Media Literacy Project continued

The Media Literacy Project that I designed and implemented for Mr. Murphy's Info. Lit. Instructional Technology classes went very well overall. There were a few snags here and there, but we're going to collaborate on a similar Project in the Fall (of '09) and it will be even better! This was an excellent Project for my Instructional Technology Practicum and it will be worth re-designing to explore again.

By the way, I recently found out that my Practicum will officially be happening in the Fall (of '09) and not this Spring (as I was originally told). I'm still doing a lot of Practicum curriculum work this Spring and will re-visit the more successful Projects in the Fall. There were a lot of interesting and thoughtful replies from students with this work, so if you're interested you can contact me for more details. Here is one of the excerpts from the wrap-up/conclusion of the Media Literacy Discussion Posts (without the student replies).

As we move towards concluding this Project I want to give you some more background info. on some of these topics and some feedback on your responses.

Thread One- Adbusters, "Buy nothing day"

After looking at your replies it seems fair to say that a majority of you are concerned about issues such as over-consumption and environmental destruction. But it is not clear what is the best way to improve these problems or if something like a "buy nothing day" would do anything to help (fight these problems or to raise awareness). Also, there were mixed feelings about whether the videos were effective or not- although it did seem like most of you agreed that they were at least thought-provoking. It's interesting to note that many major TV networks refuse to let Adbusters pay to put these PSA's on the air.

By the way, "buy nothing day" takes place on "black friday" every year- which is the day after Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day of the year.

Here are some quotes from a Consumer Reports article (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/money/2008/11/black-friday-bu.html) with Adbusters explaining their viewpoint: "The goal of Buy Nothing Day, Lasn says, is to encourage people to conserve more of the planet’s resources for future generations, live within their means, and to avoid drowning in debt."

"For his activism, Lasn says he’s been heckled and vilified as a Communist hell-bent on destroying America’s economy. Lasn, predictably, sees it differently. “It’s all about making people think and celebrate the holidays in a different and sustainable way. Living within our means will also make us happier and healthier than we’ve been in the past.”

"While it’s impossible to guess how many people will participate in Buy Nothing Day, Lasn says the movement has spread like wildfire thanks largely to the Internet. He estimates that tens of millions of people are aware of the day, while 2 to 3 million have actually tried taking a vacation from shopping. A few thousand more, he says, are more actively involved in protests and other demonstrations."

"What do you think of Buy Nothing Day? Is it well intentioned noble ideal, Communist conspiracy, or something else?"

Here is an interesting interview with the Adbusters' founder on CNN:


Another reason Adbusters gives for such actions is stop people from being so crazed about shopping that they actually trample each other to death ("Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death", Nov. 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/business/29walmart.html?_r=2)

A different alternative viewpoint on "buy nothing day" is: "Buy Local or Buy Nothing?"
(http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009095.html)
Some people argue that instead of buying nothing it makes more sense to buy local and more-sustainable goods and products. This sort of goes with the idea that we live in a capitalist society/system and that we need to make the best of it at this point rather than trying to destroy it.

These are important issues to think about and consider with no one easy answer.

Any other thoughts?

Classroom 2.0

I recently joined "Classroom 2.0" which seems like a good place to connect with other teachers who are also using many Web 2.0 tools. Classroom 2.0 is an educational social network that is part of the Ning networks. I'm sure I will have some updates soon regarding what I discover there...

A large portion of the work I currently do with my Studio Production students is also on an educational social network through Ning, so this seems like a good resource for me to explore. Uses of the Social Network (for my students) include: a place to post all homework and assignments, a site where students can submit all their work including video, music and photo projects, students can ask questions and add comments, they can take part in interactive discussions of relevant topics, they can access related video clips and links, important articles, blog posts and more. Most of my students seem to really appreciate this new way of enhancing classes. I will add more about postitive uses of educational social networks in the future.

New Media Literacy Project

Over the last week I designed and implemented a Media Literacy Project with Mr. Murphy's Info. Lit. Students as part of my Instructional Technology Practicum Program work. It was a very ambitious and detailed Project that I feel went very well. This interesting collaborative Technolgy Project included important aspects such as the use and understanding of: advertising, media messages, sexism, mysogyny, consumerism, commercials, parody, social networks and much more.

This interactive Project included 6 related sections.
Here is an excerpt from part 1 (without the student responses). Contact me or add comments if you're interested in getting more info. about this Project.


Intro. to Media Literacy

This is a short Project designed by Frontier Studio Production Teacher Mr. Merrick for Mr. Murphy's B1 and B2 Info. Lit. classes. This will be a 2-part (6 sections) Project during the first week of March, 2009.

