Halloween... how old is too old?

It's the time of year again when candy is discounted and girls are searching to the skimpiest costume of their favorite animal. Ill be honest, I've been there, too. Last year I was a peacock.

However, I feel that as the years pass, my enthusiasm for finding (aka buying) an elaborate costume is dwindling.  I'd rather spend $50 on groceries... or drinks at the bar.  Therefore, I am using this week's blog post as an open forum/discussion... I would like feedback as to what I should dress up for for Halloween this year! Please, nothing too elaborate as I do not want to spend a lot money or time to make it... but I want it to be creative!

 Thanks and I'm looking forward to seeing suggestions!

Facebook... Friend or Foe??

Aaah Facebook... where would we be without you?? You are the reason we stay in touch with long lost friends, exchange numbers with people of the opposite sex that we were too afraid to ask in person, are able follow (aka stalk) ex-boyfriends after the relationship dies.  And how could we ever plan a party or event without the ability to attend, maybe-attend, or decline??

 I remember when Facebook first became popular (at least for me).  It was 2004 and I was a freshman at the University of Minnesota.  A friend told me I should join something called "facebook" so that I could network with people in my classes.  It took me two months to realize what she was talking about... at the time the internet address was THEfacebook.com  and I was just typing in facebook (without the "the"). Oh how my social life began once I figured out my little snafoo!

Facebook, originally, was extremely different.  I emailed a photograph of myself (that I took on my cell phone) and upoloaded my ONE picture I was allowed.  There were no networks, there was no privacy. If you were friends with someone or they went to your University, they could see your information (which didn't say much).

In the years that followed, I have experience both good and bad things from Facebook.  Sophmore year of college my mom found my profile (which was STUPIDLY still public) and found out that I was drinking... a lot... and underage, while living in the dorms.  That was embarassing, to say the least.  THEN there was the time that a boy I met at work (who I had already said I would not go out with him) who found my number on listed on my profile and proceeded to harrass me for three months with threatening voicemails 60 times a day.  I had to change my number. Oh, and call the cops.  Most recently, I found out a guy I was dating was cheating on me when another girl posted something on his wall... After telling me he had a stomach ache, I saw the next day a girl, with the annoying name of "Kelly", wrote: "Thanks for dinner, Dan... what a nice change of pace :) "

You think that all of this would be enough to make me cancel my account. But what can I say... I have a love affair with Facebook!  There is something fun about seeing other people's "personal" business and seeing who got fat since high school (from the ability to view thosands of photo's.  Voyeurism, as much as we don't want to admit it, is FUN!  There is something that builds community and commradery when everyone is a part of a group.  Little notes on your birthday make you feel special.  Facebook is an integrated part of our society, as much as texting I would argue.

As I've grown older, I've realized the severe consequences that can be related to Facebook. I've had friends get fired when they call in sick to work and then post status updates about going to a Twins game... Things like this have made me realize the severity of posting personal things in a public forum.... You never know who will see it!  Especially now, in my journey to becoming a teacher, I've realized the extreme importance of seperating my personal life from my professional one as a mentor and teacher.  However, there can be useful tools to using Facebook in the classroom.  It is free, and therefore opens the ability, to create class pages and groups (seperate from personal accounts) where students can join forums and discussions and access class information.

While I make these rational declarations... of both the good and bad, desirable and disgusting aspects of Facebook, I can tell you right now... I'm going to check my Facebook before I go to bed.

Video Annotation on VidAnt

This activity was originally posted to Ning on time on Sept. 23rd, I just simply forgot to also post it to my blog! Here is the link to the Felicity annotations.  I had trouble where, for some reason, only my first two annotations saved and would play back.  Therefore, I wrote, in detail on Ning, the other observations I made of this clip!

Here were my MULTIPLE posts adding my annotations and observations of this clip that would not save!:
1) In addition to my annotations, I will expand on my critique of "Felicity". I think that the basic editing and consistent shots between Felicity and Ben really create the mood of intimacy that the filmmaker was trying to convey being felt between the two characters. The music adds to the anticipation of the impending kiss and the viewers are really involved (as in all four seasons) in the relationship between Felicity and Ben.

