Media Literacy in the Art Classroom

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS FOR THE 8900 COURSE

View the video below as an introduction to this assignment:



Your technology topic this week focuses on the area of media literacy.  Your assigned readings are as follows:

• Rosen - Chapter 7 "Media Literacy Among 21st Century Kids"
• Kuan Chung & Kirby - "Media Literacy Art Education: Logos, Culture Jamming, & Activism"

In addition to your assigned readings I would like you to watch two documentaries I have embedded here within our blog - Killing Us Softly and Consuming Kids.

Killing Us Softly can be viewed here.

Consuming Kids can be viewed here.

Once you have finished the readings and viewing the films I would like for you to address the following question:

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

Describe your personal position persuasively using references from the readings and films when applicable.  Additionally consider the following dimension - how would you teach media literacy in the art classroom?  (Kuan Chung & Kirby's article as well as these resources from PBS may be good jumping off points).  This response will be in lieu of your read and react and should be at least 750 words (due to lengthy nature of the content and the broad scope of the topic).

When you have finished writing you will need to respond to at least one other student's post.

Consuming Kids Documentary

Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids. 

play!

stretch & explore - investigating play

additional resources:
Play, creativity, and lifelong learning: Why it matters for kids and adults
Serious Play: the art center design conference

Photoshop 101 Assignment (beginner level)

Use the tutorials below to guide you through the process of creating your dream vacation composition.  Refer back to these tutorials for additional help in future projects.  You may also feel free to use them in your classroom as well.

Let's get started!

1. Download photoshop and set up your workspace.



2. Add images.



3. Transform images (scale, rotate, etc).



4. Cut out images.



5. Perform basic image editing (brightness/contrast, saturation, etc).



6. Add finishing touches (filters, opacity, etc).

Killing Us Softly

The 2nd edition of the Killing Us Softly film/lecture series by Jean Kilborne.

Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and for her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. In the late 1960s she began her exploration of the connection between advertising and several public health issues, including violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction, and launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to prevent these problems. A radical and original idea at the time, this approach is now mainstream and an integral part of most prevention programs. Her films, lectures and television appearances have been seen by millions of people throughout the world. Kilbourne was named by The New York Times Magazine as one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses. She is the creator of the renowned Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women film series and the author of the award-winning book Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel and co-author of So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids.

Killing Us Softly 4 from MagHon on Vimeo.

Consuming Kids

Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids. 

Part 1

Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5


Part 6


Part 7

creating and investigating intertexts

All images relate to other cultural texts such as books, poems, music, and, of course, other images (Wilson, 2003). Images draw from other sources, copy them, parody them, and, in turn influence other cultural texts. Today, students are familiar with this basic idea through the Internet. With computers, intertextuality is known as hypertext, where pressing on blue words, and often on pictures, immediately takes the user to a related screen.

Duncum, P.. (2010).  Seven Principles for Visual Culture Education. Art Education, 63(1), 6-10. 

Visually deconstructing or representing image/artifact's antecedents can be a great way to get students to think about context in artwork.  Duncum's example (below) shows how students can literally physically connect ideas and imagery by creating intertexts.

This can also be done in a more high tech (though not highly complicated) manner using Inspiration or Popplet. In the example below  I’ve attempted to create an intertext which traces 
the antecedents of the work of artist Fred Wilson.  Wilson is located in the center and around 
the periphery are visual and conceptual connections I’ve made to his work.

the entire intertext - as you can see the connections just keep on going

deconstructing the visual connotations of one of his pieces

deconstructing the conceptual connections with objects and collections in his work
(look at all the connections among and between ideas and images!)

How might you incorporate the idea of

intertextuality in your classroom?

popplet

10/2 ANNOUNCEMENT - IT APPEARS POPPLET IS NOT ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS RIGHT NOW.  I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED WHEN THEY HAVE CHANGED THIS STATUS.  IN THE MEANTIME JUST VIEW THE INFORMATION BELOW.

Popplet is a web-based visual thinking tool.  It is currently in beta mode and free to use through invitation.  To get started click here.

What is a popplet?


How do I create a popplet?

You can follow the directions found on the popplet site or video (above) or watch my tutorial on blackboard in the tegrity classes.

How can popplet be used in the classroom?

I love to brainstorm visually and to have the ability to physically move around ideas.  The old-fashioned way of accomplishing this was through notecards or post its (still valuable, but not very easy to move or expand upon).  Popplet alleviates some of these issues by digitizing your thoughts and storing them in the cloud so that they are accessible anywhere with internet access.

Popplet is a favorite of mine with brainstorming ideas for lessons and larger curriculum structures.  See the images below for an example.

