Modern Family??

How “modern” is the Modern Family? I started thinking about this question after we viewed one of the episodes in class. Something really stood out to me in the episode: None of the “mothers,” Claire, Gloria or Cam, actually have jobs outside of the home. This is really annoying to me because it does not represent reality, and for a show that is supposed to be “pushing the envelope;” it completely fails to convey the reality of the “modern” woman. After sharing this thought with a classmate, he pointed out that while the show represent “modern” forms of families: gay couple and an older divorced man with a younger woman, it still portrays stereotypes and the more “acceptable” form of alternative families. What if Gloria was an older woman and Jay was a younger man with a son? How would that change the series and would the show be as popular? I think shows like Modern Family are trying to being “modern,” but unfortunately are continuing to perpetuate stereotypes, albeit the modern versions of the stereotype.

Music in the Classroom

Hello, everyone!

I wanted to take some time to discuss using music in the classroom. I don't feel like we talked about this at all in class, but Emily's Wiki-page made me think, so I figured I'd share some ways that I've found effective.

My purpose in using music in the classroom is that students automatically connect to music and lyrics more than they connect to poetry. I've used the comparison in my Brit Lit class when we do a lot of Romantic poetry. Students have a hard time working through ALL of the poetry that we have to work through at the end of the semester, but I always tell them that poems are just songs without the background music. For some reason, it works to refresh their point of view.

I also have something in my class called "Lyrics as Lit". On Thursdays, my students bring in a song and lyrics (of course, it must be appropriate). I usually ask them to bring in a song that is specifically important to them. Then, we deconstruct and analyze the song. We talk about what the song is saying, who the audience is, and finally why they feel a specific connection to the song. I always ask students to hand in a paper explaining all of these things with the song, as well (only about a page). Students really get into this, as well.

Finally, I have used songs like "Lovers on a Hotel Bed" by Death Cab for Cutie to discuss tone/mood. Students have trouble identifying this in a text, but really enjoy dissecting songs that they already know.

Has anyone else used music effectively in their classes?

Video Games in the classroom

Today, I sat down with the new head of my department to discuss how I can better implement media literacy into my classroom and curriculum.

We talked for quite a bit about a lot of different things, but one thing that we discussed was video games in the classroom. I'll back-track (if I may) and explain that I feel like for the majority of the class, I re-evaluated how to approach using media in the classroom with the major concept of looking at the overall purpose for using the film/tv show/technology/etc. I've decided that many of the things that we talked about regarding video games were about looking at literary elements, in particular looking at plot, theme, conflict, setting, etc. All of these things can be achieved by using a film, so what is the ultimate purpose for using a video game? If one would use a video game in the classroom, would it be like using technology for technology's sake? If the same objective can be achieved and achieved as well by NOT using technology, then what is the purpose for using it? There is such a thing as using too much technology.   Another thing that I discovered while thinking about it more in depth was that using the opening story for a video game can be useful, but I don't think that using the actual video game is appropriate. Any thoughts?

Emmy Nominated Commercials

You may not be aware of this, but the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences actually has an Emmy category for Outstanding Commercial. This year’s nominees are:

Outstanding Commercial
Baby, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, Ad Agency; MJZ, Production Company
Baby Driver, Carmichael Lynch, Ad Agency; RSA Films, Production Company
Born Of Fire, Wieden+Kennedy, Ad Agency; Serial Pictures, Production Company
Conan, Ogilvy New York, Ad Agency; Hungry Man, Production Company
Polar Bear, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Ad Agency; Epoch Films, Production Company
Questions,Wieden+Kennedy, Ad Agency; MJZ, Production Company

All six are compiled in the following website for your viewing pleasure:

http://ryanseacrest.com/2011/07/14/watch-the-6-outstanding-tv-commercials-nominated-for-an-emmy-video/

My question, fellow bloggers, is which, if any, of these commercials qualifies as art in your opinion?

Also, is it surprising that an ad that so clearly promotes a specific ideal of masculinity (Old Spice) is nominated for such a prestigious award? Doesn’t this mean that the Emmy folks are, in effect, valuing the perpetuation of gender stereotypes?