2)I do no know why the last three annotations are not showing up, so I will just write them in here. At the point of Ben and Felicity's kiss, this was my comment: At this point we are made aware what the "event" we're anticipating is: the kiss! The scene pans out again and both characters are in one shot together. When Ben lurches forward to kiss Felicity the camera moves to the right with his body. THe viewer is meant to feel the excitement and feeling along with Felicity.

At the end of the video, with around 30 seconds less, the shot shows Felicity and Ben in the same shot again and shows Felicity standing up and leaving. It is as if the film maker made sure that we saw her reaction to the kiss and the physicial distance (signaling emotional distance) she puts between her and Ben.

Finally, I commented the dim, intimate lighting and neutral color of the set and the characters' clothing. There are no flashy, distracting colors that avert our attention away from the sexual tension between the characters and the importance of their dialogue. The scene is really led by the dialogue and feeling between the two characters and not flashy camera work. It is simple to emphasize the importance of their conversation and create an intimate setting.

Voicethread! Hooray!

Here is the link to my voicethread! It is discussing how men are most often the target audience for alcohol advertisements and how the inclusion of women is only used as a tool to objectify women as sexual objects (luring men) and therefore attracting them to the alcohol. Further, these advertisements construct and reinforce "appropriate" and "traditional" gender roles that are reinforced in society.  They define what masculinity is, or should be, and what it takes and means to be a "real" man in society.

Media Representation Activity: Britney Spears Before, During, and After!

Who's the real Britney Spears?? Which one is sending more of a message?

I am interested in students’ ideas and opinions concerning pop culture and music videos.  There are so many different mediums that are representing in music: the artist is conveying one message through their personal image and appearance, their song lyrics are giving another message to listeners, and then a music video is often times a completely different message than that which is conveyed in the lyrics.  I think it would be interesting to make students take a sheet of paper and instruct them to draw two vertical lines on the sheet (so that there are three columns).  To begin, I would tell them very briefly about a music video that I am going to show them (only giving them the name of the artist/band and the name of the song).  It might even be interesting to give them a sheet with the lyrics printed out so they can see it just as text. Then, based on just that information, I want the students to make assumptions about what they think the video will show/be about. If some of them have already seen the video, I will instruct them to recall what they can about it from memory. These assumptions will be made in the far left-hand column.  Then, I will show them the music video, telling them to note and write down any themes they see or think are significant and anything that strikes them as important. These observations will go in the middle column.  Finally, we will have a discussion about everyone’s beginning assumptions in comparison to what they noticed while watching the music video.  After we have an opportunity to discuss as a group the mixed messages being sent (and what they mean in terms of discourse), I will have the students watch the video one more time.  These observations will go in the far right corner and will hopefully help them think about the video more critically and what the images, lyrics, and artist they are seeing are trying to convey or sell to them.  As an example, Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” would be an excellent example of an artist, song, and music video that are all sending different messages.

Here is the link to "Hit me Baby One More Time"

To Brooklyn or Not???

Lately I have been thinking a lot about whether I should move after graduation.  While I have only been to New York once... I have a strange obsession that draws me to it.  Sometimes I feel like a change would be fantastic, and other times I am worried about leaving behind people and places here in Minneapolis.  It's strange that I can go back and forth on stomething that I am at times so adamant about... but maybe that's what happens before all big decisions??

Other than NYC dreams, the past week has been insanely busy (I feel like I cannot catch up on anything!!).  Between work, school, homework and practicum I am ALWAYS exhausted!! And on top of it all, I got sick last week! It's strange how when you're young, (in a strange way) you like getting sick... it's a legitimate excuse not to go to school and you get to stay home and watch daytime T.V.  As an adult tho, I cannot think of anything worse! There is no good time to get sick and miss a day or two of work/school.

And speaking of ANNOYING... I got a summons for jury duty!! I cannot believe it.  Technically, I should clarify, I didn't just get jury duty, I got it a month ago... but I just now called to post-pone it.  I explained my situation with being in school full-time and they were really nice about it actually... however, I have now agreed to tentatively be available in December/January of 2011. And as strange as that sounds, I might actually have plans.  My family was discussing a trip to Hawaii (however, I do not think after a year of postponement the courts would care).  Maybe that's a sign I should move... it would get me out of jury duty.

