YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [16th Dec 14]: Homework

Searching for Sugarman Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKXewWDh1og

E-Media:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/searchingforsugarman/

NIM Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxQap9AAPOs

Project Nim E-media:
http://www.project-nim.com/

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SIX [12th Dec 14]: Homework

Today's session involved completing the filming for the creative task. Next week we will review the material. Tuesday's lesson will, as usual, be in E5. See you there.

HOMEWORK: Jimmy and James/Lewis and Louis need to complete their filming. Everybody else needs to enjoy being a teenager.

YEAR 12 LESSON 24/25 [5th/9th Dec 14]: Homework

 The lesson on the 5th December considered how media forms are used to shape meaning in Rankin's 'WHO IS IN CONTROL ?' Students discussed media forms before producing a timed written response.
Tuesday's session involved students being given video cameras and a series of creative tasks.
HOMEWORK: Students need to be filming material that can be used for the creative tasks. My plan is to collect the cameras tomorrow after the lesson and place the material on the Z drive so that students can begin to edit next week. This depends on the quality and quantity of the material that students have collected in the past couple of days. I will review material in Friday's lesson.

YEAR 13 LESSON 25/26 [8th/11th Dec 14]: Homework

Lesson 25 continued the exploration of the essay title:
'DIGITAL MEDIA HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT BECAUSE IT OFFERS AUDIENCES A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF VALUES AND IDEOLOGIES.'
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Lesson 26 on the 11th December was probably the most important lesson of the year so far. It is clear that the area of our work that we need to improve is the ability to construct a convincing critical commentary. This session consisted of students being 'talked' through a potential essay structure. Not only will this essay allow students to develop vital critical writing skills but this essay will also allow students to research material that will be relevant for the mock exam in January.
The main area of student writing that concerns me is QUESTION FOCUS. Students need to follow the following paragraph structure:

• OPINION
• TEXTUAL REFERENCE
• EXPLAIN HOW TEXTUAL REFERENCE SUPPORTS YOUR OPINION
• CONCLUDE THE PARAGRAPH WITH COMMENTS THAT LINK YOUR TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE QUESTION. IT IS THIS FINAL SECTION OF THE PARAGRAPH THAT WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO CONFRONT QUESTION FOCUS. REMEMBER...the question is asking 'to what extent do you agree with this statement?'...make sure you are offering your personal view.

The key to this essay is that digital media has allowed an audience to move beyond the narratives and representations of the mainstream media. It is now possible to access values beyond those shaped by mainstream media.
In today's lesson I shared the following resources:
THE LOVE POLICE..'Everything is OK':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQrsA3m8Bg&list=PLAD51A4D198F4B894
RUSSELL BRAND'S TREWS.
CIA video shown in today's session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onlNtqKrAE0
https://www.youtube.com/user/russellbrand
CHUNKY MARK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQA9wiZ7Jc0

The key to this essay is independent research and question focus. Use the bar in the left hand corner of my blog to help you access appropriate resources and, obviously, indulge in your own independent research.

HOMEWORK: Complete the essay. I expect this to be handed to me next Thursday. I am at a funeral on Monday so continue with the essay in the study room or in an environment suitable for the the collection of media wisdom.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-FOUR [4th Dec 14]: Homework

This session continued the prep for the next impact of digital media essay. Discussion continued shaping content for the essay.
HOMEWORK: Continue to research possible content for the essay. I want students to produce 'new' examples to explore the focus of the question. I also want students to be providing contemporary examples of media. This essay will demand that students exhibit and awareness of contemporary media issues and debates. The class discussion was superb on Thursday. See the previous blog entry for the essay title.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-THREE [1st Dec 14]: Homework

This session considered issues that relate to Section B of the exam. The whole session was aimed at developing students awareness of the impact of digital media. The session involved a consideration of the question:
'DIGITAL MEDIA HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT BECAUSE IT OFFERS AUDIENCES A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF VALUES AND IDEOLOGIES.'
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Students were asked to consider the essay structure:...YES...NO...Evaluative conclusion.
Class discussion considered Marxist Theory and how the YOU TUBE platform has allowed the audience to become the producer and challenge the representations of mainstream media. Below are three examples of YOU TUBE material that challenge mainstream representations:
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/russell-brand-on-ch4-news.html

HOMEWORK: Consider potential content for this essay. I expect ALL students to arrive at the next session armed with a potential essay structure.

YEAR 13 LESSON 20/21/22 [20th/24th/27th Nov 14]: Homework

Lesson 20 was the final creative session and Lessons 21 and 22 were a return to critical writing.
The Monday session considered recent media issues and debates. The resources below were discussed in this session:
http://fishymediaresources.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/media-issues-and-debates-nov-14.html
Lesson 22 contained a 15 minute timed response to the question:
HOW IS XMAS REPRESENTED IN THESE TWO TEXTS?
Click on links below to access the texts:
John Lewis Xmas 2011 advert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSLOnR1s74o
Sainsbury's Xmas advert 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

HOMEWORK: Enjoy being a teenager.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-THREE [2nd Dec 14]: Homework

Today's session continued to reintroduce critical writing after our creative sessions in the library. The main text used as the catalyst for class discussion was last night's Channel Four News interview with Russell Brand. Click on link below:
http://www.channel4.com/news/russell-brand-new-era-estate-rent-row-us-property-company
Class discussion considered the question:
WHAT ARE THE BRAND VALUES OF CHANNEL FOUR NEWS IN THIS CLIP?
Class discussion considered the remit of Channel Four and the quality of the journalism being reflected within this interview. Class discussion was quite superb. Thank you. If you are still unsure about the definition of 'BRAND VALUES', indulge in ten minutes of research and you will be enlightened.
The second text discussed in this session was an advertisement published in a mainstream American magazine in 1975. The question considered was:
HOW IS SMOKING REPRESENTED IN THE ADVERT?
Again, the class discussion was superb.

HOMEWORK: Complete the two questions.

YEAR 12 LESSONS 20/21/22 [21st/25th/28th 14]: Homework

As the creative sessions concluded we returned to the classroom to review the work produced in the library and the work was outstanding. Some of the editing was extremely impressive and suggests that we have some talented creatives within our group.
The Tuesday session on the 25th involved examining the JOHN LEWIS Xmas advert from 2011. Click on link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSLOnR1s74o
The class were asked to consider the question: How are media forms used to shape meaning?
Class discussion moved into a 15 minute timed response.

The Friday 28th session considered the new Sainsbury's advertisement. The question students were asked to consider was: How does this advertisement represent Xmas? Click on link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM
The class discussion moved into a 15 minute timed response.

Class discussion and written work were both superb. Thank you Media freaks. Keep it up.

RUSSELL BRAND on CH4 News.

YOU TUBE OFFERS A PLATFORM FOR VIEWS THAT CHALLENGE THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: 
http://www.channel4.com/news/russell-brand-new-era-estate-rent-row-us-property-company
Russell Brand's TREWS Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/russellbrand
THE YOUNG TURKS:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/opinion/cenk-uygurs-the-young-turks-this-youtube-news-bulletin-is-challenging-the-fogeys-of-us-tv-9761069.html
CHUNKYMARK, The Artist Taxi Driver, on YOU TUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2KeBfy34mQ