FINAL PROJECT

I decided to make a unit and upload it to a wiki for my final project. Click here to check it out!

Using Film to Teach Literature

I have to be honest; I’m not a fan of showing film adaptations of novels merely because they exist. As an undergrad, I remember having a film adaptation assignment for my Shakespeare class in which we had to analyze a film that was based on one of Shakespeare’s plays. I was assigned The Tempest, and I only wish that Helen Mirren’s new version was around back then. Instead, I had to look at a 1982 film called Tempest that completely bastardized the play. While I know that “quality” is a relative term, my Shakespeare class made me realize that some film adaptations are not worth seeing the light of day. Still, I’m all about using films alongside literature if they are well-made productions. I think they can be useful for during and post-reading activities, especially with the comprehension of difficult texts. Films would be particularly beneficial for English language learners who cannot access literature in their native language. For texts that are open to multiple interpretations, I think films might offer alternative analyses of readings, especially if a classroom is homogenous. When this is the case, I think it would be fun to have students storyboard scenes as they read and compare their storyboard to the film adaptation. I would then create a class VoiceThread in which students could discuss what parts of the film’s interpretation were unexpected. I could also envision creating a VoiceThread where students would discuss which parts of a book were left out of a film adaptation and the implications of leaving out parts of the original narrative. Overall, I only believe in teaching film and literature together if the film will enhance students’ experience interacting with a text. I’m not someone who uses media and technology simply because it exists.

Music Prezi

Please Don't Stop the Music on Prezi

Born Free, by M.I.A.

M.I.A.’s music video for “Born Free” is quite possibly the best music video of 2010. While violent, shocking, and graphic, the video is still poignant in illustrating the effects of genocides being carried out by the United States on a daily basis without protest by U.S. citizens. Romain Gavras, the video’s director, clearly addresses the video to the United States specifically – his militants wear S.W.A.T. team regalia. What is not expressly stated, though, is which particular holocaustic measures Gavras is addressing. Could he be pointing to the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison? Is he addressing immigration conflicts in the United States, specifically in places like Arizona? Is the video calling into question American stereotyping of individuals who appear to be Arab? Or, more universally, could Gavras be pointing to the way large governments chastise minorities worldwide? Because the video is so jolting, albeit obvious in its message, I think it is extremely effective in promoting M.I.A.’s values and world beliefs. (She has stated that she does not believe in violence as a result of her upbringing during the Sri Lankan Civil War). Does her message make her sell more albums? Not necessarily. It does, however, raise a few eyebrows that wouldn’t normally look in her direction otherwise.

My Kind of Music

When it comes to music, I love indie pop-rock. Bands like The Magnetic Fields, Fleet Foxes, The Bird and the Bee, Beach House, Grizzly Bear, and Florence and the Machine are constantly playing on my iTunes. That isn’t to say I don’t enjoy different artists and genres. I like other indie artists like Robyn, Yelle, Andrew Bird, and Janelle Monae; local groups like P.O.S., Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, Atmosphere, Solid Gold, and Cloud Cult; and more mainstream female artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Janet Jackson. If I had to pick one band that captured the type of music I frequently listen to these days, it would be, hands down, the Canadian indie rock group Metric. The single “Sick Muse,” from their 2009 release, Fantasies, captures my love for indie pop-rock the best:

The main component of indie music has nothing to do with sound; rather, it signifies independence from major record labels in the recording and publishing of albums. However, that freedom allows artists to experiment with beats, melodies, and sounds that are not necessarily found in mainstream music. “Sick Muse” was written by the band’s lead singer, Emily Haines, which gives the song its indie credibility. While its edgy guitar riffs and hard drum beat make the song obviously rock, Haines’ vocals give the single a melodic, catchy, pop vibe. For me, the allure of “Sick Muse” is how easy it is to dance to. I’m a sucker for a good beat that I can groove with, and Metric typically does a good job of making it easy to move to their music, even though they are a rock band. On a personal level, I also think that the song, and the Fantasies album in general, helped me through a breakup and spoke to a time in my life when I was hating love and relationships.

I’m not so sure that I would teach “Sick Muse” to my students, but I find a lot of use in teaching the indie genre. I think it affords opportunities to teach music production and, therefore, the dissemination of ideologies through branding musicians. A lot of people think that because indie music is not commercially produced, it should be hailed as a product free from capitalist ambitions. In reality, though, many indie artists, Metric included, still use the same producers as more commercial artists, even if they are not subject to large recording labels. Many indie artists also rely on the same mediums as their well-known counterparts to get their music across. In the Twin Cities, most indie artists are played on 89.3 The Current, a subsidiary station of Minnesota Public Radio, which, in and of itself, says something about the individuals who listen to indie music. In essence, indie listeners often like to see themselves as outside of society’s socio-cultural strongholds when, in fact, they too are part of the system.

