Intertext: My Work

I chose to use Inspiration to explore connections found in my recent photography.

Popplet: Organizing Video Concepts for Course Design

Inspiration 9: Holograms in Visual Culture

I'm also taking the online course "Visual Literacy and Visual Cultures" and am preparing for a Mid-Term Paper on Semiotics. I think my topic may focus on Holograms in Visual Culture and I decided to use Inspiration to explore everything I know about Holograms and their use in Visual Culture. I became fascinated with Holograms in Culture after a student last semester showed me this video: Hatsune Miku performing "World is Mine."

Inspiration Board created using Moodboard Pro for iPad

I noticed that the mobile technologies I use have become filled with photographs, bookmarked web pages, and images from creative play with various applications. My inspiration board brings some of these images and ideas together in an attempt to make connections between them. An interesting observation: When I brought these images together I noticed how popular the color blue is in our digital, online world.

In the spirit of creative thinking via mobile technology I assembled my board using the Moodboard Pro app for iPad.

Artistic Thinking: Social Bookmarking Site

My Delicious page: http://www.delicious.com/videotink

StumbleUpon: I mentioned it in another blog posting and after exploring it further I can see why my TA finds it so addicting! The results are random enough to keep you wondering what you’re going to see next, yet what you do see (thanks to the survey of topics completed when you create an account) is usually interesting. For example, I would have probably never have found this site in a search for pumpkin carving, but check out these pumpkins: http://www.pumpkinway.com/ Then I’ve also discovered an interesting design site: http://www.designboom.com/eng/ StumbleUpon showed me this site a couple of times, once with a page about manufacturing barbies and another about colorful “paint sound sculptures.”

3 Great Sites for Searching for Images & 2 Additional Sites to Explore

1) Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/
While this is a site for artists and craftsmen to sell their original work, it also serves as a treasure trove of imagery! The member-curated galleries bring together objects (and images of the object!) that are connected by a theme. It’s like browsing other people’s inspiration boards with the option to buy!

2) Oobject: http://www.oobject.com/
Although it’s not searchable, this is a good site for warming up your creative juices by looking at themed lists of images of objects. The themes are usually very amusing! Since it’s object-themed you can see lists of “vintage hairdryers” and “12 iron lungs.” However you can also see lists of photographs and video, such as “images of the worlds largest crowds” and “videos of plane landing from the cockpit.”

3) VidQue: http://vidque.com/
Brings together videos from YouTube, Vimeo, TED, and Blip.tv into one searchable site. You can also explore via categories. Like many sites that allow you to network with friends by sharing favorites, VidQue describes their method to narrowing search results as: “Rather then simply analyzing a popularity of each video, we treat each user as a unique individual allowing for a successful and rewarding video discovery experience over time.”

Some additional sites to explore:

4) StumbleUpon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Another good way to discover interesting websites. As you visit sites you can specify things that you like or don’t like and share with friends. It will also let you narrow your search to only images. One of my TAs spends a lot of spare time “stumbling” and swears by it. He always has at least one interesting site to share after a stumbling session!

5) Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/
From their website - “Vimeo is a respectful community of creative people who are passionate about sharing the videos they make.” It’s full of professional, original videos. People post short films and experimentations with cameras and video and can participate in online, collaborative video projects. My Audio/Video 2 students get a lot of good and challenging ideas for their projects from this site.

Screenr: Basic Video Color Correction

Basic color correction of video using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
Screenr Link: http://screenr.com/Hxv

Artistic Thinking: Week 5

What is the role of art education and art educators in teaching students to be media literate digital citizens?

I believe that Art education and Art educators have an important, necessary role in the creation of media literate digital citizens. Art education, through visual literacy and media literacy, promotes the development of individuals who are able to critically analyze their world and who practice ethical online behavior. As Art educators, we already teach our students to look closely at their work and to analyze the works of others and so are positioned to apply these same practices to promote conscious citizens in the digital realm.

