Ads for a Better Now

Lately I have been seeing a lot of ad about drinking and driving. It's interesting to think how big of a problem this really is. The ads I have seen are about drunk driving versus buzzed driving. The ads are set up to show that there is no difference. The ad features one picture of what happens to a car or a person after a car accident caused by alcohol consumption. The single picture is shown twice but one is labed "drunk driving" and the other is labeled "buzzed driving."

I think this is an excellent way to quickly and effectively get the idea across that there is no difference when it comes to impaired judgment. Alcohol consumption is still a major problem among teens. It's hard to believe that so many teens are getting their hands on not only alcohol but illegal drugs and abusing them at fatal or near fatal levels. These ads make me think about other things that are plaguing our teens. What are things in school that make life hard? What decisions are they faced with everyday?

This is definitely a touchy subject to be discussing in schools and certified counselors should be addressing these issues in the classroom often. I think for our purposes we could analyze the ads. What does this ad say about drinking and driving simply from the layout, text, and images? How and why is it effective? The teacher could have different ads from the Ad Council and other types of PSAs. If the teacher chooses, he/she could have a class discussion about messages that are communicated in the halls at school and how. Why is drinking seen as cool? Why is smoking seen as cool? Who defines cool? This is definitely an issue that would need to be approached with care and professionalism but it could work.

You are a Hero

This week I watched Rocky for the first time. It was an interesting experience because there are references about this movie all around me. This was basically a Cinderella story about a club boxer who gets his big chance in the ring. He realizes that nobody thinks he stands a chance. The only reason people want to help him is because of money. The person who cared most about him when he was a nobody was Adrian. Rocky and Adrian saw each other when no one else did.

I think this film has excellent themes and teaches great morals. Rocky had good standards and sense of self worth. I loved how Rocky tried to help that girl stay off the streets. He told her that life in the streets will only make her known by her reputation. He was also so gentle with Adrian. He told her brother to be nice to her and he was always thinking of ways to make her laugh. He genuinely had a good heart and his morals gave him motivation and showed a good example.

I think this film could inspire a lesson and activity on heroes. The teacher could ask the class who some of their heroes are. A list could be compiled then the teacher could ask why the heroes were selected. What are the qualities that make them heroic. After some discussion of heroic qualities, the teacher could ask who they think might see them as a hero. People seldom think about the people who look up to them. When they do notice it makes quite a difference in the way they act and carry themselves because they know they are the example.

Music You Can See

I had to analyze a music video for one of my other classes so I watched quite a few to find the one I wanted to write about. It was interesting to see the huge variety of music videos behind all these different artists. It got me thinking about what the purpose of music videos are and their place in the media world.

It seems like when a new song is released, everyone is listening to it. Your friends ask you if you've heard such-and-such song and if you haven't they immediately find it so you can listen to it. After the novelty of a song wears off the artist releases the music video to make their popularity last a little longer. As I thought more about the significance of music videos I decided that that it is the artist's (or the producer's) interpretation of the song. Music videos let the public see the inspiration for the song or a specific representation.

I think it would be fun to discuss music videos in a classroom and see why the students like them. The teacher could ask the students some of the music videos they have seen in the past month. The class could discuss the specific likes and dislikes of music videos in general. The teacher can get more specific by asking what kinds of music videos are liked by the students. The teacher could choose a "safe" music video and have the class analyze it. The teacher could ask about editing, picture choice, and portrayal of the band. This discussion could be quite interesting and many points of view could be seen.

Ethics

This week I did a presentation on media ethics. The information we discussed was quite interesting. There was a section in Reading and Writing that really helped me out. I was in a group with two other people and as a group we talked about a definition for media ethics and compared it to taste. We also talked about the effects of editing photos and the dangers of irrational journalism.


My part was media ethics vs. taste. Ethics has to do with being truthful and taste is a matter of thing we don't want to see (i.e. sex, violence, etc). It's not ethical to show a photo that has been altered to create a different meaning. News sources loose credibility when they get caught publicizing altered photos. An example is the cover of OJ Simpson that Times Magazine ran. The altered OJ's mug shot to make him look guiltier by making the photo more black. They probably wouldn't have got caught if Newsweek hadn't run the same picture on their cover, unaltered. The public knew there was something wrong when they saw the photos side by side.

It's not unethical to show a graphic photo of violence but it is questionable in taste. People need to have strong reasons to show photos like that. People don't want to see explicit violence or sex on TV or in the newspaper but sometimes it raises awareness. This doesn't mean we can't find more mellow, non-violent photos to raise awareness. Photos are powerful because the hit us in our gut.

