Week Ten Activity One

Element #1: Take a look at the two examples and see if you can identify the purpose behind each story. What is the point of view in each? Whose voice do you hear?

The purpose behind story one is to teach the audience how to make salt. In this video, we hear the voice of children giving instructions. It seems like this video is told from the 1^st person point of view, because we can tell that the speakers have performed the steps they describe.

The purpose behind video two is to inform the audience about how solar power makes electricity, and in turn through a cycle, supplies life for these fish. The main voice that we hear is the uplifting background music, but sometimes the music lowers and we hear an adult male voice providing more details about the project. He tells his story in first person, and the scrolling text provides the main information.

Element #2: See if you can find a dramatic question in the examples for this section. Is the question resolved in each movie or are you left without a resolution?

The dramatic question for video one is: Why are they making this beautiful island of Guam ugly? The question is embedded through the music we hear and the actions we see. The question is not resolved in this movie.

The dramatic question for video two is: Hawaiians are taught to never waste their food and only to harvest as much as you and your Ohana (family) can use. The question is stated through the young girls voice in the video. There is a resolution to this question. By creating a salt water pool, we can fix the problem of wasting food.  

Element #3: See if you can identify the emotional paradigms behind these stories.

The emotional paradigm is video one deals with teenage depression. It displays pictures of teens feeling alone in school, and will capture a large audience of teenagers who can relate to this feeling.

Video two’s emotional paradigm is dealing with the loss of grandparents. This story can be relatable to many individuals around the world.

The emotional paradigm in video three is dealing with the abduction of a child from school. It focuses on how children perceive strangers. The video focuses on the content that everyone that you do not know is a stranger and could possibly be dangerous.

Element #4: What impact that the voice plays on the overall effect of the story.

In video one, the older ladies voice plays a vital role in the overall effect of the story. She is answering a question that was not provided in the video. Through her voice, the audience can tell that she is enjoying her reflection.

In video two, it truly shows the difference a child’s voice can have over an adult’s voice. We hear young children singing together and then one young child narrating. Although we cannot understand anything, just by hearing those young children singing you can tell it is an emotional video!

Element #5: What impact does the music have on the emotional content or purpose of the story?

In this video we hear chanting. Although we cannot understand the soundtrack, we can tell it is part of a traditional song played and cherished in their culture. The pictures do a wonderful job of displaying this culture, but the soundtrack definitely enhances the emotion.

Element #6: Look at the examples in this section and consider the decisions the authors made about length of clips, types of transitions and sequence of events. Are you able (as a viewer) to fill in the missing pieces? Give an example?

For video one, viewers can definitely fill in the missing pieces. Through the narration and timely displays you can connect the dots and see that the young child finally got a room of her own. They displayed enough detail for us to understand, but not so much that we became bored.

Video two is the same focus, but with a little bit different narration. This video seems to give more detai and it is easier to connect. We now know that she wishes to have her own room because her uncle is coming to visit. The same structure of the video is being used. It display the images, along with a narrator speaking over a soft soundtrack. The transition from slide to slide is longer than video one.

Video three is a little different, using pictures from four different stories. This video seemed a little too long. The transitions from slide to slide lasted longer than an audience would enjoy. The images also did not seem very put together, and made it somewhat less clear to understand than the other videos. Although the audience can somewhat piece it together it didn’t seem to flow as smoothly as the other examples.

Element #7: How does the narrator use their voice to pace the story? Give a specific example.

The narrators in the first story are pacing at a very rapid rate. For example, the audience could understand what was happening, but if they needed to answer specific questions about the video, they would probably need to rewind it. The video discusses how 131 people were left dead from a certain earthquake. The emotional effect here was lost because the narrator was speaking too fast at this time.

The narration in video two is focused on the on-screen text and music. Humor is introduced through the music and short video clips. The pacing of the narration seemed alright, but there were certain times when things seemed very slow, and then other clips seemed to go by too fast. For example, the clip at the very beginning where the children slowly walked into the house took somewhat too long to complete. On the other hand, the quick glimpse of the students in elementary school, middle school, and high school seemed to flash by too fast. There are times when there is no music or narration, just images, and this makes the emotional content less effective. 

Week Ten Reading and Discussion

1. How has social media changed reading and writing processes in the digital age?

Social media has had a profound effect on the reading and writing processes in the digital age. “Thus, the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing becomes tighter in the digital sphere, making authorship more obviously tantamount to readership, and vice versa” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, p.63). In other words, through the use of social media, individuals are not just reading text, but are also creating their own for others to see. Social media has interwoven reading and writing, which is a wonderful outcome.  Now reading is not the “preferred” process that needs to be taught and utilized, it is considered equal with writing. 

