Reading and discussion week #6

Read Chapter 2" Designing spaces for student choice in a digital media studies classroom.

1.What instructional moves (i.e. group formation, topic selection, scaffolding the process, assessment) did the teacher that you might replicate in your own teaching practices that involve critical media literacy?

            I think I would use them all. Particularly in a class that has never had this experience.. They can learn from each other in groups. Topic selection is important for their interest. Scaffolding to watch and learn then do. Assessing the outcome to see where and how corrections are necessary. 

2. What do you think about the student created PSA? Did it seem creative? Do you think it could serve as a legitimate assessment of writing ability? Do you think the topic would be appropriate for school? What if the students chose a pro-choice stance? 

           I think the girls that created the PSA are thoughtful and concerned about teenage pregnancies in their community. I thought  it was totally creative. You see so many pro-life PSAs with infant feet and other shock values that, in my opinion , defeat the purpose of pro-life. I do think that this is a legitimate assessment of writing. They need to make a script and a story board. Both need to be read and understood by others. It is an appropriate topic for school. Teen pregnancies and abortions are at an all time high, especially in the lower economic societies. There was no ‘blood and guts’ but a well thought out video. I don't think pro-life or pro-choice would make a difference.  

3. Do you share the researcher's concerns that the PSA reproduced dominant or mainstream media representations of girls and social class? Why or Why not?

           It's hard to say. The author only researched the lower income social class . I think it does represent  a dominant representation of adolescent and the working class. It showed a teen visiting a free clinic, typical of limited substandard care available to those who can’t afford to purchase quality healthcare. The “ PSA  perpetuated the notion that poor and working-class teens are more likely to become teen parents than their wealthier peers, thus positioning them as responsible for failing to move up the socioeconomic ladder.”      (Avila & Pandya, 2013 pg 27)

4. What concerns do you have about engaging students in critical media literacy? 

        The students must have guidance and rules to follow. They need to be taught responsibility to the public.

5.  What topics might you use for a PSA that would  that would help you meet your curriculum goals and content standards?

         The health care field has about a zillion. Curriculum goals would include written, oral and technical literacies. Critical thinking and writing. I'm attempting this now.
My students are in placed groups and topics are chosen at random Guidelines and rules are reviewed. I have the video equipment and they must design a storyboard, script etc. It will be presented in class at a designated time.  This is my first year trying this---should prove to be interesting.

Reference

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

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Activity 6 Counter ad

 Original ad.

The search for the fountain of youth is a multi-billion dollar business. According to Forbes Magazine L'Oreal ranks 25th in the world.
The persuasion techniques used in this ad are directed at that fountain of youth.

A young youthful beautiful woman is more than 1/2 the ad.
Black and sparkly pink create a seductive cover.
The first line , although small, states than after 20 the skin begins to slow. What does that mean? But it can be rejuvenated with Youth Code.
Subtext makes claims that with ONE drop, skin improves and in one month your skin acts younger.
More print states that 95% women saw improvement.
 However there is some card stacking going on here. There is some untold facts.

The research I did on L'Oreal was a bit disappointing since I use many of their products---guilty--- trying to find that fountain of youth. This site Misleading marketing  shows that L'Oreal after 10 years of research the product, Youth Code does not do what is advertised.
Another link  Youth Code ingredients shows that ingredients in this product don't do what is advertise.
Animal testing has been a huge problem in the cosmetic industry. However this link L'Oreal's position on animal testing states that they have developed new research techniques for skin and makeup products and have not used animals for testing  since 1989.
                                                             
My counter ad

                                                             
  My persuasion techniques

I used the same seductive black and sparkly pink background.
But I used a beautiful  more realistic age appropriate  model
I used a few fun facts and had liar liar pants on fire. And money flying away. Because that's all that going to happen with this product. I have a teeny bunny, because although they claim they don't use animal testing. They have not been totally exonerated.

References:
Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/companies/loreal-group/

Retrieved from http://realhairtruth.com/2012/10/08/real-hair-truth-loreal-pariss-pervasive-and-misleading-national-marketing-campaign/

Retrieved from http://www.topwrinklecream.org/loreal-youth-code-daily-lotion-spf-30/

Retrieved from http://answers.loreal.com/animaltesting/en/what-is-loreal-doing-to-try-to-end-animal-testing-for-cosmetics-purposes/

 

Read and Discussion Week #5

 What does it mean to "interrogate texts"?