I think an ethics lesson in a classroom could be extremely informational. The teacher could create a presentation containing definitions of ethics, taste, and anything else they feel applies. Included in the presentation could be pictures and video of altered media. The teacher could explain if the material is ethical or not and discuss with the class why. This lesson would be most effective with lots of discussion. The teacher could ask the students to think of media they have found to be questionable or without taste.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

This week I got the opportunity to watch The Wizard of Oz. I was surprised that I remembered all the songs and I could sing along. I think this film carries nostalgic meanings for every audience. I used to hate the black and white part as a kid because it was "boring" and "old." I think every little girl wanted a pair of ruby slippers to take them home or to meet the Wizard. This time when I watched it I sang every song out loud and in character. During the commercials I tried to remember everything I could about Judy Garland. This film has become a classic of all ages and all generations.

It's sad how the acceptance and acclaim of the film and Judy Garland did not reflect Judy's personal thoughts of herself. The public loved Judy and her work but she needed constant reminders from those close to her. She was attacked from the inside out by Hollywood. She didn't feel pretty or talented and tried to be accepted by the Hollywood executives. She was told she was the "ugly duckling" and was made to wear things to change her figure and appearance. As I watched the film I realized that the Wizard of Oz poetically and tragicly contridicts Judy Garland's personal life. She didn't like herself and her mentality couldn't be turned around by anyone.

The story behind the story of The Wizard of Oz is interesting but I'm not sure if that kind of analysis is what I want to teach kids about. I think this film could be used as a simple film analysis. It would be nice if the eniter film could be shown but clips could work too. The teacher could show clips and ask the students about the basic elemets of the film. The class could discuss how these elements create a theme. I think this would be fun activity because the students would bring a variety of ideas to the table and come up with unique themes.

Guzzle Guzzle

This week started out with a video game called Root Beer Tapper. I was captivated instantly! The aim of the game is to give all the customers root beer before they get to the end of the counter. You also have to catch all the empty glasses that get sent back before they fall on the floor. After you clear all the customers from the bars you move on to the next level. Sometimes satisfied customers leave tips. You have to run down the bar to get the tip. When the tip is received it brings entertainment. This buys you time because some of the customers stop traveling down the bar to watch the show. You don't really need any intense video game experience. I got better and better every time I played the game.

This game created some interesting analysis. I was playing this game at a male friend's house with my husband and brother-in-law. As I played I improved with each leve and each attempt. I filled up the top ten score sheet by myself. The boys got into the action and they seemed surprised that I was as good as I was at this game. They commented to each other that they had never gotten the high scores I got. This sparked some interesting thoughts in my head.

After reading the video game article that I found it was interesting to see the gender gap in video games. The boys were surprised that a girl could do so well. I grew up with three brothers so I had plenty of exposure to video games. I think what was most interesting is that boys typically think that video games just aren't girls' "thing." They are definitely justified in thinking this way. I usually don't get into video games but this one caught my interest. I was pleased with myself that I could surprise the boys like I did but at the same time I didn't feel the need to prove anything.

I think this could be a good classroom discussion about why boys and girls like (or don't like) certain things. I think a good introduction could be the book that Amy showed us for the gender section. The teacher could briefly explain and give a definition of gender roles and then ask the class what they think separates boys from girls. The teacher could also take time to discuss how gender roles have changed over the years. I think it would be fun to have the boys and girls make a list about the things they think the other likes. After they compile their lists, the class could go through them together and see how accurate each view is. I think it would be interesting to see what the boys and girls actually like.

Rated E for Everyone!

I have been taking note of a lot of commercials lately. The commercials I have noticed most these past few weeks are the Nintendo DS commercials. They are simple yet profound. Nintendo has used celebrities like Nicole Kidman, America Ferrera, Liv Tyler, and Carrie Underwood to promote their product. I think this is pretty strategic because each celebrity reaches a different demographic or audience. The commercials are simple because they just show "candid" moments of fun with Nintendo DS. The commercial ends with the featured celebrity saying the name of the game featured and "only on Nintendo DS."



As I thought about these commericals I wondered what made them so intersting. I found that the appealing aspects were not only the celebrity endorcement but a peek into the private, "normal" lives of the famous. I think these commercials were effective because they appeal to the emotions of the viewers. People are always wondering about the personal lives of the rich and famous that's why tabloids are still in check out lines. Nintendo definitely did a great job at showing how even celebrities can have fun with a "simple" high-tech toy.



This could be a fun lesson in the classroom about celebrity endorsements. The teacher could teach the class about how companies will sometimes use famous actors or singers to sell their products. The teacher could ask the class to name the celebrities they have recently seen in commercials. After the lesson, the teacher could have each student invent a product and then assign a celebrity to sell it. The student would have to tell how the celebrity would sell it (i.e. show them using it, show post use, have them hold it, etc). The students could aslo analyze commericals that the teacher has found. The class could discuss how the commercial is effective and what makes people want to buy the product.

