YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-ONE [17th Feb 12]: Homework.

Students were bullied by Chimpnimsky to produce an oral response to the Digital Case Study question: Has photography been destroyed by the impact of digital media? The aim of this task was for students to develop an awareness of the issues that they could/should be exploring through their own individual case study/essay. Issues explored included:

• the Audience/Producer debate
• online privacy issues
• the threat of new digital media to established photographic institutions
• the significance of portable online recording devices such as the mobile phone
• access to cheap, simple software [for example wix.com] that allows an individual to construct e-media that has the potential to access a global audience
• social media and issues related to sites such as Facebook
• the ability for established photographers such as Don McCullin to access a much wider audience and publish challenging representations that mainstream media have previously been reluctant to publish.

The second session was a consideration of MEDIA REGULATION with the focus being question 3 of Section A MEST3. The Ryanair advertisements were used to illustrate the moral responsibility of media institutions and students were encouraged to consider the significance of the Jamie Bulger/Child's Play/Clockwork Orange copycat/ desensitisation argument, Barnardos and Women's Aid when considering the issues relating to the regulation of violent images, and general issues relating to the protection of the media audience. The discussion culminated in a 20 minute timed response.

HOMEWORK: STUDENTS HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO COMPLETE OVER THE HALF-TERM BREAK. Students should be constructing their Critical Investigations and their Digital Media Case study. I expect the Digital Media work to be in my paw the first lesson after the break.

STUDENTS MUST BE CONSTRUCTING COURSEWORK.

I am in school on Thursday 10am/3pm working with Year 12 but Year 13 are perfectly welcome to pop in for a chat about work. Obviously I am always available via e-mail.

NO SLACKING MEDIA FREAKS.