Ads that Poke Fun

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/got-controversy-milk-campaign-helps-men-deal-pms-214103675.html

According to this Yahoo! article, some people are up in arms about the new milk campaign. The campaign suggests that milk helps men “deal with PMS.” That is, the calcium in milk helps reduce the symptoms of PMS, so if men get their women to drink it, they reap benefits such as not being blamed for everything when their women are premenstrual.

I don’t know about you all, but as a milk drinker, I don’t want to think about menstruation when I’m enjoying one of my favorite beverages. Regardless of the fact that some people, particularly women, will take offense to this ad campaign—and rightfully so—it just doesn’t strike me as an effective strategy in the least.

I’d love to know your thoughts on this particular campaign. Also, if you can recall any ads that you found offensive (current or old) please share them. I’m sure they’ll generate some excellent conversation. (Maybe that’s all advertisers ultimately care about: if people talk about their ads, they talk about their products and more people probably then buy the products!) Uh oh, is my post giving advertisers what they want?!

CopyRIGHT?

I was thinking a lot about our class discussion on Tuesday, specifically the concerns that arise with copyrighted materials and how confusion about them is affecting the quality of lessons. Not being a teacher myself, however, I must admit: it's sometimes hard to understand the constraints school districts put upon our teachers. I can't imagine someone asking me to do something... and not having what I needed in order to do it. These concerns were so apparent in our discussion, as a number of you noted that you are required to teach something, like a certain book, but are not given the proper supplies. One person noted there were only enough books for one class of students, one complete set---yet the book/teaching was a requirement for three different teachers. This seems like a common, sticky situation that's flat out unfair. You are torn between obeying copyright rules and pleading with the administration for more materials ... and breaking the rules, surreptitiously, and pleasing the administration. So what's the remedy?

I do agree with Dr. Shea that this would be the perfect time to get creative with lesson planning, perhaps using parts of a book, rotating usage, or using other materials (like films!) to teach the story. We now know that we have the tools to do lessons like these and they are possible.

But, on the flip side, this too can be difficult. To me this almost seems like another case of in theory vs. reality... Just like our video games that we'd love to somehow include into curriculum, in reality there are so many constraints upon teachers that make their doing job much harder than it needs to be.

Commercials and Tough Guise

Hey, I saw an interesting commercial today that brought a couple things to mind. It was a commercial for men's clothing (Sears). It featured a split screen because, as they explained, we know that guys get bored hearing about clothes, so we'll have something interesting for you to watch when you get bored. Something interesting was a boxing match--how manly!--and the volume was up on it, too, as men's clothing was quietly displayed on the other part of the screen.

This commercial reenforced the tough image of guys, as it also implied that no real man would focus a full 30-60 seconds on his clothing, shopping, etc., but it does something else, as well. When I watched the documentary "Merchants of Cool," I was intrigued by a lengthy discussion of something Sprite was successful with a while back. Sprite had a campaign in which famous athletes would hold up a Sprite and say things like, "Yeh, you're gonna be real cool and everything in your life will be perfect if you just run out and get yourself some Sprite because I tell you to." In other words the advertising made fun of itself and at the same time said to the consumer, "we know you're too smart to fall for that kind of marketing." The narrator referred to it as a "we get you" technique ("get" as in understand): we understand you so much better and respect you so much more than those traditional advertisers. But---of course that in itself is a marketing technique and it was wildly successful until, the narrator suggests, people started to see it for what it was.

Has anyone else noticed similar ads?

Beef Rescinded

As I mentioned during our discussion yesterday, I was very grumpy when I wrote my previous post, and feeling ultra skeptical. While my skepticism does remain, I am feeling a bit more optimistic about bringing some video game culture into the classroom. Notice I say the culture, and not games themselves, because I feel that is still too many light years ahead of where myself and my district are. However, Rachel pointed out to me on a Ning conversation that many video games have features on YouTube that are the non-playing portions of the game - in other words, the movie-like parts that develop the story. I had no idea of this, and I'm excited to start looking some things up and potentially using that as a gateway to more video-game literacy in my classroom.

Also, I mentioned that I have already used online games in small ways in my classroom. Here are some links to the ones my students have liked the best - they may not be very sophisticated or in-depth, but they do get the students engaged and using their English skills in a fun way.

Grammar of Doom! http://www.english-online.org.uk/games/grofdoom/advisory.htm
Grammar Ninja http://www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja.html
Also, this website has links to over 20 English-based games:
http://www.english-online.org.uk/games/gamezone2.htm

Enjoy! I like Grammar Ninja :)

Amazing-I can now POST!!