2. Explain "cosmopolitan practice" in relation to digital literacies and it means for learning in school.

Cosmopolitan practice is the notion that individuals can not only take part actively as a citizen of the world, but can also reach across “seemingly irreconcilable differences” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, p.65). Citizens can now take part actively in worldwide issues via digital literacies. In this digital age, individuals can use digital literacies to reflect and respond on universal topics. They understand how to interact and listen through differences while also stating their own opinions. This cosmopolitan practice is a strategy that teachers should embrace. Educators should engage in hospitable conferencing, allowing students to discuss their processes of work with us in detail. 

3. How did the cosmopolitan conversation video challenge support critical media literacy?

The cosmopolitan video challenge strongly supported critical media literacy by allowing participants to voice their own opinions on specific topics or matters while also actively listening to other opinions.  Tyson and Eva not only examined their own values through their video challenges, but also paid close mind to values around the world or in their community. Their products show the interwoven relationship that critical media literacy can have with cosmopolitan practices.

4. How does this quote from the text, "In this digital age, traditional content creation such as book reports, unit projects and essays, cannot be merely digitized and regulated to the end of the unit as capstone demonstrations of content mastery," make you think about how digital technologies should be used to support learning in school?

This quote aligns with how I feel about digital technologies being used to support learning in school. These technologies can be used across all subject areas throughout a whole entire year, they do not have to be isolated as an end of semester project. Digital technologies can not only show content mastery, but can also expand knowledge of subject matter, so why should we only use it sporadically? These processes can enhance learning in the classroom and should be utilized often.

5. How do the digital stories you watch this week support the concept of cosmopolitanism?

Through watching these digital stories, we are connecting with many other people around the world. We are viewing their experiences and opinions.Anyone can do what we are doing. We are providing our own opinions and critiques in a respectful manner.

6.  in a blog posting, copy and paste a quote from the text that have moved you in some way (i.e. surprised, confused, disagree, strongly agree) and in about 100-150 words state why you have selected the quote. Then find an article, video, podcast, blog posting, image related to what you have read and link to it or embed it in your Blog. Describe the resources and a brief explanation of how it is connected to the reading.

“Curricula and pedagogies built around literacies in this age must be designed for an era characterized by access to and democratization of tools, people, and ideas in digital spaces” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, p. 80).

I chose this quote because I feel that every educator in today’s world should be aware of this issue. We are in a new age, where digital tools are taking over the world. Students are not only exposed to digital media, but they enjoy it. Educators must expand their literacies to a focus also on the digital tools. A common goal that schools all around the world share is to prepare students for the real world. We cannot prepare them for the real world if we are not utilizing things that are the main focus of everyday life. Our curriculum should now embrace the use of digital tools, not only from a teacher standpoint, but with the students interacting and creating their own unique products. 

This is a different type of video than what I would normally choose, but I really thought it fit well with this week’s reading. This video is a study that the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) took part in to display information on South African adolescents on digital tools. I selected this video for two reasons. The first reason is because it just gives a lot of helpful and statistical information on digital tools. It will show viewers how powerful this new age is becoming with all the statistical terms. Also, it discusses topics of race and diversity. The video stated that “unfortunately race is still a defining characteristic.”  I feel that this statistic can be comparable to this week’s reading because it displays how important cosmopolitan practices really can be and how they could help matters around the world.

Sources:

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

UNICEF. (Performer) (2011). South africa young people on digital tools. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n9008VfpeQ

Week Ten Activity Two

Alley Cat-A Digital Story by Karen Haney

Point of View: The point of view is from a young girl, discussing her grandmother. The story is told in first person because this young lady is discussing personal experiences and memories.

Dramatic Question: "Two years ago, Grandmother moved to Kansas City, so we do live together, but not as I expected. Not the way it was supposed to be." This statement captured the audience's attention and left them wanting to know more. 

Emotional Content: This story focuses around a young girl who always wanted to live with her grandmother in her little red house. As the dramatic question states, one day they did live together, but not in the little red house. Her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, and the author describes that as “having random access to memories.” The emotional content of this video is very powerful as you hear the sadness in the narrator’s voice and travel through her memories with her grandmother. She focuses on very good memories, and the video informs the audience that just because a person has Alzheimer’s Disease, does not mean there will be no more good memories.

I related to this story through the loss of my grandparents. They were fortunate enough to never have Alzheimer’s Disease, but I still saw them suffer. I can relate to this young lady, because I know what it feels like to continually think back on all the good memories, and dream for more.

Source:

Haney, Karen (April, 2012). Alley cat a digital story by Karen Haney. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6brtJBMCs&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL40FE28CF7CC65EC0

Reading and Discussion 9

“Digital storytelling can be a powerful tool for engaging urban youth in discourse about identity, but only if the environment allows them to bring in elements that may initially not be seen as fitting” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, p.57).   

