A Gif Story

Artist/Teacher statement: The affordances that this media provides are it is a platform that modern youth are familiar with and that they can tell stories in an original, creative, succinct way with. The limitations are that the person needs to have some context of how to use gifs and the gifs themselves. It is sometimes hard to find the right gif to use, to understand them and it appeals to a certain audience and type of humor.

Ode to Soda

The video I created is on filmora, and I didn't want to have to purchase the software in order to export it. I hope next time I will find another app/software to create videos where I don't have to pay. I learned a lot about media literacy from making my own media interpretation/adaptation of Larry Woiwode's "Ode to an Orange". I utilized a media form I was unfamiliar with and had to figure out how to use it. I have made videos before but not on this specific software. It was difficult but I learned how to import all my video clips, edit them, cut and filter them, and add opening and closing text. It took me about an hour to create the video with all these effects and cuts I wanted. I titled my project "Ode to Soda" because instead of obsessing over oranges, I obsess over soda in this video. When I say obsess I mean that I tried to find all the little intricacies or characteristics of soda that make it so special. I not only based my adaptation off of the original text but also off of A Todd Smith's video interpretation. He also used a video to show the sights and sounds of oranges. I just put my own artistic twist on it with soda.
This assignment allowed me to have creativity and self-expression while also developing media literacy. Sometimes teachers only teach traditional literacy, but in modern society it's just as important for students to have media literacy. Better yet, both forms of literacy can be brought together in the classroom, like Mr. Kaufman did with his class's social media adaptation projects in which he had his students adapt a classic literature work into a media platform. I guess that is what I did with this project too, adapting and interpreting "Ode to Oranges" into my own media platform! Just like the students I realized that creating is a PROCESS. Just like the students, I decided HOW I was going to adapt the literature into another form and what media form that was going to be. I decided on a video based off of A Todd's video, retaining many of his artistic qualities but with my own twist. I also transformed the introductory passage of "Ode to Oranges" into my own passage at the end of my video, showing my own adaptation and twist on it. I knew I wanted to create a video and needed a software/app to do it. I researched and found that windows filmora was a good option. Next, just like the students I identified significant aspects/elements of the literature to focus on. I identified a theme and focused on the obsessing over something part of "Ode to Oranges". I also identified a theme and focus on video clips of real sounds and people like in A Todd Smith's video. Just like the students, I made conscious artistic choices when creating this video media. I had to integrate words, images, and sound into my video. I edited and revised the video clips, cutting and filtering the clips. When filming and editing the video clips, I chose which aesthetic qualities, images and sounds of the soda to highlight and accentuate. I wanted to focus on texture, color, and sound of soda. I thought about what I should and shouldn't include in my video, eliminating or cutting out unnecessary sections of clips. I had a continuous process of analyzing and revising my video, and then reflecting on how it looked. Benjamin Thevenin in his article "Media Arts: Creating" describes three continuous creative processes: critical analysis, research and reflection. I think I used all these processes throughout my adaptation. I especially did the critical analysis by refining, modifying and revising the video clips. I included research when trying to find an adaptable media platform with Filmora. As part of "reflecting on your own creative practice", I could have reflected more on the software I used and if it would be exportable without a cost. These processes all show what it means to be literate in media text.

Overall, this project and Thevenin's article taught me that as teachers we need to give our students more media literacy education. I agree with what he said that, "Too often, young people's participation in social media is passive rather than critical and creative" (131). With projects like these students practice "refining and modifying media artworks, honing aesthetic quality and intentionally accentuating stylistic elements" (124). They practice working and engaging with different types of texts, realizing there are multiple types--classic literature and social media platforms are both "texts". Media texts are just as important, and Thevenin wants to "emphasize to the students the necessity of critically considering their engagement with all types of media" (128). They should engage with many texts and practice analyzing and creating with different media forms.

I don't want to just be an English teacher but a "media arts educator" that helps my students be literate, creative and informed with media!

Thinking and Writing about Digital Media

I’d like to think my personal media consumption is typical. I like the popular media platforms that most of my friends use and like, such as Facebook and Instagram. I not only stay connected on these social media sites, but they offer me a chance to “tell my story” and share my values with others, which I like to do. I also spend at least an hour or more a day on Spotify listening to music. Music brings me a lot of pleasure because it is a form of self-care and expression for me, as well as being entertaining and catchy. Also, my Pinterest profile brings me a lot of pleasure because it is where I can pin quotes and pictures that uplift me, as well as express my creativity and thoughts. In class we discussed how some of us represent or filter ourselves differently on different media forms. I do this, being more honest and vulnerable on Twitter than I am on Facebook. I try to use media for all of it’s positive qualities, like keeping me in touch with my family and listening to audiobooks, scriptures and conference talks. And there is nothing like getting a good laugh from watching a Jimmy Fallon or James Corden talk show or receiving game updates from ESPN. 

As far as my personal guidelines for navigating digital media, I think it is important to develop self-control and awareness. Many kids don’t have these two guidelines when using digital media because they don’t know any better and were born into the media-age. It is my job as a teacher to help students develop these guidelines to have a healthy relationship with media. They don’t realize how it can negatively affect their lives and self-esteem if they’re not careful. I’m sure we all have read articles about increases in depression, anxiety and the need to be constantly entertained in youth because of media use. I can’t imagine what kids are going through, because even I, a somewhat mature, aware 23-year-old college student, fall into the traps of poor self-esteem, unrealistic comparisons and letting digital media consume my life. Recently this has been very close to my heart as my little sister has struggled with body image issues, and it is likely that social media may have contributed to this. But I’m not trying to dwell on the negative aspects of media, because it really is about balance and HOW we choose to use media for the good. We can use it to foster relationships, keep educated and informed about things and keep a history or share happy memories, for instance. I think an important rule of thumb is to limit or monitor the time we spend on technology/media so it is a healthy amount. We don’t want to sacrifice meaningful human interactions and experiences because we are disconnected, isolated and spending too much time on media. Another rule, besides self-regulation, is to be aware of how digital media affects you personally. Be aware of the messages that are being communicated to you by advertisements and social media because sometimes they are false, unhealthy messages. For instance, youth sometimes have a hard time judging between what is real and what is edited on Instagram, leading them to compare themselves to unrealistic expectations and images. I find that Instagram most often, but not always, is the place where people present these edited, ideal images of their lives. We often share the photos that communicate the person we want to be or the ideal life we want to have. This creates holes and gaps in reality, and isn’t the whole picture. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but can get out of control if we are trying to be someone we aren’t or let appearances consume our lives and constant attention. This is just one lesson about using Instagram that would help kids be more aware. Even though it's not her fault, I wish my little sister had more awareness about what messages she believed. I’m sure there are a lot more ideas that could help myself and others navigate media, but self-regulation and awareness are the most important to me and my future students.  

Agency Photography

Recently, agency means to me to CHOOSE the good and happy things in life. Each day we have to make the choice multiple times to seek the good in the world and seek Heavenly Father's plan for us. This picture represents this positive outlook because I have chosen to fulfill my potential and seek out the good this semester, by coaching third grade boys basketball for the Provo Recreational League. 

Top 10 Media

1. Spotify, music app

2. VSCO photo art and technology company 

3. Instagram

4. Facebook

5. Audible

6. Twitter

7. YouTube

8. Netflix

9. Indie folk music

10.Young Adult Literature

11. ESPN Network/sports pages-Duke Men’s Basketball, BYU women’s basketball
12. The Late Late Show with James Corden
13. Pinterest
14. The Greatest Showman