...5 weeks in, but better late than never! Post to follow.

My "Beef" With Video Games in the Classroom

Hey guys,

I was a little disappointed with the shortness of our Socratic seminar on video games - I feel as though not everyone got the chance to share their opinions and we didn't really get to tap into this idea or issue very much at all. To be honest I left it feeling disappointed and taken aback.

That being said, I know I was one of the people to say "no way" to using video games in the classroom, and I am here to tell you that I have not changed my mind. I wanted to explain some of my viewpoints a little more. My two big issues are TIME and RESOURCES.

Yes, video games develop complex, rich narratives and characters. Yes, they can tell us a lot about plot development, character development, setting, and multiple genres. I don't dispute that at all. I also don't dispute that it would be fantastic to be able to have students create their own video games in order to develop these literary elements. HOWEVER, realistically, whose school can provide that in an English classroom, let alone at all?! My school has a Game Design elective where students interested in developing video games can spend a whole semester doing so - and it takes that long to introduce students to those concepts, if not longer. How on earth is something like that supposed to fit in the context of a regular classroom? The reason we might feel more comfortable having students write a story to show literary elements, or even create a short film to do the same thing, is because those activities take MUCH less time than creating a video game. Not to mention that I haven't the first idea where to start, and would bet that only %2 of my students would even know how to use that type of software. Even if I was offered training on it, I have to be honest and say that I am way too busy in my classroom and extracurriculars to take on something that huge. Maybe that makes me the "bad guy" but I just frankly don't have the time.

Second - RESOURCES. Many of my colleagues find it hard to get into a computer lab just to have students TYPE A PAPER or LOOK SOMETHING UP, much less use software to play and/or create a video game. I am lucky enough to have a smartboard and laptop cart in my classroom, but I am of a small population. It doesn't seem fair at all to ask teachers to do things like this when they have to schedule a computer lab months in advance for even the smallest of tasks. There is enough pressure put on teachers to incorporate technology without throwing something completely new into the mix. And if we try to ask students to use video games at home as part of their assignments, this is really excluding a lot of students, especially in lower socioeconomic districts. I feel guilty enough sometimes when I ask them to type something at home knowing that many of them don't have access to a computer.

And, my final point, or I guess concern, is this. Yes, a lot of students play video games. Yes, they can identify with them. But it is my personal opinion that some things should be kept purely for entertainment. Bringing video games into the classroom might engage some students, but it would also lose a lot of them. Let them play video games for fun, let them learn skills at home without having to think about it in a school context. I think that allowing kids to keep some things personal and social ONLY is important for their intellectual development.

I like video games. I think they're fun and they can really help develop critical thinking, no doubt. But, I have to say that using them in a classroom in anyway is so pie-in-the-sky that realistically, I doubt I will ever see it happen in my teaching career.

Sorry, game lovers!! :(

Copyright Clarity

I really learned lots from this book, although there are some ways in which I am more confused than before I read it. When I worked on my certification, I was actually taught 3 rules/guidelines for the use of copyrighted materials, particularly film. They made perfect sense to me, and were clear and easy to follow. 1) Use must tie into the curriculum/lesson--as opposed to entertainment 2) Movie must have been legally purchased or rented, not taped off the tv, 3) No money or admission can be charged, as in fund raising.

Clearly, it's a lot messier than that, but also a lot more interesting. One issue occurred to me, since my district has had to consider the possibility that, due to poor performance, some of our schools could eventually be run by for-profit business managers. Would fair use for educators be considered in a somewhat different light, more restrictively? If I'm reading the book correctly, this would definitely affect the reasonableness "good faith" standard, discussed on p. 59. To me, that's huge. It's something to consider as some political agendas are moving toward the privatization of schools.

More on Video Games

One of the really important things (to me) that didn't happen to get discussed in our seminar is the idea that all thinking, reading and writing is embedded in a material, social and cultural world and linked to the discovery of patterns in experience. While most of us can probably find agreement with this, it is harder to make the leap that this concept is a rationale for the use of video games in learning. I have sort of intuitively made that leap because it is so easy for me to visualize my students engaged in designing a video game (even if we lack the resources to actually produce it). When I can visualize engagement, trust me, it's worth it to me to pursue the idea, so I will be reading Ghee's entire book and figuring which of his 36 ways could have application in my own classroom.

