Final Posting - Week 16

This should be interesting as I have never thought of how I would teach kids as I have always just went about talking to them and helping them deal with problems as they arise.  Essentialism explains that the purpose of school is to train the intellect and teach kids the culture and traditions of the past while providing skills and knowledge to help children function in our society.  I believe that is what school should be as well.  When looking at Digital Media Literacy it takes this to the next step in that it is preparing children for the future.  Avila states, “Technology [ushers] in new learning challenges for the first "always-connected generation”, and thus becoming literate in all forms of digital media will be an essential tool for children.  However, when looking at the nature of children, I lean more toward behaviorism, I truly believe that children can change or alter behavior based on what goes on around them.  Again our text states, “The ability to render one's world as changeable and oneself as an agent able to direct that change is integrally linked to acts of self-representation through writing.” (Hull)  I have worked with behavior issues for the majority of my career and writing and journaling feelings and behaviors has always been an outlet we have asked children to use.  If using a digital media outlet could help children make changes or find people who could help them make changes then this could be a wonderful teaching tool.  When thinking about curriculum this has now become less difficult for me to identify as I believe you have to be flexible in this area as all children will have strengths and weaknesses that may require you to change something. Again our text states, “There is both subtle and overt pressure to focus on teaching technologies as tools, without incorporating an understanding of their uses within the participatory culture, and without integrating technology instruction fully into the pre-service curriculum in ways that result in critical analysis of content or alignment with pedagogy” (Avila) and because of this I know that I have to focus on how children learn best and what will motivate them to be successful.  This means not only using technology, but teaching them how they can use the technology in ways that will make their lives and the lives of others better.  I believe teachers should teach to the child not to the standard or test score needed.  This course has shown and given me so many ideas that I will be able to incorporate into my curriculum, from the blogging and deconstructing advertisements alone I think I could have such a great time getting kids excited about coming to class.  

http://webquest.org/

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/critical-media-

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/educators/more/google/

http://classroom-aid.com/educational-resources/digital-literacy/

http://kidblog.org/home/

References:
Hull, G. (2003). At last: Youth culture and digital media. 229-233. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/docview/215345891

Ávila, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis: Intersections and challenges. New York: Peter Lang

Reading and Discussion Week 14

"The ability to render one's world as changeable and oneself as an agent able to direct that change is integrally linked to acts of self-representation through writing"

I chose this quote simply for the idea.  I have been trying to teach children for a long time that just because they live where they live, that they grew up in poor conditions, or bad environments that this does not meant that they are doomed to stay in those situations.  You can change not only yourself but the world is such an amazing idea to teach children.  If someone can share their story or their idea and that idea then affects others in a positive way then how wonderful is that?  Many children feel trapped in just being the idea they believe they have in their heads.  As teachers it is our job to give them new ideas to replace the negatives with positives.

1. How does digital storytelling support academic literacies?
This depends on the actual area in which you are focusing.  Reading and Language Arts or English is simple to see as you are asking the children to examine and write about a topic of interest.  Children are asked to do this everyday in these classes, so by using the digital storytelling  you can have them do this in a new and interesting way.  If you are working with history or science being able to find facts at the push of a button is much more interesting than wading through facts.  It allows for so much more creativity by allowing them to decide how they will complete the project.

2. Now that you have created your own digital story, do you think that using images, words and music to create a message is simplistic compared to traditional alphabetic print based argumentation?

I find merit in both, but do feel that the digital story allows for more creativity.  I believe that even though children can create these images and stories if they only do this they could lose the ability to write creatively as well.  Many times with these stories very little writing is involved.  I want children to be as well versed about technology as possible but sometimes I want children to use the greatest gift they have and that is their minds.

3. After creating your own digital story, do you see how digital storytelling can help develop a stronger sense of agency in their own lives? Do you think this might have a positive impact on students academic lives? How? Why?

Yes. I feel that after creating my digital story, I can now see how impactful it can be.  You don't only have to learn how to use the computer program, it can actually be a fun assignment that you have the ability to use your creativity.  I think if you can use this type of assignment to build a students confidence which will help them academically.  If they can create something like this that they have to incorporate so many parts then it will help them see how successful they can be.