Part 1 of this Media Literacy Project will be Analyzing Media. Watch the following video clips and answer the related discussion questions. These replies are Due: by Fri. March 6, 2009.

Part 2 of this Project will be Creating and Evaluating Media. You will be uploading, embedding or linking to Advertising Photos, Images and Videos. You will also be commenting on these Ads and/or creating your own Ad Parodies. These replies are Due: by Fri. March 13, 2009.

"What is Media Literacy?" An easy short answer is:

"The ability to analyze media and create effective media".

A longer answer is: developing the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in effective ways. It is an active engagement with media, just like web 2.0 refers to non-passive use of the internet. By examining and creating media we will no longer be just passive (brainwashed) consumers, but instead active media-makers and intelligent, informed consumers.

One of the many aspects of Media Literacy is to question and challenge mainstream media such as advertising. I want to start by analyzing some aspects of advertising such as pro-consumerism, the use of stereotypes and sexist images in ads.

Background info. for the following video clips. Adbusters is a non-profit group of technology experts, artists and writers who critique and make fun of corporations and mainstream media/advertising. Two events they promote each year are "Buy Nothing Day" (the day after Thanksgiving) to raise awareness about people buying too many unneccesary/wasteful luxury goods and "TV Turnoff Week"- to get people to occassionally take a break from TV media.

Watch the following short P.S.A.'s from Adbusters and answer the related discssion questions.

Here is the "The Product is You" video directly from Adbusters:


If that video is too slow, here is the same video on YouTube:


Adbusters' "Buy Nothing" Day PSA:


The same video on YouTube:


Abusters' "Unbrand America" PSA:


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS- For the Adbusters PSA's:

1.) Do you think these videos are effective? Why or why not? Do you think the messages are clear or confusing? Do you think the videos are thought-provoking? Why or why not?

2.) What do you think the messages are? How could these videos be more effective? Do you like (any of) these videos? Why or why not?

3.) How much more do Americans consume than other people in the world? Knowing that we need to buy some things to keep the economy going, does the idea of a "Buy Nothing Day" make sense?
(Not counting essential goods such as food and medicine)

Malcolm X- Part 2 and Wrap-up

Wow, the last week has been VERY BUSY with instructional technology and collaborative media work. I'm going to try to do short posts about a few of my recent activities including:

"Malcolm X" film by Spike Lee, Study part 2

Intro.: Excerpts from "Malcolm X: the facts, the fictions, the film" (NY Times article by Sheila Rule)

"...Director Spike Lee traces the black leader's dramatic evolution, from impoverished child, hustler and thief to convict to angry spokesman of the Nation of Islam contemptuous of "blue-eyed white devils" and, finally, after a pilgrimage to Mecca, to the powerful humanist who used his rhetorical gift to repudiate racial exclusivity before being gunned down at the age of 39."

"Mr. Lee says that his film does not glorify any one phase of the black leader's development but rather looks at "all the different Malcolms as making up one Malcolm."

"I know he was constantly evolving; I like the total evolution, the many transformations he made, because all of those together made Malcolm," Spike Lee said, adding that he realized that "there is a specific Malcolm some hold dear more than the other parts of Malcolm. Baraka and nationalists want their own Malcolm; the Nation of Islam definitely don't want you to push the Malcolm after he left the Nation of Islam. People just pick and choose what Malcolm fits their own personal agenda or own political beliefs."

Betty Shabazz, his widow said: "He said freedom by whatever means necessary to bring about a situation where members of the African diaspora were respected and treated as human beings wherever they reside," she said recently. "A lot of people didn't like that and said 'freedom by whatever means necessary' is violence.

Questions Part 2:

8. What did Elijah Muhammad and his Nation of Islam believe and teach about white men/white people? (That some were evil/"white devils" or that all were "white devils"?)


9. What else did Elijah Muhammad teach: regarding sex, marriage, drugs, alcohol and eating pork?


10. Why did Malcolm X start to question Elijah Muhammad and question Elijah Muhammad's beliefs/viewpoints? Why did Malcolm start to see him as hypocritical and dishonest? What are some of the things he discovered about Elijah Muhammad?


11. What was Malcolm's decision about the Nation of Islam? What was the Nation of Islam's reaction to Malcolm's actions? What did the Nation of Islam do? (towards Malcolm and his family)


12. After returning from his trip/pilgrimage to Mecca, what did Malcolm say about skin color? (and good human beings vs. bad/evil human beings?)


