ability students will be referencing Sylvia Plath regarding family dynamics. In this lesson, each level of ability is given a foundation for the class discussion. Ultimately, this media clip has given mainstream students something to reference when discussing family units, roles, and responsibilities.

Final Project: Conclusion

This project has attempted to illustrate the benefits of incorporating media to enhance, rather than replace, essential teaching strategies. Media can be used to scaffold important criteria, create entry points for unfamiliar content, enhance multiple intelligence learning in an intertwined unit, or emphasize differentiation in an entire class lesson. Ultimately, media should be utilized as a tool, rather than a crutch, in our current educational settings.

Week Nine- Ray Charles' "Georgia" Historical Implications?

In 1960, Ray Charles created a rendition of the song, "Georgia on My Mind". This song was written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael in 1931, but did not become a hit until Charles recorded it nearly thirty years later. A native to Georgia, Charles hoped to revive the reputation of this deeply southern state.

In contrast, this song was perceived as a source of conflict for those who watched the boxoffice hit movie "Ray". In this movie, Ray (played by Jamie Foxx) arrives to a protest outside his Georgia concert. Refusing to play in front of a segregated audience, Charles cancels his show and immediantly leaves the venue. Because of his refusal to play, Charles is banned from performing in Georgia. Movie watchers were left with a taste of racism and separation; these are exactly the images Charles intended to destroy with the recording of this song.

In Charles' real performing career, this scene never happened! Charles did cancel a Georgia show and pay refunds to his fans. However, there was no protest outside of the venue, and it's not known why the concert was cancelled- it could have been due to Charles' extensive drug addictions. Charles was never 'banned' from performing in this state. In fact, the state of Georgia made "Georgia on My Mind" the official state song in 1979.

This is an excellent example of how media can influence the perceptions and beliefs of an audience. Media influence is powerful enough to even cause influence among mediums. One media outlet ('Georgia' song) can be influenced by another media outlet ('Ray' movie). Ultimately, audiences must be educated regarding the immense influence of media to prevent the continuance of false information.

Regardless of your perceptions of Charles' hit song, there's no denying"Georgia on My Mind" is an incredible contribution to the music industry.

Week Eight: 'Can I PLEASE Have a Prozac Chaser with My News?'

NEWS: (9M total)

(local)
1. Flooding in Red River Valley (1M)
2. Shooting in Lakeville (1M)
3. Fire in Minneapolis (1M)
(national)
4. Shooting in North Carolina (2M)
5. General Motors CEO Steps Down (1M)
6. NorthWest merges with Delta (3M)

WEATHER: (5M)

SPORTS: (6M)

ENTERTAINMENT/CONSUMER/HEALTH: (6M)

ADS: (9M)

I usually do not watch newscasts, so I was pretty intrigued by the ten o'clock Kare 11 News. First, I was surprised at the short amount of time each news story was given. It made me wonder: is it sufficient to know about the 'news', or is it effective to know the whole story? When I asked myself to summarize the stories I had heard in local news, my renditions mirrored exactly what the newscasters had presented. I knew of the 'news', but could not reiterate the whole story. In general, this newscast gave a very sweeping overview of current events.

Secondly, the majority of these stories were VERY depressing. In the first seven minutes, eleven people had been killed, five people hospitalized, and an entire community threatened. It certainly was not uplifting! In fact, the most uplifting story on the entire newscast (including the horrible weather report), was the national broomball championships visiting Richfield this weekend. I watched twenty eight minutes of commercials and horrific news to catch two minutes of an uplifting, promising event in our world.

These two observations made me wonder- Was this newcast depressing because I didn't have all the facts in the story, or would fully understanding each story have made this experience horrific? Are these newcasts purposefully empty to save us from impending depression, or does the emptiness encourage these feelings?

One thing is certain- I will continue to get my news from NYT in neat emails each morning!

