Final Project Powtoon!

Enjoy! It has been a pleasure!

Brainstorming Final Project

Week one:
I plan on covering the topic of bullshit as covered by Postman. This is an important introduction, as it labels the need for critical media literacy.


Week two:
I want to revisit the videos created by students in order to show how they examined their culture and identity through a media lesson, learning more about how they use media while at the same time creating media.

Week three:
Week three is a strong example of different age ranges and populations creating educational videos. I think this will be useful to show that teaching critical media literacy is a necessity for the entire population, not just children.

Week four:
A quote from my response:
"We are each different; it is what makes us unique, and what separates one person's interests from the next. In the same fashion ,we use the media at our fingertips (and earlobe tips) to represent our individuality."

Week Five:
I want to reflect on different trends in media, such as the notecard reflection. I think I might be able to find a decent notion concerning trends that can add a powerful message. 

Week Six:
"Research shows that when teachers use question in the classroom, they often use closed questions, which have only one right answer. Teachers often go fishing by asking questions that can only be answered in one way - the right answer" (pg 54).
This quote still stirs emotion in me. The importance of structuring cannot be stressed enough.

Week Seven:
Pulling from week seven, understanding what the common core means for media literacy and how learning outcomes can be pulled from media lessons is an important topic. I will also likely talk about cultural and individual relevance.

Week Eight:
"Today, every teacher needs to be a media composition teacher...because the power of authorship offers students of all ages a transformative learning experience" (pg 85).

This is part of the lesson for us all, is it not? We all need to learn how to be critical, and we then need to convey that knowledge to the next individual. 

Week Nine: 
"[Teens] act and behave in ways that conform both to their local community and to the vast array of media messages that display how teens and young adults should behave, think, and act." Pg 108

Week nine is powerful in how it speaks about the role that media plays in influencing a youth to behave, dress, and live, simply by pushing a certain "social norm."  If we can agree that media influences the basics of behavior, then it also goes a long way towards showing the importance of proper education in it's regard. 

Week Ten: 
"There are healthy and unhealthy ways to acquire social power. Unfortunately, among some teen boys and young men, one quick and easy way to gain social power is to watch or create a drinking video."

The pitfalls of media. As with most things, there is a high road and a low road. I think this is a good way to show the negative side of media that individuals can be drawn towards as they seek recognition. 

Week Eleven: 
In week eleven I want to go back to my thoughts on media relevance to the individual and determining what kind of material you need to inspire someone. I had used a quote from Patrick Rothfuss, and I think I will build on that. 

Week Twelve:
“…we must confront our own biases, preconceptions, stereotypes, and low expectations as we discover the capacities and talents of students who are struggling with school but who may have considerable competency at other at other skills” (pg 184). 

This is part of the foundation of my personal educational philosophy. I will likely plan a conclusion that focused on the idea that using media to assist students with expressing individuality and creativity is pivotal to taking education to the individual level and preventing students from falling through the cracks. 

Week 12 Reading Response

Herrrrre we go!

Now, this list relates to my own personal thoughts if I were to do a presentation in a classroom today. As I don't have to plan anything or actually have teaching responsibilities, I imagine my listing differs from others.

To promote creativity and self-expression

To strengthen student’s ability to resist the negative messages present in mass media, digital media, and popular culture about violence, materialism, stereotypes, and sexuality

To increase student motivation and engagement in the classroom

To strengthen discrimination skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality messages

To build students’ ability to be active, thoughtful “readers” or interpreters of the media messages in their cultural environment

To help students use their own voices for advocacy and social change

To increase students’ knowledge of the mass media in society

To improve students’ writing and communication skills by enabling them to use a wide range of message forms, symbol systems, and technologies

To develop students’ skills in using digital technology tools

To promote appreciation for locally produced media and respect for diverse cultures

To build students’ appreciation for the function of journalism, news, and of the media messages in their cultural environment

To build appreciation for film and visual media as an art form

To support the development of student’s content knowledge

To modernize the curriculum and make it more relevant to students

“When I shard my concerns with my then 17 year old daughter, Rachel, she said, “Mom, I’m so glad our school doesn’t allow us to use Facebook in school.  I am totally in favor of internet filtering in school. Without it, I would never be able to get any homework done.”  Pg 179

You know, I’m thinking about this and the use of personal media while in school, all the while I am currently sitting in a high school lunchroom on the eastern panhandle of WV.  I see students at different points of their day – after school, during lunch, during class, in between classes, etc.  In regards to my experience, I’d like to share an observation I’ve made about students and cell phone usage.

I often present kids with broad, abstract, or uncomfortable questions, because I want them to be uncomfortable. Students hear the bullshit college spiel all of the time, talking about financial aid, small class sizes, finding success, blah blah blah.  I try to be real, I ask students about student loans, about parties, and the true pros and cons when comparing different types of schools.

Most schools either ban or severely limit cell phone usage during school and class hours. Something I’ve noticed in the schools that do not is that, when presented with an uncertain situation, students that can access their cell phone do immediately as a way to, in my mind, escape the question. By grabbing at their phone, it is an easy way to deflect the uncertainty and duck out of the question,  rather than making eye contact or perhaps answering a question that they aren’t sure they know the answer to.  Students that cannot access their cell phones often attempt something similar, but it is easier to direct a student who eyes are down on a paper rather than glued to a cell phone screen, in my opinion.

 I’ll be honest, I see adults do this in regular conversation all the time as well. Isn’t this a habit that should be curbed? I don’t believe it is healthy, productive, or educationally sound to develop a habit where, in any situation where you feel stress or determine the thing in question is something you cannot ascertain, you feel you can immediately withdraw from the conversation by using your cell phone to create a “privacy bubble,” of sorts.

“In other schools, there is a blanket rule: no R-rated films can be screened.” (pg 181)

In a fit of conceitedness, I am going to reference my own video, posted last week for the PSA assignment. I created the video with teenagers as a target audience, and I purposefully used the words “dick” and “bitch” in it. Let me ask you: what exactly would I be exposing teenagers to that they already are not exposed to on a grand scale every single day? Let us take these same observations and apply them to media used in the classroom. What are we trying to protect students from? We have all been adolescents, we have all gone through that incredibly colorful period of teenage angst, and we all know that it isn’t freshly scrubbed and smelling of lemons. It is a combination of every emotion and every scene you can think of: sex, anger, violence, depression, nudity, life, death, love, hate, everything.

And we know this. Yet, for some reason, we try to hold on to this slim fragment of our imagination that if something occurs in the classroom, it must represent this white glove pinesol view of learning. Teens can’t see a woman’s breasts in a movie, god forbid! That doesn’t promote learning and might incite a riot.

