EDUC 6810 Photo Analysis

 

Caption:  President Obama Reassures Americans about the BP Oil Spill

 

 

Describe what you see:

 

In this photo I see President Obama and Thad Allen, two men, one Caucasian and one African American, possibly in their mid-50s.  President Obama is wearing a light blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  Thad Allen is wearing his coast guard uniform.  President Obama's body language is relaxed, but confident.  He is holding his hands up as if he is explaining something.  His facial expression is serious, and he is mid sentence.  It looks as if he is looking out into the audience he is speaking to.  Mr. Allen's body language, on the other hand, seems tense.  He is holding his hands together.  His facial expression appears that he is upset with something.  He is looking off to the side.  In the background you can see the American flag, a map of the oil spill, and workers who are trying to clean up the mess.  The camera angle seems to be from directly in front of the two men.

 

What does it mean:

 

From this photo three inferences I made are that the President is discussing something serious, he is trying to appeal to the American people, and the man beside him seems to be upset about something.  I believe this photo is posed, because it is a press conference and the President knew that the media would be there and that they would be taking his picture.  I think the message that the President is trying to convey is that he is one of them (casual button down shirt, no tie) and that he is confident in the efforts being made to clean up the oil spill.  I have limited prior knowledge of this.  I did watch some media coverage, and what I do remember is that people were very upset with the cleanup efforts and that they didn't believe it was happening fast enough.  The message that this photo is trying to send is that the President does care and that every effort is being made to help the situation.  Three questions that I have about the photo are: What is President Obama saying?  Why is Thad Allen so upset?  Did the President answer questions from the audience?

 

Caption:  President Obama Gets Serious About BP Oil Spill

 

Civil War Photos: What Do You See?  In this lesson, students will observe and analyze a photo from the Civil War.

 

Source

 

Library of Congress. (2013) Civil War Photos: What Do You See? Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/civil-war/ 





EDUC 6810 Weekly Reading #2

1.  In your opinion, is the potential for more people to create their own media a positive or negative influence on our democratic society? Use a quote from the reading to support your answer.

"Rhetorical meanings are presented on a variety of levels (logical, emotional, spiritual, etc.) that are subject to interpretation..."  I believe it could go either way; it all depends on the consumers of the visual images.  If the consumers do not analyze what they are seeing, and form opinions only by what they see, then that will have a negative influence on our society.  But if consumers do look beyond the images and question the truth behind them, then that will be a positive.

2. Is  visual cultural a good thing or bad thing? Use a quote from the reading to support your answer.

"Technological developments, and subsequent impacts with modification, are part of the history of the world"  I don't see visual culture as necessarily a good or bad thing, it's just the way things are.  Technology is evolving, and we are evolving with it.  Technology has always been changing, and in order for us to grow, we adapt.

3. Do you think you are a critical consumer of visual images? Give an example.

No, I don't believe I am a critical consumer of visual images.  I am definitely guilty of basing my opinion of something on what I see.  For example, commercials.  I know I buy products based on which commercials I like best.

4. How does the article influence your thoughts about teaching media literacy in school? Use a quote from the reading to support your answer.

"Mere exposure is enough in this regard.  We don't have to be specifically targeted by the image source."  This article makes me realize even more the importance of teaching media literacy to my students.  Students are bombarded with images everyday trying to sway their opinion and they don't even realize it.  It is important that we teach them to be critical of what they see, and to question the truth behind it.  Children are naïve and will usually believe what they see as fact.  It is our job to teach them to analyze what they are seeing on television, the internet, and in print.

Source

Schnell, J. (2008). Suggestions for Addressing the Increased Emphasis on Visual Imagery over Aural Messages.  Media Psychology Review. Vol. 1(1). 

EDUC 6810 Weekly Reading #1

I was surprised by my reaction to this video.  I hate to admit that when I first saw this woman walk out on stage my first thought was, "She looks like a model, what could she possibly have to say at an educational conference?"  I think this video shows exactly why it is so important to teach our students about media literacy.  "...media representations help construct our images and understanding of the world..." (Kellner & Share, 2005)  It is important to teach our students to not judge someone or something just on what we see in the media, because what they are showing us might not always be the truth.  "Individuals are often not aware that they are being educated and constructed by media culture, as its pedagogy is frequently invisible and unconscious."  I completely agree with this statement.  I think people, and especially kids, take what they see on television or the internet as fact, without ever really analyzing it to be truth or not.  That is why we need to teach students about bias in the media.  The goal of the media is to get us to think a certain way or want to buy a product.  They are constantly manipulating us, and we often don't even realize it.  "Students and youth are often more media savvy, knowledgeable, and immersed in media cultures than their teachers and can contribute to the educational process through sharing their ideas, perceptions, and insights."  This is such a great idea for a way for teachers and students to come together and discuss media literacy.  We can view this media with our students and then get insight into what they are thinking when they see it.   

Source

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward critical media literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. 26(3), 369-386.

Educ 6810 Introduction Post

My name is Abigail Hayhurst.  I live in Bridgeport, WV and I am a recent graduate of FSU (Dec 2012).  I am currently pursuing my Masters in Digital Media.  I'm also very excited to start my very first full time teaching position!  I have been dreaming of my own classroom for so long, I can't believe it's finally here!  I am teaching 4th grade at Nutter Fort Intermediate.  This week was our first full week with the kids, and I am loving every minute of it!  I will be teaching reading, social studies, and science, and what I hope to learn from this class is how to bring technology into these subjects to get my students motivated.

Here is my Animoto video


Make your own slideshow at Animoto.

1. Why is teaching media literacy important?

It is important to teach media literacy because our students are bombarded with media every single day.  It is a huge part of their lives, and it starts at a young age.  As educators, we need to talk to our students about what they are seeing in the media, and the difference between what is real and what is fake, and how they can analyze that for themselves.

2. What do you want to learn about teaching media literacy?

I want to learn more about teaching students about media bias.  I got some really good ideas from my course this summer, and I would like to expand on that.  I am going to be teaching reading, social studies, and science, and I would love to learn some more engaging ways to bring technology into those content areas.

3. What concerns you about teaching media literacy?

My biggest concern is time.  I am teaching three blocks of reading/social studies and I only have one hour with each class.  I have access to a mobile lab once a week for an hour and a half, and a computer lab for the same.  I want to be able to make the most of the time I have with the technology.