13. The film implies that other people may have been involved with killing Malcolm X in addition to, or instead of, the Nation of Islam. What do you think is suggested?


14. What do you think about the ending of the film? (with Nelson Mandela and the African and African American school kids shouting "I am Malcolm") Why do you think Spike Lee ends the film this way?


15. Do you have any other comments about Malcolm X, the man or the movie? Do you think this was worth studying?

"Malcolm X" Film Study/Discussion Questions

Here is part 1 of the Study Questions for Spike Lee's film "Malcolm X", the film that we are studying in Studio Production in honor of Black History Month.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND THESE QUESTIONS: I'm not trying to endorse or promote any particular viewpoint or belief except for wanting people to study/examine American history and to improve ethnic/race relations. I am trying to encourage people to: think for yourself and oppose racism and hatred.


1. At the beginning of Spike Lee’s film “Malcolm X” there is a sound collage of many very intense and provocative statements that Malcolm X made at different points in his life (read and portrayed by actor Denzel Washington) combined with the American flag burning and footage of the Rodney King beating. Why do you think Spike Lee starts the film this way? How do these particular Malcolm X statements and this sequence make you feel? Is it an effective intro? Why or why not?


2. After watching the entire film compare and contrast Malcolm X’s beliefs that are stated at the beginning of the film (earlier in his life) with his beliefs at the end of the film (later in his life). Evaluate: after watching the film and learning about Malcolm X’s life do you have a different feeling about the film’s opening statements?


3.Where did Malcolm X live and grow up as a young man? What was his nickname as a young man? What was Malcolm X’s original name? Why did he change his name?


4. Where was Malcolm X born? Where did Malcolm X live when he was a child? As a young man, what did he do for work and what was his lifestyle?


5. What happened to Malcolm X’s family when he was still a young child? What was Malcolm’s father’s occupation? What are some other events from his childhood that influenced his views?


6. Why did Malcolm get sent to prison? What inspired him to start thinking and living life differently?


7. Evaluate: what is the difference between how Malcolm X views white people as a young man, during and after prison and later in life?



To be continued…

Technology Media Projects- Uploading Videos and Animation

One of the many technology skills I'm teaching students is how to produce and upload videos to the internet. This technology skill includes many aspects such as; learning how to compress and expand files, how to import and export files, gaining an understanding of the different types of media files, understanding file size and learning different types of media-producing applications. Another aspect of this skill is learning about safety and ethical issues such as; protecting privacy and respecting copyright laws.

One of the many video projects we are working on this quarter is learning how to produce short stop-motion animation videos. Once this skill is mastered these techniques can be applied to addressing specific issues or presenting facts and information in innovative ways. This short project will fit in well with upcoming longer, more detailed media project such as the production of public service announcements. I have included a few examples of these recent student-produced animation videos from our Ning network.


Find more videos like this on Frontier Studio Production

Black History Month

The following post is an excerpt from my Ning educational network:

Black History Month is recognized and celebrated every year during the month of February. Why does it have to be during the shortest month of the year? (as many African American comedians and writers have pointed out). I think Black History should be part of history/cultural studies all the time, not just during February, but on the other hand it's important to recognize this time. After we get back from Feb. Break, I want to pay respect to Black History Month by watching, analyzing and discussing some important and influential films. There are many films that are often recommended for Black History Month including films such as: "The Color Purple", "Glory", "Rosewood", "To kill a mockingbird", "A soldier's story", "Ray" and "Ali"- to name just a few.

The first film I would like to show in recognition of Black History Month is "Malcom X" (1992) by Spike Lee. The criteria I used in selecting this film is based on several factors. First of all, Malcolm x was a very important and influential leader in American History and during the struggle for Civil Rights. Also, Malcolm X is a person who is often misunderstood and misrepresented in our country. Another reason I want to show this film is that is directed by Spike Lee, who is an African American filmmaker considered by many to be one of the great American Directors of our time. Spike Lee's filmography includes great films such as: "Inside Man" (2006), "Bamboozled" (2000), "Crooklyn" (1994) and "Do the right thing" (1989)- and many others. The film also features the excellent actor Denzel Washington in the title role. I plan on comparing and contrasting Spike Lee's movie with documentary news clips of the real Malcolm x and having some follow-up study questions/class discussions. I think all the video students will find the film (and related activities) interesting and thought-provoking.

Here is the trailer for the "Malcolm X" movie:


Clips from actual Malcolm X news footage:
("I am not a racist"- Malcolm X)