When watching the documentary Consuming Kids, I was struck at how corporations blatantly and unapologetically manipulate children through tactics that should be obvious to adults. However as another documentary –Killing Us Softly 3 (2000)– points out, adults are exposed to over 3000 ads per day and, as this fact comes from over a decade ago, it is easy to assume that the number has only gone up. As adults are as immersed in advertising as children, how can we constantly be on guard and stay aware of the ways in which we are being manipulated? In Consuming Kids, advertisers do little to take responsibility for their actions, choosing instead to place blame on consumers claiming that they have no self control as can be seen in their obese children and pets. Yet pet food is marketed to consumers with as unrealistic imagery as any other product. For example, a healthy indoor cat requires only a ¼ of a cup of food twice daily, yet advertisers insist on showing images of cats eating from large food bowls that are overflowing with kibble.

Now with the availability of new technologies marketing has moved into non-traditional and unregulated medias. Susan Linn, Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, describes “Commercials [as] so 20^th century” (Consuming Kids, 2008), as she explains how advertisers use ads as entertainment and entertainment as advertising in the creation of ad-games. Today’s educators wish to implement more new technology into their teaching and, thus, the ability for advertisers to reach into classrooms becomes easier. Without critical literacy and the promotion of ethical online behavior, students will be unprepared to fully understand and negotiate a digital media landscape that will attempt to tell them what they should want and who they should desire to be.

Rosen (2010) explains that adults must first understand underlying messages contained within media and learn how to teach children how to assess, analyze, and synthesize them (Media Literacy among 21^st-century Kids chapter, para. 3). As Art educators already teach students to look closely at artworks for meanings and many already promote teaching visual literacy in the Art classroom, Art educators have provided students with the tools and confidence needed to understanding their consumer wants and give students the ability to link advertising tactics to human emotional responses. In the Art classroom, analysis tactics such as VTS and denotation/connotation are as effective with media images as with traditional artwork. Art educators know the importance of critical analysis through questioning and Rosen (2010) provides six principles to help facilitate critical analysis of media: (1) Media messages are created, (2) media images and texts are not always accurate and should be looked at with a critical eye, (3) media messages have a point of view and are not always representations of reality, (4) various forms of media send different messages, (5) media are targeted to populations of people, and (6) most media is created for commercial purpose (Creating a Media-Literate Child section, para. 3).

            As students are taught to look critically at their world, so they become more aware of their behavior within the world. However, Brooks-Young (2010) cautions educators from assuming that students will transfer this awareness to the online world and encourages the active teaching of acceptable and ethical online behavior (Respecting the Privacy of Others section, para. 4). I believe the role of Art educators should include educating 21^st century students to be responsible, caring digital citizens. Brooks-Young (2010) encourages three rules for promoting digital citizenship: (1) respect yourself, (2) respect others, and (3) respect outside limits, such as, rules and laws (Ethical Use of Technology section, para. 1).

            Ironically, the challenge to teaching ethics is in the creation of ethical behavior in adults and teachers. We often hear about employers who do not hire potential employees due to information found publically online and employees who are fired due to information posted online. As educators we serve as role models for children and as such should provide positive models for ethical online behavior. Unfortunately as many adults –who are digital immigrants– are learning to negotiate this new digital world, they are unprepared and unable to model ethical behavior for their children. I have seen family members misuse the social networking site Facebook as a place to “vent” about people they know, not realizing that they are in fact slandering these people in a public place. It becomes difficult to expect children to ethically utilize technologies and participate in digital media as respectable, conscientious citizens when adults are unable to model appropriate online behaviors. As Brooks-Young reminds educators, students need to be taught that the internet can create a false sense of security as users cannot see or hear their readers, students should not assume that they are some how invisible, and that the internet should always be considered a public place (The Myth of Online Privacy section, para. 2).