This quote is a very powerful statement that expands upon how digital storytelling is a wonderful opportunity but also a large shift from the traditional educational settings. I selected this quote because it explains how as educators we should engage in digital storytelling, but also change our mindset as to what is expected in “everyday” classroom conversations. Teachers need to be aware that this tool can bring up controversial issues and opinions, but they should not just disallow the topic. The children are selecting these topics for a specific reason, and that is because they are exposed to the subject often. We should allow them to discuss these issues through digital storytelling. 

I found this video on YouTube. It was one of the first videos I saw, so I kept moving along searching for others. However, this one stayed in the back of my mind. It is a powerful digital story about racism and how “Americans come from all over the World.” It explains racism through the years with very disturbing pictures. I felt that it was a wonderful representation of how racism needs to be eliminated, therefore I had to select this video! It strongly aligned with the reading in chapter three, because it discussed topics that traditionally would not be brought up in an educational setting. However, it discussed a topic that was no doubt important to the creator, and allowed her to vividly explain her thoughts and feelings. 

Resources:

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc

Dalley, L. (Producer) (2010, April 26). Racism digital story by lanette dalley. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06Jm9AFRpE

Digital Storytelling and Reel Works

Digital Story

1.What do you like about the digital story?

This digital story tugs at the heart strings. In it, the young lady is writing a letter to her childhood, asking it not to leave her behind. I loved this creation, because it is very relatable. At 22, sometimes I get so overwhelmed. My job along with my college courses are a little too hard to handle at times. I find myself thinking back to the days when “the hardest decision I had to make was which color crayon to choose.”  I think that everyone is affected by this transformation in their life. This video allows everyone to realize that it is alright to feel a little sad about leaving behind childhood.

2.What did you learn from the digital story?

I learned a lot about the individual who created this digital story. I know that she is now becoming an adult, with many responsibilities. I can tell that she had a great childhood, and I bet she had a great family who contributed to this. I also learned that in her adolescent life she has had struggles with money and heart break. I can tell that, like me, she is a very emotional person.

3.What surprised you about the digital story?

I was surprised when the author of the digital story stated when writing to Childhood, “I know that I have neglected you times before, but I have realized that I was wrong. Just because I shut you out of my life once or twice, doesn’t mean you have to shut me out of yours.” This statement surprised me because it was so powerful. The author admits to shutting out childhood, and I think we are all guilty of that. There have been many times in childhood where we just want to be adults, but then when we grow up we wish those times back! Her way of wording this feeling was so moving.

4.How did the digital story provide an example of how digital storytelling can build self esteem, help young people voice an opposition to social problems,  or create an alternative to stereotypes of adolescents typically portrayed in mainstream media?

This digital story created an alternative to the stereotypes of adolescents that are typically portrayed in mainstream media. It is amazing that a teenager created this. Typically, we view teenagers as very conceited. They have the “it’s all about me” attitude. In this digital story, we see a more vulnerable side of the author. She actually doesn’t enjoy being a teenager and fears moving into adulthood. Most teens always say that they cannot wait to grow up. This young lady sheds light on this stereotype, making the audience aware that teens are not always egotistical. 

Public Service Announcement

I really enjoyed doing this Public Service Announcement for Critical Media Literacy. I used many persuasive techniques and ideas to make my PSA more effective. One persuasive technique that I utilized was statistical information. At the beginning of my commercial, I informed the audience that “the average child ages 8-18 is tuned into some type of media almost 11 hours daily.” I felt that this statistical information would shock the intended audience of teachers. Since it is at the very beginning of the PSA, I feel like it kept them tuned in for more.

Along with that, I also used the persuasive technique known as “plain folks.” As stated before, this was intended for teachers. You don’t have to be “teacher of the year” or have won any awards to understand this message. I broadcasted it for your average everyday teachers, in hopes of connecting with them somehow. I also integrated a little fear into the message, when stating,  “Get with it!” Teachers do not want to be left behind teaching the old way! This could also be interpreted as a bandwagon technique, because no teacher wants to be the last one to integrate new ideas.

Last but certainly not least, I used the technique of Association. All teachers strive for success in the classroom. In my PSA, teaching Critical Media Literacy is the key to success. I feel that all of these techniques and ideas helped to truly get my message across that Critical Media Literacy does matter. Teachers really do need to get with it! 

Reading and Discussion #8

What do you think about the concept of relocalization?