Media Frenzy

So the big story in the media today (the day after presidential elections) is of course Obama as the new President of the United States. Not surprisingly, this story is everywhere. Every media outlet and technology is being used to publicize and even celebrate the outcome of the election. All the news stations last night were covering the results of the elections, radio was covering the election, newspapers, websites, billboards and even bumper stickers promoted the importance of electing a new president. I found it extremely interesting how as months turned into days and days turned into hours, more media was being utilized for politics. I definitely think it is an important part of our patriotic duty as US citizens to vote and participate in elections. I noticed a lot more with this election the important role media had in helping America "know" and "see" the political canditades.

As I was thinking about all the media coverage I thought of specifically why it was important that different kinds of media were being used for an election. My first thought was this was a sure way to reach almost everyone. Since these elections are so important it is equally as important for the public to be informed. Not everyone has access to a television or the internet but radio is pretty easily accessable as is the newspaper and billboards. I also think that the compilation of all this media created a more complete whole.

As I tried to be informed about the elections I drew information from all over the place. I watched national morning news and looked at websites for both local and international news. I listened to NPR and KSL. I listened to what people were saying about the candidates, read the paper and watched the debates. By looking at the information in different media formats I was able to get a more complete picture of political standings. As the elections got closer I looked at the websites provided by each candidate. I know I didn't catch everything the candidates were working on but I was able to get a broad range of information that helped me make an informed personal decision.

Now, application for the classroom dosen't necessarily have to be about politics. I would like to explore the broad idea of utilizing all media to spread information. I think it would be benificial to talk to the class about the election and what happens in an election (being as objective as possible and leaving out personal political opinions). Explain how people vote to elect the new president of the United States. The teacher could ask the class how they thought their parents got their information (via radio, newspaper, TV, internet, etc). The teacher could give a lesson on the different strenghts and benifits of the different types of media. After the lesson, the teacher could set up a senerio saying that each student is running for president. How would they tell people to vote for them and why? How would they use media to inform their voters so they could make a decision? Each student could write a proposal for how they would use five different kinds of media to promote their campaign. Each student would get to share their proposals with the class when complete.

Knowledge is Power!

I was listening to NPR today and it was interesting the things they discussed about politics. I listened to All Things Considered and they were talking about how people were connected to current issues. The thing that stood out most to me was when they were talking about SNL and other media that creates parody of the debates and candidates. They opened up the phones to listeners to discuss how media is shaping people's opinions. A listener called in and pointed out that the parodies were not funny unless you knew about the original. She explained that some witty comments were often missed because people hadn't seen the debate or didn't go to the rally.

This was interesting to me because I think programs like SNL can be extremely influential both ways. I have heard people express concerns about how the SNL skits can be ruining the politicians' image because they just make fun and present important, professional issues as silly and insignificant. I think to a certain extent this could be true if people choose to be ignorant. If viewers are only laughing because everyone else is laughing then it's their own fault that they don't understand the issues.

For me, when I saw the skits, they were only funny if I saw the thing they were creating their parody from. There were a couple skits that I saw before I saw the actual media clip. I watched the SNL version of the Couric/Palin interview. As I watched I didn't understand what was so funny about it. This skit encouraged me to look at the real thing. I looked up the real interview and then went back to the skit. It made so much more sense because I was informed. I think these skits are more encouraging than distructive. They encourage the public to be involved and informed so they can understand the humor.

I think this could be a great lesson for the classroom. The teacher could teach about the importance of information and knowledge. They could take an everyday task or element and ask the class to tell her/him about it. After the class explanation, the teacher could ask why it is important to know about the specific element. The class could engage in a discussion about the element's uses and maybe other things that are important to know how to use. I think the main lesson that should be taught is to seek out information. Students should walk away knowing how to form their own informed opinions based on facts not what the crowd is doing.


Need to know the news to understand the satire

New Record!

This week I had an extremely entertaining encounter with MacMan. As I kid, I loved to play the old PacMan on the gameboy and when I rediscovered this game I was absolutely thrilled. My brother-in-law has an iPhone and as I was shuffling through his applications and photos I found this game. I really did yell outloud with joy and asked him how to play. I figured it out while he was explaining it to me and I lost track of time as I was playing.

The game is pretty simple: eat the little white dots and don't let the mosters get you. As you progress through the levels, other specialty items start popping up and you need to collect them to move forward. It took some time to get into a grove and I would yell "Oh no! I died!" When I ran out of lives. I can honestly say this game filled me with child-like joy as I gobbled up the little pebbles.