What about the alternative? What if we embraced what the teens are going through (because, like I said, we went through it to) and instead curbed the media to speak the language and life that the audience knows? Wouldn’t that make it more relevant? Last time I checked, my teenage years weren’t a rerun of Leave it to Beaver.

“…we must confront our own biases, prerconceptions, stereotypes, and low expectations as we discover the capacities and talents of studnets who are struggling with school but who may have considerable competency at other at other skills” (pg 184). 

As I have referenced in previous blog postings, I often come across students who find themselves destined for college majors that they have absolutely no fit with, being driven towards preselected areas by parents, teachers, peers, our counselors.  Part of my job, or at least how I interpret it, is to make sure students are entering majors appropriate for their interest and skill levels.  Based on my conversations with other admissions counselors, I’m in the minority in helping students in this regard.

I think this is something that media can help with. Student media projects that aim to discover more on career areas, college majors, or particular jobs, can help take the veneer off of certain areas that a student might be interested in. I’m not talking about the shitty “look at the occupational outlook handbook and find a major” project that ends up with everyone becoming lawyers, doctors, and computer scientists, but real work exploring the who, how, and what. Maybe something like this will help students realize that if they freaking hate math, they shouldn’t do computer science. If they don’t like blood or science, maybe they shouldn’t do pre-med.  And I’m not saying that we should dissuade students from their dreams. If a student truly does have a passion for a certain area or subject, then an appropriately led project should serve as a fuel for that passion, not as a discouragement.  

PSA

Right. Sooo I had some fun with this. I wanted to use humor as a hook and might have gotten a little carried away. As a result:

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS SOME MILDLY GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

I wasn't sure how I wanted to present things. I looked at some other videos about online bullying, and most of them were kind of drab, so I wanted to change pace a little bit.

I feel like the humor takes away from the power of the message, but at the same time makes it more likely for a wider audience to actually view and remember it. I think it is a battle between two different factors: a serious video that hits home well that no one watches, or a funny video that people share that doesn't send as strong of a message.  Obviously I chose the latter.

I noticed a lot of people went for a dramatic flair, so I exaggerated a little with the multiple camera angles for an additional sarcastic effect. I also tried to use some memes and "internet speak" to draw the target audience in. I used webcam shots of me speaking to add a personal effect as well. I've been told I have a good smile, so I exaggerated on that also to produce an initial and closing hook.

I hope you enjoy! Sorry if I got off track, but I had fun making it!

Weekly Reading #11

The Ted video is a good example to show of using current events to inspire and teach others, applied on a larger stage than most projects will ever go.  I think that it shows the importance of current events in the use of connecting to others, as we are ever-trapped in the mindset of the present: what do I have to do today? What is happening right now? What lies in store for me outside of my bedroom door? By connecting individuals to inspirational, emotionally compelling, or extraordinary current events, you and providing a lucid connection between these lessons and emotions and the most obvious state of mind: the present consciousness.
When we teach lessons about civil rights, or about racism and racial oppression, how often do we use lessons that circle around the 1960s, MLK Jr, the Freedom Riders, and the American Civil Rights Movement? While this time period does provide a strong amount of emotion, intensity, and information to learn from, it is also entirely distant from today's youth.  I would argue that using more modern and current events, such as the shootings in Ferguson, or as the book states, the flash mobs in Philly, lessons can provide a much stronger, much closer to home, and much more relevant lesson that can a student can claim ownership of and compare to their own philosophy and viewpoint based purely on personal experience.
The idea of current and close to home is also covered in the video as she points out that, as she travels the globe, she and her companions are using relevant and local lessons, not stories about Americans to inspire others. When we hear glorious stories about children in far away countries doing good deeds, we all think it is a great thing...but ask a person about it two hours later, and who really gives a shit? It is something we see, express a positive reaction to, then forget.
Let me explain this in a different way.  In Patrick Rothfuss' "Name of the Wind" book, he explains a magic called "Sympathy" which essentially is a mental bond between two objects, in which any force applied to one object, such as lifting a stick, would also lift another stick that is mentally bonded by sympathy. The more similar the objects, the less energy required and the more efficient/strong the bond. The less similar the objects, such as a stick and a rock, the less strong the bond is, and the more energy is required to perform similar actions.
In using real-world events to teach lessons, I think it follows a similar mindset. The more similarities one can draw from a lesson, the stronger the bond each individual will have to the teachings. The more dissimilar a person is from the subject of the lesson, the less efficient the bond will be, and as a result, the person will likely draw less from the lesson. I think this serves as a reason for us to seek out relevant and powerful topics for us to use as we try to analyze overarching themes or underlying causes in events to our friends, colleagues, and students.




On a side note, I typed up some quotes from this chapter while I didn't have internet access prior to seeing this weeks lesson. Oops! For fun, I will go ahead and post those, as they actually do serve some relevance to points I made in the above text. Have a good weekend, everyone!

“This student was aware that this particular point of view was completely absent from all the media accounts of flash mobs” (pg 146). 

                I was very taken by the game designed by this student as a way to express the frustrating and dangerous position that teens face in the region.  It just reminds me that if you give a student the means to creatively express themselves, the result can be something significantly more powerful than simply words on paper or spoken in front of a class.  Through creative outlet, students can convey emotions that are deeply imbedded and difficult to uncover.  Creating a lesson that teaches students necessary skills while simultaneously providing a healthy outlet is a wonderful goal indeed.  As educators, we can use those emotions to our advantage, weighing upon them to fuel a student’s motivation to complete a project.

“Increased mistrust of the media means young people may not believe much of what they hear, see, or read on the news” (pg 149).

I’ve been thinking ponderously on this point very much recently, especially after watching the debate between Tennant and Capito, when neither candidate really has a platform other than “my opponent sucks worse than me.”  I myself have grown increasingly distrustful of media, especially in the United States, as I find genuine journalism to be more and more of a rarity, as news organizations attempt to blow up stories just to get ratings, and shamelessly cover minor events like it is the apocalypse (CNN’s situation room comes to mind). I rarely check United States based media anymore, choosing to go to sites like BBC for news (though I’m sure they also have their own agenda). 

The state of politics in media and how we trust it really takes me back to the election between Kerry and Bush when I was in high school. For me, it was the first election that featured massive amounts of mudslinging and misinformation being published unanimously online.  I found myself frequently in debates at my school trying to convince students that, no, Kerry could not take away our guns and sell us to France,  and no, George Bush could not abdicate the presidency to his father. There was actually a small segment on Fox News for a brief time a couple years ago which, one week, asked the questions “How much difference is there between the two major political parties, and are they intentionally restricting our freedom and choice?” That segment was cancelled the next week. The truth we often receive from mainstream media is too often tainted, skewed, and disturbingly opaque.

