[ culturologist.com ]

So, is that how the world ends?  If you don’t know the reference, as I mentioned in class, it is time to start reading.  Read what appeals to you, what looks like you can be engaged with…A great book for truly loving to read and to write is Stephen King’s (yes, that one) On Writing, a fantastic book.  I hope you enjoyed class, but more importantly, I hope you feel comfortable to continue on with university and to not expect the traditional, easy way to get by…it isn’t about marks, it really isn’t…try to learn and to engage…and to teach…

BTW, if you get a chance, watch True Blood, then new series by Alan Ball (6 ft under)…enjoy the winter break, I loved this class and really appreciate the participation you all engaged in….Shirley

As your blogs wind down, consider how you will use media literacy as a teacher.  Will you encourage blogs, build websites, deconstruct TV and film?  What are your thoughts about the position of media in our society?  in our schools?

Remember on Tuesday you have a guest speaker on student blogging, I am interested to hear what you think and how you will employ blogging in your classrooms.

Shirley

Now that I have recovered from the shock of not losing another election, I turn my interest to to the appalling defeat of gay marriage in California.  For anyone who has not come out from under the rock of media blindness, the proposition now bans gay marriage in California…yeah, I know, it was just legalized.  16,000 couples were married this year, and now find themselves being told that their marriage was not valid.  In Arkansas, gay couples are now forbidden from adoption…ironically, in many provinces in Canada, social workers in adoption look for gay couples as an ideal adoptive couple for children.

How much hate must a person have to deliberately fight someone’s happiness?  Why would this affect anyone other than the people directly involved?  What is the pedagogy involved in a child’s early and formative years that creates someone so devoted to ruining others’ lives?

Recently, pundits have said that positive images help to create a climate of tolerance….well, Will and Grace blew it, we are now back in the dark ages.  Hopefully, Canada will never follow this example.

Ok, so you all know how nervous I am about tonight.  And, that I think everyone should be nervous.  It once was that we worried about who would win, but in 2000 everything changed, and now we worry more about who will play more games/do more scummy things/steal, mame, and destroy the political system.  Will this election remain untouched by the gimmicks, the lies, the power mongers from 2000 and 2004.  To really see a scary movie, watch RECOUNT…like a nightmare.

I believe this is an election that will be won with the media as the greatest influence.  The bloggers, the youtube.com videos, the SNL skits, the debates, the images created by the media will make the difference.  AND, if there are “issues” with the results, and we land in another mess like in 2000, how will the media handle the coverage?  What and how the commentators speak, the words chosen, the selection of clips and images…they make up the minds of viewers.

Media is powerful, the most powerful tool in our age…When will it become responsible?

So you’ve all had a week to digest your unit plans.  The point of this is to:

1.  create a cohesive unit to use in class

2.  let you teach yourselves how you best process information

3.  show you that pre-prepared teacher “lesson plans” and web-plans are not teaching… you are smart enough to generate your own work for your students

I don’t want you to be worried about this assignment.  You should enjoy it, and make it rich and textured.  This is also a good way to allow you to reflect on your intention to teach…

That said, again, here is what you need to consider and do as you create this unit:

-the unit plan will involve liberal use of media and a website created for use in this unit

-a unit plan will consist of at least 10 separate day/hour/class period times–(10 distinct times)

-you will include:  *demographics of school, class, students  *rationale for choice of topic (why you chose it, what you hope to accomplish)  *10 detailed “plans”  (you will design these yourself, make sure you consider objective of that day, materials, assessments, student work, references of materials you need to use)  *assessment of some type for the unit *final reflection on the unit–do you think it will work?  what would you change?  how do you feel about your accomplishment?  *references used  (cite everything you used to create this)

-Keep in mind:  the unit needs to be reflective of this class, but you can integrate the topic with media losely if not directly.  the unit must reflect the overall theme of social justice within the topic.  Your website can be used in a variety of ways:  as an information site; as an interactive site; as an assessment site:  as a homework site:  as a teaching site:

Don’t worry, this unit will help strengthen your understanding of teaching and how your input is essential for good pedagogy.  Keep in mind, that you are creating this so that you have a cohesive vision of how to teach this unit, AND how I could teach it.