More on Documentaries

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s 1996 documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, is a chilling critique of the American judicial system and how societal norms too easily shape law in the United States. The film, which follows the court cases of Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin as they are tried for the murder and mutilation of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, presents an interesting and abnormal case in documentary standards as HBO, who produced the piece, become pivotal in the story that is being told. While the documentary begins by evenly presenting the various perspectives of those taking part in Misskelley, Echols, and Baldwin’s trials (the defendants, victim’s families, lawyers, etc), the film takes a sudden shift when one victim’s father leads a film producer to reasonably believe that he had actually killed the three boys, and not Misskelley, Echols, or Baldwin. From that point on, the documentary notably shifts in focus and presents the trial from the perspective of the teens being tried. Because the film uses a fair amount of unedited footage from the trial, one still gets the sense of authenticity behind the images they are shown. However, “behind-the-scenes” footage of the case, like shots of legal teams discussing how to go about the trial, muddy the narrative’s absolute truthfulness. Thus, one is genuinely perplexed as to whether or not Misskelley, Echols, and Baldwin are guilty or innocent.

Teaching Activity:

In the spirit of examining television news and who funnels funds into the production of news broadcasts, I think it is equally important to examine who is funding documentary productions. After all, documentaries, even more unabashedly than traditional Hollywood films, push an agenda of some sort. Thus, I envision having my students picking a documentary, screening the film, and then researching who produced the film and the ideologies of said producer – looking at trends in the films they make, what audiences they bring in, what they do with their money, etc. Then, using VoiceThread, I would have each student discuss the implications of having the producer of their chosen documentary tell their film’s story.

Looking at the News

KSTP 5 Eyewitness News at 4:30PM

0:10 Introduction

• Credits

0:36 Local Headlines

• Pedestrian killed on Grand Avenue
• Deadly shooting in St. Paul alley

0:25 Weather Check

5:20 Local Stories

• Republican legislature and gambling
• Decision to keep North High School open
• Man cited for drunk driving
• Improvements to Target Field slated

0:18 Coming Up Next

3:45 Commercials

3:54 National News

• Wall Street closing bell update
• FCC cell phone bill changes
• Cruise ship stranded
• Cheating students in Florida college

0:50 Local Interest Stories

• 400 year-old map visits U of M campus
• 35^th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking

2:46 Weather

2:53 Health Story

• Effects of new cigarette labels

3:36 Commercials

0:57 Wrap Up

• Coming up on 5 Eyewitness News at 5:00PM
• Weather Recap

I’m a fairly avid watcher of the nightly news. It’s one of the only television programs I regularly watch. One of the interesting aspects of news, in my opinion, is the way most viewers are conditioned to watch specific stations from an early age and tend to not question their viewing habits as they get older. For instance, in my childhood home, we watched ABC for all of our news. My parents trusted Peter Jennings’ style during the national news, and our local affiliate, WISN Channel 12 News, is consistently ranked as one of the best ABC affiliates in the nation. So, when I came to the Twin Cities, I continued to watch ABC for my news, even though KSTP is not one of the better news teams in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Plus, they are known for their donations to conservative organizations. I’d bet that most people are the same way with their viewing habits. Whether ABC, NBC, or CBS, I think that we tend to view whatever news station we remember growing up.

Even though I usually watch the 4:30PM broadcast of 5 Eyewitness News, looking at the newscast more closely shed light on the fact that the entire 4:30 show is a preview of the 5:00PM broadcast – basically begging viewers to keep tuning in. With the exception of the weather and their health story on cigarette advertisements changing, all of the news stories were brief headlines for what was coming up at 5:00. Most of the stories ended with a call to watch the coming broadcast for more, in-depth information.

It is no secret that Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, who owns KSTP, is a conservative, right-wing company. Still, in my opinion, most news organizations, whether transparently conservative or liberal, report news in a conservative manner. For instance, when a crime is committed, more often than not, the story is reported from the authorities’ point of view. Despite minor political hiccups and missteps, government and the law is usually seen as a good thing. In terms of race, crimes involving minorities, and those in urban settings more specifically, are overrepresented. Minorities are seen as either delinquents or charity cases. Finally, when a story involves some sort of ethical decision, traditional and conformist beliefs are usually depicted as the “right thing.” Fitting in with the status quo is shown as a desirable thing.

Teaching Activity

Bring the class to a computer lab or have a set of laptops available for use in the classroom. Break the class into groups according to the number of local news stations in your area and assign each group to one of those stations. Typically, this will mean a total of three groups for affiliates of national stations – one for ABC, NBC, and CBS. Then have each group research the ownership of their station or affiliate and the implications of that ownership on how the station broadcasts. Have them look at story choices, slants in coverage, commercial choices, etc. Next, have each group create a mind map, using MindMeister, that illustrates the chain of ownership for their assigned station or affiliate and the implications of that ownership. Finally, have each group present their findings to the class.