As I thought about this game later I didn't exactly know what to make of it. I had a lot of memories attached to this game; one inparticular of sitting in the doctor's office with my brothers waiting for my mom to finish up a pregnancy check up. Her doctor understood that kids get bored waiting for mom so he had about 4 or 5 gameboys for the kids to play while they waited. I guess this was just a purely nastalgic media encounter. It made me realize (even more) that so many things can trigger memories or have significant personal meaning.

I this lesson of personal meaning can be incorporated into the classroom in a variety of ways. One way could be showing the class photos of ordinary everyday objects like a cooking spoon, a blanket, a bed, a potted flower, a swing set, etc. With each object the teacher could ask the class what meaning or memories they associate with the object. After some discussion the teacher could explain that the concept of different personal meaning can apply to understanding media. Because everyone experiences life differently we each interpret themes and elements based on our personal experiences. The teacher could then show a clip of a film that has multiple meanings and ask the class the meanings they derived from it. I think this would be a fun activity because there would be a variety of meanings rooted in the students different exeriences.

$10 Dinner

http://www.kfc.com/promos/commercial.asp

The buzz around the state, the nation, and the world is the economic crisis that has cast it's shadow over the stock market. Things seem to be going fine in my small world consisting of BYU campus and my homey apartment but I am still informed and it seems everyone is trying to make sure the American public stays calm. I especially noticed how commercials are letting customers know that certain business are aware of the hurting economy but they are going to make sure that people feel comfortable spending money.

The example that I thought about this week was KFC's most recent commercial. This commercial shows a mother and her two kids taking the "KFC $10 Challenge." They have to be able to buy the ingredients to make a seven-piece meal for under $10. It shows the family in a grocery store shopping for the different ingredients. They meet up a the end with what each memeber has gathered and the mom adds everything up on her calulator to discover that they have gone over their $10 limit. They abandon their cart of groceries and head over to KFC. The announcer the announcer says that a seven-piece meal can't be cooked at home for under $10. He continutes to add that only KFC has the "secret recipie." He urges viewers at the end of the commerical to try the challenge.

As I watched this commercial I thought it was extremely intune with what the American public is thinking right now. The commercial takes the point of view of the viewer by acknowledging that most families are trying to cut costs by eating in. The selling point is that it is cheaper to eat out than try and buy ingredients for the same meal. This ad is essentially telling customers that it is more than ok to eat out without overspending.

I thought this ad could be quite effective in getting people to eat at KFC. I think this could be a great lession in a classroom. I think the main focus could be advertising using current events. I think it would be fun to have the class make a list of current events that have happened within the last six months. With this list, I would have students divide up into groups of about five or so and pick an event to advertise with. Before the groups split up we would have a lesson about how advertisements relate to their audiences. This shows that the company or busines that is advertising cares about what their customers care about. Each group would act out a commercial trying to sell a product using the current event. They would beable to create cosutmes and props out of custruction paper and ribbons (or other craft things the teacher can round up). I think the hands-on will help students learn better.

I'm A PC

With all the competition between Mac and PC it's pretty interesting how many new features each computer has. I love the Apple commercials with Mac and PC but I recently saw a PC commercial that was a type of response to Apple's commercials. The opening of the commercial had a guy dressed up like PC his brown jacket, glasses, thinning hair, and slumped posture. I think they wanted people to think this was an Apple commercial. I thought it at first until the PC character opens his mouth and says, "I'm a PC and I'm not alone." The commercial goes through a montage of PC users from African schools to European fashion designers. It shows people from different walks of life saying "I am PC."

I thought it was creatively done but I wondered why they chose to execute their idea the way they did. I think they wanted to directly respond to Apple first of all, by alluding to their commercials in the beginning. They took the idea that Apple had about their computers being personal companions and easy to use and said, "Hey! We do that too!" They wanted the public to know that PC/Windows can work well for the office and media. They wanted to break away from the idea that they are only good for documents and data. I have seen some pretty awesome graphic media technology developed by Windows. I enjoyed seeing the different PC users from different backgrounds. They had people who used PCs in offices and people who used PCs to create and show video. They covered a wide range of uses which helped explain and show their audiences how PCs can be just as effective.

This could be a challenging lesson to take into a classroom. I think I would want to talk to the students about company battles through commercials. I would definitely have to do some outside research but I would try and find all kinds of ads for various products and their rival company's response ads. I would use Apple and Windows as and example. I would show a couple Apple commercials and then show Windows' response commercials. I would talk to the students about how each commercial is portraying the rival's product and why they thought the companies chose to advertise that way. We would analyze the commercials as a class and discuss the effective and ineffective aspects of each. After the discussion I would ask the class which ad is more persuasive and effective in selling the product. I would then split the class into groups and have half the groups create an advertisement (paper, video, radio) on one product and have the other groups create an ad on the rival's product (or each group could pick a unique product to advertise). I think this could be a fun lesson that could have creative and interesting outcomes.

