YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY TWO [23rd March 11]: Homework.

Students were offered time to discuss their linked productions and critical investigations. The session was used to discuss ideas, film interviews for documentaries, and peruse photoshop.

Homework: COMPLETE COURSEWORK!

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY THREE [22nd March 11]: Homework.

Students were introduced to an exemplar evaluation to help them construct a credible and relevant coursework evaluation response.

Students were then shown two films and asked to produce an 'oral' MEST 1 Section A response to both media texts. Click on link to access both media texts:
This is the NHS advert titled 'Girl's Night Out'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmI1MJECZ4
This is Rankin's anti-binge drinking campaign film:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/may/20/rankin-anti-binge-drinking-ad

The second section of the session looked at MEST 1 Section B and considered the title:
Consider how the role of new technology in your case study. How has it enhanced audience engagement and activity?

Homework: Complete your coursework. Students should peruse both the films and think of how you would answer the cross-media study question.

RESOURCES FOR ZQ.

ESSENTIAL MUSIC RELATED MEDIA RESEARCH MATERIAL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12382785

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12120789

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12117510

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&p=6500&more=1&c=1

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/mar/28/global-recorded-music-sales-fall

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/28/digital-economy-act-illegal-downloading?intcmp=239

Here is a fine Guardian article that looks at ten years of the i-pod:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/18/death-ipod-apple-music?INTCMP=SRCH

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY ONE [16th March 11]: Homework.

Students were encouraged to share creative ideas that relate to their linked productions. The MEDIA BEAR [?!] offered the students some Photoshop tricks to help with the construction of print media, documentary interviews were collected, and I discussed the content of individual critical investigations.

The nature of this session will be repeated next week.

Homework: CREATE YOUR COURSEWORK.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY TWO [15th March 11]: Homework.

Students were asked to consider issues relating to the cross-media study. The first half of the session involved a discussion of the question:
'Audiences are no longer just consumers of media texts but producers too'.
Evaluate how far audiences participate in and contribute to the media products in your case study.

The second half of the lesson was a timed response. Some essential exemplar resources were given to the students in the first half of the session that provide a very clear idea of the nature of the content students will be required to produce for MEST 1 Section B.

Homework: Read the resources provided and make sure you are familiar with the content of the cross-media booklet. COMPLETE YOUR COURSEWORK.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY [9th March 11]: Homework.

The whole session revolved around coursework tutorials.

Homework: CONSTRUCT YOUR COURSEWORK.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY ONE [8th March 11]: Homework.

The lesson revolved around planning a response to the cross-media study question:
IS THE MEDIA DUMBING DOWN? Discuss this statement in relation to the media products from your case study.

The aim of the first hour of the lesson was to construct a series of notes that could be used to construct a timed response. The second hour of the lesson was the timed response.

Homework: ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTING THEIR COURSEWORK.

RESOURCES FOR JE.

Here are some links to help your research JE. Jo Swinson's speech in Parliament is particularly relevant:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8181499.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8528443.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10815956

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKMy-9w17a8

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-447417/Sienna-admits-extensive-airbrushing-remove-cellulite-lift-boobs.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1204002/Ban-airbrushing-magazines-posters-ruins-teen-self-esteem-say-Liberal-Democrats.html

RUPERT MURDOCH: BBC archive material.

Rupert Murdoch continues to expand his vast global media empire and this week the Uncultured Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave Murdoch permission to attempt to control the whole of Sky TV. If the BSkyB shareholders accept Murdoch's offer, Newscorp will easily be the largest private media company in British media history with an expected turnover of £9billion. This is almost double the turnover of the BBC whose licence fee was recently frozen by Jeremy Hunt and Hunt has also appointed Lord Patten- an ex-Tory MP- as the next chairman of the BBC Trust. This has inspired accusations that the current government is anti-BBC and pro-Murdoch.

Hunt's decision was described by Ivan Lewis, the Shadow Culture Secretary, as: '...utter cowardice....this process has exposed an arrogant government, cavalier about its responsibility to be impartial and contemptuous of the importance of transparency in circumstances where there is a high level of public mistrust..' Dennis Skinner, a left wing Labour MP, described the decision as 'a disastrous day for democracy'.

Students should be aware that the Labour Party had courted the support of Murdoch and many believe Murdoch's support of Tony Blair was crucial in the 1997 General Election when the Conservative government was defeated. Therefore the Labour Party could be accused of extreme hypocrisy.

Why do British politicians court Murdoch? Why was Murdoch the first person to meet David Cameron in No:10 Downing Street after Cameron formed the Coalition Government? What does this tell us about Media and Politics? Why did Cameron appoint an ex-Newscorp employee
-Andy Coulson, who resigned as Cameron's advisor after being implicated in the 'telephone tapping' scandal involving the News of the World- as his media advisor?

Any media student with a flicker of interest in media studies should be aware of the issues and debates that surround Rupert and James Murdoch and the existence of Newscorp. Issues such as media regulation, institutional bias, plurality, marxist theory, audience theory, media and democracy, and representation can all be explored through a study of Murdoch and his media empire.

This link will navigate students towards the blog of Adam Curtis, a filmmaker who is clearly suspicious of Murdoch's motives, but the footage is incredibly interesting. There are interviews with Murdoch from the 1960s and footage of editorial meetings from the same period. This may be a resource aimed more at media teachers BUT any individual with an interest in media should find this archive footage fascinating. It provides an overview of Murdoch's position in British media history. Included in the material is an episode of the BBC's Panorama titled: Who is afraid of Rupert Murdoch? This resource is superb and includes a studio interview with Murdoch. Enjoy. Click on link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/01/rupert_murdoch_-_a_portrait_of.html

TEASER POSTERS: Resources for ZW.

Here are the posters ZW. Hope this gives you an idea of what is expected from a teaser poster. It seems to contain one iconic image, polysemic text, and a webpage contact address.

YEAR 13 LESSON NINETEEN [2nd March 11]: Homework.

Students were asked to consider the media issues and debates that can be linked to the invention of the mobile phone. The class then considered the advantages and disadvantages of media regulation, how the impact of digital media relates to representation, and considered content for MEST 3 Section B.

Homework: Students should consider how they will answer both MEST 3 Section B questions that were considered in today's session. Students may receive a timed essay next week so this preparation is important. The main homework is to construct coursework. Coursework needs to be completed before the end of this month.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY [1st March 11]: Homework.

Students were asked to analyse a short film produced by Amnesty International. This text was used as stimulus for a MEST 1 Section A critical response. The first half of the session was used to produce a series of notes that could be used to inform the MEST 1 response. The second half of the session was a timed response.

Homework: ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE CREATING THEIR COURSEWORK. ALL CREATIVE MEDIA NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE DEADLINE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. The evaluation is a big piece of critical analysis and can only be completed if you have finished creating your broadcast/print/e-media.

THE DEADLINE FOR ALL COURSEWORK IS FRIDAY 25th MARCH.