What I'm also feeling strongly about is the sense that this embedding concept is key to helping students recognize/realize the tools and resources available to establishing their identities and roles in the community via civic engagement.

I'm also understanding the designing of a game as a type of mentor-text project. Once the class has that shared experience, we can refer back to it as we think through and read/explore/create other projects--especially writing. (How did you handle this when you were designing...? Remember what we discovered when...)

I also like the idea of getting my feet wet by designing a board game based on a narrative we have all read, or as a lit circle activity. It's a very doable first step, though I feel almost certain that my students would almost immediately start talking about its adaptation as a video game.

Music in the classroom

I am a blogger, finally!!

We touched briefly on music, rap lyrics, etc. in class. I am beginning my unit plan for this class regarding how authors of lyrics convey meaning about a socially constructed experience and how this form influences student worldviews and how they understand themselves. As I proceed, I am running into a lot of research based on poetry and rap lyrics... How else can we incorporate them into an English Unit plan?

Also, as I go to youtube and look up songs, I am obviously going to watch the videos as well and I'm thinking to myself, "Wow my 17 year old brother watches this stuff?! Is allowed to watch this!? Look at that girl, what is she wearing!?!?" I am ultimately deciding if I should scratch the whole unit plan on lyrics and do a paper on how music videos portray gender roles and how we can use them in the classroom. What is your take on music videos? They are so widely viewed by our student population, believe me, my brother and his friends could watch MTV Jams all day if they were allowed.

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!

I can post my own stuff now! Yes yes, I am sure you all really care. Anyway two thoughts:

1 - I surprised myself that I was so anti video game usage in the classroom, though Sally brought up some very good points that have continued to bounce around my brain.

2 - Saw a great documentary about how some Christians misinterpret the Bible to persecute homosexuals. It's called For the Bible Tells Me So. It is VERY good. Although I suppose that would depend upon whether or not you are overly political about one side of the issue. It is about 90% one-sided, but still manages to raise a valid point.... or two

That is all for now. See you all soon!

More thoughts on video games...

(I started to respond to Dr. Shea’s post in a comment, but this ended up much longer than what I initially planned so I am making it a separate post. Sorry for the novel!)

I wouldn’t say that I’m opposed to using video games for educational purposes, but I do have hang-ups and I can understand why a lot of current teachers in our classroom expressed skepticism yesterday.

First of all, video games are not ready resources (at least for me) to integrate into my lessons, whereas films, tv shows, magazines and commercials are. I have a personal stash of movies and magazines, a Netflix account, access to Youtube and Hulu, and a dvd player in my classroom, as well as the ability to pull up websites on a large screen presenter. However, I do not have a gaming system nor am I an avid gamer. (For the first time I have been playing Mario Brothers on Wii in the past couple weeks, 5 years after everyone else! J ) It would take a lot of extra work for me to get to a point of comfortableness introducing something like video games into my classroom, whereas integrating film, television and advertisements would come much more naturally for me. I consume that type of media in my free time and have figured out lots of creative ways to use it in my teaching through taking this class. I also think that these other types of media have more universal appeal to my students. I can’t say the same for video games, but it’s not that I dislike them or don’t think they have a place. Plus, I am excited that some of my students who are gamers can gain literacy skills outside of my classroom. For me, that was the takeaway from reading these articles.

I also have hang-ups from a practical standpoint. My school district would never provide me with video game equipment or even software to create video games on the laptops I have in my classroom. I have enough trouble getting the textbooks I need. Then there is the issue of how I would use video games in a lesson or unit. One of the articles mentioned that video games can be used for educational purposes, in the sense of playing a game that introduces or deals with school-related content. (This is what I guess Oregon Trail would qualify as.) So, would I then introduce my students to a game that relates to English content or skills, have them each play on their own during class, and sit back grading tests? I just can’t conceive of this being the best way to use such limited class time. The article then presented the case study of an 8^th grade class that made their own video game, which helped them learn narrative structures. I am certainly not opposed to this type of activity, but I would be hard-pressed to find time to fit a unit like that in the school year. None of this would matter anyway unless I had ready-access to the software for designing the game to begin with. So I guess my attitude towards video games is: not for my classroom, at least for right now.

