Week 2 Comment

I was searching different blogs and came across Deb Quinn's - My comment on her page:

I really like that way that he presented the material and that is a great way to keep a kids attention. The thing that impressed me the most was the facts that he talked about in the clip. I now know why my school never has any funding to do anything, It is hard working at a low income school and the fact that they don't use the money for education really irritates me. It really puts a hole in my budget when I have to buy all the material for my students to perform labs because my school doesn't have the budget to pay for it. Thanks for that and I can use that to help with my thesis.


What she wrote about and had on her page:

Week 2 New Media, Old Politics? Video from MIT World

Even though the video New Media, Old Politics? was primarily about politics, I found Garret LoPorto’s discussion regarding psychographics particularly interesting. The use of the internet to target specific cultural communities was something that I hadn’t really given any thought to before this video. When I am introduced to ideas such as this I feel like I have been living under a rock! LoPorto goes on to explain how the internet was and is used to reach and to organize like-minded people to create a constituency. This led me to another reason of why it is so important to teach our students through inquiry-based learning. They are bombarded daily with images and ideas through the internet and television that they need to be confident and to question what they see, hear, and read. Part of LoPorto’s discussion was centered on the need to find out the underlining belief system of a group of people so that it can be targeted. Once their belief system is discovered it can be used and manipulated to spread ideas, that benefit a certain group or political party. “If a person can identify with the idea it becomes a belief, and they pass it on because it will enhance their identity.” (LoPorto,2004)
I will be very interested to hear what your feelings are on this topic.
True Majority.(2007).The oreo cartoon. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://www.truemajorityaction.com/oreos/

here is a sample video from the website truemajorityaction.org that is mentioned in by Garrett LoPorto:




Sources:
Week 2 New Media, Old Politics? Video from MIT World. Deb Quinn. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from
http://debquinn.blogspot.com/2009/07/week-2-new-media-old-politics-video.html?showComment=1248039154464#c744565622066665181

Week 2 - Reading - Convergence Culture

In the reading for this week it just really had an profound affect on me as a teacher. I really see myself as that person that was all bent out of shape when it came to the Harry Potter books and why are Christians reading them. I never thought of me as one of those people but I really am. As I got to the end of chapter 5, I came across a couple of lines that really were powerful to me. We don't need to be adults that teach children and they learn but rather where the children are teaching themselves. This is a problem that many teachers are facing when it comes to technology because they are scared of it but we need to allow the children to be creative. I remember this video that Dr. Ludgate showed and it has never left my mind and it deals with the same issue here. It is called Pay Attention and it telling teacher, parents, anyone that will listen how to use the technology that we have to allow the students to learn.



Resource

jsdt4.(2007).Pay Attention - Final Cut.Retrieved June 7, 2007, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2E2F0DmyE

Week 2 - Documentary

So, for my media project I will be shooting a documentary. I will be showcasing my journey of creating a virtual lab and then students, teachers, and administrators practicing it out. I do hope it goes well with them because at the end of my film I will show me having a meeting with my Superintendent, President of the School Board, Principal, and many others. I will show them the film and present to them my idea about why we really shouldn't block every technology site at the district and how the virtual lab that I created can help the district. I know a big undertaking but someone has to do it right. I am so nervous but it will get me prepared to present my thesis to the panel at the university. So, I have been studying the proper way to shoot a documentary and found a decent clip on YouTube. I will be asking help from one of our many great professors we had Kathy Craven. I want this to be really good as a media project and make sure it doesn't look like a 9 year old could have done this. So check out the YouTube video that will help me out in the process.



Resource:
expertvillage.(2008).Filmmaking: How to create an Documentary.Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUsdwDgPqxs

Week 2 - iMovie Intro Tricks

For my media project, I will be shooting an documentary so I want to learn everything there is to know about iMovie. I have been playing around with iMovie and learning all the trick of the trade that comes with it. I have found out a lot and really excited about everything. I know that this is my new best friend. Frustration is setting in because there is so much to do in such a little time.






Photo taken by me

Week 2 - Thesis and Media Project

I have been working so hard on the thesis I forgot to blog about my progress. I am really excited about what I have come up with and the help from Dr. Bedard. I thought that I was done with all of my research till she had mention another problem to me that have in paper. That meant more research but the problem is something that people are dealing with everyday at schools. Why are schools blocking everything on the internet that can be beneficial to the learning process. I really excited about this and ready to add this to my already long title of a thesis. I think that if I can help with the problem in my district then I can achieve a lot. There are many things that people need to sit back and think about when they block websites. Its funny to me that I have been researching virtual science labs but had to look at them when I got home because my school would block those sites. I didn't think that was a porn site or anything bad for a kid to look at. We want out students to be creative and express themselves or they will just act up in class. I know this will call for more research but I am so excited to do this if it can help at least one district.



Photo taken by me - I am with my students and gave them my laptop and told them to express themselves