            As Art educators are already equipped with the tools to creating a media literate generation of students, I believe our role should expand to include the teaching of ethical online behavior. The subject of ethical digital behavior can be broached through discussions about image copyright and fair-use, but should not stop there. Art conversations that move into the online forum through the implementation of classroom blogs and online discussion boards, open the door to teaching ethics and the creation of digital citizens who are knowledgeable and caring.

References:

Barbaro, A. (Producer & Director).  (2008). Consuming kids: The commercialization of childhood [Motion Picture]. USA: Media Education Foundation.

Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Chapter 10: Digital citizenship. Teaching with the tools kids really use. (Kindle Edition). Available from http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Tools-Kids-Really-ebook/dp/B00486THRE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1296870495&sr=8-2

Churches, A., Crockett, L., & Jukes, J. (2010). The digital diet: Today’s digital tools in small bytes. Canada: 21^st Century Fluency Project.

Jhally, S. (Producer and Director). (2000). Killing us softly 3: Advertising’s image of women with Jean Kilbourne [Motion Picture]. USA: Media Education Foundation.

Rosen, L. D. (2010). Chapter 7: Media literacy among 21^st-century kids. Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the way they learn. (Kindle Edition). Available from http://www.amazon.com/Rewired-Understanding-iGenerationLearnebook/dp/B003QP3NAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digitaltext&qid= 1295657170&sr=1-1

VoiceThread: Using the ToyCamera App for iPhone

If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend this app for fun and play!
If embedded VoiceThread doesn't work: http://voicethread.com/share/1758656/

Artistic Thinking: Read & React Week 4

Read:

Chapter 5: Social Networking by Brooks-Young

            In this chapter, Brooks-Young discuss social networking and if it has a place as an educational tool. Pointing out that many young educators utilize social networking and “see no reason to abandon this practice” (Changing Viewpoints section, para. 1). The authors present four elements to create a successful social network, that must include: (1) Purpose, (2) Focus, (3) Collaboration, and (4) Moderated. Brooks-Young again reminds educators to teach “netiquette” and to create clear rules for online interactions.

Chapter 5-6, 8-9: VoIP, Twitter, Social Networking, Voice Thread by Digital Diet

Chapter 5

In this chapter, the authors discuss using Skype for communication. They offer suggestions for the classroom that include having guest speakers and for students to participate in classes when they may be unable to physically make it to class.

Chapter 6

            This chapter is about using Twitter for microblogging. For classroom use, the authors suggest having students set up new accounts specifically for classroom use to separate their school and social lives and to protect their privacy. The authors suggest using Twitter as an online, instant discussion tool.

Chapter 8

            In this chapter, the authors discuss using Facebook for collaboration and networking. They offer suggestions for classrooms that include creating groups for collaboration and sharing.

Chapter 9

            This chapter is about using Voice Thread. The authors recommend using it in the classroom for student presentations and exam preparation.

React:

            I ‘m so glad to have good books with ideas of how to think about using these technologies in the classroom! I have never been sure how to utilize Facebook in a classroom setting. It seems like all we hear about with Facebook is how teachers have to “lock down” their accounts and cyber bullying runs rampant. The Brooks-Young book brings some common sense strategies to utilizing these technologies, such as teaching appropriate online behavior.  Twitter is new terrain for me this week as I’ve never been sure how to use it in my personal life, much less in teaching! However, a few weeks ago there was an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” in which one of the doctors was using Twitter during operations to “teach” anyone who was following her tweets. It opened up her operating room to past, present, and future students. Although I’m still not a huge fan of Twitter, I am very interested in past AV students being able to connect with current AV students, so I’ve set up an AV Courses at MU page on Facebook to try.

References:

Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use. (Kindle Edition). Available from http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Tools-Kids-Really-ebook/dp/B00486THRE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1296870495&sr=8-2

Churches, A., Crockett, L., & Jukes, J. (2010). The Digital Diet: Today’s digital tools in small bytes. Canada: 21^st Century Fluency Project.