“Linda Kane, the adviser of a high school newspaper in Naperville, Illinois, was told she would not be allowed to teach journalism or advise the paper the following year after students ran an article that administrators felt glorified drug use” (pg 156). 

This boils down to one of the majors barriers in media education and education in general today, doesn’t it? I constantly hear the question being asked “Why are children checked out? Why don’t they participate more?” We are asking students to speak their mind, then shushing them when they start to express themselves.  While there has to be some form of limitation on what students can say, in order to hedge inappropriateness and keep students on task, having a student express they true opinion on a situation is beneficial in multiple ways. The student learns how to express him or herself, other students hear an opinion on a topic, and the teacher also gets educated on the true thoughts of how students feel about a subject or idea. Just because a student’s opinion runs contrary to that of the schools does not immediately make it inappropriate, but rather can help create debate and teachable moments. 

PSA Step One

I would like to do my PSA to try and combat the use of hateful and/or racist messages of people online, focusing on participation in online forums, social media, or even comment areas of sites like youtube. I feel that students often bully online because they don't really see or feel any repercussions of their actions, such as a hurt expression on one's face, or having to face immediate retaliation.

Sources:
"Teenagers are prime targets for hate groups because many are looking for groups or causes that will get them a sense of identity."
http://mediasmarts.ca/online-hate/impact-online-hate


"Young women face vastly higher rates of online harassment in two of its most intense, dangerous, and emotionally disruptive forms: sexual harassment and stalking."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/22/women-harassed-online_n_6028642.html

"81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.
70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.
Bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide.
Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online."
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying


My goal is to create a PSA aimed at teenagers and the use of sexual harassment, racism, and hateful messages online. I'm hoping to create a video with a short, simple message in mind: stop, think, relate (with those terms possibly changing). I want students to not simply respond without thought, to think about what they are saying and the affect, and try to relate to the person they are targeting, and put themselves in their shoes.

Reading Response #10

"Of course, students engage in malicious and hurtful online and offline behavior toward their peers even more frequently than they rage against their teachers."

I'm not sure how I feel about this quote.  In general, I understand that students will likely be in many more situations that would involve a student bashing a peer rather than a teacher, however I also feel like this statement might lead one to infer that students who engage in behavior derogatory towards teachers are likely to engage in such behavior even more often with their peers.
I will admit, I wasn't a great student in high school, as I have admitted in previous blog postings. I rebelled against classroom restrains and confines, questioning my superiors and always challenging the leadership. There were times when, in limited amounts, my peers and I would slander teachers online, though such things did not receive nearly as much attention as they do today. I think that students do these types of these more often as a stress relief or as a way to create a beacon for their frustration rather than because the students actually have malicious intent. I suppose the question to ask is where is the line drawn between what is appropriate and inappropriate, and what type of action constitutes dangerous ground for students.
One of my teachers was complained about in online groups REPEATEDLY by a large number of students. Our thoughts were often dismissed because of the profanity we used, and because many students had extremely vivid and colorful insults listed in regard to the teacher and his behavior. A few parents backed us, but mostly we were disciplined for our actions. This teacher was fired for misconduct a couple of years after I graduated, and is one of the most sexist and racist individuals I have ever met that is in a position of influence. I think that, because our complaints as students fell into a category that is defined as "disruptive behavior," our words were not taken seriously.

"There are healthy and unhealthy ways to acquire social power. Unfortunately, among some teen boys and young men, one quick and easy way to gain social power is to watch or create a drinking video."

I wanted to post this quote in the spirit of the moment, as I will be attending the WVU game tomorrow and I fully expect it to be an atmosphere of drunken dumbassery.  But to draw from it, I want to follow a parallel. Remember the ice bucket challenge? How many people that posted social media videos actually gave a damn about the charitable cause, but rather were more interested in the social power to be gained from the video?  On a more humorous note, I will point out that no one really gave a damn about your average ice bucket challenge video (lets be honest, we all got the point), and we only looked for dramatic failures.  How much of what we see on social media has nothing to do with anything displayed in the video, instead having everything to do with the sought after "social power?" Ponder that.

"Learning to live responsibly when it comes to online communication is a process."

I want to use this quote to draw attention to the "Gamergate" scandal, as I think it is something people should be aware of. It is actually a very good topic to tie together the previous chapter and the current, as it deals with internet communication as well as sexism in media, all revolving around online gaming journalism.
It involves:
A breakdown in communication and facts
Falsified or out-of-context online images to promote a point
Sexism backlash in the form of doxxing
Utter internet chaos.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/gamergate


It is a good example of the fact that many people feel empowered by the anonymity created by using the internet. Using the internet and media responsibly isn't just about the content you access, but also how you treat others. An extreme case would be "doxxing," which is when a hacker discloses personal information of someone online, presumably so that other people can lead personal attacks against that person. It needs to be known that online aggressive, just like physical aggressive, is something that cannot be tolerated and has no place in our culture.

Weekly Reading #9

Quotes from Chapter 6:

"[Teens] act and behave in ways that conform both to their local community and to the vast array of media messages that display how teens and young adults should behave, think, and act." Pg 108

This entire page stood out to me because I have an opportunity to glance briefly into the social structures of different regions throughout the east coast while performing my job duties.  Over the past two months, I have been to roughly 50-60 high school or college admissions events in West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Delaware, New Jersey, and Mexico. While I understand that this is just the introduction,  I felt I might have something to lend to the chapter in terms of my experience.

I'm always very intrigued by the different cultures represented through attire, behavior, and attitude in different areas.  When I visit Prince George's County in Maryland, boys rarely ask me about academics, instead wanting to know about football or basketball programs. "Ya'll D-1?" is a question I get frequently, for students that are only looking to play for a division one sports program. These students, largely from inner city regions of the DC suburbs, view athletics as their inspiration to get out and make something of themselves, idolizing professional athletes that came from the region. There is a joke among admissions counselors about the questions "You got hair?", which is a student looking for a cosmetics program. In cental/southern Delaware, students wear camo and blue jeans. In the Atlantic City region, girls wear spandex and belly shirts while guys wear letterman jackets. In West Virginia, boys typically roam from table to table in "packs" and often make jokes about exploring college rather than asking serious questions.  In Baltimore, students go from table to table trying to find the school that is furthest away, then fill out a card for information no matter what the school's criteria is. While doing this for Fairmont State, they often look up and tell me that they are going to the local community college, but want more information anyways.  In Bel Air, MD last week, I had several families tell me that West Virginia was too far away, only to then go to the Florida Institute of Technology table and say that they would be visiting soon. In the Philadelphia suburbs, many girls wear tons of makeup and lipstick with revealing clothing, and boys will follow them from table to table, getting information from colleges based on what the girls choose. Certain high schools have students that only want a certain major, presumably based on overbearing advice from a teacher or counselor. You can only hear "I want to be a forensic psychologist" so many times at one school before you realize the idea has been implanted and has no real foundation.  