• To me interrogation means asking many questions. Not taking anything at face value. So to interrogate a text would be an active participant of the text and not just passive consumers.

 How would you respond to the question "should we just question everything then?"

• I would answer --- yes.

 What are "traditional banking systems of education.

•  The teacher delivers information and makes deposits into an empty bank account, known as the student. The student then patiently receives, memorizes, and repeats this information. This concept of education, allowed to students, extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits.

 What does it mean to reformulate the learning process as a participatory one?

• It is turning the classroom from ‘us’, the teacher against ‘them’, the student, into ‘we’ who share the roles of experts and teachers thus, participating in their education.

Who was Paulo Freire?

• Paulo Freire was a leading  advocate of critical literacy. He challenged teachers and students to think critically about their education situation.  This way of thinking allows the student to learn that through learning they can make and remake themselves. They must take responsibility for themselves as beings capable of learning. Freire also argued that teachers and students must be made aware of the "politics" that surround education. The way students are taught and what they are taught serves a political agenda.

What is critical pedagogy?

• Critical pedagogy includes relationships between teaching and the students. It’s not ‘us’ the teacher against ‘them’ the student but ‘we’ working together to engage in critical literacies in the classroom. Thus empowering the student to deal critically with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their education.

What concerns do you have about the goals of Critical Pedagogy?

•  My concerns are not with critical pedagogy but with the educational system that is in place now and has been for centuries. The school systems have always been the fight between the haves and have nots. If anyone would go to a school council meeting and mention critical pedagogy, they would be met with crickets. But then argue over the sense of buying modern technology for their students. The politicians do not want to ever give up the power over the teachers and the teachers over the student, critical pedagogy would allow the students to think and question their education. Particularly those students that believe they have been historically and continue to be disenfranchised by what they call "traditional schooling".

What questions do you have about Critical Pedagogy?

•  How to get technology and the responsibilities that go with it, into the classrooms of every student.

 

Media Messages and Critical Pedagogy #2

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

•  Maybelline of New York. They want to sell their product.

Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.?

• The target audience is women, girls or tweens who want to have pretty nails like Sarah Michele Geller. This audience crosses all ages, ethnicities, classes, and professions.

What words, images or sounds suggest this?

• Maybelline is a well-known beauty product that has been making women beautiful for many decades. Just ‘Maybelline’ in big bold letters tells the consumer of quality. The subtext NEW YORK tells where the headquarters are located.

What is the “text” of the message?

• Ms Geller is portrayed in a bright red dress with a sky blue background and a white anarondeck chair which signifies summer fun. Her finger nails are polished the same color as her dress. On the other side is the type of polish and all of the summer colors.

What is the “subtext” of the message?

•  Explanation of the product in smaller but equally bright print that last for 5 days without chipping.

What kind of lifestyle is presented?

• Women  or men with disposable income, are impulse buyers, with a 16 year old girl shopping .

What values are expressed?

•  No one likes chipped nail color and by using this nail polish you will have that ‘just polished look’ for 5 days.

What “tools of persuasion” are used?

• Sarah Michelle Geller , cute celebrity, bright bold summer colors.

What positive messages are presented?

• You will look as good as Ms Geller if you wear this finger nail polish. What negative messages are presented? You are a loser if you don’t wear this nail polish.

What groups of people does this message empower?

• Everyone is empowered. Regardless of your status or income nail polish is an affordable way to make one feel better about themselves. 

How does this serve the media maker's interests?

•  It makes profits.

What part of the story is not being told?

• That Maybelline is capitalist and they are only into beauty for the money. Women want to beautiful .How and where could you get more information about the untold stories? Google Maybelline

What are the taken for granted realities?

• Life is perfect if you wear this nail polish.

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

• The student is becoming an expert.

Media Messages and Critical Pedagogy #1

ABC’s Saturday Morning show was discussing medications and the consumer. How ads overstate the medications ability to act like they propose. Such as antidepressant medications and how the ads promote life is wonderful. The commentators stated that the consumer must pay close attention to the ads and ask lots of questions. I thought this appropriate for what we are doing now.
 

Do you agree with the deconstruction?