References:
Hull, G. (2003). At last: Youth culture and digital media. 229-233. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/docview/215345891

Image:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Q8JQbWx5rt_QCM&tbnid=v3yqlqCw6TpdYM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpics4.this-pic.com%2Fkey%2Fchildren%2520dreaming%2520clip%2520art&ei=DHGbUsXHHozkoASx54DwDg&psig=AFQjCNFexjw7yZ-Ttsb-g4heio__TPyC3w&ust=1386004890097131

Reading and Discussion Module 13

“There is both subtle and overt pressure to focus on teaching technologies as tools, without incorporating an understanding of their uses within the participatory culture, and without integrating technology instruction fully into the pre-service curriculum in ways that result in critical analysis of content or alignment with pedagogy”

I believe someone else found this quote to be the most interesting.  I think that this has made the most sense to me of everything I have read so far this semester.  I know that every day we are pushed to use the technology and to have kids use it, however it is is often just used as a way to keep the kids busy and not as a way to help them gain knowledge that will help them in the future.  However, in many cases, and in my case I don't have access to computers for my kids with the exception of about once a week for them to incorporate technology or media into my lesson planning.  I feel the pressure we get to use these tools would make more sense if you actually had it to use.

 

 

 

Chapter 7 Discussion Questions:

1. Why do the authors of this chapter chose to use the term "critical digital literacies" rather than just "digital literacies"?

I would simply say it is due to the fact that the future of teaching, learning and modern culture using these types of technology and digital medias will be imperative from this day forward.  Technology is not slowing down and it is not backing up so for anyone looking to work or go to college or almost any area technology is taking over.  I fully predict that paper money will be come a thing of the past at some point.  I go months and months without ever having a single dollar in my hands. 

2. How well did our own teacher education program prepare you to use technology in your teaching practices? Was it more tools based or literacy based?

I did not go the traditional route in teaching.  I have an undergraduate degree in business and an MBA so I can't really comment.  I know that for me everything was more tools based, I learned how to use SQL and how to write Java and HTML script in some classes but we never really focused on practical application of it or how to use it in a way to teach others with it.

3. What should teachers be thinking about when they engage in critical thinking as it relates to technology use in school?

How do I get my students to ask the questions and to keep questioning.  What will make them look at this in a way that they can look at this in a different way.  What skills do they already have that I can use to help them examine this from different angles and perspectives. 

4. On page 149, it is stated that students have certain rights with respect to "critical digital literacies." Do students in your teaching context have these rights? Give an example or non-example of at least one of these rights.

 “The right to explore or experiment with one’s own digital space” (Avila & Pandaya, 2013).  This right is one that will probably never be able to be fulfilled in a public school setting due to the fact that so many people have to agree to allow students to access this information at school.  The other issue of course becomes that these types of things are forbidden to be seen at school.  In many cases allowing students to access this information opens up children to be bullied, or draws them completely off task from the actual task of learning as they are more concerned with the appearance of what they are doing with their space.

Reference

Ávila, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis: Intersections and challenges. New York: Peter Lang

Picture:

http://learningedgeadventures.wordpress.com/presentations/reduce_information_overload/

Discussion Module 12

"Technology [ushers] in new learning challenges for the first "always-connected generation."

This for me is actually a scary comment.  I watch parents ignore their children at meals, watch children ignore their parents directions and watch people ignore people altogether.  I can hear someone saying yes but they are connecting to people on social media, that is not the same as a true face to face interaction with someone where you can read sarcasm, or joy or excitement and I don't need an ! to show it.  I think children especially need to be unplugged the majority of the time and given set rules as to when they should be allowed to use technology.  Children under the age of 10 with cell phones drive me crazy. Why aren't these kids below playing with each other?



I found this picture on: http://ag143.wordpress.com/

#1. The  game supported critical literacy by asking students to answer riddles and problems.  They would then give responses by "reading" into the Anansi responses; which required the students to read between the lines so to speak.  They what was around them as well as images to play the game.