Week Seven: X Box Live Chat

I've decided to alter this post slightly, in an effort to make it applicable for my student teaching experiences. As many of you know already, I will be teaching a unit on censorship to three preps of Junior English students. When deciding which social network to explore, I thought of this recent censorship case:

A woman used the term 'gay' in her X Box Live gamertag to describe herself as a lesbian. Microsoft kicked her out of Live and suspended her account, but not before she was harassed by other gamers. This woman is now upset that Xbox does not permit sexual orientation, but will allow other sexually charged language (even though they contend they don't). Is this a case of censorship on the part of Microsoft and Xbox?

In evaluating censorship, my students have been given certain criteria to examine. One of these criteria involves the role of audience. This case study of censorship is a great example of audience expectations, relationships, and 'modes of address'. I have included comments from X Box Live Chat Rooms (using gamertags as identities) regarding this case; these comments are used to highlight the impact of a clear 'space of difference' between audience members.

First, the members of this chat room seem to have very different expectations between audience members. The majority of Live's users see the social purpose of this site to be a gaming network, void of personal connections:


"I have no problems with people's personal sexual preference. But leave that information in the bio and not in the gamertag. We all need to remember that there are people whom don't agree with the alternative sexual preference and find it offensive. If someone whom has an alternative preference does not want to be suspended then they should also respect that side by not placing that information in the gamertag. I have friends and family members whom have an alternative preference and they also agree that the gamertag should not be used to express that preference." (Ubiman, 2009)

Others are concerned about the type of audience members that may be using this site, creating a 'mode of address' between younger and older members of this chat site:


"Personally, I don't see why one should advertise their sexuality on XBL or any other gaming service, especially where there are younger members playing too. Not saying homosexuality or any sexuality should be hidden from young people forever, but rather that Xbox Live and Playstation Home are not the proper places for children to learn about homosexuals and how to respect their sexuality (if Little Johnny hears people calling a gay person fags on XBL, he's probably going to think it's ok to do so in other social situations,etc.)." (Travante, 2009)

Finally, many appear to be genuinely concerned about the presence of gay/lesbian members, voicing their personal attitudes regarding sexuality through this chat room:


"This whole thing is a joke, Microsoft have made it clear that they dont allow anyone to advertise their sexual preference, there is no need in this day and age because i really dont think anyone cares whos gay and whos not so why do they feel they need to advertise the fact they are gay? If they dont want people to treat them any different why do they act like they are?" (Beasty54, 2009)

"So it's for their own protection? Great idea!! And furthermore, we should ban them [homosexuals] from wearing "fruity clothing" in public! PEOPLE MIGHT FIND OUT ABOUT THE GAYS!!" (Frieko, 2009)

Ultimately, this chat log depicts a clear 'space of difference' regarding the expectations of this chat site, the profiles of accepted members, and general attitudes of the chatters. While Microsoft still maintains Live as a gaming social network, this purpose has apparently missed a vast number of chatters. This social network experienced definitively failing 'modes of address' that have generated this case study of censorship.

Week Six- The 'Foreign Native'?

This spring, I will be teaching a censorship course to Junior students at a local high school. In preparation for this course, I chose case studies of censorship in our modern society. One of these case studies involves the use of Native American names for professional sports teams. Examples include "Braves", "Indians", and "Fighting Sioux". Three years ago, many teams rebelled against the use of these Native terms, refusing to play teams referencing this ethnic group. The media jumped on board, adding extra pressure for team owners and managers. Ultimately, a great many teams at the high school and collegiate levels changed names, but the professional sports world was fairly unaffected by this phenomenon. This case study is an excellent example of the blurred lines of censorship. However, taken a step further, these situations highlight the assumptions and expectations underlying many of these Native American references. Overall, it wasn't the name that was upsetting; the connotations linked to this group of people is what frustrated many individuals.



