Reading and Discussion Two: The benefits of Youth Film-making

Film-making has become easier than ever thanks to modern technology.  Just yesterday I downloaded a groundbreaking new app, called Hyperlapse, that uses gyroscopic technology to create time lapse videos.  This is something that, until now, could only be achieved with a massive array of expensive equipment.  Did I mention the app was free?  Youth today have FREE resources like Hyperlapse, and many other apps and software, that allows them to create film and video with professional results.  Our animoto videos for the first assignment are another great example of how easy it is to make a visually engaging product from almost anywhere we have a computer (or smart phone) and an Internet connection.  There are many benefits to youth film-making, both in and out of school.  Students are able to assert themselves as individuals, explore topics they have connections to, and master tools that will help them be successful in many ways throughout their education and their lives.
Students who engage in film-making are giving themselves a voice and asserting their individuality.  Instead of handing in words written or typed on white paper, these students perfect their writing skills, turn them into oral skills, and apply meaningful visuals to connect the words with their real lives.  Viewers are given the opportunity to make an emotional connection with the filmmaker as their senses are stimulated with sights and sounds.  People are drawn to technology, so youth film-makers are sure to catch the attention of those who would not have initially been interested (I watched 5 videos for this assignment; that's 5 stories I would have never known or had access to without youth film-making).
Film-making allows the participating youth to explore topics in depth, and in particular, they explore topics which have meaning to them.  This translates into a deeper and more powerful message relayed to the audience.  The second reading, 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling, opens by describing a young man who made a digital story during winter break.  Youth do not necessarily have to be in school to create deep and interesting media to share.  The boy in the story made his film about his love of the blues.  Film-making happens outside of school.  Viral videos on social media are a testament to the fact that someone always has a camera rolling these days.  Youth film-making seems to be almost natural, so harnessing this desire and using to teach seems to follow suit.
Film-making is an exciting way to teach students about technology and keep them up-to-date with what is available.  The fringe benefit is that the educator must also be savvy in the ways of technology.  In other words, if my students have to learn it, then I have to master it!  Youth who begin using technology early will be more proficient as they grow older.  It also allows us to monitor their etiquette and utilize teachable moments as often as possible to create an environment of ethical use of technology.
I think youth film-making is a great way to teach our students while we learn as well.  I am looking forward to integrating this technology into my future classroom.

A digital story.

I chose to share the digital story "Forever Young" by Janil Santana.  I spend a lot of time around high school students, and I find it interesting that this young lady is reflective about holding on to her childhood when so many teenagers seem to be in a hurry to grow up.  I learned about the young narrator’s childhood through the story, and the values and lessons that she has learned.  The fact that this young lady was able to reflect on her youth and express sadness at growing up was surprising to me.  This was a great opportunity for her to break that stereotype of young people wishing away their youth.  I can see that she embraced her childhood and who she was, which must have been an incredible boost to her self-esteem!  This video definitely shows proof that the author is engaged in analysis of her own culture.  She is reflecting on growing up and saying goodbye to her childhood.  Coming of age is a big event in the lives of students, and it occurs differently within the many cultures present in our country.  She is able to analyze and reflect on growing up, the things she learned from childhood, and the importance of keeping those lessons close as she moves further away from her youth.  These stories give students a platform on which to voice their individuality.  Likewise, students who engage in digital storytelling are opened up to a world of stories created by peers from different cultures or areas in the country, or even the world.

Reading and Discussion One: Postman, Russell and the art of detecting bullshit.

This assignment had me thinking a lot about the messages the media sends me every day, and the way I take for granted that I understand these messages.  First, I read experts from Neil Postman's Speech.

I totally agree with the provided excerpts of this speech.  Postman asserts that all communication has deep and profound hidden agenda, and he voices his opinion that students should be taught to discern this "bullshit" so they can do some "earthly good".  I think about this in relation to social media, like Facebook.  An innocent posting of funny cat video can easily have a hidden agenda (google "like farming").  The power social media has to manipulate and mis-educate is scary.

I find it humorous that in 1969, Postman described the media in such a way that I would find myself describing simply Facebook today.  People today face extraordinary amounts of media “bullshit” today compared to 1969.  If there was a need in 1969 to educate people on how to critically think about what they see and hear, then it has become an emergency today.  I am often faced with students whose opinions have been formed by what the read on social media.  Many students seem to embrace a frightening attitude – if it’s on the internet it must be true.  If Neil Postman were making this speech today, he would probably be completely overwhelmed by how much information and how many hidden messages are blasted at us at every waking moment of every day. 

Postman is especially right about why we should teach students to not only understand but critique media messages.  It is difficult for students to think and feel freely when they are not aware that they are being manipulated by hidden agendas.  This ties closely with the video of Cameron Russell, seen here, in which Russell shows her audience how messages are perceived quite differently when the messenger takes on different appearances.  Russell describes how she is insecure, and that her modeling photos are not her, but rather a construct created by the scores of people involved in the media created using her body.  If students look upon media such as what Russell shows her audience without knowing the smoke and mirrors used to create the image, they may tend to project what they see upon themselves because they take it for reality.  Russell cites a percentage of young girls who are unhappy with their bodies, and the percentage is high.  I wonder if these percentages would be any different if these girls had been given rigorous education on media literacy, as well as critical analysis of media messages.  