Anyways, I need to get off of these tangents The point I'm making is that I can visit a school along I-270 near DC and speak to students and see a culture of, to be stereotypical old guy, "sex n drugs," getting asked questions like "Do I need to take a drug test to get admitted?" 'I can then visit a school two miles away and speak with students dressed better than myself asking about specific research opportunities for pre-med study.  I think it is important, as we begin to analyze the youth that we work with, the remember that every community has its own layers of influence and culture that play a part in the develop of the attitude and behavior of teenagers in society, beyond the general influences that we see in mainstream media.  Ideas that apply to group X may not apply to group Y simply by rule that they are of the same age bracket. 

"When parents and teachers stand on a soapbox and bemoan the problems of media culture, that's not an effective form of education."

I think this is an interesting point to analyze, especially today with the scores of shootings and the increasing teen sexual activity we see in educational environments.  For violence in media, is the answer censorship?  Would shielding our youth from certain images and experiences benefit them as they age? Has abstinence worked well on preventing teens engaging in sexual activity? 

Human curiosity will win if we simply attempt to shelter teens from the media that we see today. If I'm told I cannot, under any circumstances, watch a movie because of nudity or violence, I'm suddenly very intrigued by what exactly I'm being restricted from.  

Education our students to critically engage and analyze media, as well as its effects and messages, is the best way for us to assist students with properly categorizing and understanding media today. Simply telling someone that violence in media is bad teaches nothing.

"When students are invited to identify the restricted portrayals of females, noticing their positions as passive victims, and counting the prominence of romance and fashion themes, they don't always come to the same conclusions as their teachers." Pg 119

I've been thinking about this idea as I've been reading several books over the last year or two. I typically read books from the fantasy, dark fantasy, and epic fantasy type genres, and I frequently find one gender disturbingly represented.  In one series, every female character that plays a major role in the story is raped within a 500 page book.  Other females all solicit sex as a tool for personal or political gain, and great detail goes into explaining the appearance of their genitalia. Of the rapes, around a few of the women kind of pass it off as no big deal. I actually ended up reselling the second book of the trilogy after about 100 pages, as the trend continued into book two. The Warded Man, look it up if you wanted to take a view. I'm curious if others have the same impression I do, as I've never met someone that actually read the book also. 

 

In another series I've read, the male gender is depicted as blood thirsty, violent, extremely sexual, and yet amazingly cultured, often going into great detail about clothing and wine choices. The female gender finds all of these traits as incredibly attractive, and actively seek to "own" men.  It is sort of like a primal James Bond-esque culture. I never encounter a book that has the women as blood thirsty or sex-craved, just as I've never read a book where the men are passive and helpless. 

I always find books interesting in examining the effects of our culture, because I feel that many of us, myself included, read books as an attempt to escape into a different world, a projected kind of reality. The path that a book takes in creating it's own world can sometimes reflect the echoes of what the messages projected in our society. 

Media Deconstruction Week 10

Let me preface this posting by explaining a little bit of my current position and perhaps bias nature. We live in an age over sensitivity that frequently boils over into over-sensitivity. While it is great that society can check itself to prevent racism, sexism, violence, and other ills, there are times when we look so deeply into transgressions to find something offensive that we aren't simply being anal, but we are oppressing ourselves and restricting expression. We have gotten to the point of turning subtle slights into grand offenses, and we often perform such evaluations selectively. If someone is extremely well liked publicly, society will be more understanding of even the most grievous of actions; at the same time, someone or something largely despised (such as a phone or cable company), will be pounced on without mercy and the smallest of transgressions. We must find a balance.

I agree selectively with the deconstruction, but to a lesser degree. I think that the narrator in the video uses the video to apply sweeping generalized statements to AllTel, which I do not agree with. While repeated offenses could represent something more, I always struggle to believe that commercials represent a companies own biases.
To explain this, think of what a commercial is designed to do.  Companies create commercials and strategically place them to reach select target audiences and deliver a select message to those people.  In many situations, commercials for different demographics are not made exactly the same because different demographics are often seeking different things in the products they choose. This is not an excuse for a company to use racism or sexism in its ads, but it does explain much of the setting the text of the ad.  My guess is that this ad was scheduled to run on tv at times when middle class white Americans were most likely to see it.
In terms of the racism, I can see the narrators point. The commercial does portray the renters as somewhat primitive and very non-American. There are three men living in one room with a chicken, they are loud, and they still cling to their culture. To the commercials credit, the men do seem to be of indistinct origin, however, and seem a combination of stereotypes. To this affect, the commercial seems to understand that they are using stereotypes for humor. For it to be less offense, they could have downplayed the stereotypes a bit, or perhaps more it more easily recognizable that the stereotypes do not represent a certain type of people.
I think we have to ask a question of offense instead of viewing something and assuming who is offended, and why? Is there a specific population that is offended here? Why? Because the commercial is targeting white middle class Americans? What if that is their main source of income? Do the ethnic men represent a specific culture or people enough to be offensive?  The video isn't exactly funny, so the joke failed, and it is a bit tasteless, but I really don't think it is offensive...rather, it is directed at a certain group. If the overall message of the video was "Save money on your phone plan so that ethnic men don't get your room," then it would be offensive. The point is, that is not the overall message. The ethnic men are used blatantly as comic relief, and the overall message is "money is tight, phones are expensive, people are desperate, and we can save you money." In my opinion, that is.
To reiterate my initial point, I don't believe it is correct to use a commercial and its comedic relief to apply general statements about a companies prejudices and beliefs.  Many might disagree with me, and that is okay.

Weekly Reading #8

"Today, every teacher needs to be a media composition teacher...because the power of authorship offers students of all ages a transformative learning experience" (pg 85).

I chose this statement because I think it is incredibly relevant for our current position in the course, as well as the overall theme for our class. Lets deconstruct this a little bit:

Every teacher needs to use media composition. This is important because it shows that we shouldn't simply teach students critical media literacy or simply an effective use of media as an educational tool, but we need to integrate it into teaching and education in general. It should not be a separate class, or one piece of the puzzle; rather, it should a common theme, and the bind that holds the puzzle pieces together.

The power of authorship offers a transformative learning experience.
This statement holds power and opportunity, and I think it also represents a common issue we face in education.  The mass education system does tend to turn learning into a big of an assembly line process, especially with specific learning outcomes and standardized tests. Allowing students to represent themselves in their work, or to learn through exploration of self expression, is an incredibly powerful tool to make students an activate participant in their education, rather than simply filling a seat in everyone's education.