From what I have read, the concept of relocalization seems like a very logical one. I feel that this concept is giving every individual a responsibility to work together. With relocalization, you cannot just place the blame on the state or the country. Everyone has a role. As an individual, you can find ways to contribute to your community and make it a better place. All in all, creating a better community will in turn create a better state. I feel that relocalization is a bottom-up approach to building a better economy. If we work together in small communities to become positive in such a negative economy, then these outlooks may become widespread. 

Where do you stand on neoliberal policies for education reform?

I will be the first to admit that neoliberal policies seem like a foreign language to me. After some research though, I would not consider myself a fan at all. It seems as if these policies would just be an attack on our already depressing economy. Yes, there are people out there who should work instead of simply filing for welfare right off the bat. Yes, there are people who are just lazy. On the other hand, there are many families out there who do need assistance. If we supported neoliberalism 100% we would just be introducing new issues to this world. When looking at this term from a distance, an individual might see the word “free” and jump on the bandwagon. I agree with Subcomandante Marcos, that the whole world would just turn into one large mall! Total freedom may seem enticing at first, but I feel that the world would become a greater mess with these policies set in full force. 

How did using a public relations firm create tension between the goals of critical media literacy and having students create promotional videos?

The main goals of critical media literacy focus around dissecting media and truly understanding the message that is being displayed. The public relations firm flipped this whole process around. Now, the students were trained on the other side of the spectrum, the production side. Here, they were trained how to create powerful media, instead of how to interpret it. In one way, the student at the beginning of the chapter was right, the project did somewhat contradict what the class had been learning about all along. In the end though, students expanded their critical media knowledge by not only evaluating media, but also creating it. 

Do you agree with the researcher that Ellen's PV should be considered an example of critical media literacy? Why? Why not?

I completely agree with the researcher’s standpoint on Ellen’s PV. It could definitely be considered as an example of critical media literacy. “Ellen found a way to insert her interests and identities into the PV, but she did so with the intention of “selling” the school to other artistic youth like herself” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, p. 194). Critical media literacy allows individuals to use media knowledgeably and to identify the effects and uses of media. In Ellen’s promotional video, she did just that. She found a way to create media that attracted a specific target audience and “sold” the school. In my opinion, her promotional video is a great example of critical media literacy. 

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc

Reading and Discussion Seven

Reading One

Avila and Pandya state (2013) that “youth between the ages of 8 and 18 have increased their daily media usage to ten hours and forty five minutes” (p. 219). That statistic was proven from 2009, and I could only imagine how much it has increased since then. This is one fact that I plan to use when creating my PSA. This statistic will display how often students come into contact with media, therefore we need to be teaching proper techniques in the classroom.

The text also states how standards have been developed to include digital literacies. This idea will help educators to see that this really is a very important issue. The world has shifted around us, and now media is taking over more than ever. Instead of just drawing the line between home and school, we need to be crossing it. We need to engage students in the media that they are exposed to daily.

The slogan of my PSA is to “get with it.” This slogan aligns with what I said above. Teachers need to realize the change that needs to occur in the classroom. We can’t complain that our students seem uninterested if we are failing to incorporate the one thing that continually surrounds them: media. This book has helped me to develop my PSA with 3 ideas based around standards, statistics, and just sheer engagement for the students. Those three aspects are the key to a successful classroom.

Reading Two 

In the article “Critical Pedagogy and the Teaching of Reading” the author discusses how teachers need to shift gears from the authoritarian approach to a student-centered classroom. Students need to be actively engaged, instead of just passively. The article goes on to state how a lot of educators focus on a “one way street” approach, where there is only one answer.

As a second grade teacher, this approach is familiar to me. We are deep into our Harcourt reading series. Every week, my students take a test asking questions such as, “Why did the author write this story", or “What is the purpose of this story?” Sadly, my students have to answer these questions as if there were only one correct response. As the article states in all honesty, who knows? The author isn’t there providing us with knowledge. How can we give students a test on things that may not actually be true! This article helps to outline how we can shift this type of teaching toward a more critical one.

I am becoming a big fan of critical pedagogy. Students need to think outside the box. In life, there is not always one correct answer. If we are preparing our students for the real world, then why should we force them to select one correct answer after reading a passage? This critical pedagogy will help students to look deeper into the text and analyze it. This will allow them to form their own opinions, which is a wonderful thing. My only concern comes with the struggling readers, those that struggle just to say the words, let alone comprehend the meaning. I worry that they will be left behind during a critical approach because it will be hard for them to shift to such an abstract form of thinking. I still think critical pedagogy is a great aspect in a classroom, and I think things could be established that would help the struggling readers make this switch.

References:

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical  digital literacies  as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

Naiditch, F. (n.d.). Critical pedagogy and the teaching of reading for social action. Retrieved from http://education.missouristate.edu/assets/ele/Naidtichfinal.pdf