If other teachers responded passionately about this it is because we have to draw the line somewhere, and this might mean that we have to draw the line at something that could be great, but isn’t for us right now. I don’t know if I speak for everyone when I say this, but as English teachers, we are the go-to people for any new program, fad, or idea. In the 6 years I have taught, my department has been on the receiving end of every new mandate that comes down the pike. This isn’t to say that other departments don’t get mandates, too, but everyone assumes that English teachers are the natural choice for everything new because we teach the most important skills: reading and writing. Nearly everything can be tied to reading and writing somehow, whereas connections to other disciplines can’t be made as easily. So, my department has been the first in line to integrate technology (Classrooms for the Future), integrate career standards, integrate character education, include a separate PSSA unit that reinforces the skills we struggle with on the PSSA, create common assessments, create lessons that use the Smartboard etc., etc., etc. This is not to say these aren’t great things, but this definitely detracts from a unified English experience where we focus exclusively on teaching the skills students really need. The more things that get added, the more things (and usually the most basic things) get taken away. I would have trouble using something new like video games just for the sake of using them. I have no problem trying out new ideas (I would be a bad teacher otherwise), but I resent novelty for the sake of novelty alone. Show me that video games are the best way to accomplish teaching specific skills to the largest amount of students, and I will be the first one to sign up. As teachers, we have to make choices about how to use our very precious and limited time with our students while also maintaining our professional responsibilities. For some of us, this might mean saying “no” to video games.

If someone offered me free software for my classroom and training on how to use it, I would have no trouble giving video games a try. In the meantime, I could see a great benefit to using or creating video games in a different subject area, like technology education or computer class. In my mind, it would actually seem more appropriate in those classes. If reading and writing skills are so important and video games could help students attain literacy, then English teachers shouldn’t be the only targeted audience for pleas on integrating them.

Video Games as a Literacy Tool

I must admit, I was taken aback by the skepticism of our class in the ways video games could be used to develop adolescent literacy. This was especially puzzling in light of Rachel's testimony that she learned to overcome dyslexia through playing video games, and Sally's clear plea to understand students who struggle, not to mention your readings which represent a growing and convincing polemic on video games and literacy.

What surprised me was how your arguments against its use echo those others have raised against using film (passive, not suitable for the class, full of violence, doesn't seem to fit with curriculum). Yet, you have developed clear and convincing rationales for utilizing film in effective and meaningful ways. So, why do you find it difficult to do the same for video games which are really another visual storytelling device? Is it too difficult to look outside the school box to see its potential? Have you been convinced by the negative bashing of video games as a cause of violence in our society? In short, what's your hangup and what would it take to change your mind?

More on Supersize Me

I also found myself questioning some aspects of Supersize Me, and feeling a little insulted by some of the filmmaker's methods. It's so obvious he set out to purposefully destroy his health. He deliberately quit walking his usual distances at the outset of the experiment. This has nothing to do with McDs, unless after a certain amount of time he would no longer feel the energy to walk as much. He gorged on food until he threw up, instead of stopping when he was full; supersized every time they suggested it instead of when he felt the inclination to have a larger meal, and guzzled enormous amounts of soda. Anybody at any restaurant or even at home could destroy their health in this manner if that is what they are deliberately setting out to do--even at Jared's precious Subway--though, maybe not to the extent that it occurred at McDonald's. To me, it would be so much more telling if a filmmaker determined to eat nothing but McDonald's 3 meals a day for a month, and selected from the menu as best s/he could whatever most appealed in whatever amount suited. From that approach, it would be so much more interesting so see the mood swings/cravings/other changes in a person who was just getting all their meals there, satisfying their appetite as best they could. As impressive as the stats were, I just wasn't overly impressed with what he set out to prove and how he did it.

Psychology in Advertising: What Makes You Want to Buy?

I haven’t taken many psychology courses and I really haven't studied advertisements until this course; however, I am an avid watcher of Mad Men. While the show is fiction, its depiction of the ad industry in the 1960s is thoroughly researched. It really delves into the psychology behind advertising. In the show, the execs who write copy don’t have degrees in psychology (although the agency does consult psychologists), but by drawing from life experiences, they create ads that appeal to the psyche of consumers.

Watch these clips and tell me what you think. Could they be useful in the classroom?

Belle Jolie lipstick:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y4b-DEkIps

Kodak Carousel:

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