 "American elementary and secondary students do not have their full First Amendment rights either in school or out of school" (pg 96).

This quote reminds me of high school.  The book speaks of the restrictions placed on students' freedom of speech, and how disciplinary actions could result in students speaking their mind. I encountered this frequently in school as I always wanted to know why we were forced to perform certain tasks, or undergo certain sequences, even if they seemed repetitive or ineffective.  I also question certain school policies, again always wanting to know the basis for their establishment and why they were in place.  Aside from my English class, I was rarely granted the ability to speak my mind, typically being given disciplinary action for my words rather than an answer.  Looking back, I understand that I was often a bit insubordinate in many of my arguments, but that was also likely due to having no capacity to express my thoughts and feelings. My contrary opinion was always viewed as "trouble," and I was never given any true capacity to explore my ideas. This is frustrating. I think that the use of media as communication and expression can aid this issue in education, notably secondary, as students seek a way to vent their frustration and confusion relating to the world they live in.

"Teacher's can contribute to student failure..." (pg 97).

I chose this quote as a bridge from our work with the common core over the past couple weeks. I have expressed that one of my concerns with the implementation of the common core is that teachers will either be opposed to the common core and teach it with lament that reflects that, or that teachers simply won't be entirely sure of how to implement the new learning standards. I think it is important to note that teachers must give students a chance to both succeed in fail in lessons. Pulling the plug halfway through can lead to a feeling that time was wasted, or that there was never really a point in the project at all.  Even if a student attempts a project and fails, there are points to be drawn that can be carried into future lessons in order to help a student with future success.

Magazine Cover

For my magazine cover, I decided to portray my suspicions of the common core in its implementation.  I chose images that portray frustration in the classroom in order to show the reader that the articles will focus on some of the more struggle-related aspects of common core. I placed the words "common core" around the head of the man in the main image in order to show the topic of this issue. I believe that the words, with their placement surround the man's head, show that the common core is the source of his frustration.

There are three main articles listed here, and as such I wanted to try and convey three main points:
1. I think that the implementation of common core evaluations for teachers is not being handled properly. I think there should be a grace period during the implementation of the common core where teachers don't have to stress over their assessment and how they are being rated. This is part of the reason why I chose the frustrated teachers for images.

2. I'm worried about the level of training and/or communication teachers will receive on how to properly handle lessons and learning standards in the classroom.  I'm not sure it will be done efficiently, which could mean poor or longer lessons. I think that if teachers are frustrated over being uncertain of how to teach their required standards, it could lead to a poorer classroom environment, less time for the teacher, and negative feelings towards the common core.

3.  I'm also concerned that students are going to be caught in the transition, both in the classroom but also in the arguments being tossed around by both sides of the common core. I chose this student working on a paper because the students are really just doing what they are told and have no choice but to bend to the system. If we constantly change, modify, or tweak the system over the next few years, how is that going to affect the current generation of students that will be forced to adhere to the changes?

For media language techniques, I used interrogatives (I asked questions that could cause worry), declaratives (this is what will happen), and teasers (is the world going to end? Stay tuned to find out!). I wanted readers to understand the stance of the piece, know the topics that are covered, and to be gripped emotionally to discover more information.

For persuasion techniques, here is how I feel things added up:
1. Experts (sounds like it is coming straight  from teachers)
2. Fear (These things sound bad. I don't like bad things)
3. Intensity (I chose the images for an express purpose)
4. Plain folks (regular-looking teachers and student)
5. Euphemism (I use worst like "lost" "rob" and "collapse")
6. Extrapolation (I suppose I'm drawing from little evidence)
7. Slippery Slope (The sky is falling!)
8. Symbols (Sadness people make sad people)
9. Timing (Common core is a hot topic)

Reading #7

The selected section of text refers to the use of a lesson that examines Time Magazine covers of Martin Luther King Jr., and motivating students to analyze the audience, message, and significance of them.
In regards to key shift number one (as referenced on Key Shifts in English Language Arts), the MLK Jr lesson applies in multiple ways. For one, the common core seeks to expand student learning and comprehension through conversation as well as the familiarization of the nuances of words and their meanings. In the lesson referenced in the text, the students have an open discussions concerning the overall message, meaning, and purpose of the Time covers. By doing so, the students expand on their abilities to hold effective conversations in relaying information to their peers, while also learning of how vocabulary can signify different types of bias, emotion, and tone.

For shift number two, the common core aims to direct students with questions that require the students to draw from recently required information from selected texts and passages.  In the MLK Jr lesson, the questions require students to analyze the required images and try to find the significance of them; while some significance could be derived from prior knowledge, the students likely would need information from relevant texts selected either prior to, during, or after the Time Magazine exercise.  Creating a critical media analysis also requires a student to think laterally, examining several different viewpoints, opinions, and possibilities, as well as hearing and appreciating the opinions of one's peers.

As per shift key number three, "students must be immersed in information about the world around them."  Creating a lesson that requires students to critically examine multiple angles and issues, such as with the Time magazine covers, forces students to examine an incredibly significant period of time in American culture that still has relevance in the present. Students can examine the racism, confusion, and determination that defined the civil rights movements, as represented by Martin Luther King Jr.  In examining this culturally significant event, it gives students the knowledge needed to examine other text, messages, and media that we see in the world today.



Stance on the Common Core

What do I like about the common core?

I like the fact that the common core seems to be blending different types of instruction in order to allow a more holistic approach to learning. For example (not specific), instead of taking geometry for a full year, it might be implemented at a more logical sequence during a student's learning cycle.  I think it takes away from the rigidity of our current system (you learn THIS, then you learn THAT), and instead promotes the adaption and collection of skills. I believe it also provides opportunity for more experiential learning opportunities, though, as always, it is at the discretion of the teacher to properly implement lessons.

What concerns do I have?

I've heard a lot of teachers and parents (facebook, visiting schools, etc) complaining about the common core and the changes. Typically, it sounds like it is just resistance to change, which I understand. I think that teachers are under a lot of pressure to meet certain standards, record certain information, and maintain a rigorous and purposeful schedule for their classroom. In the changing landscape of education, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a lot of burnout in reaction to the "improvement."  I also believe that parents struggle to relate to some of the new common core standards and approaches to learn it. I've seen several parent posts on facebook trashing it simply because the lesson the child brought home doesn't share resemblance to something they learned in school. Or perhaps, with the math, for example, the parent struggles to understand the concept and feels inadequate, leading to negative emotions towards it? There is a math lesson circulating on facebook that encourages a greater understand of math through a variety of learning methods. I've seen many complaints from people that have no idea what the lesson is meant to do, but rather see no value it in it because it is not something they can understand. "My brother has a phd in Mathematics and he said this is stupid..." etc etc.
Another concern is the level of training that teachers will receive in regards to implementing the common core standards. If a local or state official in charge of implementation isn't entirely on board with the message and standards of the common core, will the end result in the classroom be hindered as well?