These connotations have been changing over the years. Originally, Indians were linked to 'savages', 'violence', and 'alcoholism'. News casts would frequently run public service stories detailing the amount of alcohol consumption by this ethnic group. Additionally, the thoughts of 'violence' were renewed when Drew Shadeen, a young college student, was kidnapped, raped and killed by a member of the Native American community. This event heightened the level of fear and resentment towards Indians. In the last few years, Native Americans have taken on a new role in the media- 'healer'. Many sitcoms portray Indian characters as 'spiritual', 'dedicated', and 'healers'. Popular shows like 'Sex in the City', 'Will and Grace', and even 'Family Guy' have shown main characters seeking spiritual guidance from Native American individuals.

While these new portrayals are certainly more positive, the underlying assumption remains the same- Native Americans are an entity, a uniquely ethnic group with a degree of novelty attached to their foreignness. Beach refers to these ethnic groups as 'the others' (50). Labeling 'Native' people as 'others' is tremendously ironic given the historical implications of Indian populations and white settlements' use of reservations (anthropology). In many other disciplines (sociology and psychology), the lack of power associated with being 'the other' serves the purpose of the authority group; in our society this authority group is 'white'.

Comparing the media representation of 'foreign' with the sociological representation of 'the other', we see one strong parallel. Both disciplines acknowledge Native Americans as being outside the traditional culture of power. However, the contrasts between these two perceptions in the disciplines is staggering. Media outlets highlighting the 'novelty' of Native Americans usually overlook the power structure associated with these connotations. In general, media outlets show the 'how' (Native Americans as foreign, novel groups) and sociology offers the 'why' (to further the white authority ethnicity).

Week Five: Response to Articles

While reading the agent articles for this week, I couldn't help but wonder how long, as a teacher, I will be in demand? For those of us who have read “Feed”, the hologram teacher seemed to be a crazy, techno-future idea. After reading these articles, the idea of a teacher hologram is becoming more reality than fantasy! This leads me to wonder: What can I do that these agents can't? Many of us have discussed the 'humanity' of these avatars. If criticizing them is 'abuse' (as the study contends), then what level of humanity have we assigned to these creations? And if they're human, then are these avatars equals in the classroom? Ultimately, the important question for me, as a teacher, is this-

Is a student's agent equally as human as the student themselves?

This question becomes increasingly important when we consider the concept of responsibility. In software programs like “Second Life”, students are able to create an agent, formulate a social network, and produce action in this virtual world. When a student is controlling an agent, is the student still responsible for the actions of this avatar? Or are these actions merely the responses of a technologically enhanced entity, separate of the student and void of any responsibility?

This responsibility question can be extended to many forms of writing. In general, students find digital writing to be more accessible for many reasons, including but not limited to the ease of which humans can communicate without direct, immediate repercussions. Think about our chat room for this course. If we were meeting in person, many factors would influence our responses and interactions; non-verbals, environment, and spacial relations are some of these communication tools. In digital writing (or WebVista chats), these factors are eliminated. All that's left is the writing on the screen. Now extend this a step further. A “Second Life” chat among avatars that we have created (but not mirrored after ourselves) would certainly have even less communication factors. We could longer worry about words- it's the avatars saying them, not us! In this sense, we've eliminated all factors of non-verbals, environment, spacial relations, and now common filters on language and expression; what we are left with is a non-filtered avatar, susceptible to 'abuse' but willing to dish it out at the same time.

I appreciate the use of agents in the classroom, and can see many creative uses for these software programs. However, I become concerned about the level of humanity we place on these avatars, while simultaneously eliminating the levels of responsibility attached to their creators. If avatars are an extension of the student (whether in mind, attitude, or mere creation), then shouldn't the responsibilities placed on the student be extended to the avatar?

Week Five: My Gizmoz "Ms. J" and Examples of Using Agents in the Classroom

There are many ways you could incorporate agents in the English curriculum-a few examples have been included below:

Students could create an agent to welcome members to their blog sites or websites. This would be an interesting way for students to personalize these sites without disclosing numerous personal facts. One of the many administration concerns about publishing student work on the internet is the privacy protection-an agent would be a nice touch without jeopardizing the students' privacy.