#2. The game required students create a good stories or "Anansi", write daily field notes, and write narratives that counter what they have been reading.

#3. The game included e-mails, texting, and phone calls. The students had to understand how to use these media to communicate in an accurate way to be able to complete the game in real world situations. The game requires that students see both sides of a problem to solve it either in the real world or a media driven world.

#4.  I think what this means is that you should always be reading to learn more about the world around you.  When you can do that you can read more into the world as you are a part of it and then write about the experiences and moments in your life that will help others in the world. 

Addressing the seven Elements of Digital Storytelling

Point of View: First person. The targeted audience will be people who have big families and have have battled with infertility. The story’s message will simply convey the feelings and emotions that come with being a parent or someone who has grown up in a huge family.

 

Dramatic Question: Would she be different, would we be different, would things have been different would be the dramatic question.  In regards to having twins, if we both would have been born would my second daughter be different, would our lives have been different.

Emotional Content: The life of having a huge family, the struggle of going through infertility and the loss of a child to a miscarriage would all be items that others can relate too. 

Voice/pacing: paced in accordance with pictures, informal tone.

Soundtrack: "We Laughed Until we Cried" by Jason Aldean

Economy: The story will give a background about my family, then it will cover getting married and attempting to have children, finally having children and the emotions that come from loss.  It will show how my daughters have grown to this point in their lives and how happy my family is.

Reading and Discussion Module 11

“Technology plays an important role, not alone but as a constantly changing set of socially situated tools for literacy, for making sense of the world and ourselves”  (p. 104)

I chose this simply because it is exactly as I feel.  I have always said that technology has its place in teaching, but I think that when we rely solely on it children lose some of the skills that they need.  For example children are not asked to learn their multiplication tables anymore.  They simply pull out a calculator or “Google it” to find the answer to a problem.  I know children love technology and they love to spend as much time as possible trying to play games or chatting on social media, that many of them don’t realize how much they can learn from technology.  Mostly, it is just something to have fun with.

 

 

 

When talking about technology and literacy I think you have to look at it as an evolution, this is sort of a cool representation of social medial evolution and fits in really well with our text.

1.      What is the difference between an "essentialist," "traditionalist" or "autonomous" "perspective of technology and literacy and a New Literacy Studies of "ideological"perspective on technology and literacy? Which perspective do you adhere to? Why?

Essentialist means to focus only on the abilities of technology, not in the way it’s used. Ideological means to focus on the attributes and abilities of the technology in social communities and how all of the different social areas are affected when using technology. Autonomous means that it will continue to build on itself in dynamic and self augmenting ways.   I adhere to the essentialist view of technology. I think without society and without people driving it then technology doesn’t have a purpose.

2. Give three concrete examples of how the teacher in the chapter supported "new literacy" or "critical digital literacies" practices with blogging.

The teacher used blogging and had her students post pictures to receive feedback from the people who could see them.  She asked that the students be aware of the messages they were presenting. The students know that the best work from the class will be placed on the  teacher's blog, so they will be competing with each other.   She required that the students be organized, be able to exhibit their knowledge and opinions in a way  that was interesting to the most amount of people.

References:

 

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (pp. 95). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing.

The image was found on:  http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=wu9bIVXr3xoSPM&tbnid=aa9EUUlyE9F2XM:&ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.briansolis.com%2F2012%2F04%2Fdisruptive-technology-and-how-to-compete-for-the-future%2F&ei=YIZ2Ut23O83C4APAo4DYDw&bvm=bv.55819444,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNFGIdB55SWBRr793kilJ2VIBuiX1A&ust=1383585728008928

Brainstorming my Digital Story

My family has always been very large.  My father had 7 brothers and 3 sisters, my mother had 4 sisters and 4 brothers.  My father is a twin, my mother is a twin, my grandmother is a twin.  All told 14 sets of twins in my family.  But the story I want to tell is about family, my family.  I got married in my late twenties.  My wife was also in her late twenties and we both wanted children in the worst way.  After two years of fertility treatments our first daughter was born.  Life was amazing.  We were told the second child would be easier to conceive after having the first.  They were right as my wife became pregnant with twins.  This is where the story takes a turn.  This is where we realize how lucky we are. 