When I first began brainstorming for the content of the new courses I'd be teaching I had so many ideas to keep track of - and listing wasn't helping.  My ideas were organic, and every changing (as they should be at this point).  Enter popplet.  With this software I simply began by creating piles of notes ("popples") that I could save and then sort and group as I began to play around with the structure of the course and the lessons.

After I'd spent some time brainstorming I began to categorize my ideas into themes and eventually cluster them into weekly units.  Being able to physically move my ideas aided me in playing around with multiple solutions (to find the best fit) before I settled without having to spend time creating and recreating exhaustive lists.

Popplet has also been beneficial in visualizing classroom management for lesson plans and seating charts.  The above example illustrates my thinking for media stations during a unit of investigating expressive marks.

Popplet can also be used to create mind maps and concept webs to help unpack or elaborate on complex ideas.  The example here is a screen shot from a very detailed popplet I constructed investigating the idea of identity - the guiding conceptual thread for my Art Basics course curriculum.  This use is very similar to the functions the program Inspiration provides - but without the cost.

Additionally, web popplets can be collaborative others can add, edit, and arrange popples to those you have already created.

inspiration 101

The following videos will help you to become familiar with using the Inspiration program.  To register for your 30 day free trial and to get started click here.

What is inspiration?


How do I create diagrams with Inspiration?
Go here and click "diagram view"

How do I create mind maps with Inspiration?
Go here and click "map view"

visual thinking with mapping diagrams

Though visual thinking is not limited to the tools introduced below (as it can be applied to many different techniques and resources) for the purposes of this course we will look at the idea of visual thinking as it relates to graphic organizers (or concept maps/webs or mind maps – depending on your definition) and how they can help students to find connections to and amongst many ideas.  Before we can create mind maps and concept, idea, or mind maps of our own we need to know the basics.  Explore the content below to get started.


1. What is visual thinking?


2. What are mind maps? 


3. How do I create a mind map?
In his books on Mind Maps author Tony Buzan suggests using the following guidelines for creating Mind Maps:

1. Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors.
2. Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your Mind Map.
3. Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
4. Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
5. The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
6. Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
7. Use multiple colors throughout the Mind Map, for visual stimulation and also to encode or group.
8. Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping.
9. Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map.
10. Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

The mind map image below illustrates the concepts of mind mapping.

source

4. What are idea maps?  How do I create one?


5. What are concept maps?  How do I create one?


6. How do these ideas connect to the classroom?

corralling and conquering visual inspiration

Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration - Thomas Edison

Oh inspiration!  You slippery, silly little thing you.  How much easier our lives would be if you were where we last left you, if you would come when we called, and if you would connect the dots the way we wanted you to.

Do these thoughts sound familiar?

Living in the wake of the Information Age we have imagery and ideas at our fingertips simply by clicking a button.  How many times are you putzing around the web when you stumble across something interesting that just might be the missing piece for artwork you are working on?  Or what about this scenario - how many times are you searching online when you stumble across something that is simply, well, cool, and you want to remember it?

Pop quiz hotshot - what do you do next?

a) bookmark the page

b) save the file

c) print it out

d) make a mental note

e) two words: post its

All good strategies - but how often will that information actually be there when you need it - later?

For ideas to be useful we have to have a system in place to capture them (corralling) and also to recall them (capturing).

Creating inspiration boards is a useful strategy which meets both goals and provides the additional benefit of providing you with an aesthetic inventory, or "big picture" of connections to images and ideas you may not have seen otherwise.  Before you begin your own, let's dive deeper into the topic by checking out the powerpoint below.

Inspiration boards

View more presentations from mmudd.

Sounds great, but, how do I get started creating my own inspiration board?

1. You can always create inspiration boards by collage - cutting and pasting images by hand.

2. You can also use the moderately old-fashioned way - digitally editing images seperately and putting them into one final document (a bit tedious, but provides a lot of creative control).   

3. Powerpoint is an easy way to create a digital inspiration board.  See this post.

4. Blogs can provide a great online repository for saving images that you find interesting.  Here is a great example.

5. There are several websites and applications online which you can also use to create moodboards/inspiration boards.  Here are a few of my favorites:

pinterest

polyvore

olioboard

mosaicmaker

moodie

So, what are you waiting for?  Begin corralling all of those post its and renegade jpg files and make them into something great!  Let me know if you have other strategies or resources which you find helpful by posting to the comments below.

searching smarter: social bookmarking & other search helpers

What is social bookmarking?  

As the DD text states “the internet is too big for us to final all the best sites and resources to use.  Enter social bookmarking, where you use the search power of all of your friends to find and save (bookmark) all the best websites.”  The keys to social bookmarking are tagging and sharing.  “Tagging” refers to giving items a category, or a label, so that they can be cross-referenced and searchable.  The sharing part is, of course, what makes this activity the most interesting and most beneficial.