Artistic Thinking: Skype with Essex

Not everyone has access to a web cam, so we had a voice chat. Also you can search for me by my name, Leslie Dickinson, and my Skype address is VideoTink.

Artistic Thinking: Read & React Week 3

Read:

Chapter 3: An Explosion of WMDs: Wireless Mobile Devices by Rosen

            In this chapter, the author discusses communication devices that are capable of doing multiple tasks beyond simple voice communication. The author gives the example of the Baby-Boom Generation seeing a cell phone as a tool for only talking, while an iGen sees it as a device for texting, internet access, sharing photos and video, playing games, and personalization (aka “Smart” phones). While these devices are immensely popular and hold promise for educational use, there are few classrooms utilizing this technology. Quoting the Journal of Computer-Assisted Education, the author points out that: “One hundred years ago children travelled to schools to sit in rows and be instructed by a teacher. Today, they still do the same. Why is education so resistant to change?” (An Explosion of WMDs section, para. 8).

            The author continues to compare the iGeneration’s use of WMDs for keeping connected and being “wired” 24/7 to traditional schooling that sees these devices as a disruptive influence. Addressing concerns that these devices are too small for students to use to complete school work, that students cannot write properly because of these small devices (and potentially creating an illiterate generation), and the inability to print a hardcopy, the author discusses five concepts of mLearning: information is available (1) anywhere, (2) anytime, (3) on commonplace and affordable devices, (4) can be pushed/pulled to these devices, and (5) learning environments adapt. Citing educational research and theory, the author also points out that mLearning works for four main reasons: (1) presentations that incorporate a variety of media enhances learning and retention, (2) student-centered learning promotes active engagement in the learning process, (3) virtual spaces allows more students to participate in learning, (4) more student interactions in virtual spaces allow for more opportunities for positive reinforcement.

Chapter 2-4: Mobile Technologies by Brooks-Young

Chapter 2: Cell Phones

            In this chapter, Brooks-Young starts by saying, “cell phones may be the 21^st century equivalent of chewing gum” (Cell Phones section, para. 1). Going on to describe various bans and legislation against mobile communication devices in schools and on campuses, the author reminds us that students should be taught ethical and appropriate cell phone use. Cellphone functions that have potential classroom use: (1) cell phones cameras, (2) built-in voice recorders, (3) ability to take surveys/tests online, and (4) ability to “Google” and research anywhere.

Chapter 3: MP3 Players

            Like with cell phones, the author describes varying objections to MP3 Players, including anti-social behavior, cheating, and distracting. However as the popularity of podcasting increases so does the value of mobile audio devices. The author again encourages teaching ethical technology-use behaviors and to redesign activities and tests so that students must synthesize information instead of recite facts. Through podcasting, educators can communicate with each other, students, and even parents.

Chapter 4: Netbooks

            The author lists three common objections to netbooks: network security (a problem with any device that requires Internet and/or LAN access), size (too small for adults and teens), and system capabilities (OS and compatibility issues). Reminding that netbooks are not a replacement for desktop/laptop computers, the author promotes netbooks as a cheaper alternatives -but not replacements- for educational use. For classroom practice the author promotes project-based learning that relies on teamwork, communication, and collaboration, which make best use of the functionality of netbook-sized devices. Examples of use: document sharing through web-based applications Google Docs, class wiki, and videoconferencing.

Chapter 7: Blogging with Blogger by Digital Diet

            In this chapter, the authors discuss Google’s Blogger and list other blogging services such as WordPress, EduBlogs, and TypePad. Like a diary, blogs let you share your thoughts, ideas, and opinions in a format that is like and can be used as a personal webpage. Others can leave comments on your blog and share ideas as well. In the classroom, the authors suggest students using blogs to receive feedback and suggestions from peers and their teacher. They recommend moderating comments and establishing rules for appropriate commenting and use. They promote using rubrics to clarify expected behaviors and for identifying quality comments.