Who produced this document, and for what purpose?
"Patrick," the author of a blog titled "MySchoolRoom." His purpose is to express his present experience with the common core and his concerns over its implementation. He is attempting to show the negative attributes of the program through a teachers point of view.

When was it produced, and what is it's historical context?
This image was posted in January of 2014. This year, there has been a great deal of discussion concerning the common core and its implementation, and this blog author is lending his voice.

Who is the target audience?
The target audience for the image appears to be other teachers, as the image is referencing all of the things that teachers will be forced to adapt to with the common core.

What are the messages communicated?
The image signifies that the common core is something incredibly intimidating, and yet the overall message to the public has been "it is a good thing, do not worry." It also sends a warning to teachers that it will be increasing their workload in order to promote its new learning standards.

What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
The image uses bold text and a interesting image to capture the viewers attention and to deliver its purpose quickly. It then uses text the create the "body" of the monster, as if to signify that the different pieces of the common core themselves create a monster.

How might different people interpret this message differently?
Teachers might view this message and think "wow, I don't need the extra responsibility."  Other teachers, perhaps those already in the midst of using the common core, might think that it is exaggerating the issue. Non-teachers might view this and be uncertain as to what is required of the teachers for instruction, as I believe we have heard more of what the students will be learning than of what will be required of teachers in the media.

Who might benefit from (or be harmed by) this message?
Other teachers might be encouraged to explore what the additional requirements for them would be should they begin to implement the common core. This does harm the message for those that are supporting the common core, by point out its supposed flaws.

What information or perspective is left out of this message?
It doesn't really explain how the teachers are forced to interact with the topics, or if any of these duties are really new and outside of their current responsibilities. Rather, it just labels several topics and says "these are scary", rather then creating a factual message that has more power. It does, however, encourage one to explore what kind of standards will be added to teacher duties in the  common core.

Is this an accurate and credible representation?
To an extent, yes. I can see how teachers are concerned about the common core and how it will affect their classroom and lessons. I think the problem is that many opponents of the common core spend a lot of time comparing it to "no child left behind," which was extremely unpopular. I think that it should be an argument of comparison, but rather a argument of adjustment. Instead of combating the package in its entirety, what needs to be changed, and what is it about the common core that makes it fail, specifically?

How does this reflect the perspective or the bias of the creator?
Obviously Patrick is not a fan of the common core or what it seems to be requiring of him. He apparently dislikes it enough to try and inform the world of its negativity.

Blog:
http://myschoolroom.net/common-core-learning-ineffective-way/
Image:
http://myschoolroom.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/CommonCoreZilla-150x150.jpg

Media Deconstruction

Authors and Audience:

Who produced this document, and for what purpose?

The Blaze, an "independent" news organization that was founded by Glen Beck. It is a solid example of a "news and opinion" source that has a political agenda.  In regards to the cover store concerning the common core, and as is the case with many politically motivated news sources, this piece is attempting to provide insight into the common core for readers, while providing a hypothesis about the common core's "leftist" agenda and how it is failing our education system.  

When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?

This particular edition was released in May 2014.  It is released in a time when the common core is still extremely new to the education system, with the majority of the program just now being introduced in the country. While this creates vulnerability for the common core itself, it also sets up the population for a certain level of discomfort and dislike for the new program, due to the fact that it is different than how education has been approached for the past several years.  With an indeterminate situation such as this, it allows individuals and organizations a tremendous amount of room for interpretation and opinion, as the facts of the program are not yet well established in our society.  
Who is the target audience?

The main target audience is likely to be parents of children that are currently in the school system and will be learning by the common core.  The real audience, judging from the new source being founded by Glen Beck, is likely to be conservative individuals looking to confirm their suspicions about the common core, despite them being on various unfounded levels. 


Messages and Meanings
What are the messages communicated?
It is a fairly straightforward message that the common core is a threat to the American way of life and the education of our nation's youth. Really, the entire cover seems to be battling education, with text at the top of the page proposing that colleges are "wasting your money."What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

As I mentioned, changes in lifestyle make people feel very vulnerable and uncomfortable.  This cover seeks to gain attention by suggesting that the common core will entirely disrupt education, life, and freedom as we know it. It pictures a group of students in a classroom to represent the innocent youth that will be punished by this atrocity. The cover also suggests that it contains the truth. Who can argue with that?How might people interpret this message differently?

People often seek sources that confirm their beliefs while aiming to "truly" educate themselves on a subject. As this media source seems to have a conservative background (judging from online research), I would imagine that many who hate the common core would find themselves interested in this article, as it proves their suspicions.  Individuals that are proponents of the common core would likely relegate this article as conservative agenda seeking to undermine educational progress. 
Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?

Honestly, I struggle to think of any true benefit from this type of article. I'm not saying that it isn't okay to be opposed to the common core; everyone is entitled to their opinion, and scholarly analysis and debate leads to progress.  The problem with this article is that it plays on negative emotions and fears. judging from an online summary of the article, it doesn't seem to analyze the pros and cons to the common core, how it could be improved, or how it is guaranteed to be a failure, but rather creates a politically charged situation that pushes raw emotion over logic. If students are caught in lingo in an educational transition due to political jockeying, then they are the ones that will lose in the situation. This would offer proof to the opponents of common core that the system does not work, but even in that situation, is anyone really winning?Representation and Reality

What information or perspective is left out of this message?

The prospective of the one that sees positive light in the common core seems to be left out of the message. Judging from this cover, common core has no chance to be of benefit to our society. 

Is this an accurate and credible representation?

There are differing views on the common core, both for and against; however, stating that the common core is an attack on our youth and a threat to freedom seems to be hyperbole and immediately, in my mind anyways, labels the article as an opinion piece and not of scholarly origin.  
How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?

We live in a bipartisan hell, and The Blaze is no break from that situation.  Here is a quote from a summary of the article on theblaze.com, which I feel summarizes its bias:
Witness the progressive education scheme in action. America’s education system is being fundamentally transformed. Instead of fostering a generation of thinkers, today’s children are being indoctrinated with leftist philosophy while their privacy is being compromised by huge data-mining systems with private interests. If fully implemented, Common Core will serve as progressives’ greatest weapon against American freedom.
Source: 
http://www.theblaze.com/magazines/may-2014
 

Text and Subtext

Text: 

The cover is focused in a group of children in a classroom, seemingly working on an assignment while facing forward towards a chalkboard. Coming from the children are several "thought clouds" coalescing into the thought "Common core's threat to our kids, our freedom and our future."  The cover also has the tagline "Truth Lives Here." 

