Podcast: This West Chester Life - JAKE'S BAR

PODCAST PROJECT - THIS WEST CHESTER LIFE: JAKE'S BAR

1.     For our multi-modal project, we were asked to first listen to a podcast, then create our own. A podcast is like a TV show, but recorded and listened to - like the radio. Podcast are easily accessed by itunes, and other sites. The theme for our podcast was "This Is West Chester." We had to choose something unique about West Chester, interview people if necessary, or create dialogue about what our topic was so that other people could listen to it. My group chose Jake's Bar, which is a famous dive bar right in the heart of West Chester. The story behind Jake's Bar dates back to when it was opened in the 1930s - and the history of it is just amazing, not mentioning the owner, Jake, and his son, Raz. Although neither Jake or Raz wanted to be recorded for the interview, they were more then willing to tell us the history behind the bar. By using 'garageband' on the iMac computer provided by the school, we were able to piece together sounds and music we recorded, and we were also able to piece together the story we recorded from the information we received. Finally, by uploading the recording to bluefire, a website specifically for recordings, we created our podcast.

2. To collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation would be the best teaching standard that we used. There is no question that we collaborated with students, since we worked in groups. In relation to peers, we got to discuss our projects in class with our classmates and great feedback was given - whether giving ideas to help a group or proposing problems that may occur that a group may not have thought of. Because we were asked to do something that related to West Chester, interaction with our community members was a must. Furthermore, we used ipod touch devices to record and garageband on the imac computers to create our podcasts.

3.     By encouraging group work amongst my students and letting them interact with new technological devices, I believe I would be upholding this standard. Furthermore, getting my students engaged with the world that they live in, and the community in which they live, is very important. There are many ways to come up with safe, creative projects for my students where they can get to know whats happening in there community, and hopefully do something good or at least informative and interesting for other community members.


PODCAST - Jake's Bar 

Know Your Meme:

KNOW YOUR MEME



1.     The purpose of this project was to take a popular internet video, saying, or trend, that has gained tons of popularity in society. Our group chose to make a 'knowyourmeme' video about Beyonce Knowle's popular music video, "Single Ladies." This video became very popular because it's a very intense dance video; and more importantly it sends a very blunt message to everyone about single ladies and confidence. Numerous people have tried on there own to imitate Beyonce's moves - which gave us great videos to work with. Not only have average people at home tried to do Beyonce's moves, popular artists and TV shows have also taken an interest in her video, so her video has become viral over the internet and in the entertainment world. Like any other 'knowyourmeme' video, our video showed how the "Single Ladies" video progressed and became so popular.

2.     The best teaching standard that would apply to this video would be developing technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. This relates because we were allowed to choose our own video idea, and then after we finished the project and watched it, we assessed the video ourselves. Furthermore, we were introduced to new websites and digital devices to work with and video tape. After learning how to use these new devices, we also needed to learn about new websites to upload the videos onto and learn new programs to edit the videos. All of these new things that we learned can only help us in a classroom - and will make learning for our students more advanced and exciting.


3.     When I have my own classroom, I believe I will continue to use this standard because its both educational, and exciting for students. Not only will my students be able to let there imaginations run wild using technology, they will also be learning, and it won't be tedious for them. Furthermore, self-evaluations are a great way to reflect on your work, and think about ways that you could have done things differently, or better. It is very important for students to reflect on there work so that they are constantly working to reach there fullest potential, which is why it is very important for educators to use and meet this standard.




Know Your Meme - SINGLE LADIES

Citations:

1. Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." Unbelievably Written. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.unbelievablywritten.com/?p=232>.



2. "Be Inspired to Do Great Things | Reading For Your Success." Reading for Your Success : Discovering Your Own Path to Personal Freedom. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.readingforyoursuccess.com/about/inspiration>.




3. "The Road Not Taken by ~Anachronist84 on DeviantART." Anachronist84 on DeviantART. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://anachronist84.deviantart.com/art/The-Road-Not-Taken-50928248?offset=10>.




4. "Homepage." The CMU Contributed Homepage. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~mgallowa/>.




5. "Fall Pictures: For Autumn Splendor Year Round." Squidoo : Welcome to Squidoo. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.squidoo.com/fall-pictures>.


6. MUSIC - Hans Zimmer - "Cry"

Multi-Modal Poem: The Road Not Taken

I decided to do Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken."

