School Magazine

Josh and Toria are launching a School Magazine. This is an exciting endeavour and they are looking for students in Year's 10-13 to get involved. There are roles for students who are interested in:

• Writing
• Photography
• Design

The team is meeting every Wednesday in Media 1. If you're interested, come along and find out more.

Here is a sample of what the magazine might look like...

Representation - The Exaggerated Truth

Impromptu Lesson/Discussion About 'Kony 2012' (Friday, March 8, 13:10 - 14:00, Media 1)

In the lesson we will be discussing

• the postmodern dimensions of the video.
• the way it has become an 'Internet Meme'
• the backlash against the campaign, considering what this tells us about the way media is constructed and shared in the 21st Century.

Resources for the lesson:

Kony 2012 - Video

 

Kony 2012: what's the real story? - Guardian live updated blog about the Kony 2012 Video / Campaign.

Visible Children: Kony 2012 Viewed Critically - Very well written piece summing up some of the main concerns about the Kony 2012 campaign.

Unpacking Kony 2012 - More detailed piece about the pros and cons of the campaign.

Critiques - Invisible Children's response to the criticism they have received.

Slaxktivism - Further insight.

KONY 2012 May Be Flawed, But Slacktivism Isn’t the Enemy - Short piece focussing more on the impact of online activism. 

#kony2012 Tweets - See what others are saying.

Reflections - My students' response to the lesson, answering the following two questions:

1. What does KONY 2012 offer us, as students learning about Media in the 21st century?

2. Having now considered the campaign more critically, how do you feel about it?

Wikpedia: Joseph Kony

Wikipedia: Kony 2012

Wikipedia: Invisible Children

Wikipedia: Viral Video

Wikipedia: Internet Meme

GCSE Media Studies: Re-sit Revision Sessions

The following revision sessions will be available to those of you who are re-sitting your GCSE Media Studies exam on Wednesday, 25 January.

• Friday, 13 January - 8:20-9:10 - Media 1
• Monday, 16 January - 4:00-5:00 - Media 1
• Monday, 23 January - 4:00-5:00 - Media 1

GCSE Media Studies - Y11 Homework Link & QR Code

Year 11 Media Studies students. Scan the code or click the link to see your homework.

New homework will be set each week but the link / QR Code will remain the same.

Link: http://delivr.com/18tom

QR Code:

GCSE Media Studies Homework

Great to see the effort some students put into their homework in the run up to exams:

Diploma: Two Early Draft Animations from Josh & Sian

These are shaping up to be really good. Watch out for the finished articles!

Converting English Students into Media Students

One of the main differences between English and Media Studies is the language we use. This glossary of terms should help you improve your analysis...

On the left is a English expression and on the right is the Media Studies terminology.

• shows = denotes
• implies/suggests = connotes

• a metaphor = symbolic
• linked/connected = indexical
• directly resembles = iconic

To achieve well in your written work it is important that you learn to use these terms when analysing texts.

Coursework Tips - Scan Me!

GCSE Media - Parent/Student Guide to Exam & Revision

This is the PowerPoint that I used for an Adobe Connect Online Meeting with parents of Y10 GCSE Media Studies students. They have their B323 Textual Analysis (Print Topic) exam on the 25th June.

GCSE: Getting Prepared For B323: Textual Analysis (Print Topic)

My Year 10 students used Flip cameras today to make videos about what they need to remember for their exam which is coming up on June 25th.  Here are a couple of them:

Please feel free to share and use.  If you have any questions about how the videos were created please comment, email me or tweet me.

GCSE | AS | A2: Practice your film making skills online...

"Xtranormal" - is a gr8 way 4 u 2 improve your film making skills, selecting camera angles, mise-en-scene, dialogue & sounds - click on the link & have fun!

GCSE / AS / A2: Key Media Terms

Sign - the smallest unit of meaning within a media text

Denotation - the literal or actual meaning of an image, word or object

Connotations - the implied or suggested meanings of an image, word or object

Representation - the way a person, group, place or idea is "re-presented" by the media

Mediation - the 3 processes of re-presentation: 1 - Selection, 2 - Organisation, 3 - Focusing

Target Audience - a specific group of people who a media text is aimed at

Synthetic Personalisation - the false relationship created between a media text and the reader through the use of personal pronouns (I), direct address (you, your) of the reader and a variety of rhetorical devices (...is this the end of the world?).

Institutions - the producers of media texts

Hypodermic Syringe Effect - this theory suggests that media audiences are passive and accept the messages and values within media texts without questioning them

Two Way Flow Model - this theory suggests that media audiences can reject media texts altogether (selective exposure) or they may simply reject certain ideas within a media text (selective perception)

Uses and Gratifications - this theory suggests that media audiences are entirely active using the media for a variety of specific needs

Textual Analysis - the process of breaking a media text down by its component parts - in the case of a film this would include: the camera angles, mise-en-scene, editing and sound

Composition - the way a media text has been put together, e.g.: the front cover of a magazine

Surface Reality - this is a judgment as to how truthful or realistic a media text appears on first viewing

Verisimilitude - this is a measure of how truthful or realistic a media text is after closer textual analysis