Introduction to this Blog Site:




Students could also use agents in the place of paper proposals, writing workshops, or other peer reviews. After writting a comment, students could have their agents deliver this message (via email video) to other individuals using these agents. Instead of a paper proposal, students could have their agent present their suggestions for papers, projects, or literature circles. This software would also promote a degree of novelty that would motivate and encourage students to complete these activities.

Teachers would be able to use agents in a variety of ways. First, it would be an interesting experiment to have your agent deliver a short grammar lesson to your students, then test the students' recall of this material. Would students pay more attention to the agent, or would they still comprehend the material?

Another interesting use of a teaching agent would be to deliver sub plans. You could have your agent direct the students in their daily activities on days when a sub was in the classroom. This would ensure each class received the same instructions regarding assignments, projects, or expectations for that day.

Finally, your agent could deliver the seemingly monotonous task of classroom syllabuses, rules, and expectations. This would be a novel, unique way to introduce this material to your class. It would also be a good introduction to the use of media in your classroom.

Introduction to a Course:

Express Yourself with Gizmoz Video Clips

Week Four: Critical Approaches

In English education, critical approaches are often referred to as “critical literacies”. It is crucial to introduce these critical viewpoints in a high school setting; educators have the responsibility to create informed, critical consumers in an age driven by media. Five approaches are highlighted below, followed by an example of each analysis in a freshman English course using the text “House on Mango Street”.

Semiotic Analysis: An examination of the cultural and social implications of signs; this includes images, objects, words, or practices found in a variety of texts. In literature, semiotic analysis is often mirrored by the concept of symbolism. In “The House on Mango Street”, the author refers to shoes numerous times in her vignettes High heels, flats, loafers, and “click” shoes become symbols that reflect personality traits. Students would watch “Famous Footwear” and “Payless Shoes” commercials. After viewing these clips, students would dissect the social stereotypes associated with styles of shoes- linking these meanings to “Mango Street” character personalities.

Poststructuralist Analysis: An examination of language used to generate categories; these categories greatly influence human perceptions. Often, these categories revolve around paradoxes; good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and love vs. hate are all examples of categories examined with poststructuralist analysis. Students reading “Mango Street” would examine “male vs. female” using this analysis. The author has very strong assumptions regarding gender; postructuralist analysis would illustrate the gray area located between these paradoxes. First, students would read a segment of “Mango Street”. After this, a scene from “Will and Grace” would be shown, followed by a discussion about the categories of male and female. Poststructuralist analysis would also highlight perceptions made about breaking through these paradoxes- if a man is feminine, he's gay. Students would finish this lesson with a free write regarding the use of paradoxes in our society, and the advantages/disadvantages of having categories.

Critical Discourse Analysis: An examination of larger ideologies that identify, shape, evaluate, and control a large degree of human interactions. These ideologies, or discourses, include laws, class, race, and religion. Ultimately, these discourses define what is considered “normal”. The issue of class is a reoccurring power structure in “Mango Street”. Students would be assigned a racial group (African American, Asian, African, Mexican, and Caucasian) to profile using sitcom characters. Examining popular sitcoms, students will discover assumed stereotypes, or “normalcies” associated with each group. The findings would be presented to the class for a large group discussion regarding race and the discourse analysis produced by these popular sitcoms.

Feminist Analysis: An examination of the definition, characteristics, roles, and expectations of gender in our changing society. Traditionally, feminist analysis has focused on women. However, examining male perceptions of gender is also a critical perspective in feminist analysis. In “Mango Street”, the character of Sally begs for feminist analysis. After reading her story, students would view Disney's “Little Mermaid”; a comparison would be made between Arielle, the Sea Witch, and Sally. The expectations and assumptions of the “good” and “evil” woman would be highlighted to show stereotypes associated with the female gender. Ultimately, students would be asked to make arguments for which Disney character Sally most represents based upon the feminist analysis.