Use the blog to discuss your ideas if you want to —s

So, am just leaving Iceland today to make it to class tomorrow.  After several days here, then in London, the buzz about the economy has been amazing.  Iceland used to be a very poor fishing country.  Exploited by the Danish, then the Brits, they finally achieved financial independence and became quite an upscale country of 300,000.  Very socialist in nature, the country enjoys pretty well an upper middle class existence.  Homelessness is not an issue (actually it would be too cold), but people are relatively taken care of in the health, wealth, and shelter aspect.  So the Icelandic peeps began doing some investing abroad, and the Brits started putting money in the three big banks in Iceland.  Now, here we are — the 3 banks are closed, signs on the door saying…well, closed.  Icelandic students on exchange abroad have no money, travellers find their credit cards don’t work, the Brits want to use the terrorist act to seize Icelandic monies in the UK, and the two countries are very, very worried.  Meanwhile, the Russians want to assist Iceland, the Scandinavians want to not let Russia, and the World Bank doesn’t want them either, so the International Monetary Fund fascists want to take it over.  The Canadian and American news media address the issues, but no explanation really as to exactly everyone got to this place, yet, the European nets are basically calling the duck a duck and mentioning the fact that the US got the world into this mess in the first place.  When will the non-American countries begin to stand up and refuse to let the US dictate the discourse of the world?  As Canada is so closely linked to the US, there is not much assumed difference.  Lest we forget the unholy trinity launched by Harper, Bush, Rumsfeld and the boys three years ago with the tri-country (Mexico, US, and Canada) alliance for security and finances.  Are you frightened yet?

From the blue lagoon, Shirley

So, unless you have been hiding with me in Iceland, you should know about the whole Bill Ayers / Obama thing.  This is the deal…it is about media and literacy.  Joe and I have known Bill for over 20 years, have been friends with him and think he is a great guy.  Was he a domestic terrorist?  ah, yes.  Did people die due to his group’s actions?  ah, yes.  So Bill gets through the 60s and escapes jail, even raises one his friends’ kids (they went to jail)…becomes a professor, does great stuff.  Now we are in 2008 and find that Obama was on a board with Bill, knows Bill, and lives in his neighborhood.  So the moronic McCain gang is spinning media to get it on with Obama.  Following, so far?

Obama can take care of himself.  He will handle this.  What is putting a hole in my panty hose is the fact that professors all over the world are bonding together to “support Bill Ayers.”  I am getting email after email petition to protect the “crucifying of Bill Ayers.”  These professors have never sent a note around with rage about how immigrants are treated, how Muslims are hated, how bad some schools can be…but they have time to “protect” a man who doesn’t need protecting.  This is pissing me off.

So, flipping back and forth between CBC and CNN left me speechless…I had so much to say I just gave up.  As an American by birth and a wannabe Canadian, I was embarassed that the land of my childhood could present a format so empty, questions so simplistic, and a vp candidate like Palin who reminds me of a really annoying pre-school teacher’s aide…someone who wants to be a teacher, but is too stupid to make it past two years of a bad community college experience.  The 5 Canadians on the other hand, were smart, articulate, and compelling–for Canadians.  However, the sexy stage the Americans had, I am afraid, took viewers from the North.  I admit, it is hard to listen to five PM candidates elbow one another across the metaphorical great divide.  These knights of the Canadian round table are competent…yet somehow that doesn’t play in a mediated society looking for scandal, sex, and flash.  My opinion:  Layton, Doucette, May, Dion, and never Harper….in that order.  If only Doucette wasn’t Quebecquois, he would be the perfect PM…

waddyathink?

Following up on Nas’s video on FOX, comes these two clips on a America’s Next Top Model contestant born a man, now a woman,

So, see what you think about the new Little Gordon ads, depicting a mini-me Gordon Ramsey.  Media can exaggerate an already-existing trait and extend it.  The use of a little kid makes it safe and “harmeless.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZqwR9tbJE&feature=related

There are several, watch them all.