Subtext:

I will blatantly list my opinion impressions:

First off, if a news source has a tagline similar to "the truth lives here," I typically become immediately skeptical of how truthful it really is. This article immediately has me wary of its content simply due to the fact that it is using common core to suggest a political attack on our country and children.  I've read articles on the common core, both for and against, most of the scholarly, some making suggestions or pushing for different implementations, and compared to them, this piece looks like shit. I assume it is simply political noise thrown out into the shouting match that is our political environment with no heed for actual progress.  I imagine that if I were to read the article, I would be a worse person as a result. 

Aside from my own personal bias, subtext also includes:

Children are at risk due to the common core. The common core is taking away freedom.  The common core does not teach children. Children still use chalkboards in class. People talking about truth still use emotionally polarizing statements in headlines, which provides for a hilarious paradox.  

Language of Persuasion

1: Experts (they know the TRUTH DAMNIT!)

2. Fear (WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN)

3. Intensity (FREEEDOMMMMMMMM)

4. Plain Folks (innocent schoolchildren)

5. Charisma (well, he sounds like he knows what he is talking about...)

6. Extrapolation (how long has common core been around? and it is a threat to freedom?)

7. Glittering generalities (once again, FREEEEDDDOMMMMMM)

8. Name-calling (while not on the cover page itself, the summary shows that the word "liberal-blank" is likely used about 5 dozen times)

9. Nostalgia (remember when you were sitting at the desk writing definitions in class?)

10. Slippery Slope (Won't someone think of the freedom children?!!!!)

11. Ad hominem (commore core has turned into a phrase thrown around even if no knowledge is backing the arguement)

12. Diversion (the common core is bad, so your freedom is at risk?)

13. Timing (Common core has recently been introduced) 

Digital Story Final

My video is a story about myself, my brothers, and our journey through life as a family.

I think my video can be used to show the importance of family, and how differences can be of great benefit, not simply a source of strife.  I think that there are stereotypes that siblings often either have to be very similar, or night-and-day and not get along.  I've also had discussions with people that are surprised that me and my brothers are so close to each other, as if, because we are a group of brothers, we should have grown apart as we grew older. Why? They were a cornerstone of my childhood, and I plan on keeping them as a cornerstone in adulthood.

In regards to teaching others, I often find myself teaching students to think for themselves, and to create independent ideas, not to simply adopt another's ideas. This video can be a lesson in showing that you can share commonalities with others while still blazing your own trail and becoming your own person.  I think it is important to learn from the experiences of others, while still interpreting events independently and analyzing how lessons can be applied to your own life.

Music: Avicii - Hey Brother

Reading and Discussion #6

"Research shows that when teachers use question in the classroom, they often use closed questions, which have only one right answer. Teachers often go fishing by asking questions that can only be answered in one way - the right answer" (pg 54).

This quote represents on of the greater challenges I faced during my previous graduate work in Experiential Education.  There is challenge in properly guiding a lesson with questions: how to you design a question that is open enough to allow for interpretation, while keeping it contained enough to keep the answers in line with the lesson?
I think in education there is often a goal to create a lesson that is linear in nature; from start to finish, the learning progression is intentionally designed for students.  The benefit of this is that it makes it very easy to structure daily lessons and to create goals. The problem is that learning is not always linear in nature; creating an ambiguous situation that forces students to ascertain a situation, ask questions, and seek answers, if done properly, can create a sequence of learning that is not entirely linear in nature. Rather, moments of unpredictability create teachable moments especially when the outcome is uncertain.
I think that, as an educator, it is important to remind myself that it is okay for me to learn alongside my students. Even when I was a student, I learned best by discussing uncertainties with classmates and teachers, and it is my belief that everyone involved with the discussion received a benefit from the interaction, regardless of being right or wrong.  Teachers don't always need "the answer," but rather just need to be in command of the teachable moments.

I chose to deconstruct the main college search page on "The Princeton Review" website. This is important to me, as an admissions counselor, because every day I see an incredibly inefficient, flawed college selection process in the United States. A lot of this goes back to ranking sites such as the Princeton Review, which tend to be somewhat unreliable and questionable in their ranking process.

1. The author's, in this case, are the college marketing departments and the Princeton Review. The purpose is to provide incentive for students to explore either one certain school, or a small group of schools prior to doing any sort of real investigative work.
2. Internships are the buzzword in college recruiting these days, and I found that same word used in 3 of the 5 ads on the main page. Many of the images used in college recruiting will have a student sitting in one of the more picturesque buildings on campus, typically pointing at a book or piece of paper with either another student or a professor. Florida Southern College uses this method, and you will likely find it on a significant portion of other ads as you explore the website.
3. College recruiting material often tries to send a dual message; to the students that want large colleges, most material will attempt to display a large group of students at some event. At the same time, there will be an image showing a student sitting under a tree in a college quad, or working one-on-one with a professor to show the individual learning capacity.  Based on my experience, students tend to use college material to confirm what they have already decided, whether it is that the campus is just right for them, it is the best college for their personality, etc. I always tell students to visit campus and to not make decisions based on recruiting material bullshit. Of course the campus looks amazing in the brochure, they chose that photograph out of 2000 images for the material!
4. An interesting contrast to make here is the difference between Florida Southern and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Florida Southern depicts a student in shirt and tie working with professors. Perhaps this means that they offer a very professional education environment? At the same time, the Fashion Institute ad shows a collection of young, casually dressed people talking about the institution.  I believe that it is to make it seem more relatable for students, to make the art institute seems as though a sound decision for college. These students are there and happy, so it can't be too bad.
5. I always find it hilarious that a few very important details are often left from recruiting brochures and material: admission requirements, cost, graduation rates, etc.  Material urges students to make decisions based on their emotions, not on what is actually right for them. I see hundreds of students crowd the University of Maryland College Park table when I attend college fairs, because many of the students don't realize they would typically need around a 28 ACT composite to be admitted. I watch students flock to large state schools because they love their sports teams, and they haven't even realized that they will be paying $20,000 more per year than if they stayed in-state.
Facts are omitted. Emotions and imagery is displayed.

I often briefly discuss this topic when giving presentations to large college prep groups. I tell them to look at the facts, and visit the schools. When you start to break down recruiting material and compare it all together, you start to see several trends: it is always fall in campus pictures, there are always a few stock photos of very particular situations, and the facts that are REALLY necessary are often left out.