React:

            I agree with Brooks-Young’s emphasis that educators (and parents) should encourage ethical and appropriate technology usage. As obvious as it seems, I think our society expects that rude behaviors involving technology use can be halted through social disapproval. However Rosen discusses the “screen” we are behind in our virtual worlds which make social stigmas harder to enforce. We will have to be very clear on appropriate and acceptable behaviors in the virtual world. I like the rubrics for blogging in the Digital Diet book and will have to think about using them with students (and even myself).

SmartPhones and Netbooks/Tablets are technologies I would like to implement more in my own courses. Both my students and myself access BlackBoard on our phones and iPads. It works well for them to access images and notes when they are working on projects away from the lab, however there are times I would like to be able to check in with them via short texts without the need to wonder the halls looking for them and disrupting their work. I don’t want to have to exchange phone numbers to do it, so something like Twitter might work. I’ll have to think more on that!

References:

Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use. (Kindle Edition). Available from http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Tools-Kids-Really-ebook/dp/B00486THRE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1296870495&sr=8-2

Churches, A., Crockett, L., & Jukes, J. (2010). The Digital Diet: Today’s digital tools in small bytes. Canada: 21^st Century Fluency Project.

Rosen, L. D. (2010). Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the way they learn. (Kindle Edition). Available from http://www.amazon.com/Rewired-Understanding-iGenerationLearnebook/dp/B003QP3NAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digitaltext&qid= 1295657170&sr=1-1

Using Blogs in the AV Classroom

I'm not 100% sure how to implement using blogs in my AV courses. While I can think of a lot of ways we could use them, I'm not sure how to implement them with the Engineering students -who can be very unsure of themselves when it comes to things visual! I would need to make sure that their blogs were in a secure place, probably more secure than Blogger, as some of the students like to stay under the radar when it comes to information being public or in the hands of Google. However, the IT Program has it's own website with forums, so perhaps I could set up a private forum there for the AV students only. It would be one method... but I like the thought of blogs being something that can continue past a single course. Something more permanent and open would provide students with the opportunity to keep in touch with each other and with students from other semesters. We could have a massive, social, blogging, AV network!

I'm not as sensitive to having some chosen public information online so I thought I'd try creating one for the AV Courses. Audio/Video @ MU blog for the AV courses: http://avcourses.blogspot.com/   My hope with this blog is to remove the area of our course Blackboard site where I currently post interesting AV technologies and to move it to this blog where I can share and "geek out" with past and present students.

I did have another thought on blogging that I plan on discussing with my TAs next week. In the IT Program -for the direction we'd like to start heading- we are trying to create more content that is available online for the students. We're also working on creating levels of support for students, starting with knowledgeable workers in our labs, then knowledgeable course TAs who can provide student support inside and outside of class time, and finally Instructors whose priorities are to design up-to-date courses, provide instruction and implement courses, and to work on large collaborative projects for the benefit of IT Program students. I could easily see my TAs creating their own blogs for communicating with students about things as simple as changes to their lab office hours, to observations they've made about problems they're seeing students have and solutions to those problems, to sharing interesting AV things they find, or even their own work. This would build a good relationship with the students and provide an extra level of support. Students could even post works in progress to get feedback. I think this is implementable by the end of next week! I'm curious to hear what the TAs think to this idea and if the students would use it.

Bunnies that Quack: Student Work

Bunnies that Quack: Student Work: "Here are a few of my Audio/Video 2 students' work from the Fall 2010 semester at the University of Missouri. During the semester they create..."

Bunnies that Quack: My Work

Bunnies that Quack: My Work: "Current Work (2011): While I find myself involved with helping others with their various projects, I am overdue for creating current work. ..."

New Blog!

Welcome to my new blog! This is the "LTC 8900: Artistic Thinking edition." Enjoy!