Live vs. Broadcast

I attended a party during the week and I was captivated by the media! My husband had a work party this week and the company he works for is huge! There were so many people they held it in the McKay Center at UVU. They played their own version of The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, and Family Feud. It was pretty exciting watching the employees answer questions about their company.

Because there were so many people they set up four screens that had the games "broadcast". The cameras got closer shots from all angles. Even though I was right there in the same room, I kept watching the screens. I was close enough to the stage that I could see what was going on but my eyes were drawn to the screens. I kept thinking it was because the cameras had a closer more detailed shot but I think it may be because I'm so used to watching things on screens that I'm automatically drawn to them.

I think this could turn into a fun classroom lesson. The teacher could have an aid or another student give a short presentation to the class while being filmed. The camera could be feeding live into one or two televisions on either side of the presenter. After the presentation the teacher could ask (after observing) how many people kept looking at the screen instead of directly at the presenter. The teacher could then open up a discussion by asking WHY. This would give the students the opportunity to think about what just happened. The teacher can use this discussion to explain how media and screens are such a huge influence in our lives.

Breakfast Anyone?

I recently had an encounter with a humorous Jimmy Dean commercial. It made me laugh and also got the point across. Jimmy Dean is most known for their breakfast meats (sausage and bacon) and just recently their breakfast bowls and sandwiches. The commercial I saw put a person/personality with the sun and the moon. There was a problem that was solved with Jimmy Dean croissant sandwiches. It was pretty good (check it out for yourself).

As I thought about the commercial later I wondered how it was significant and why Jimmy Dean chose to present their product the way they did. They took a simple idea of Day and Night and created characters out of them. The characters are wearing obvious costumes but also their skin colors match day and night. They also played with words. the sun sees the moon and asks him why he isn't "full" as in complete. Moon says he's not feeling it and Sun gives him a Jimmy Dean breakfast croissant. At the end of the commercial Moon is "full" as in filled with food. Sun saves the night with a breakfast croissant.

This commercial showed a lot of creativity. It took simple everyday ideas things and created a simple story: Moon needs help getting "full" so Sun finds the solution in a breakfast croissant. I think this could be a fun lesson in a class room. The teacher could show this commercial to the class and simply ask what they liked (or didn't like) and why. It appealed to me not only because it was extremely creative but because it was straight forward and simple. I loved the idea of the sun and moon working in an office together. I think talking to students about basic elements like story plot, character development/creation, and execution can be extremely effective in showing how to appeal to an audience.

Photos with Meaning

I decided to pick a couple images from my photo essay to post this week. I love fall. I'm not sure why but I love being outdoors and watching the leaves change colors. The colors of fall are definitely appealing and one of my favorite thing about the season. As I was putting together my photo essay I kept remembering my family's fall picnic. I told my husband that I wanted to continue the tradition and he thought it was a good idea.

My initial experience with these photos was positive. It got me thinking of all the photographic possibilities fall has to offer. As I thought of pictures I jumped to frames and color and how they would look on the walls in bedrooms and the living room in my home. I rekindled my love for photography. I enjoy taking pictures and framing my work for people to see. The pictures above gave me a sense of peace and rest. Fall is a time of change and nature is getting ready to settle down for the winter. I wanted people to experience the beautiful colors and imagine the cool air brushing past their nose and ears.

As this process and excitement went on I thought of what this meant. How could I analyze the situation and media? How could I not! Media is a huge part of my life and has been ever since I can remember. I reflected on why I like to take pictures and it's importance in describing me. I particularly like photography because I could focus on specific element of my subjects. I could show off certain parts that were visually appealing and I could hide others.

I loved the way I felt after taking the perfect picture. I wanted others to feel this feeling so I would share the photo. Sometimes I wouldn't get the reaction I wanted. I realized this was because the feeling became part of the moment and state of mind. If people have clear minds and unbiased thoughts then they can get quite a bit out of photographs (or any media for that matter).

I think this would be an interesting topic for the classroom. This could turn into a fun activity with critical discussion at the end. The teacher could divide the class into groups and give each group a camera. The students would go around the school building and the school yard taking pictures. The teacher could preface the activity by telling the students to take pictures of thinks that are emotionally appealing or give no preface at all. Each would have interesting and unique results.

