KONY 2012: The Invisible Children Controversy.

Year 13 need to be aware of these resources as the KONY 2012 viral experience will be the focus of our discussion when we return to the intellectual heat of the media classroom. There are so many issues and debates that can be linked to this specific digital moment. Students need to peruse the resources available via the links below:
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/viral-video-impact-of-digital-media.html
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/more-kony-2012-material.html
Article from The Guardian 'Kony 2012: What's the real story?' :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/19/kony-2012-nirvana-missed-chance

This is the second film that was created by Invisible Children as a response to the criticism that was heaped at the organisation after the original film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Ue6REkeTA

DIGITAL MEDIA ISSUES AND DEBATES: Resources.

THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER IS OFFERING A WHOLE WEEK OF ARTICLES THAT CONSIDER THE DEBATES AND ISSUES THAT RELATE TO DIGITAL MEDIA. THIS WEEK OF ARTICLES IS TITLED: The Battle for the Internet. Here are a few links.

Tim Berner's Lee and the UK Government's 'SNOOPING' Bill. Listen to the audio link. It is superb. T B-L refers to his anxiety about governments attempting to control the internet and access intimate and private information:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/tim-berners-lee-monitoring-internet

Here is the link to the page that will allow you to navigate through a whole host of articles. This is a wonderful MEST3 resource. Click on link below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/series/battle-for-the-internet

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-FIVE [17th April 12]: Homework.

Students discussed the January 2o11 MEST1 Section A Examination paper and collected a series of notes designed to allow students to produce an appropriate written response. This response is expected to be completed for homework. Students should try and offer content that does not just regurgitate the notes that we gathered today. Students need to support their views with specific textual reference. Click on link below to access the exam resource:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HUmrDa5PPE

I might be using this in next week's lesson so students might want to watch this clip.

MEST1 Section A..Wings of Lunesta:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVSERRGSvd0&feature=related

The second session considered Section B of the exam and explored the Cross-Media Study. The focus of the class discussion was the January 2011 Exam question: How far have improvements in technology made a difference to the quality of audience experience?

Notes were gathered BUT the whole aim of this task is for students to demonstrate independent study. Students need to INDIVIDUALISE their Cross-Media Study. WP made an excellent reference to the e-media that is linked by Channel Four to the Make Bradford British documentary and ALL students need to offer some reference to the independent research undertaken during the Easter break. The e-media sections of this response should make some reference to independent study.

HOMEWORK: Complete the two written tasks. Each task should be a one hour timed response.

We have three sessions left before the exam. This homework is excellent exam preparation.

COPYCAT KILLER: CORONATION STREET LINKED TO KILLING.

In our last session we discussed whether media could influence human behaviour and here is another alarming and contemporary example of media influence being used to explain behaviour.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronation-street-copycat-killer-schoolboy-779099

The article below is from The Daily Telegraph and reacts to The Daily Mirror's print version front page that branded Daniel Bartlam as being a 'Devil Child'.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100149248/the-branding-of-daniel-bartlam-as-a-devil-child-is-unbecoming-of-our-civilised-society/

38 DEGREES: AN EXAMPLE OF DIGITAL MEDIA BEING USED TO ORGANISE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING.

Students might want to be aware of online organisations such as 38 Degrees as this digital platform is aimed at bringing like-minded groups together to take action on issues that they feel are important. This is evidence of digital media's ability to organise protest and challenge mainstream political views. We have discussed how social media sites such as Facebook have allowed groups to organise various forms of protest linked to a series of social and political issues and here is an example of an online site dedicated to organising people and inspiring them to 'act together to bring about an avalanche of change.'

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/pages/about/

In a recent edition of BBC's NEWSNIGHT it was suggested that people/voters are becoming disillusioned with mainstream politics - the voter turn-out for local and national elections is appalling- and instead are turning to online protest sites such as this to challenge/support political issues. Not sure how valid this view is but it is an interesting debate and one that relates to Media and Democracy.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-SIX [30th March 12]: Homework.

Students returned to the normality of the traditional lesson structure after three weeks of coursework tutorials. The aim of this session was to provoke students into considering key contemporary media debates and issues that may feature in the MEST 3 examination. Students were asked to construct material in response to the statements:

1. 'THE MEDIA DOES NOT INFLUENCE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR'. Discuss.
2. 'DIGITAL MEDIA AND ACCESS TO DIGITAL MEDIA IS RUINING SOCIETY'. Discuss.

Students presented their group-work response to the class.

HOMEWORK: Revise. Keep watching the media.Eat chocolate.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-FOUR [27th March 12]: Homework.

This was the last session before the Easter break. The focus of the session was the cross-media study. Students were asked to consider the following cross-media exam problem:

'Evaluate how far audiences are able to represent themselves and/or their ideas and opinions in media products from your cross-media study.' This was a question in Section B of the AS MEST 1 exam paper in January.

Students discussed possible content before producing a timed response. The written work is definitely becoming more critical and sophisticated. It has taken quite a while but written work is beginning to reflect all the hard work we have smashed into the course throughout the year. Keep it up.

Homework: STUDENTS MUST PREPARE/SYNTHESISE/COMPREHEND INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FOR THE CROSS-MEDIA STUDY. Each student was offered a specific Channel Four hybrid-documentary website to research in order that this research will accompany knowledge that relates to The Secret Millionaire. Students are expected to be able to compare and contrast how this specific e-media is used to market the show,advertise other Channel Four products, provide a platform for audience response etc. It is expected that cross-media work after the break will reflect this independent research.

Students were also encouraged to research the e-media attached to ONE of THREE award winning film documentaries. These texts are:

• RESTREPO
• INSIDE JOB
• THE UNDEFEATED.

Students are expected to research how e-media is used to market one of these these films so that a comparison can be made when considering the e-media used to market MAN ON WIRE and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP. In a perfect world students should watch all these documentaries....however...we know that a world that can create The X Factor, Fox News, MK Dons and Coldplay is far from perfect.

I expect to see a few of you next week to tweak coursework.