Week 2 Reading Convergence Culture

Lion, W. (artist). (2009). Playing with information. [photo]. Retrieved June 21, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/3601144842/

I find the whole power struggle between producer and consumer to be a little bit ironic especially because of the mass merchandise that is produced to promote products/movies. Convergence Culture points out this irony as consumers are allow to wear shirts, hang poster, and play video games promoting and/or based on things like movies, yet frowns on that same consumer posting any images related to their product on their webpages, etc. Does the mega giant forget that this is free advertising for them that could open up the doors to attract new fans who will ultimately pad their pocket. I do recognize some danger in allowing consumers to produce their own versions of a movie which could devalue or draw attention away from the original production. However, the creative freedom and expression of individuals leads to quite entertaining cinema and often leads to opportunities that stem from their altered creations. If any one person or entity had complete control of media, what would happen to our freedoms?

Waiting on permission to use photo...Permission Granted! Thanks Will

Week 2 Podcasts and DC

Wagner, K. (artist). (2008). Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. [photo]. Retrieved June 21, 2009 from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtwagner/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Many places we visited in DC provided podcast tours; unfortunately, we where not allowed to listen to the MP3 during our tour in the capital. The freedom to explore and absorb the quirky facts about the capital was squashed by a tour guide speaking softly to a group of over sixty. It was quite disappointing that our group was excluded from this experience. The majority of the museums we visited were heavily text loaded which doesn't thrill our techie generation. The use of podcasts is this setting would revolutionize the knowledge students absorb during their visit. Luckily there were opportunities to watch a short video or experience a flight simulator.

Week 2 Wimba Creative Commons

TilarX. (artist). (2007). Creative Commons Swag Contest 2007_2. [photo]. Retrieved June 20, 2009, from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylerstefanich/ / CC BY 2.0

The information on Creative Commons has by far been one of the most valuable pieces of information in the program thus far. This knowledge will not only help me but allow me to teach my students the proper was to determine whether a piece of media can be used. I never knew that you could check Flickr photos for CC this will make my life much easier. Creating and sharing my own media using CC will help other educators see the important of fair use.

More to come...

Week 2 Washington D.C. or BUST

vgm8383. (artist). (2007). Capitol at Sunset. [photo]. Retrieved June 10, 2009, from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vgm8383/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

I'm off to Washington D.C. for four days to chaperon eighth graders. I'm exciting for this opportunity and ready to soak it all in even though the weather looks like it'll be rainy. Many of the units we cover in reading highlight things that I will experience up close. I hope FPE training will come in handy and I plan to create a highlight reel for the students when I return. I've been thinking about what kinds of podcasts would be beneficial for students to listen to and without having searched for any yet, I think that ones created by other students would be a good place to start. I also hope to find ones that captivate the listener through storytelling and vivid use of words so that you can picture what the speaker is talking about. I'm going to attempt to submit week 2 blogs from my blackberry from D.C., but I've never tried it so you'll have to wait and see how it goes.

Week 1 Show Me What You Know

By far the best part of this program are the tools provided by our Mac Book Pro. The ease in which projects can be created has blown my mind. I never thought switching from using a PC would be so easy and I haven't looked back since. The tool that seems to bring everything together is iMovie--I can easily import pictures and music from iPhoto and Garage Band. Unfortunately for me, I tend to under utilize the organization tools found in these programs. Often my desktop becomes a crowded mess, which is not efficient and becomes time consuming.

Video Create in iMovie using previous projects and images. 

Week 1 Convergence Culture

McDaniel. (artist).(2008). Academic Curriculum Image. [photo] Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/13102672@N00/3107918195/

Convergence Culture takes a look at the surge of various media delivery tools and the ever blurring line between producer and consumer. One of the best examples is found in the "spoilers" who attempt to dissect that which is "Survivor" in attempt to divulge the secrets to who is going to be the ultimate survivor. Connecting with a community of like-minded souls who seek the thrill of unveiling who goes next reminds all with the help of the Internet. Another shining example, American Idol, seems to stabilize our TV viewing by hooking us with the need to vote after the show. A clever move in the age of TiVo and digital video recording. I find humor in the idea of collective intelligence where one person is not omniscient and needs the input of others to gain supreme knowledge. These collective communities come together as if playing a game with the ultimate goal of revealing the winner thus spoiling the anticipation that has built up for thousands of viewers. The "fourth screen" brings a new level of media availability to consumers that takes us mobile. No longer are we confined by the walls of our home. This new streamlined technology is transforming life as we know it.

Week 1 PowerPoint Junkie Finds Style

I found the YouTube video by Doctor Don--PowerPoint Therapist spot on. He nailed down the common faux pas that most of us make when using PowerPoint to deliver our message. I am guilty too of using animations and fancy transitions that often were for novelty. However, I am looking forward to this class to merge my existing skills and streamline the delivery process. Often I find it difficult to limit the amount of information in my presentation especially when the target audience is middle school. These students do not want extra information--they only care about what's essential to their survival. This class excites me because it represents the culmination of every experience we've had in the program thus far. I hope to refine my presentation skills and combine existing technologies to showcase a style that is beyond the norm. Hopefully, this course will help with the logistics of my media project for my thesis. My vision incorporates CPS clickers into a multimedia presentation to engage and motivate students, thus increasing performance.

Video Create in PowerPoint captured with SnapzProX