When the students returned the teacher could show the photographs on a projector and ask the photographer why they took the picture and how it made them feel. I think encouraging the students to think about why and give concrete answers can get the imaginative juices flowing. An optional homework assignment could be to have everyone bring back a photograph they took ready to explain to the class why they took it and what emotions, if any, they were trying to portray.

Eleven 01

Post-breakfast kitchen

Towers return to the dust
Cool, crisp, fall morning

Opposition In All Things

This week I had a media encounter with the film Momma's Boy. At first I was a little reluctant to watch it because I didn't like Napoleon Dynamite all that much. Unfortunately, my first impressions of the film were right. Honestly, I didn't like it. There wasn't much character development and the dialogue seemed way to scripted. I understand what they were trying to accomplish and how they wanted to portray the characters but it was so over the top that it came across as terribly dry.

The movie is about a kid (well, he's 28) who lives with his mom because he feels it is his mission to take care of her since his dad died when he was a small boy. He drops out of college because he is homesick and he spends every weekend playing games with his mom and planning dinners for two. He seems to be dating his own mother to protect her from getting her heart broken. What he doesn't realize is that he is breaking her heart by not letting go.

I tried to analyze this film and found myself hitting some roadblocks. What I mainly kept asking myself was why I didn't like the film. I commented to my husband that it was a dumb movie and I realized it was because everything seemed so fake. I haven't ever seen people talk or interact that way in real life. I think audiences can suspend believability to a certain extent. Dialogue is definitely an element that is hard to fudge. I think I didn't like this film because the dialogue was too un-real. John Heder's character stumbled over words and not just simple words, large vocabulary words. If he was going to use big literary terms he needed to be able to speak clearly. I'm noticing that audiences are less forgiving when it comes to anything sound related. I definitely think the dialogue was a huge contibutor to this negative experience.

I think everyone can learn from bad examples. In a classroom students could be asked about movies or media they didn't like. As a list is compiled, have the students explain and engage in discussion about why they didn't like it. Looking at this media from a different perspective can definitely be benificial. As the students engage in discussion the teacher could ask the students what they think the author of the text was trying to accomplish and how they could have accomplished it better. This kind of discussion can get creative juices flowing and encourage openmindedness.

Politics as Usual

This week I was able to watch the debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. It was informative and professional. It was a bit of an anticipated event for the nation because Palin had not done so well in television interviews and Biden was a well-known and experienced politician. I wasn't able to watch it live but I watched it online. It was interesting how I felt the tension between the candidates even though I was watching alone, online.

The debate went well and each candidate was extremely professional. Neither one attacked the other and they made sure to point out the ideas they respect about each other. They talked about issues currently worrying the American public. They talked about the war, economy, housing, and families. There were glimpses into each candidate's background as they spoke lovingly about their families. Over all, everything went smoothly and was well handled.

As I thought more about the debate itself and how it would affect me individually I started to see my opinions forming. As each candidate addressed issues about war, economy, and housing I asked myself what I wanted as a voter. I listened carefully to get more information on topics I was unfamiliar with. This debate wasn't just about seeing where the candidates stand but also figuring out where I stood. I was able to internalize the issues and figure out how I wanted life for my family to be as American citizens.

I think this can be a powerful teaching tool in the classroom. I think kids might get bored with watching a 90 minute debate but they could watch clips and analyze what the points are and how they are brought across. I think a class could engage in discussion about the positives and negatives of a sertain stance on certain issues. They could then go from there and decide which stance has more positive benifits. I think activities and discussions that engage students with political information can help them see the importance of being politically active. Students wouldn't have to make people agree with them or even vocalize their opinion. They just need to know the importance of voting. I think with each election it is more important for younger generations to be politically informed and vote.

Stock Market Crisis All Over?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26958549/displaymode/1107/s/2/

I frequent the MSNBC website because I like to know what is going on in the world I'm living in. I love looking at their "Picture Stories" because it adds variety to the pages and pages of text. This week the site featured photos of stock exchange woes around the world. It was definitely an eye opener because most of the news has been about the stock market at home. I caught a glimpse outside America's "crisis" bubble.

This photo essay featured stock exchanges from around the world. My favorites were the markets in Paris and Pakistan. The Paris picture has some urgency about it. It may just me my personal interpretation because lost of people here are a little nervous and there is movement in the photo. I have no idea what the information on the monitors means and his desk is piled with papers. This is definitely an area I am not familiar with (the stock exchange) and the processes and language is unknown. I am only able to get meaning from the visual elements I understand.

I like the Pakistan photo because the person pictured is sleeping. I don't know why he is sleeping but I can't help but think it's because there is nothing he can do. He is waiting for further instructions or a specific alert via phone or e-mail. I notice all the fans and it reminds me how hot is is there. The computer monitor is something familiar and it becomes my grounding point.