Digital Story Take One

You may notice that my digital story is significantly different from my storyboard. Let me try to explain:

As I started to lend my voice to my presentation about my struggle with depression, I felt wildly uncomfortable; it felt as if I was betraying myself, or attempting to reveal something that I should keep contained.

I'm not happy about this, rather frustrated over it. To be honest, after creating the storyboard concerning depression, I lay awake in my hotel room that night thinking over my teenage years, and I simply didn't know how to feel about it. Perhaps not enough time has passed, despite it being 8 years ago? While I no longer suffer from anything close to depression, the memories are still rather raw, as if I still haven't justified leaving myself on the emotional rocks for years during my adolescence. The idea of sharing in a 3-5 minute video a glimpse into about 4 years of emotional toil just seems like a task I am not prepared to share with the world just yet.

 After about an hour of deleting narrations and feeling shameful, I decided to change course and created a digital story about my brothers and their importance in my life. I apologize for the last minute modification.

(Music: Avicii - Hey Brother)

Weekly Reading #5

Note Card Confesssssion!!!!!!

Using the resources at my disposal, I thought that my green notecards and crayons would work wonders. Unfortunately, the webcam doesn't pick up the difference in shades very well, so I had to film the video with the webcam focusing entirely on the cards, and had to remove myself from the video to get it to stand out. I changed the video to black and white with a color filter to make the text stand out.

The quotes I chose go back to our incredible ability to blindly trust ideas that match our current beliefs, and how we are strongly opposed to views that are contrary to our own.  Teaching critical media literacy, as well as asking appropriate questions, help combat this.

Storyboard

Por favor, disculpeme.

Lo siento!! I assembled this while on the plane flying to Guadalajara, so I apologize for the lack of pictures and if any text is absolute nonsense. I am currently part of a WV Higher Education delegation travelling in Mexico and have limited access to my photos! You might be asking yourself right now, "Wow, does Corey speak Spanish?" Not at all! I've learned barely enough to excuse the fact that I speak the language horrendously. Moving on.

 I will improve my storyboard with pictures and more concise slides upon my return, which will be in 12 days.  October 3rd. Wow. Strange how putting things in text makes it seem so much more real.

At the same time I will be creating my digital story. I apologize for being behind in the class.

Please see the attached storyboard.

EDIT: Make some updates to storyboard, added photos.

Storyboard

Braininstorming my Digital Story

Thinking ponderously! 

So I suppose I have a few options. In analyzing critical life events here is what stands out most readily:

• My struggle with severe depression during my teenage years.  Largely beginning with my parents divorce when I was about 12 and progressing until I was 18, I struggled mightily with bouts of deep, debilitating depression.  This led to a slew of problems beyond simply feeling poorly about life. I think the way I molded myself during those depressed years has affected the man I am today greatly; I became consistent in social contact, preferring more of a "hermit" lifestyle to avoid unnecessary social interaction;  I began to writing poetry feverishly as an emotional vent; and, to put it simply, I made some very poor decisions. 

•  My rediscovery of the outdoors in my sophomore year of college during a two week trip to Utah, during which I regained motivation for completing college and experienced a variety of interesting phenomena that occur when you place a group of 24 people in close quarters for an extended period of time.

• The benefits and detriments of growing up in a very, very small town in rural WV. Graduating in a class of 29, knowing every person you run into, and being completely unable to escape rumor and judgement. 

• My realization that, after 3 months of training and over 4 months of living off and on in a tent and my car,  I don't really want to be a full-time outdoor professional, as I spent a large portion of junior college spring/summer training to be a whitewater rafting guide. 

So I suppose I need to choose a path to walk: emotional, humorous, informative, or adversity? 

I will assume that I do not need to make a decision this week. If anyone stumbles onto this page and wants to provide input, I'm open to thoughts and ideas. 

Reflecting on our Love/Hate Relationship with Media

In analyzing the relationship that I have with sound media, as well as the opinions gleamed from my classmates' posts, I want to draw the point that its seems as though we actively seek emotional connection with media forms, whether aware or not. In sound media, this can be in the form of a certain dictation, voice, or music that we feel most drawn to. Bear with me as I make a few assumptions and observations.

Examine how our culture has a tendency to decorate homes, office spaces, school lockers, or any other "personal" space with a variety of print media. Individuals often try to create a stronger sense of personal ownership or reflect themselves in the decorations by utilizing specific print media.  In our use of sound media, I feel that our use is little different. I often find myself constantly hitting shuffle on my phone while driving to work until I find a song that matches my mood. Maybe I'm angry about something and want a more heavy, hard-driving song. Maybe I've had a rough week and want a slow song sounding of troubles.  We even store emotion in the memory of a song- I'm sure we all have certain songs that, when played, bring back certain memories, places, or people. We actively seek to connect ourselves and our emotions to music.

Despite all of this, how much hate do we hold for music at the same time? Hell, in my discussion of my HATE of sound media, I spoke of how certain music only serves the purpose of trying to be so generic that a wide variety of people listen to it and think "well this is just barely not total shit enough for me to tolerate it."  As a culture, we seem to protest against a lack of "authenticity" for music artists, but then often demand the exact same type of music that the unauthentic artists tend to produce. I've heard a few people calling Iggy Azalea a total "fraud" in terms of the culture she represents, but at the same time, how big of a hit was her song? Love/hate.

Moving beyond the topic of music as sound media, we each have our own preference in how things sound, or tempo, or emotion in dictation or voice. This applies to radio, audiobooks, podcasts, etc.  Some individuals like things to move slowly, others want the pace picked up as fast as possible. My experience with Audible.com and listening to narrators seems to reveal that, although seeming impassioned and involved to some listeners, narrators will inevitably appear as completely missing the point and dry to others. We as the audience are once again seeking something that we can emotionally connect to. If that connection is even slightly disturbed by an accent, lack of pace, etc, then it can prevent that bond from being established.  "I loved the book, but the way the guy pronounced the wizard's name was idiotic." "I was interested in the story, by the reporter has this weird southern twang, so I just googled it." As a class, we viewed a digital story for a few former classmates. I would wager than many viewers from the current class tried to establish an emotional connection to those stories as they watched. If that connection was made, the reviews of the digital story were likely to be much more positive than if that emotional tie was absent.

We are each different; it is what makes us unique, and what separates one person's interests from the next. In the same fashion ,we use the media at our fingertips (and earlobe tips) to represent our individuality. This is why we seek out certain music types while shunning others, why we seek a certain sound in speakers or narrators, and why we, at times, seem to feel like a certain musical artist just "gets us." This same desire to seek connection to music also drives us to be critical, demanding certain standards and administering our own level of peer review on the media that is released to us as we audibly, visibly, and commercially provide feedback on what we approve and disapprove of.