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

 

 The Road Not Taken, is a poem that consists of four stanzas, five lines each and has a rhyming scheme of ABAAB. Most people have read this poem in school in an English class, or have seen it on a hallmark card, but never really find the real meaning of this poem. Robert Frost says in the poem, "Though as for that, the passing there had worn them really about the same." Speaking about both of the roads that he stands before, he sees that they are "worn the same," therefore, neither road is really less traveled. The decisions that we make in life are ultimately the "roads" we travel down. Later in the poem, he states how he will look back on this moment and he sighs. He realizes that at some point in his life, he may regret his decision of the road he took, or at least think about the other road and what that road may have taken him too. The last two lines of this poem leave a hopeful and inspiring feel for the reader; however, the poem is called, "The Road Not Taken," not, "The Road Less Traveled." This is a significant part of the meaning behind this poem. This suggest a theme of "Carpe Diem," or, seize the day. There is no RIGHT path but rather in that moment of having to decide, just the one you choose to take, and the one you don't.

 

 Murray states, "...students must learn how the imagination is required for logical, reasoned, claim-based argument; how the emotions are not only omnipresent but integral to image and textual production;" I believe that this poem is great for what Murray says. There are many descriptive sentences, and hidden themes that can make a students' imagination run wild. There is a lot of interpretation that can be taken away from, "The Road Not Taken," and with those interpretations, creativeness will happen. To further back up this theory, Murray also states, "All symbolization, including traditional notions of language, is based in image because our brains function through image." This means that when reading words, we immediately start picturing things in our head that we think the words are portraying. Overall, this written text can be made into an amazing multi-modal piece that can help students really get the true meaning of the poem.

 

Chapter 4 Question (Murray) :

According to Murray and his views on Writing/Invention Theory, what is symbolization?

A.  It is based around discursive meaning
B.  Symbolization are examples given in the text to describe a meaning
C.  It defines imagination
D.  Symbolization is based in image; it constructs reality for individuals

EPIC BEARD MAN: knowyourmeme.com

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/episodes?page=4

EVALUATION OF EPIC BEARD MAN knowyourmeme VIDEO:
Meg Moore

PERSPECTIVE: 18points

     In this particular meme video, it tells the story of the EPIC BEARD MAN on a city bus, and the brawl he gets in with an African American man. The overall presentation of the 'scientist' and how he tells the story is told in a serious tone, although the story can be found comical. The camera angles are pretty basic throughout the entire video and its a straight forward shot on the speaker the whole time, but I think it fits for how they want to tell the story, and the tone in which they want to tell the story. The scientist stands a little towards the right of the screen and in the backround on the left is a man at a computer. Everytime the camera comes back on the narrator, the man at the computer is doing something different, or wearing a mask or something. Although it make you think, "What is going on....why is he doing that?" and it may make you laugh, it's distracting from the narrator. After I watched the video a few times, I found myself hearing new things that the narrator was saying, that I missed before because I was distracted by the man at the computer. This is why I took 2points off of the perspective piece.

JUXTAPOSTION: 20points

     The juxtapostion piece of this video was great, in my opinion. They first show the video, and then they take snapshots, or freeze frames, from the actual video and add a 'picture-taking' sound when they add it in. They also posted response videos and clipped them in and also related it to other videos that have been posted of similar situations. One part I thought was great actually related to the tenso video we saw in class. There was a girl on the bus who had on headphones and seemed un-phased by the whole fight happening in front of her. Someone took a freeze frame shot of her face and put it onto a video playing Plain White T's song, "Hey There Delilah," and other people have made parodies off it. This was a great commical add in, and also a great little sidenote that the average watcher wouldn't have even noticed if it wasn't pointed out. Furthermore, they had great backround music which also added a commical overall tone.

LAYERING: 20points

     The layering in this video was just enough. There wasn't too many extra videos, clips, or pictures. Furthermore, it all flowed together and there weren't random things popping up ... (minus the scientist at the computer). The music, extra videos that related, and even the clip of the girl who was unphased by the fight were all put together well and it was an easy video to watch and understand. Also when going back to watch again, there were things I found that I hadn't noticed before, like the girl who also was yelling racial comments in the original video, and who went on youtube to make a public apology for getting involved.

UNITY: 18points

     I would give unity an overall 18points. Everything definitely tied together and related back to the overall main point. The videos, music, pictures and parody videos that were posted in all related to the overall main point of the story. However, I would take away 2points because of the random guy at the computer throughout the video. As stated before, he kind of took the attention away from the narrator and he wasn't even doing anything that related to the bus video or what the narrator scientist was talking about. Maybe if the man at the computer, throughout the whole video, was trying to figure out how to grow AN EPIC BEARD, that would be funnier and make more sense as to why he was even in the shot...other then that, it was just random and unrelated.

SELF-ASSESSMENT: 19points

     All the written information for this video was good. It was easy to read, written correctly with no errors, and there was a lot to refer back too. Everything that was in the video was covered in the written part. The only part I didn't think was appropriate was the written dialogue. Foul language was exchanged between the two men in the video and it was written out on the website when it would have been starred off (A**), for example.