I think this project could be fun however, I am apprehensive due to sharing personal information of this nature.  As a private, very reserved person, sharing any personal information is tough. 

Week 10 Reading and Discussion

1.  People are no longer just reading but can interact with the text. They can open pictures, related stories, click on links, read and comment on the text. With this age, anyone can access what you have written. Conversely if you are a writer you can share what you are writing with others.  You can get immediate feedback on how well you are writing and if people are enjoying the stories you are telling.

 

2. It means to have children build relationships and to learn to solve problems collaboratively taking into account cultural differences.  They would then be able to share information for not just their communities but throughout all communities to help meet the needs of those communities.  Schools can then supply kids with a different learning environment that opens them up to such a larger picture of the world.  In many cases children do not have the opportunity for multicultural learning, but with digital learning the possibilities for them to learn these things are endless.
 

3. The kids were interacting with people who were not from the same culture and environment than themselves. They came from different backgrounds, and had different values and points of view. All the children viewed the videos and were able to give feedback on the differences they could see and what kind changes they could make after hearing each others ideas.

 

 

4.  Children should now be able to use technology to create new experiences.  They should be able to use technology in ways that will enhance what they are learning from the more traditional classroom experience or ways to make the traditional classroom more integrative and hands on.   

 

5. We can connect with anyone.  It is not just the people in our small communities.  We can reach out to people all across the world.  The only people who are not able to be a part of this are those who are not apart of the digital communities.  Here in West Virginia that is still a  problem as many families either do not have internet access or do not have the financial means to purchase the technology.  But once connected they can share, respond and be a part of this global community.

 

6.  "In a sense, he authored a "serious" self--as a critical composer who can speak to a range of distant others" 

 

This means to me that as children begin to be a part of a more global community they must understand they are not just talking to themselves.  Many times when children are posting on the internet they believe they are just talking about themselves but so many others can see what they are saying.  Millions of people can see what you are writing each and every day.  In the same fashion these kids can share their talents and ideas with the world.  It is important that teachers help children understand the importance of knowing that when they hit send they are talking to millions of people not just themselves.

 

 

References:

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (pp. 63-80). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing.

Module 10 - Activity 2

The three videos that I watched were:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKuGpBaWqQk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL47B77396AAEEF956

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CW1cPm3b7g&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL47B77396AAEEF956

The final is the one I chose: Damon - A digital Story

 

I chose the video about Damon as the video to answer the questions about.

Point of View. The point of view is in the first person as he is speaking about his experience of adopting this child from a mother who was a drub abuser.

Dramatic Question. The question is simple, " will they get to keep their son or will they have to give the child back to the mother who had to give him away due to her drug use"

Emotional Content. This about building the bonds of a parent and child, dealing with the issues children face who are born to drug addicted parents, the possible loss of the child after falling in love with him, and having to give the child back to the mother and how this father built his bonds with his son. 

Week 9 Reading and Discussion

"Of the total digital stories selected to analyze, which were representative of the body of digital storytelling work done at Las Redes, 80 percent of the girls wrote about their family and personal life aspirations, and 80 percent of the boys created fictional tales of adventure." (Avila pg 47)

I chose this quote simply because I have two small children and when I think about them and the decisions I make that will shape who they become it can be extremely stressful.  I know that as a parent I don’t want to tell my daughters they can’t do something because “only boys” can do that.  However, I am realistic and know that as girls there are some things they can’t do, and of course there are many things they can do boys can’t.  I want them to become confident, caring and intelligent adults and it starts with them knowing who they are and who they want to be early on. 

The YouTube video I found that I think kind of shows these differences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A74IP6x319U

This simply shows how boys and girls see things differently.  I think the fact that the young man could not do the skate board challenge demonstrates my point about how I do not want my two little girls to feel like they cannot do what boys can do as she did so much better than he did with that part of the challenge. 