It's hard to believe it's only Wednesay... the weeks go by so fast yet are soooo long at the same time! I have never had so much reading to do in my life.  I hang on to the glimmer of the weekend to get me through the weeks.  Last weekend was fun, my cohort went to one of my professor's houses for a party and then went to the VFW afterwards.  On Saturday, I went to the Zombie Pub Crawl... it was definitely an experience!! Some people were really in to it... and it's embarrassing to admit, but I was a little scared at some points! I don't like zombies... and my noise still has fake blood stained on it.

Well, there's my week's recap of my uber exciting and majorly busy life! Hang on till next time... maybe something exciting will happen!

I Love Lucy lesson activity!

I chose to look focus my lesson and clips through a feminist approach and the critical discourse analysis of class.  Additionally, the students will use reader response to organize their thoughts and opinions and apply it to the in-class exercise.

I chose the I Love Lucy episode “Job Switching” (links at the bottom of the page for the episode on YouTube), in which Lucy and Ethel switch “jobs” with Ricky and Fred.  In the episode, Ricky complains that Lucy overdrew her account again and does not understand the hard work in supporting a household.  Lucy argues back that Ricky does not understand that her role as a housewife is also a job and hard work, and that she is just not paid for it.  The men and women make a bet that they will switch jobs, and that the women will go out in the work field and the men will stay home and take care of the house.  This famous episode ends with Lucy and Ethel working in a chocolate factory, and eating loads of chocolate in order to keep their work area clean.

I will make the students watch the episode, and then give them a brief background in to the history of the show and the time in which it was originally created and aired.  Even though this show is overtly depicting traditional gender roles, the class will most likely be quite surprised to learn that Lucy was a feminist in her time.  She was the first woman to have the starring role in a sitcom.  Additionally, Ricky was one of the first immigrant actors to also have a starring role.  This would most likely surprise the students after viewing the episode.

While the show was innovative for its time in many ways, it is obviously still reinforcing the traditional gender roles that society was expecting.  Lucy and Ethel are housewives, who when they try and get a job in the mainstream work force, are either not qualified for many positions or (as the episode shows) fail at the positions they are given.  Similarly, Ricky and Fred are shown as incapable of doing “women’s” work.  The show is warning us, that if we do not follow our specific gender roles (men supporting the household while women keep the house clean), then severe chaos and destruction will ensue.  The comedy of this show reinforces the absurdity of thinking women are capable of doing men's jobs and men are not fit to do women's' jobs.

Additionally, this show reinforces class and socioeconomic status as significant factors in classifying our roles in society.  This show assumes that every family can afford to live in New York City with the man working and the woman staying home (which is most clearly not accurate).  Furthermore, this specific episode shows that when you do not have the talent or education to do high-status and high paying jobs, you end up working in a factory (there are no other options for “unqualified” individuals).

For my class, I will give them a work sheet that has three columns.  The column on the left will have “observation”, in which they write an observation that they notice as either gender determined and motivated or class determined or motivated.  In the middle column will be “evidence”, they will write what evidence the characters, setting, props, dialogue, etc reinforce their observation and make it clear to the audience.  Finally, in the right column, they will write their reaction to this and how it makes them feel to see these roles played out in a sitcom.  Do they agree with this observation/role, or does it make them mad and why.

This activity could be taken further by then showing them a clip of a modern day sitcom, such as “Modern Family” or “Two-and-a-half Men”.  I would have them fill out the same worksheet and pay attention to the same aspects.  They could compare the two sitcoms (one from the past and one from the present) and discuss the similarities and differences.  Has our society evolved to a more equal place for gender and class division?  Has it stayed the same? Or has it become worse in their opinion.  I think this could make them think critically as to how TV has evolved in relation to these different and important approaches and where and how they think TV will continue to evolve.

"Job Switching" Part 1/3
"Job Switching" Part 2/3
"Job Switching" Part 3/3

In-class Activity: Cohort Video Montage!

Here is my iMovie project of our cohort that we did in class... enjoy!