Video Production - Teen Pregnancy

Our group began gathering video footage for our assignment. Jess primarily held the camera and I focused on interviewing. I really enjoyed listening to my peers and prompting further discussion. It is really fun to pose similar questions to a wide audience and achieve a huge variety of opinions. This is a very "democratic approach" to surveying and presenting knowledge to others. 

Most people within the Faculty of Education gladly contributed. The common movies and television shows mentioned have been Juno, Degrassi and 90210. We will definitely include important clips from these episodes in our video. In addition to this, the news coverage of Jamie Lynn Spears was also discussed. 

Our group has been discussing the best way to organize the footage. It was decided that beginning with a media montage would be useful to prepare the viewer for the topic. Statistics will be infused in the video to help guide the viewer's experience. The footage will be split into three segments. First, students will provide examples of teen pregnancy in the media. Next, students will discuss the real world. Finally, the topic of health education will be explored. The aim will be to show that media images effect reality (rather than strictly reflecting reality). The final statements will be hopeful and optimistic. It will become clear that critical dissections of messages in the media is fundamental for healthy and confident youth. 

FROM SLUMS TO OSCARS

I recently watched "Slumdog Millionaire". A teenager from Mumbai, who grew up in the slums, is a contestant on "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" (The Indian Production). The teen ends up winning and is interrogated under the suspicion of cheating. Throughout the film, the viewer understands how real life experiences (rather than formal education) is the source of his knowledge. This film was absolutely fantastic, and worthy of its oscar attention. 

In the first ten minutes of the film, the viewer learns much about the portrayal of the men, women and children. The men are largely authoritative, dominant, violent, and coercive. They maintain power by instilling fear in the young. The women are "tough love" mothers. They will use force to keep their children in control. Largely, their duties are to protect their children and tend to domestic needs (cooking, cleaning). The children are fresh, naive, energetic, vivacious, rebellious, and fun-loving. The children stick together. 

In addition to gender expectations and roles, the viewer learns much about the setting of India. There seems to be stark contrast between the big city and slums. The city has technology, wealth, and entertainment inspired by the West. The slums are dirty, polluted, and poverty stricken. There, children are educated in small school houses. 

I absolutely loved this movie. I immediately told my friends to see it at their earliest convenience. This Bollywood film has many of the conventions that are similar to our Hollywood favorites. There is a happy ending. There is a romantic plot line. The video footage and soundtrack were produced with great skill. The American viewer feels more cultured after "learning" about a new way of life or culture (as represented). 

India, on the other hand, was not happy about the portrayal of the culture. It is obvious that poverty, violence and corruption are not flattering by any means. In the first scene a child is shown covered in feces. The characters throughout the film are sweaty. Brutal murdering of communities occurs due to the fact that the individuals are Muslim. Without actually visiting to India, I cannot possible critique the validity of these images. If they do not accurately portray the way of life, obviously an uproar would be sanctioned. With some research, I have found out that the child stars were actually from the slums. Sadly, they were tremendously underpaid. After the Oscar event, they returned to their poor living conditions, only to be given more money after achieving an education at age eighteen. I find this problematic. The Hollywood producers should never take advantage of those in a vulnerable position. This is a horrible misuse of knowledge and power. 

This is a must see film. I encourage you to critically evaluate all aspects of the movie.

Video Production

Today we discussed video making and editing. In an example viewed in class ("The Wooden Camera"), the video footage varied in quality to simulate the differing perspectives. The video footage produced by the child was grainy and silent (sometimes out of focus). The video footage by the producer was high quality and stable. This made me more aware of the various filming strategies I could employ to make each point of view more distinct.

iMovie seems to be a very easy and user-friendly software for video-editing. I have my own Mac computer so I have already begun to cruise around the application. First, you can import video footage. Following that, video clips can be edited and rearranged. Adding titles,  music , and transitions can definitely enhance a piece and bring everything together. I look forward to this experience. By working in groups, we will be able to feed off of one another's creativity. 

PowerPoint

I have been working on my powerpoint assignment for this class. This assignment has made me reconsider the modality for presenting information in a new light. Never before have I used powerpoint to make a tutorial without a supporting commentary (live presentation). I have structured my tutorial in order to be engaging to a viewer. I used video and audio clips to bring information to life. I have used Imovie in order to create my own videos (rather than merely youtube). This really provides the needed evidence to substantiate my thesis. 

The following video appears on the second slide of my powerpoint presentation: 

Upon doing this project it became apparent that there are some compatibility issues between Mac and PC computers. I finally was able to format my CD such that it could be read universally. My peers seemed to encounter similar problems. 

Planning, Planning, Planning

We discussed video production in terms of shot divisions, camera angles and camera movements. We also looked at how to embed a video into powerpoint using Imovie.

Unit Planning with Technology:
In lecture, we discussed some considerations when incorporating technology into the classroom. First, you should ask yourself "What do I want my students to learn?". Second, "What do the state standards mandate for the subject?". Third, "What is your pedagogical need? What tools of communication, resources, technologies do you need to achieve your curriculum goal?". Fourth, "How will you deal with the technological concerns (i.e. security, maintenance, technological support, achievement gap)?. Fifth, "How are you going to empower yourself and your students?"

Innovative "SMART" Teaching

New products are now available to make learning more stimulating and engaging. Today, in lab, we are exploring the use of "Smart Interactive Whiteboards" in the classroom. The smartboard is an interactive alternative to the standard whiteboard. The touch-sensitive display is a projection of the computer screen.

City TV Calgary covered this new technology in a morning news briefing.


I began to search on the web for ideas of how to incorporate this new technology in the classroom. There are actually numerous websites available where teachers have posted lesson plans and interactive websites they have found to be useful. This is an example of such a link:

http://www.theteachersguide.com/InteractiveLitSitesSmartBoard.htm

The very fact that teachers are sharing their successes with others, shows how technology is also serving to unite eachother. The Internet is allowing educators to help eachother flourish!

Barbara Kruger is a conceptual artist. She uses large photographs with overlaid captions. The messages critically express messages that challenge the viewer to consider the power structures in society. "I Shop Therefore I am" was one image we discussed. A large black and white hand is holding the caption. To me, this is expressing how in order to truly exist in our world, you need to be a buyer and user of material objects. This is an unhealthy outlook of our role in the world. Consumer goods are increasingly taking on a stronger psychological role in a person's life. The ownership of a particular object serves as a status symbol to shape one's identity. I think it would be a valuable activity to bring in images like these to critically extrapolate meaning with students.

Apple Computers & Critical Pedagogy

I used today's lab period to continue to finish up my digital photo album. I was just going through Apple's website and found an interesting link related to education. The web address is posted below. This is important as it shows that even companies understand the need to integrate technology into the classroom. Obviously, their points are economically driven. Even so, there is value to the various resources, such companies are making available.

http://www.apple.com/education/teachers-professors/

The most meaningful part of today's lecture, was viewing the critical pedagogy video. I have included the link below, in order to revisit this at a later juncture. The sentiments have been echoed in a coursepack reading of a different class I am studying. In Ethics, we have been learning about "Liberation Theology". The quote below, coincides perfectly with our class discussions:

Richard Shaull explains,"There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of the world."

The alleviation of oppression and inequality should be a fundamental aspect of our education. Education can and should promote change. By not actually taking a stance on education the teacher is accepting and validating the current system with its oppressive elements. It is important to create a truly inclusive and dialogical classroom that embraces difference and strives for change.