Avila, J. & Pandya J. Z. (2012). Critical Digital Literacies as Social Praxis: Intersections and Challenges. Peter Lang: New York.

Reel Works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90b7pJIpnnM&feature=player_embedded

I found this video on the Reel Works page. 

1.What do you like about the digital story?

 

I enjoyed that it was about a topic I found interesting.  I have always wondered how people kept dogs in a place like New York city.  I have three dogs and live on a 25 acre farm so I know that my dogs have plenty of room to roam.  I just felt like the person did a wonderful job showing many sides of how people get dogs in the city and how important shelters are in the city.

 

2.What did you learn from the digital story?

 

I learned that there are more dog parks in the city than I originally thought.  I also learned that many people volunteer to help dogs in shelters. 

 

3.What surprised you about the digital story?

 

I didn't find anything surprising with the exception of the pet store owner having access for so many dogs to sell.   With so many puppy mills being stopped and so many peple being prosecuted for hoarding animals that he can still obtain so many animals to sell.

 

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?

 

I think this showed how many people see children getting a pet and not taking care of it.  In many cases with puppies a kid will get the dog and parents end up taking care of it or taking it to the shelter.  The young lady talks about how she was distraught that something happened to her dog and that she felt the city was not the right place to own a dog.  She was showing a different level of maturity.

Week 7 Discussion Post

Discussion #1

One of the first things I would use will be the amount of time that children have increased their time spent on daily media usage.  The text not only mentions how this amount of time has increase by nearly 3 and 1/2 hours over a 10 year time frame from 1999 to 2009 but also the decrease in the amount of written text that they see.

I would include that new teaching standards or Common Core, incorporate more information around digital literacy, particularly in using digital books and not the traditional printed books that everyone is used too.

Finally, I think everyone should know just how digital media instruction will improve literacies across the board.  When examining these media literacies it can impact numerous other areas that parents, teachers and administrators feel are important to a child's development.

Discussion #2

I utilized the article presented on our course website as I am pressed for time.  However, I found it to be very informative.  I learned mostly that there are many different ways to get children excited about math and to work on math without the old, "drill and kill" methods traditionally used.  I love math and am teaching it currently and have been attempting as many different ways possible to get children excited about math.  I was impressed to see how they incorporated information about socially relevant topics.  The example about minimum wage is excellent.  My biggest concern as was the person's who completed the project is just how much time to devote to it.  School administrators and state administrators expect that you will touch on and educate children on all common core standards and time with children is limited at best. 

Counter Ad to Burger King

 

 

 

As you can see, I simply changed some of the wording in the ad to convey a different view of what Burger King was initially trying to convey with the ad.  All of the same techniques were used just as they used them.  When I researched this ad I found out that this was never to be seen in the United States however, it was, and Burger King's only defense was that it wasn't supposed to be seen here.  It is blatantly referring to oral sex and is bordering on vulgarity when you read the original comments under the pricing in the original ad.  What they were truly trying to cover up is that this burger is so unhealthy that people should not be eating it.  However, getting people to relate anything to sex seems to sell products and since it was originally supposed to be ran in Singapore they felt that going this far would be OK.  What this says about this corporation who has many younger customers is that they want to sell product at any cost.  This ad is definitely marketed toward men.

 



This is a Burger King AD?!?!

 

 

I am sure that I will never look at Burger King again in the same way.  I was always annoyed by the ads depicting the King who was seemingly made of plastic but it was definitely more appropriate for my young children than this.  The persuasion techniques being used here are association, as everyone knows who Burger King is and what they do, but just in case you see the food placed directly in the ad on two occasions.  The ad uses explicit claims posting the price of the meal right in the ad, along with the claim "IT'LL BLOW your mind away".  It has a beautiful woman in the ad using beautiful people is the third technique.  The Burger King symbol is front and center but the biggest symbol in this ad is the woman opening her mouth in a sexually suggestive way in other words sex sells.  Intensity is used with the words like "Super Seven Incher" and "BLOW your mind away".  For some this would also be humor in a very crude form.