There are captions with the photos but they are vague. I am left with my own interpretation. My interpetation is based on what I have been seeing and experiencing here in America. I have seen the worried analysts and reporters on the news and I try to follow everthing that is going on. I am only seeing one side and it has been somewhat negative with fear. I keep hearing words like recession and depression and crash.

I think these photos could be used in a classroom to show how biased, one-sided information affects the way we interpret media. Sometimes we can't help the lack of information but we can find out as much as we can. I also think it is important to recognize that we don't know all sides and it is alright to admit it sometimes. I will never know the inner workings of the New York Stock Exchange but I can find out how things that go on there will affect me. These photos can be interpreted in a classroom using the information the students already know and then the teacher can give them more information or send them places to find more info. I guess the main lesson would be to take into account biases and how they can affect interpretation.

Adventure Racing!

I was able to visit my family this week and as I was watching TV, I noticed some old Nintendo games on the floor around the TV. As I looked through them I remember all the fun my brothers and I had with these games. I picked up a game and put it in the console and began a game. All these memories of Christmas and fun competition came back. The game I started playing was Beetle Adventure Racing. This was such a fun game because we could race the new beetle bug cars and make them honk their horns.


I definitely had nostalgic reasons for play this game. As I played I remembered short cuts and the special boxes I was supposed to get. While I played my family watched as I crashed into everything. My 13-year-old brother was telling me which roads to take and where forgotten shortcuts were. We were all laughing and remembering what we found so interesting about these video games.

As I looked analytically at this game I noticed that you needed to place pretty high in each race and gather the most points you could so you could unlock more features and cars in the game. As I was playing, my brother told me how he used a "cheat card" to he could start with the best cars. I wondered what this game was trying to say? It was definitely fun to play but it brought out a competitive side in it's players. I shows how persistence and shortcuts can help us win races. This can be a positive or negative lesson.

I think this game can be used as a teaching example by asking students how they won the race. What did they need to know before to be successful? Did they need someone to teach them the controls or did they they already know what the buttons did? What is the objective? I think it would be beneficial for students to break down the game and see all the parts. How does the game work? Why is it so entertaining? What elements make the game more enjoyable but have nothing to to with the race (i.e. music, sound effects, etc.)? I think this type of critical thinking is a good exercise to show students collaboration.

'Cause we Rock!

Over the weekend I got to spend time with my 10 year old sister. She is really into the Disney Channel and its media. She had been wanting me to watch Camp Rock for a few weeks. I was finally able to watch it with her and was pleasantly surprised at what I saw.

It was everything I could have expected from a Disney Channel Original Movie. It had songs, young celebrities, and a definite moral. It reminded me a lot of the Prince and the Pauper and Cinderella. It's about a young girl, Mitchie, who really wants to go to Camp Rock that has produced famous kid artists like Connect 3 (played by the Jonas Brothers). The only way Mitchie is able to go to this camp is if her mom works in the kitchen. She is of course ashamed of what her mom does since everyone else comes from wealthy families or they are children of huge stars. This movie is basically about Mitchie's journey to fit in at camp while accepting her true self.

This movie had some pretty blunt themes. Toward the end of the movie the mom gives Mitchie a talk about how she needs to accept herself and stop trying to "fit in." She tells Mitchie that she is special and important because she is unique. If others don't accept her for her true self then they aren't worth spending time with: Moral #1.

Moral #2 comes from the bully Tess. She is mean to everyone throughout the entire camp. As an older critical thinker I could see that Tess was mean mean to compensate for the lack of attention from her mom. She held her popular status anyway she could. Putting down others made her feel better (until the little people stood up to her). In the end, Tess got what she deserved and had to apologize to the people she hurt. This shows kids that being mean and lying will get you into more trouble later and you won't have any friends.

I think the blunt morals/themes were great for kids because they like it right up front. They don't know exactly how to find deeper meanings in media texts through critical analysis. This movie works great because it presents real-life situations that the kids can relate to. The dialogue and parental guidance helps guide the kids right into the morals.

Interaction with this media can be used as a teaching example because it addresses issues kids see in school everyday. This is the world kids live in. The situations in this movie are taken right out of every local school in the nation. I think after watching this movie kids can engage in discussions about their school experiences. I talked to my sister about this movie. I think she can relate and that is why she likes it so much (not to mention the songs are extremely catchy). I think bluntly stated morals and themes can help younger kids know what to look for in other forms of media. This movie can help kids know what to do in specific situations at school and help them be problem solvers.

Raising the Bar? What bar?

It's interesting how quickly a commercial can get into your mind and plant an advertisement. I recently saw television ad for a TNT drama Raising the Bar. The commercial was only about thirty seconds but the message was provocative and quite clear.