The following sites are among the most popular for social bookmarking:

delicious

digg

reddit

stumbleupon

I would encourage you to try all of them to see which one(s) you like the most, because, in the end, making use of this idea is all about ritual and repetition.  If you don't start bookmarking, you won't have much to share and add to the conversation.

What is image bookmarking?  

Image bookmarking is a type of social bookmarking that is just as it sounds – specific to images.  Many sites allow users to collect and tag images they find interesting or useful in the same way that social bookmarking sites allow users to tag links.

The following sites are among the most popular for image bookmarking:

fffound

flickr

pininterest

weheartit

Are there any search engines that use social bookmarking?

Trailmeme, pearltrees, and diigo are all search portals which utilize the concept of social bookmarking.  Find out more about them by watching their introductory videos below.

trailmeme



pearltrees



getting started with pearltree


diigo

Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember! from diigobuzz on Vimeo.


why diigo rocks
diigo in the classroom

beyond google image search: image lexicon building strategies

What are “visual lexicons?”  In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions.  Therefore, a visual lexicon refers to a vocabulary of imagery.  Aiding students in developing an astute visual lexicon requires not only exposing, but immersing them in many images.  Part of that entails having students actively seek imagery beyond the art historical imagery and exemplars required as part of their curriculum.  “Image storming” – or brainstorming by gathering many examples of imagery related to a given topic or problem is an essential part of many artists’ practices.  Technology can make this process easier.

What resources can be used to “image storm?”: In a classroom setting posters, books, and physical exemplars are often used to spark student interest/build image lexicons.  However, each resource can be problematic. For example, posters can be both costly and space-encroaching.  Books may contain many lovely and interesting examples – but they can only be viewed by one or two students at a time.  Physical exemplars are important, but also take up space, and may not truly represent an adequate range of possibility with the media or technique.  With a limitless array of imagery at their fingertips, students often image storm online before consulting any of the other aforementioned resources.  Consider the following example:

Classroom snapshot: does this sound familiar?

Teacher: "Okay class, today I would like for you to search for images on the internet to use as references to your project.  Where should we go to get started?"

Students: "Google it!" (or bing, or yahoo, etc.)

So, what's the problem?
One of the most popular ways to find imagery online is through a google image search.  Its quick, its easy, and it is a good solution for very general images.  The problem enters when we consider page ranking – the method in which search engines spit out their query results.  

What is page rank?
PageRank is a link analysis algorithm, named after Larry Page,^[1] used by the Google Internet search engine that assigns a numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents, such as the World Wide Web, with the purpose of "measuring" its relative importance within the set.  Here is google's explanation:

PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results. PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page's importance.

In other words, a PageRank results from a "ballot" among all the other pages on the World Wide Web about how important a page is. A hyperlink to a page counts as a vote of support. The PageRank of a page is defined recursively and depends on the number and PageRank metric of all pages that link to it ("incoming links"). A page that is linked to by many pages with high PageRank receives a high rank itself. If there are no links to a web page there is no support for that page.

I still don't get why this is a big deal - tell me more!
Consider this example: Little Suzie loves cats – anything to do with cats, and she would like to have some cat pictures for references for her next project.  So, she goes to google, types in “cute cats” and copies 3-5 of the first images she sees.  Again, this is fine if we just need something general, but what happens if Mary, who also is a kitten freak, enters the same search query?  That’s right, she gets the same results, and more than likely in the same order.  


This is problematic for a number of reasons:

1. due to page rank the most popular hits will be listed first, and generally students don’t like to dig through the page to find additional items
2. many of the items cross-listed may be commercial in nature – limiting the breadth of images seen,
3. google is only one of MANY search services students could use

The solution:

There are several alternatives to using google image search.  There are sites that host up and coming artist’s works (which are searchable by tags), there are social networks just for images (called image bookmarking sites – which we will explore more of below), and many alternative image search engines.  Check out some of the MANY alternatives by clicking any of the links below.  Please note - because of the ever-changing nature of the web-landscape, these links may have changed.  Sites should be previewed to insure appropriateness for the level of students your are teaching.

alamy

deviantart
enjoysthin.gs
etsy
every stock photo
FFFFOUND!
flickr
fotki
freefoto
image spark
image toss
imgfave
istockphoto
lookbook
myartspace.com
oobject
pinterest
photagr
photobucket
photoree
pichaus
picocool
picfog
picsearch

stock xchng
tastespotting
tineye
videque
vi.sualize.us
we heart it
we love typography
woophy
yay everyday
zoomr