Media Messages and Critical Pedagogy #2

Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why? 

The message was created by Doritos which is owned by the Frito-Lays corporation.  The message was created for the general public to encourage people to buy Doritos.

Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.? What 
words, images or sounds suggest this? 

The audience is anyone who is thinking about buying a snack food.  However, with the nature of the commercial it more geared toward younger adults or teenagers.  The over the top use of the goat, the loud and fast moving pace of the commercial would draw in younger viewers.

What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, 
photos, drawings, logos, design, music, sounds, etc.) 

The text is that a man sees a goat for sale who eats Doritos and is eating them at the same time.  He then buys the goat and realizes why the goat was for sale.  The goat will not stop eating the Doritos and loudly munches them all day and night in his apartment.  There are hundreds of images of the Doritos bags all over the place which make the commercial impossible to mistake for another snack food.  There is a very recognizable song playing throughout the ad. 

What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?) 

The hidden message is that these chips are so good, you won't want to stop eating them, and that you should buy as many as you can because if you don't you will feel just like the goat when he finally runs out of the chips. 

What kind of lifestyle is presented? 

It was a carefree lifestyle where a person can buy a goat to live with him in his apartment.  One in which having Doritos can make your life better, until you buy a goat that is obsessed with eating them.  It was trying to make you believe that you cannot live without Doritos and you need to have them with you all the time. 

What values are expressed? 

This commercial does not get to a lot of core values.  It is designed to be humorous almost whimsical.  I imagine however that many animal activists would have been upset with this commercial as it depicts feeding an animal something that is obviously not good for them to eat.  It would also speak to pet lovers who would have problems with people simply selling pets that they no longer want to care for, which continues to make problems in over crowded animal shelters.

What “tools of persuasion” are used? 

The ad uses visual overload of the Dorito 's image, it uses humor, association with the normal guys in the commercial and how the first man selling the goat became injured. 

What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented? 

The positive images are that Doritos are a wonderful product and taste amazing.  The negative images are that goats are dangerous animals and should not be kept in an apartment.  It is also negative that someone would sell a pet and not fulfill the obligation to take care of it.  That is a bit of a stretch but many animal lovers would see that as a problem.

What groups of people does this message empower? What groups does it disempower? How does 
this serve the media maker's interests? 
I don't believe this ad empowers anyone or disempowers anyone.  The idea was to get people to laugh and then draw attention to the product being sold so that they create a positive thought when people see the Doritos bag.  It has worked with me as I think about Doritos commercials each and every time I look at their bags in the store.  Another classic ad is when the man has the cheese on his fingers from the chips and the man next to him reaches over and puts the mans fingers in his mouth and licks off the cheese.  Although completely disgusting I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.

What part of the story is not being told? How and where could you get more information about the 
untold stories?

It does not mention that Doritos is priced much higher than many other brands of chips, it does not discuss nutritional value or what goes into making the product.  Since this ad is more geared toward college/high school aged people it is not the biggest concern.  However, for mothers who shop for snack foods it most certainly is important.  You could probably find the information about how they are mad and nutritional value on the Dorito's website, however for pricing you would have to comparison shop at grocery stores or on the Internet to see a wide variation in pricing.

What are the taken for granted realities?

Most people will not purchase the amount of Doritos that this man purchased.  This who concept is built on a whimsical idea so most of this is not based in reality for people. 

What power relations are exposed as a result of your deconstruction?

The biggest relation I see is that Dorito wants you to buy their product over any other snack food.  It is obvious they think their product is so good that everyone and every animal would love them.  They want you to buy as much as you can and keep as many as you can because you should never be without them.  They are trying to persuade you that you must buy the Doritos because bad things can happen if you don't have enough.

Media Messages and Critical Pedagogy #1

Do you agree with the deconstruction? Why? Why not? Be specific.

I do agree that this is a typical commercial in using a typical middle class white family.  I am not in complete agreement that it was a way to imply some sort of racial or cultural difference.  I feel as though the commercial was aimed at being humorous.  I remember this add before Alltel was completely taken over by Verizon.  I think that if you are planning to sell cell phones you need to target the market that would purchase the majority of these phones, and that is the middle class, which comprised mostly of white America at this time.  I do not think the message was condoning racial differences and honestly I thought her tone in describing the commercial was condescending. 