• I don’t trust any communication company. I think it’s because I have been burned and the trust just isn’t there.
•  I do agree to a small degree with the Century Link deconstruction. They use what appear to be real people and a warm and fuzzy theme. The Slinky is a universal toy that most people are familiar with and relates to happy times. I did not interpret all the stairs as moving up, because the Slinky only works on stairs going down. I also thought the green Slinkys looked a little creepy coming down the steps en mass. I do agree that they pushed all the right buttons, such as symbols of the world, cultural diversity and ethnicity. The music was catchy, but I would still go to the fridge when this ad came on.
• I also agree with some of the AllTel commercial deconstruction. The family is definitely the stereotypical middle class America, in this case they are Caucasian instead of African American which tends to be the other choice, with husband, wife, son and daughter. I totally missed the fact that the 3 men were culturally different. I did pick up on the music and singing as happy, but did not consider it racist. I did not relate the chicken to the men, because usually a pet is also included in the mix. After the deconstruction, I now realize it was very poor taste.

  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?

•  All ads are used to make a profit. It works and that’s why we are constantly bombarded with ads. Communication company’s ads are no different than any other company out to make a buck. Do they care about customer satisfaction? No, that’s why they make you sign two year contracts. You don’t like their service? Tough they have you for two years. I don’t think Century Link is any different from any other business trying to make a profit. The fine print is in every commercial.  Buyer beware.  
•  Does the Alltel ad really promote racism or stereotypes of immigrants? I don’t believe Alltel is racist. I think it was poor taste. No company can afford to be labeled racist, it would ruin them. These ads don’t get put out there without a strict process, especially in a company as large as Alltel. They are definitely guilty of stereotyping the American family.

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

• These deconstructions emphasize the real reason behind the ads. They disrupt the consumers’ ideal world. The consumers want happy, funny,  warm and fuzzy ads. They don’t want to be told that Century Link is a cover for profit, or that AllTel is racist.  I think consumers may be a little smarter than that. They may already know these things, but I don’t think they let one commercial decide their spending habits.

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

• These deconstructions are disrupting the ideologies that life is perfect and they really do care about the consumer. Also that by using AllTel you will save money that you won’t need to rent a room. But read the fine print, it‘s probably the same or more.

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

• Students feel disfranchised when they are locked into the empty bank account system and no way to make a withdrawal. Critical literacy is asking questions which empower the student to “use technological tools to engage with, respond to, and create both text-based and multimodal forms of literacies.” (Avila & Pandya, 2013, pg.3)

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?

• Students need to be taught that they have the power to investigate for truth. They need to learn critical literacy thinking, because then they will learn that maybe they are not alone and other experiences will make them smarter.

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

• Instead of making deposits into an empty account, the students are empowered to take an active role in their education. This is one opportunity, of many, that allows the student to critique the world they live in.

Reference

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

Reading and Discussion #4

“Crafting a compelling message or creating an engaging impression is not easy (particularly when trying to reach an increasingly digital distracted and time poor audience). It is equally difficult to make sure that the intended memories stick to the right brand.” (Hollis, 2011)

I pretty much agree with the entire article, picking one quote was difficult.

•   I choose this quote because the trick to advertising is the first impression and grabbing the viewer quickly.
• Everyone is distracted these days except, perhaps, the very old and the very young. The agencies want those with the expendable incomes and impulsive buying tendencies.  
• Ads are placed everywhere, including laptops and social media. We are constantly bombarded with every brand at every moment. So in order to get noticed the advertiser must craft a message that is quick and powerful. 
• With bright bold colors, celebrity images and, if TV or radio, loud booms or love songs.
• It is all about the good vibrations.
• It’s also about brand recognition. Bells and whistles don’t work if the target audience doesn’t remember the product. A tween girls needs that Maybelline® fingernail polish, while shopping with her Mom. The guy needs the Axe® body wash to appeal to the ladies. 

                            

Hollis, N. (2011). Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't). Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/08/why-good-advertising-works-even-when-you-think-it-doesnt/244252/


I choose this ad because:

http://www.visit4ads.com/advert/Maybelline-Water-Shine-Nail-Polish-Maybelline-Make-up-Range/4872

• It appeals to women of all ages .
• It is bright and bold 
• Maybelline is a well known brand
• Sarah Michelle Geller is a celebrity known across generations.

• What reasons for teaching media literacy resonate with you? Why?

