Media Through Our Eyes

This picture is coming from a March 2008 posting in Reuters

As students working on UAD 2008 ,they are entering the last part of the curriculum, which asks for them to consider creating individual pictures to tell a whole story. Thus the idea that a picture tells a thousand words.  

New York timesrecently published an article about how some libraries are including video games in the library contending that this will/ can encourage kids to pick up a book and read. 

Furthermore the article states:

Best Ads on TV website publishes a weekly podcast (as welll as on their website), the best ads from around the world. BE AWARE, however, there is some explicit material, so watch before you show your students!!! 

They have categories for best print, tv and interactive. here is a sampling below: 

Check out this article on the statistics of alcohol on the us. 

The Year in Beer: Beer Drinking in America by Volume 

It caught my eye, yesterday when I was reading some articles on CNN. But when it was mentioned again to me by my husband, I had to ask, ok, what is up with this? 

He pointed out that we were not the only ones asking the questions, who would invest in a mortgage right now, after looking at a dancing girl banner ad. The undulating bodies always disappoints me as I think about another ad being sold with sex. Yet, it grabbed my attention, which is exactly what an ad wants to do. 

I am sure many of you have been following the presidential debates, which is what has lead me on this wild goose chase today. I began to ask 1 too many questions! 

I watched the debates online through ABC or MSNBC, whichever I can connect to quicker. Which also means that I do not often see any type of commercials (except for the one in the beginning that I usually miss because the volume is off, and I am setting up the "viewing area.")

Recently I was given the wonderful opportunity to attend a New Mexico Media Literacy Catalyst Training Session with Andrea Quijada. She introduced me to the concept of really viewing media through lenses. In other words, when we view media, we have a particular lens that we view it through that is based on our preconceived ideas formulated through experience in our environment. When we are asked to change this lens, than we are able to view the media from another lens.

One of the most interesting things about our Tagline, Our Reality (created by Marcia Howell) is that it is universal in it's being. In other words, Our Reality really refers to the concept of learning and sharing in the reality of our youth. Looking to have them explain to us, adults, how life looks from their view or angle.  What's more, it asks Youth to consider what is reality and who defines reality.

As we proceed into our new year for training about media literacy and media creation, we begin to rebuild our collaborations and sharing of resources.

This resource was jsut shared from one of our collaborators:

http://www.vimeo.com/

Vimeo  is  a place to upload your videos, share your videos and make friends. Unlike YouTube, vimeo appears to carry a great deal of artisitc videos. Furthermore, they have defined a community that is positive, encouraging and supportive for film makers. 

Having just discovered this, I am feeling a bit behind on the times.

Introducing a wonderful tool for media review and collaboration: Voice Thread.