Do you agree with the claims made in the deconstructions? Is the Century Link ad really a cover for a company that is making profits over customer satisfaction? Does the Alltel ad really promote racism or stereotypes of immigrants? Why or Why not?

I do agree with the claims for the Century Link ad, as living in WV I know that access to Internet, cell phones and other technology is limited at best.  The deconstruction does well to point this out.  I think the ad does cover up that many people are affected by the fact that this type of technology is just not available to all the customers they say they reach.  However, I don't think the Alltel ad is promoting racism.  I believe the target was to the largest pool of customers out there who will be buying their products.  The family could have been 3 cavemen and it would have relayed the same message.  It could have been a white farmer with some barnyard animals the ad would have worked in quite the same manner.

How do these deconstructions disrupt taken-for-granted realities?

They both make you think more about what people are really saying compared to what the true reality is.  I totally agree with the Century deconstruction but feel like the Alltel deconstruction may have made you think about things that I didn't feel were a part of the ad.  I felt as though the ad was trying to say that you should not have to sacrifice anything or resort to drastic measures to pay for your cell phone, who was in the room was not a concern to me.

What ideologies, cultures, economies, institutions or political systems are these deconstructions disrupting or interrogating?

Obviously, these ads are looking at family values and lifestyles when you look at the Century ad. They want you to see that normal families all around the world who live in beautiful wonderful places use their products. The Alltel deconstruction is an assault on your racial beliefs and ideologies.  It is almost as if she is saying if you find this funny you are racist. 

How are these deconstructions examples of individuals investigating manifestations of power relations?

Both are trying to determine what the message of these ads mean overall.   Is corporate America trying to rip us off or push a racist agenda onto the American public?  I think when you examine the relationships that are displayed in these ads it helps people understand more where the everyday consumer fits in.  It also helps you decide if this company is someone you want to support by buying their products.

How might conducting these kinds of deconstruction empower students whom have been historically and continue to be disenfranchised by "traditional schooling?

This type of deconstructions can build on so many tools for children in ways that most times they are not interested in doing due to the boring nature of the material.  If you ask a child to do a report on a book, then you will get something that is less than inspired. A book report is nothing more than a deconstruction.  If we ask children to look at these ads and then write a "report" or "deconstruction" then it improves there critical thinking skills, their writing skills, comprehension skills and so on.  If you look at ads that flash a lot of numbers you can use these as teaching opportunities in a math class.  For example if you were to use a car ad that describes financing you could easily use that to teach students how to calculate percentages and car payments.

How might deconstructing these kinds of media messages help students recognize connections between their individual problems and experiences and the social contexts in which they are embedded?

When you examine these types of messages you can decide for yourself what they are really trying to say.  Obviously I do not agree with the person deconstructing the Alltel ad but I cannot say that she is wrong.  I could be wrong and this ad could quite easily be condoning a racist message.  Children do not think about the message in the ad but simply what is the product being sold.  However, they are influenced by the messages subconsciously which can affect them as they develop into adults. 

How might conducting these kinds of deconstructions disrupt traditional banking systems of education?

I think this type of work engages children in different ways and begins to fire parts of the brain that many children, and not for a lack of trying by teachers, do not have to use on a daily basis. That is the creative part of the brain.  Although they are not coming up with the ad, they have to think about the creative process that was used to create it.  The other part of this is that you can then ask the children how they would have changed the ad to make the ad less racially offensive or not conveying a message that is not entirely true.

