Monday, February 22, 2010

Digital Nation

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/



Questions for discussion:

1) Should we consider new ways to teach in a digital world?

2) Is multi-tasking as possible as we might think?

3) What is your impression of the "pc-bangs" in South Korea?
4) Do the "pc-bangs" have implications for us? How?

5) What does it mean to be a "digital native?"
6) Should their be more balance between life online and offline?

7) Can social networking tools work in schools?

8) What are the consequences of never reading original texts and using "spark notes?"
9) Will our reading and writing skills suffer?

10) What does it mean to be part of a "vitural world?"

11) What do you think about the "army experience center?" Is it a legitimate way to recruit soldiers today?

12)What is lost and what is gained in a digital world?

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Media have embedded values and points of view



Questions to consider while watching Taylor Swift "Fifteen" music video

1. How is the main person characterized? What kinds of behavior/consequences are depicted?

2. What type of person is the watcher invited to identify with?

3. What questions come to mind as you watch?

4. What values are being “sold” in this message?

5. Are there perspectives left out?

• Different people experience the same media message differently



Questions to consider while watching "Forever Young" Pepsi Commercial

1. Have you ever experienced anything like you’ve seen in this commercial?

2. How close does it come to what you’ve experienced in real life?

3. What did you learn from this media text?

4. What did you learn about yourself from experiencing this media text?

5. How many other interpretations could there be?

6. What did you learn from other people’s responses?

• Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules



Questions to consider while watching Levi's "O Pioneers" commercial.

1. What do you notice about the way this message is constructed? –Colors? Shapes? Sound effects? Music? Silence? Dialogue? Narration? Clothing? Sets? Movement? Lighting?

2. Where is the camera? What is the viewpoint?

3. How is the story told? What are people doing?

4. Are there visual symbols? Metaphors?

5. What’s the emotional appeal? Persuasive devices?

6. What makes it seem “real”?