According to Kellner and Share (2005), "The process of empowerment is a major aspect of transformative education and it can take many forms, from building self-esteem to creating alternative media that voice opposition to social problems." (p. 371).  The authors refer to teaching media literacy and critical thinking as empowerment.  The insecurities of many can be chipped away when they are given the power to see through the many mixed and derogatory messages that saturate the media.  

Empowerment = crap detection.  All three sources mentioned here (Postman's speech, Russell's video, and the journal article by Kellner and Share) support the idea that crap detection, or empowerment, is absolutely necessary to free us from the snares of the media's hidden agendas.  

"Teaching critical media literacy involves occupation of a site above the dichotomy of fandom and censor" (Kellner & Snare, 2005, p. 373).  There are two sides to critical media literacy.  Not only should students be able to step back and see the negative hidden agendas in media, such as sexism and oppression of minorities, but they must also be taught to recognize that media can also provide significant positive contributions to education.  

Kellner and Share end their article by reinforcing the message their media is sending: "it is not enough to merely understand media, students need to be empowered to critically negotiate meanings, engage with the problems of misrepresentations and under-representations, and produce their own alternative media" (2005, p. 382).  

It is one thing for a student to understand what he or she is seeing in the media.  It is another thing altogether for that student to apply the understanding to his or her life and the lives of others and to then synthesize more appropriate media.  It is my hope to take part in this process for the students I will teach in the future.

Evidence Chart

Resources

Kellner, Douglas, and Jeff Share. "Toward Critical Media Literacy: Core Concepts, Debates,        Organizations, And Policy." Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 26.3 (2005): 369-  86. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. <http://pages.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/essays/2005_Kellner-  Share_TowardsCriticalMediaLiteracy.pdf>.

Postman, Neil. "Bullshit and the Art of Crap-Detection." National Convention for Teachers of English  [NCTE]. , Washington, D. C. . 28 Nov. 1969. Lecture.

Russell, Cameron. "Cameron Russell: Looks Aren't Everything. Believe Me, I'm a Model." Youtube.  TedTalks, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM4Xe6Dlp0Y>.

Hello dear readers!  Allow me to introduce myself.  I'm Jessica, and I am a master's student at Fairmont State University.  I am studying multicategorical special education.  I have not had any formal teaching experience, but I have worked with teenagers and youth for a few years now.  I found my calling when I started working with troubled youth in a residential setting.  I decided I wanted to pursue ways to  help young people with behavioral disorders or other issues, and here I am!  I am currently employed as a counselor for a program called Upward Bound.  Upward Bound is funded by the TRIO program through the US Department of Education.  My role is to help students with low income/first-generation to find their way to college.  I get to work in schools in the area.  My program serves approximately 90 students in 8 different high schools.

I am passionate about helping young people, but I have many other loves and interests in my life.  My boyfriend Zack and I have been together for 8 years this September.  We are currently apart because he took a job in the Pittsburgh area.  We will be reunited in September when we relocate to Morgantown.

I love to spend time with my 3 adorable dogs, Gypsy, Indy, and Red.  I love the outdoors, especially kayaking or canoeing, backpacking, hiking, foraging for wild foods (it's elderberry season right now!), gardening, and riding my bike.  I love live music, and I would follow Phish on tour if I could, and someday I hope to get the chance!  I also love music festivals, farmers markets, and all kinds of cultural events that get people together.  I have friends from all over the world that I met over shared music and experiences.

I am excited about this class!  I love media and technology, but I find myself falling behind as I grow older and get stuck in my ways.  I think this class will help me progress with technology, and I will gain many resources from the course materials as well as my peers.  I am especially interested in finding new ways to reach students with special needs through technology.



A little about me!
It’s funny. As I am completing this assignment I realize that just a few hours ago, my colleague and I had a discussion about youth and media/technology over lunch. We came across the topic as we were discussing the recent viral fundraising campaign for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the Ice Bucket Challenge. My colleague noticed that someone on her social media feed was making negative comments about the campaign, which launched us into conversation about how young people today seem to believe anything they read on Facebook. My colleague told a story of a relative who shared a false video about a shooting in the Midwest. She knew the video was fake as soon as she saw it, because, like me, she came from a generation of students that were taught how to discern critical information. However, it seems that with the onslaught of social media, the skills that are necessary to pick through all the information that is everywhere we turn have been lost in the mix. Therefore, it is extremely important for current and future educators to place some focus on this area and teach students how to be media literate. Students who understand how to critically think through the information that is given to them will be able to make much more informed and accurate decisions. These students will be less likely to share false information. As far as myself, I would like to learn more resources for using media in my classroom. I would also like to learn ways to teach students how to analyze information on the internet. It is easy to hand students a magazine article or scholarly article and show them how to critique these forms of media. I do not, however, think it will be so simple to sit a student in front of a computer, press play on a YouTube video, and ask them to dissect what they see to determine its validity. I want to be better at this so I can begin to end the cycle of ignorance that comes from believing everything one sees on the internet. My only concern is that I am able to be an influence to students when it comes to this. I know many young, stubborn teenagers who value what they see on the internet over what they hear from actual, educated adults in their everyday lives. For this course, MOST assignments will be due on Sundays, one week from when they are posted. However, assignments requiring peer or professor feedback may have different due dates. If an assignment is going to be late, I know that I must contact the professor within 24 hour of the actual due date to be considered for partial credit once I turn it in. The best way to contact the professor is through Gmail, preferably the video chat function, or by calling the professor’s cell phone. If I decide to work ahead in the course, I must first contact the professor. Assignments tend to be changed to meet the needs of the students.