Psychoanalytic Theories: An examination of the subconscious desires, beliefs, and perceptions of one's identity. In “Mango Street”, this theory can be applied when examining the cousin's theft of the big yellow car. Students would begin by watching the new series of Lexus ads- presenting vehicles as a privilege and concrete desire of human nature. Feelings of fulfillment, success, and pride would be discussed. Following this, students would read the “Cousin” vignette in “Mango Street”. A comparison between the cousin's feelings and innate human desires would be addressed. Finally, students would decide whether they wanted the cousin to be caught with the car, or if they thought he deserved to keep the vehicle. These opinions would be discussed in terms of what is “right” (legally) vs. what “feels right” (internally).

Week Three: (3) Dissecting Doritos' Beer Chip Commercial

3. Doritos' New Beer Flavor Commercial-

-Shot One: establishing shot of man presenting in front of a white board
Establishes him as the speaker

-Shot Two: 4 shot over the shoulder of audience as he presents the thinking behind his new Doritos flavor
Shows the audience and the speaker's physical relationship and office surroundings

-Shot Three: medium shot of man presenting at the white board
Focuses viewer's attention to writing/pictures on the board- “Doritos new flavor beverage”

-Shot Four: 3 shot medium of audience members
Attention is drawn to the audiences first reaction to presenter- woman smiling, two men smirking

-Shot Five: medium shot of man presenting at the white board
Accelerated gestures of speaker become apparent as he gets excited, generates excitement in the viewer

-Shot Six: close up shot of presenter holding Doritos bag
Highlights product – Doritos Beer flavor

-Shot Seven: 3 shot medium of audience members
Shows their change in reaction to speaker- looks of awkwardness become humorous to viewer

-Shot Eight: 4 shot over the shoulder of audience
See audience shifting

-Shot Nine: close up shot of presenter eating chips
Eating fast, viewers anticipate what upcoming audience reaction shot will look like

-Shot Ten: 3 shot of audience
Members are confused and grossed out by presenter's fast, incessant eating

-Shot Eleven: medium shot of presenter
Shows product again and man's continued eating

-Shot Twelve: close up shot of one male audience member
First time audience speaks, man's facial features highlighted when he says, “truly a horrible idea”, seriousness of man adds to humor

-Shot Thirteen: 3 shot over the shoulder of audience, presenter and two audience members
Presenter, now drunk from beer chips and in his underwear, becoming focal point of the humorous shot

-Shot Fourteen: close up shot of product
Product placement

-Shot Fifteen: product slogan shot
“eat responsibly” slogan with a loud snoring sound in the background

-Shot Sixteen: 2 shot close up of presenter on male audience member's shoulder
Highlights effectiveness of new beer chips, closes commercial with humor

Week Three: (1,2) Bringing Quagmire and Lois into the Classroom

1. “Blind Ambition”, Family Guy episode, Season 4. Viewable at http://www.familyguy.com/
Animated series are an important part of our popular culture. In this episode of Family Guy, the sequence opens at the Quahog bowling alley. Lois is watching the boys bowl, and proceeds to announce her need “to tinkle”.

(Description) The chosen scene begins with an establishing shot of Lois walking through the ladies room and entering a stall. The bathroom is absolutely quiet; the sound of the stall door closing is magnified to highlight the lack of background noise. A solid shot of Lois placing toilet paper on the seat is shown for a few seconds. Breaking the silence, audiences hear the “Gigidy, Gigidy” noise closely associated with Quagmire. Lois stops and listens closely, but no one has entered the scene. As she continues to cover the seat, another “Gigidy, Gigidy” is heard in the background. Lois stops again for a few moments, starts to cover the seat again, and hears, “Will you just sit down already?” She makes a large gasp, followed by a low angle shot of a smiling Quagmire in the ceiling above the bathroom stall. A medium shot of Lois is shown for about half a second, quickly replaced with a close up shot of Lois screaming. As soon as this close up shot appears, the “Dant Dant Dah” suspense melody is played loudly to end the scene. Immediately following this scene, the sequence continues with a cameo shot of the newscast announcing the arrest of a “peeper in the local pee'er”.