Person Of the Year Post - Module 4

I thought this was a lot of fun.  I am going to sound a little like a geek but I was on the yearbook staff in high school and really enjoyed designing the layouts of the yearbook pages.  Anyway, the techniques I used were to try and find ways to draw in mothers.  I stuck to things I know my wife would buy a magazine for.  Child safety, clothing choices for children and trends in parenting are all things she consistently reads about.    I used a large main picture with the main cover line directly above it.  I used four other sell lines to draw in readers.  Each of the sell-lines represents a different technique.  The top line asks a question, one that will get mother/fathers attention very quickly.  The second line is a play on words which is about how to get of bags under your eyes.  I had been working 80 hour weeks at the time of that picture and working on this masters degree and was getting around 3 hours of sleep a night.  The last line I used alliteration, wonderful winter wardrobes, which is catchy and draws the reader in.  I think this would have people thinking about what the person of the year should be as the stay at home dad is becoming more common it is still a challenge to common thinking.   I am not a stay at home dad, but many are and with new shows now on television showing fathers being the paternal figure in children’s lives I thought it would be an interesting topic.

Magazine Deconstruction - Muscle & Fitness

I chose the cover of the fitness magazine because it is a magazine I would buy and have purchased similar magazines in the past. 

Media language:

Large type face black and white letters are used to attract the eye to articles that will appeal to the buyer. The background seems to be flames or an explosion which is also appealing but makes the lettering stand out even more. The front of the magazine is dominated by the actor but in particular his arm with the 20 inch arm headline just to the right of it to grab even more attention. Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the worlds biggest action stars at the time of this magazine and would be recognized by everyone.  Arnold is being depicted as one of his best known characters from his movies the Terminator, to promote his T3 film. It would appear that Arnold is not aging as he looks much younger than his actual age at the time of this movie which was 53 years old.  On page 114 the magazine is trying to market his workout that helped him achieve his physique as this is a fitness magazine after all .  However the the biggest text on the page is the article that would have attracted myself and most other people. GET LEAN, in less time! Stay out of the gym to burn more fat.

Institution:

This is the front cover of a very popular fitness magazine.  The message is how to get healthy and build muscle.  The manufacturers and producers of fitness products along with the producers of the T3 film helped to pay for these ads. Simply put people who are the most interested in health and fitness usually have disposable income and can pay more to look and feel better.

Genre:

Fitness and health

Representation:

You can get fit without having to spend a lot of time at a gym.  The magazine is going to give you tips on how to target certain areas of your body to make it look better.  You will get tips from someone who has been at the forefront of fitness and body building for decades and who himself appears to be in great shape even at middle age.  It appears to be more targeted toward men in general.

Audience:

Demographics point to individuals,  mostly men 20-40 which is usually when people care the most about fitness and appearance.  However, this would also appeal to the mean 40-50 as they can see a man who is in his 50's looking in great shape.  It would also to appeal to women but obviously this is geared toward men.  

Ideologies and Values:

The message is clear, we know you want to be health and fit and we have a lot of great ideas that will help you do this and save time doing it.  With articles on how to stay out of the gym, how to change your routine, make your arms bigger in just 3 movies, tips from Arnold himself to make you look and feel better.  The underlying message is that even you can look like Arnold.  The message is mostly positive in that the magazine is truly based around finding ways to help people get healthier. However, it creates an image that a man at 53, probably touched up a little, can look this good why aren't you able to do it.  This is a difficult image for that 20 or 30 something man who can't seem to lose the weight or develop the muscle tone he wants.

Narrative:

The magazine covers the areas that most people who are conscious about fitness are concerned.  How to target certain areas in workouts, how to keep routines from getting boring, how to spend less time at a gym and get results and how to celebrities and fitness experts able to get these results.

Tools of persuasion:

Association, Celebrities, Explicit Claims

Photo Analysis - Personal Interest

I love the artistry and skill it takes to complete a wood working project.  This has been a personal interest of mine for many years.  I think the different type of styles of wood working is even more interesting.  Many people will create projects that are strictly measure and cut and place the pieces together.  Other people love working with free form wood, and then there are the carvers who truly amaze me.  If I were to give this lesson in my class we would be working with measurement as I am currently teaching math however this is more personal than academic.  I would ask students to choose the style of bench they like the most, using the  7 lenses to critically explain why they chose this bench.  Then they would be asked to compare the two benches and denote differences and similarities.  Why did the person who created the bench create the benches in this way?