Because teaching media literacy must include the ability to skillfully read and write in a variety of message forms. It’s not your grandfather’s pencil and paper anymore. These forms include iphone cameras, camcorders and computers. Media includes so much more than television and radio. Media literacy must be used as a tool to build links between the classroom and culture. What I feel is tragic is that comprehensive media literacy programs are so far behind the curriculums.

• Why is media production important for teaching media literacy? What are the challenges?

Because posting videos on social media is a common as breathing; students need to learn skill and responsibility. Unfortunately the reason many of these videos go viral is because their creative abilities are squashed by parents and school systems’ who will only approve what the parent or school system wants. This is not new, during the sexual revolution of the 60’s and the Vietnam War of the 70’s , journalism students were not permitted to express their views, but only those of the administration. This is true today, parents and communities become very uncomfortable when the topic turns to concerns of the student.  

• How did the deconstruction and creation of a magazine cover address the 4 key concepts of media literacy programs? Give specific examples.

1.       Messages are constructed. Becoming aware of the size of print and images that make the message. Arnold was promoting his new T3 film. He was the biggest image. To entice people to look like him the magazine but text next to his bicep.

2.      Messages are representative of the world. Arnold is a world renowned figure and fitness is universal. The message of the magazine appeals to many cultures.

3.      Messages have economic and political purposes and contexts. The Esquire  magazine with Arnold had  big political context. He was elected governor of Calif. The purpose of texts and subtexts are to sell the magazine. Advertisements and teasers are the big money makers.

4.      Individuals create meaning in media messages through interpretation. Everyone will read a message differently. I am older and more cynical and really don’t believe what I see at first glance. Deconstructing the magazine covers only proved to me, that a book, magazine or video cannot be judged by the cover.

• Explore the Common Core Standards and find three standards that media literacy would help you address in your content area or interest.

I teach adult students in a fast paced health career program. Students should graduate from  high school prepared to read,  write, listen and speak. I choose 3 writing standards, because our students come to our program very weak in these areas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

·         My students must be able to assess a patient and write in a clear and coherent way. We call it SOAP for subjective, objective assessment, plan and place it in the media program the hospitals use.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

      ·         I have my seniors do a project that involves research and presentation. So they must be able to do all of this standard.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others

·         This fits right into Pierpont’s and probably Fairmont’s general education requirements. My students are required to work in groups to present a class lecture. All of these core standards are used.  

Magazine Cover Week #4

 

I couldn't find any good pictures of myself that would warrant 'Person of the Year' status so I threw caution to the wind and went creative. I perused many magazine covers and was very disappointed to see women portrayed in the stereotypical sexually provacative roles. I wanted woman to be protrayed as strong and bold. Who is stronger and bolder than Mother Nature?

 

 

 

 

Media language techniques:



• I used a declaration for my Cover-line. I made it big and bold like Mother Nature herself. Mother Nature has become a formitable advisary of late. In the '60's it was all peace, love and flower power. Now with global warming, alternative power sources have become multi-billion dollar businesses.
• For my sub-test I used a different take of alliteration using Whether and Weather.  I used a teaser and exclamation to Take a hike! Since carbon footprints seem to be the rage, a number of ways to accomplish this.

Persuation techniques:

• I used the cause vs correlation. One of the controversies about the weather patterns of late are due to global warming. Does one have to do with the other? Some say yes, some say no.
•  I used plain folks to show what you can do to lower your carbon footprint. Anyone can do it. I used an 'authentic' picture of me, actually hiking.  
• I used the most graphic and boldest picture of Mother Nature I could find to catch the eye. I also used a green nature-like background for the 'going green' fad that is sweeping the nation.
• I used bold bright colors for text to emphasize the pictures.

 

 

Reading and Discussion # 3

 Identify the main  arguments

• I think one of the main arguments of this article is we, as educators, must help prepare students comprehend and communicate through both traditional and emerging technologies.
• Another is we recognize new technologies and that students need to be literate in these technologies as well as printed text, but they are not part of everyday practice in classrooms. The gap needs to be closed.

Explain whether or not you agree or disagree with the main arguments? 

• I certainly agree with this article about media literacy and incorporating it into the everyday curriculum. But my question is, when do they plan to do this? Everyone talks about it and studies are done but yet there is no formal curriculum with which to work. It seems it’s every man for himself and may the best school district win.

Do what extent do you think that media can be held responsible for low self-esteem in women and violence behavior in men?