(Purpose) In this specific scene, the lighting does not change at all. However, sound has a significant impact in the humor associated with this scene. Similar to Hitchcock's shower scene in Psycho, the audience knows something is going to happen. However, the silence works to build suspense and the familiar climax music helps to close the scene. Additionally, the low angle shot of Quagmire highlights Lois' perspective while adding to the “awkward creapiness” of Quagmire's position in the women's bathroom. This “awkward creapiness” carries the humor in the scene, coupled with the ongoing perverted personality of Quagmire (fans of the show expect this type of behavior from Quagmire). His location (hanging on to the top of the ceiling) also establishes a polar relationship associated with a man in the women's bathroom.

2. Teaching film/media editing techniques would help to highlight the reactions/emotions deeply associated with media products. Each type of shot has a distinct purpose (establishing shot gives an overarching visual, close up centers the audiences' focus) in the scene. Examining these shots will help to identify the creators' purpose and intended reactions. In English literature, we often ask “What was the author's purpose?” This is mirrored in film studies when we ask, “Why does the creator present this shot?” Additionally, we often ask, “Why did the author choose these words?” and could also question, “Why did the creator pick this music?” Learning, identifying, and evaluating film techniques is simply an extension of perspective and author intent in an English classroom.

Great SuperBowl Commercials: Just a Few of My Favorites

The media mogule million dollar weekend has just occurred- SuperBowl commercials run anywhere from one to three million dollars for a sweet thirty second piece of the pie. Below are my personal top three of the 2009 SuperBowl (media) game within the game.

1. Etrade Baby Golfer: This character will always be funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3peAlsLRSU&feature=related

2. Bridgestone Potato Heads: Some are upset about the stereotyping, but that's only when the humor of the commercial is set aside!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUUM3SDX4ik

3. Pedigree Adoption: Great story, great cause, great laughs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl0x3LlWIig

Nostalgic for Days Before Spell Check?

I stole this off of Ms. Murphy's blog (a fellow cohort member). It was too funny not to share!

Must Read Adolescent Media Text!

In response to the intense connections being made between "Feed" and this course (chats and Matty K's observations), I've included a synopsis of this adolescent literature. If you haven't read this, go get it! This text is used in many Media Studies courses and English courses throughout the state. To date, one of my fav adolescent books: that's saying a lot coming from someone with an English degree!



Synopsis of "Feed" as it relates to this course (Wikipedia):

"The story depicts a future in which the Internet has evolved into the "Feednet"; a computer network to which the brains of American citizens are directly connected by means of an implanted computer chip called a "Feed", which over 70% of Americans have set in their brain. Privacy has become a thing of the past; Corporations are free to monitor and manipulate citizens' thoughts, people's thoughts are interrupted by the mental equivalent of pop-up ads, sometimes to a debilitating degree, and the government can even subpoena one's memories. People can "M-Chat" each other (a form of evolved Instant Messaging) on closed channels, effectively creating a form of telepathy. In addition, the Feed chip is implanted at such an early age that it actually takes over the running of many brain functions as the child matures. As a result, certain sites on the Feednet allow users to go "In Mal"; deliberately cause their feed chips to malfunction, causing physical and mental sensations similar to some illegal drugs. The natural environment has also undergone extensive damage; atmospheric conditions no longer allow the natural formation of cloud and the sky is filled with artificial Clouds(tm) and the ocean has become so acidic that whales are sheathed in plastic coverings" (2009).

