Racism

Student’s thoughts on Shakespear’s influence on modern society

Assignment:

Just as these students put Shakespeare into modern language your task is to do the same. This was a fun display of his influence on our world today, I want you to do the same. Don’t take the assignment too seriously. Have fun with it! I want to see that you used both your creativity and your knowledge of different Shakespearian  language and facts to compile this video. Although I prefer it be taped in a more though out location than your basement, I am more focused on the content of the project and you proving that you’ve learned and can now apply it to your life.

Rationale:

This was assigned because I need to know that the students are not merely memorizing the material in order to get a good grade on a multiple guess test, I need to know they’ve gained enough of an understanding of Shakespeare’s language to be able to convert it into todays modern terms.  This project may also enable other students learning about the same subject to get a better understanding of the material, rather than a memorized regurgitation.

Rubric:

Obvious understanding of the material: 50 points

Apparent preparation in making video:20 points

Creativity in showcasing presentation: 15 points

Clear assertions for future viewers/students: 15 points

Memes are becoming a new phenomenom that is taking over our society. Richard Brodie addresses this takeover in his meme “Virus of the Mind”. He speaks about how memetics, the study of memes is the “DNA of human society”.  While the idea of meme’s is a very hard thing to wrap your head around, people like Brodie feel that this movement is a very big one. He relates this new study to the atomic physics boom that occured during the Cold War. While I do not understand all there is to know about memes I don’t feel it is that huge a deal. Memes would be a great tool to promote writing. They allow for a nontraditional connection to the students. And by seeming to be on the cutting edge of the new technological tools that will cause students to want to know more. And while looking into certain memes I had written for them I am effectively killing two birds with one stone by teaching them the material and connecting with them on their level.

The relationship of humans to animals has recently become an interesting limbo between cruelty and necessity. Although humans have killed animals as a necessary evil in order to stay alive and continue the food chain as has been set in place for ages; in recent years it has become to be seen in an “animalistic” and horrific way of living. Although we have used animals as companions and protectors as well, for just as long we have used them as a food source and a tool. The vision of food production has also now taken a turn for the more animal friendly audience.

Podcasts in the classroom can be a wonderful asset to upcoming teachers. As with all things they have pros and cons. However, due to the uprising in technological advances in both the classroom and other arenas of life, I feel this addition to the learning setting will be an overall asset. It can allow for a connection to be formed between the student and teacher.  As the instructor of a generation growing up in a tech savvy world such as ours it is important that the instructor not seem as if she/he is out of the loop and not in-tune with the growing technological trends. Not only are podcasts and things of the like important to form a closer connection with the students but it’s also a great asset to have as a teacher. These new inventions enable instructors to have the ability to use creative means to teach their students. Such is the case in the following video taken about a revolutionary college lecturer

Using social networking in the classroom can be a touchy subject. Because it is such a new frontier many teachers today are a bit iffy about incorporating it into their lesson plan.  Some teachers see the new social cites as a great way to connect with one another and broaden their knowledge and capabilities. They seem almost as excited as the students to use them. A prime example is how the PBS teachers are embracing the new trend

However, as with all things, not everyone is embracing this new wave. A few educators belive that while using the new technological tools in the classroom can be beneficial, it should be done in moderation. Others feel similarly by saying it should be protected and limited and the teacher should set up a secure forum for class discussions. Here is a cite that is displaying a bit of the controversy first hand.

When embarking upon this assignment I thought a lot about what image I wanted to create to convey my response to the techonolgically enveloped societed displayed in Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games and Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother. I decided to create a picture that incorporated all the issues I felt passionate about while reading the two novels.

I used a cigar box lamp to symbolize traditional creativity that produced long lasting skill sets. A Chinese fan was included to represent the cultural creativity that can be lost to the new generic society that was portrayed in the stories. I placed my laptop in the picture as technological advancements and media that became the driving force behind almost all the mass decisions made by the different governing bodies in the books.  And the roses to represent the withering away of our societal and traditional ingenuity if we allow an inbalance as was shown in the books to happen. 

I then went on to use different picture editing software to make the picture look aged with my different color contrast and inserting the lines and scratches and give it a bit of a nistalgic look by placing it in a vignette to both point the focus on the main objects and to reiterrate my goal of embracing the future while still preserving the past.

Although many jump on the “I hate Wikipedia” bandwagon, I am not so quick to join. While it may sometimes be unreliable; I feel it is just as accurate as many other sources. For instance, when you perform a google search who’s to say the person who wrote the information on the website you picked is a credible source? The only difference between Wikipedia and a random article you include in a final project that depends on your credible information is ignorance. Had we not all heard that Wikipedia can be changed by anyone, and people who have no idea can write information on there we would not doubt the information we see. It seems to me that had the old saying “ignorance is bliss” been implemented in this situation people would not be so anti-Wikipedia

For my final project I intend on doing a project similar to that of the Buffalo presentation we saw in class. I chose this type of visual presentation because I feel it is a very thorough but yet entertaining way to get a point across. It is also the most effective when trying to portray new information to others. As has been well researched, people learn best through repetition. What better way to teach and entertain at the same time than this? I have chosen my topic to be the word racism. This can be a very touchy word to bring up, as such, I feel it will lend itself to being a very intriguing subject for presentation. I plan to use Movie Maker as my chosen format because I feel this vice will allow me the flexibility to add to the entertainment level of the presentation without causing it to be too serious, considering the subject matter.