It started with a deep announcer voice telling when and where the show could be seen. The voice over played during a montage of episode clips. As the commercial was coming to an end the screen went grey and bold, white words filled the middle of the screen as the voice over announced them: Sex, Justice, Betrayal. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I couldn't believe how blunt this commercial was. I realized that this was a cable ad but most homes today have cable.

As I tried to analyze this ad I realized it was a social statement. This ad says quite a bit about what audiences like to see in their primetime dramas. There is hardly any video media out there that doesn't have some kind of sexual reference or scene. Sex sells and that's why it's there. It's sad when the "wholesome" films and shows that don't carry sexual references get cancled or don't sell as many copies.

I think this ad could be used in a class room by asking students what it is saying about the society they live in. After a short discussion the students could make a list of similar ads or shows that would capture the same audience or portray the same messages. This activity could be done in groups. Each group could give a mini presentation on the media they chose and the characteristics that are being portrayed by society. After the presentations the students could engage in a class discussion about how to personally filter out unnecessary themes or subject matter. The discussion could include how to avoid harmful media and how to get out of situations containing such media.

Need an agent? Get Smart.

This week's media encounter was with the movie Get Smart. I've been pretty excited to view this film and it finally made it's way to the dollar theater (wahoo). This was definitely not a disappointment. I think Steve Carell his hilarious and Anne Hathaway is gorgeous. This film was about a secret agent, Max, that wants desperately to go out and work in the field. He is CONTROL's best analyst and The Chief doesn't want to let him go. This film covers Max's journey from office analyst to field agent. This was definitley a entertainment viewing.

As I have had time to think and analize the film, I realize that there was substance there. The film was all about CONTROL vs. KAOS. Now, if that isn't explicit I don't know what is. I think what made the film so funny was the common sense. Everyone thinks of secret agents as super-smart people with a huge vocabulary and and equally sizable brains (most of the time this is propbably true) but this movie shows the "normal" side of agents. As Max goes about completing his mission he speaks what he thinks and isn't afraid to look stupid. He isn't afraid to ask questions and he utilizes every resoruce available to him.

I think these ideas can teach a lot to children. I think a certain age group would be able to view this film and then engage in a class discussion on what they got from it. It definitely teaches about asking questions and gaining information. I think it is extremely important that children understand that if they don't understand something they need to ask for clarification. Most of the time the majority of the class has the same question but everyone is too timid to speak up.

This film can be used as a teaching example by showing it to teachers/educators and then sending them off create an activity that can help children ask more questions and show them that they can be as smart as an agent. Agents are problem solvers and helping a student understand how to recognize problems and solve them can be extremely benificial.

Some game ideas could include an agent game. Present the students with a problem facing the world, their school, or their community. Have them get in groups and brainstorm ways to solve it. Have them write or design a "secret plan" to get "citizens" involved to help solve the problem. I think people, in general, learn better when they have to work for or find the information.

Facing Facebook

So this weeks first media encounter was definitely Facebook. I'm sure I'm not the only one who perused this site this week. Networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are becoming a huge part of teen and adult life. I am constantly on the lookout for friends who have recently joined or new picture posts.

Facebook, as everyone already knows, is a social networking site. The main page tells simply exactly what to expect: "Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you." It goes on to list its uses:

It's understandable purpose and uses prevents confusion for potential users. Also the layout seems simple enough for those who have basic website navigating skills.

So how would one go about analyzing Facebook? Well for starters the simple and informative sign up page lets users know that it is user friendly and productive. After signing up, the user enters into the ultimate network. They can join groups, add friends, share pictures and thoughts. The status update lets others know at a glace what the user is doing.

I have been a Facebook user for a couple years and it has been interesting to watch it evolve and shape itself around the users. The creators of Facebook have listen to the outcrys or praises of its users. When I first joined Facebook, there were some elements that weren't exactly user friendly so users protested by creating groups. There were groups about all the things everyone hated and all the users who agreed joined the groups. The creators took note and things changed quickly. I have used Facebook to keep in touch with long distant friends and relatives and to stay updated on their lives.

I think Facebook can be used in the classroom to teach students how to network and to show them the power of the Internet. I think an important lesson could be about what is “safe” and appropriate to put on the Internet. As the networking sites have boomed employers are taking advantage. Most sites have places to describe skills and interests or display samples. These sites are becoming individual impressions to the world. If an employer sees questionable pictures or comments of a potential employee on their personal page they might reconsider hiring this person. In the classroom we could teach how to stay professional and still have fun on networking sites. We need to engage in discussions and examples of who has access to their personal pages and how to prevent dangerous or embarrassing situations.