2008-2009 English Education Cohort

Look at all these excited and inspired future teachers!

Any Great Lesson Ideas/Activities?

In a cheap ploy to discover everything under the sun before I write my student teaching unit, I'm turning to my peers (you guys) for ideas/experiences with these texts. Please send suggestions my way!

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Standard English 9 Class. Nominal Theme of Identity and Authorship. Additional Literature: Poetry selections (I'm wrapping poetry into this overall unit), nonfiction articles, bell hooks "table" article, song lyrics, audio tape, YouTube movie clips, blog entries. Required Assignment: Narrative writing, written/timed/spoken presentation (final project-slam poetry).


Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Standard English 12 Class. Nominal Theme of Censorship and Taboos. Additional literature: Fredrick Douglas, feminist lit, children's books, nonfiction historical accounts, American humorists, "northern exposure" MN censored authors, movie clips, blog entries. Required Assignment: Evaluative essay, literary analysis (final project-multigenre paper, hopefully!)

It's All a Matter of Perspective!

Week Two: Rationale for Media Texts

Summary description:
This district has a very canonized literature curriculum, with classic texts and little support for modern, multicultural literature. Technology access is limited by two small computer labs, with the use of media and alternative texts limited by resources. Beyond these content limitations, the district is also experiencing a high influx of English Language Learners, increasing the district's curriculum focus on remedial skills and adequate standardized test scores. Currently, only one film media studies course is taught in the secondary schools-the attitude is that media texts will exist in this class and the “real” literary work will happen in the standard English courses.

Rationale:
The responsibility of English classes throughout this nation is changing. Teachers are no longer merely responsible for reading and writing. A new branch of adolescents are entering our school system-technologically literate and media motivated. As educators, we have a unique opportunity to utilize effective media tools to foster adolescent development and academic achievement.

First, the very notion of a text has been changed by our current technology. Books don't cut it anymore. “Text” now includes music, pictures, keywords, movies, sitcoms, quotes, and web publications. This change in text has also produced a change in “literacy”. Student must be able to read and write, but must also compose emails, surf websites, dissect movies, “publish” writings on the web, analyze sitcom characters, and identify perspectives in song lyrics. Our curriculum must identify these new texts and give our students the tools to be literate in our modern society.

Utilizing a variety of media texts to generate modern literacies, students in this curriculum would meet state and district wide Language Arts standards. Two examples are included below:

1.Synthesize ideas and make thematic connections among literary texts, public discourse, media and other disciplines (MN).

Students must be able to draw connections across texts. Using media outlets in the classroom gives students a visual text in which to make inferences. In many cases, drawing connections between texts is clearer and more engaging with the use of media (Beach, 12). Combining a blog or movie with a novel is an excellent way to encourage cross textual analysis and identification of shared themes such as justice, death, or success. In cases like this, educators are able to meet a crucial English standard without surrendering literature, but instead supplementing with media.

2. Evaluate and organize relevant information from a variety of sources, verifying the accuracy and usefulness of gathered information (MN/District).

Media outlets afford students a vast community of learners. The benefits of these social relationships is heightened with the use of media (Beach, 16). Students are able to seek out and evaluate a vastly greater number of sources, increasing the variety and usefulness of their gathered information. Allowing students to conduct Webquests would provide numerous sources for analysis. Evaluating many female sitcom characters could also produce assumptions about female roles in our society. Finding, recognizing, and evaluating a large number of perspectives is a key English resource. Once again, media can be used to make these English standards more accessible and achievable for a large number of students.