• I don’t think media is totally responsible as much as the mothers and fathers, who use it, view it and treat it like gospel. Parents should monitor what their kids are viewing and teach violence in men and low self-esteem in women are unacceptable. However, as long as there is a man bigger and stronger than his fellow man there will be altercations. As long as women who believe that the only way to catch a man is to have breast augmentation there will be articles , videos and e-transmissions promoting these  procedures. As trite as this may sound I have lived through civil rights, equal rights and the right for women to have control of their own body. These issues are not new, they are just more visible and always bombarding our senses every day.

Make connections between the videos and two quotes from the reading

• Much of the violence in men portrayed in Tough Guise is stereotyping a particular ethnicity that is accepted as true by the viewing public .  … “More than ever before, they are realizing that the presentations and ideas are influenced by social , cultural, political, and historical events.”    (Semali 2001)
•  “[T]elevision is probably the most important source of political information in our society and is regarded by most people as the most reliable source of news, perhaps because of its ability to present a visual record of events.”(Semali 2001)
• Ever since Richard Nixon and John Kennedy had the first televised debate, TV has been seen as more than entertainment. Women have been portrayed as the perfect housewife, like Ossie and Harriet or Mad Men to Xena Warrior Princess. Women are becoming more visible in  today’s world where iphones and youtube instantaneously post any moving action. Hillary Clinton and many women before her are blazing trails that should not be ignored.

Semali, L. (2001). New LiteraciesL Defining New LIteracies in Curricular Practice. Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/semali1/index.html

Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3exzMPT4nGI

 

Killing Us Softly - Woman are used like pieces of meat Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KVmcmePRqSk

Activity #2 Magazine Cover Deconstruct

I choose this magazine cover because, frankly, the other was just plain boring. If a magazine wants you to read it, the cover must catch your eye. But I am far too cynical to take anything at face value.

Media language: Black and bright white colors to attract the eye. Yellow print is used to emphasize the black and white. Background has bright colors to make the white and black stand out. Because this celebrity is so big and bold, the magazine allows him to  cover a big part of the  header. The target audience will definitely recognize him, even if someone doesn’t know who he is , they can recognize he is important. Some emphasis is definitely his biceps with the heading of 20 inch arms in 3 big moves placed very near Arnold’s arms. Is this real? Can 20 inch arms be attained in 3 big moves? Page 68 will tell the tale. Arnold has his best snarly Terminator face, to promote his T3 film. Did he blow something up? Is that fire in the background? Has this been touched up? Maybe a little airbrush, here and there? Are his sunglasses hiding a few crow’s feet? He certainly looks fit, the tight shirt helps the image. On page 114 is the EXCLUSIVE on his workout.  But the biggest text will attract all fitness enthusiasts. GET LEAN, in less time! Stay out of the gym to burn more fat.  Fitness enthusiasts that are striving to attain a certain image, they are ideal prospects for health or lifestyle magazines.

Institution: The message is Muscle and Fitness. Health and fitness ads help pay for it. Fitness enthusiasts tend to be well-educated individuals with the discretionary income to spend on health and fitness products and services, such as gym memberships, fitness publications, exercise videos and equipment.  It serves the media maker’s interest because health and fitness is a multimillion dollar business.

Genre: Fitness, health and lifestyle

Representation: You don’t have to pump iron, run a marathon or attend daily aerobic classes at your local gym to be considered a fitness enthusiast. To the contrary, most of the individuals , male or female, who fall into this category are aspirational fitness buffs—people who desire to be fit.

Audience: Demographics point to individuals, men or women, who are in their 20s to mid-40s —the age range most closely tied to body image and appearance. It empowers the everyday person to become healthy and fit.

Ideologies and Values: The values that this magazine can raise are that if you want to look like the ‘Terminator’, you need to read how Arnold does it. The positive message presented is that because this is a fitness magazine it will, hopefully, promote healthy living. The negative could be, get 20 inch arms in 3 moves; maybe 3 moves in 3 sets of 30, 3times a week.  If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Narrative: In a way the front cover of a magazine tells a story of the how fitness enthusiasts want to be and how they live. The tools of persuasion include: using beautiful people or in this case, extremely physically fit beautiful person. There are explicit claims, Get lean in less time, 20 inch arms in 3 moves. One more could be charisma, go to page 114 for the exclusive on how Arnold gets in shape.