It's crucial to note the importance of media in education is intertwined in our current education standards. The following are the media standards for the state of Minnesota:

1. Evaluate the accuracy and credibility of information found on Internet sites.
2. Evaluate the logic of reasoning in both print and non-print selections.
3. Evaluate the source’s point of view, intended audience and authority.
4. Determine whether evidence in a selection is appropriate, adequate, accurate.
5. Evaluate the content/effect of persuasive techniques used in print broadcast and media.
6. Make informed evaluations about television, radio, film, newspapers and magazines with regard to quality of production, accuracy of information, bias,purpose, message and audience.
7. Critically analyze the messages and points of view employed in different media, including advertising, news programs, web sites, and documentaries.
8. Formulate critical, evaluative questions relevant to a print or non-print selection.
9. Critically analyze and evaluate the strategies employed in news broadcasts, documentaries, and web sites related to clarity, accuracy, effectiveness, bias, relevance of facts.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of ethics in mass communication and describe the characteristics of ethical and unethical behavior.

Each of these media standards can also be directly linked to the essential English skills of credible sources, observed themes, perspective taking, persuasion, informed decisions, critical analysis, and evaluative questioning. Ultimately, the use of media in this curriculum will supplement the current English standards. The intent is not to replace the set of basic skills inherent in English education, but rather to create modern access points for a student population diversified in their academic abilities, aspirations, and achievements.
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New Media/Technology Standards are on their way! Visit the article below to see what changes are being made to reflect the new literacies and modern texts!
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?print&print&I=55483

Week One: Media Studies and Promoting Responsible Consumerism

Today is certainly a fast paced world, with consumerism driving our everyday actions. Why should our classrooms be any different? Beach argues that adolescents are technological professionals- consuming, utilizing, creating, and dispersing media at an outstanding rate. The videos from the “Media that Matters Festival” affirm this perspective. However, a vast amount of our media is controlled by only seven major media companies. Holding nearly seventy five percent of the media “real estate”, these companies have tremendous power over what consumers view, seek, and believe. The power of these seven companies, coupled with the immense role media plays in our lives, affords educators a responsibility unique to our current society.

As educators, we are responsible for the standards, material, and success of our students. Starting in 2012, students will be required to meet a technology standard. This standard includes websites, blogs, wikis, and media languages. Beyond this upcoming standard, our media driven society has created another major responsibility for teachers. Our society has taught these adolescent how to be consumers: as teachers, do we need to educate these same students on how to become RESPONSIBLE consumers?

Some of the current media tools are pretty apparent; ads, web pop-ups, and sponsorships are bombarding to most viewers. However, many media tricks are less apparent. A new example of this is the current “branding” found in many popular sitcoms. For example, “Damages” (FX) is created, funded, and sponsored by Cadillac. An average of eight vehicle shots exist in each episode, creating immense publicity and increased income for this company. On “The Real World”, a Coke can was “accidentally” shot in a scene, enticing Coke to sponsor the reality crew's week long visit to Australia. Each of these examples illustrate the advancement of media and consumerism. Students, whether media professionals or not, need help navigating our increasingly complicated world of consumerism.

Adolescents need to be aware of all media languages, tools, and strategies before they can make responsible and adequate decisions. While Beach is quick is announce our students' love of all consumerism and technology, educators need to carefully craft this devotion into engaging, motivating, and useful lessons aimed at consumer responsibility.

An example of creating responsible consumerism is found in the link below. I created this lesson plan to analyze energy drink marketing tools. Adolescents would learn media language, analyze advertisements, and evaluate persuasive tools. Using these same strategies, students were responsible for creating a “slow down” energy drink media outlet. This final project would encourage their peers to monitor intake of this drug, and carefully analyze the real benefits of their consumerism. This type of activity allows adolescents to view common media, analyze their impact, evaluate the presented truths, and generate responsible consumer behaviors. As educators, we have this responsibility to our little consumers.

Link to "Rise and Sell- The Energy Drink Business and what They're Really Offering" Lesson:
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/4258.html

Purpose of this Blog

Welcome! This blog is intended to be a discussion area for my readings, opinions, and discoveries during my media course this spring. I look forward to learning new ways of utilizing media in the classroom, and to forgetting the old ways of filling time with media during the school day!