A review of software tools for E-learning videos: Using a combination of Microsoft Movie Maker and Blueberry Software to produce an E-tutorial

A review of software tools for E-learning videos: Using a combination of Microsoft Movie Maker and Blueberry Software to produce an E-tutorial





     The purpose of this blog is to describe the process of making an E-learning video using Microsoft Movie Maker and Blueberry software. In this blog I intend to shed some light on the following questions:

1. What am I trying to do in my video? What features do I need? How do the multimedia principles align with the reality of making a video?
2. Why do I need 2 different types of software to produce this video?
3. What are the properties and features of each tool? What are the limitations of each tool?
4. What do you need to know to get started?
5. What is the degree of difficulty in the process? What are the issues in the process?

      There are many features I would like to have in my video to make it successful. I would like the audiovisual presentation to be informative and engaging to the viewer. In order for the video to be effective I would like to align the presentation with some of the principles learned in the Clark and Mayer text. The first principle being used is the multimedia principle, which is effectively using words and graphics in my instructional video. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 67) This will obviously increase learning in this case as the presentation will be informative and audio visually engaging. I would like to use the contiguity principle which is aligning words to corresponding graphics. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 91) I will have a picture in picture visual during instruction. There will be a webcam image of me giving instruction inside the main screen where there will be a screen recorded demonstration. I would like to take advantage of the modality principle which is presenting the words as audio narration rather than on-screen text. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 115) I would like to incorporate the personalization principle, which is using conversational style and virtual coaches. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 179) I will be speaking conversationally to put the listener at ease and at the same time engage the concentration needed throughout a personal interaction. I will also be using the segmenting principle which is breaking down a lesson into parts. (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 205) I plan on breaking down the 5 standards into its parts, concentrating on 2 videos – 1 for Standard #1 and 1 for Standard #2.
      The reason I need 2 different types of software to produce this video is because neither one of these 2 programs allow me to do all of the above. A couple of the features I wanted to use was screencasting and webcam. The Microsoft Movie Maker that is already installed on my desktop does not have screencasting and webcam capabilities. In searching the internet for a free download that allows for both these options, I found Blueberry software. This is a British company that has a free version that will suit my needs. Among the features is screen recording and webcam recording. You can also use picture in picture webcam and screen recording at the same time for a more personal touch. (Blueberry Software, 2015)These features will allow me to show you what is on the screen and be able to provide a visual of me speaking into the webcam at the same time. It is very easy to use and compatible with Microsoft software.
      The Microsoft Movie Maker has other features that are needed to complete the presentation. Microsoft Movie Maker allows for text and annotations. The free version of Blueberry software doesn’t have the capability of adding sound files, adding text and annotations. In order to use these features, you have to purchase the Blueberry standard or professional edition. Microsoft Movie Maker begins by asking you to add a title and text. The user has the control to present the title and texts in different manners. You can choose the lettering; have the text fade in and out, among other simple, yet eye catching features. These features will not distract the student from the learning as it will remain simple. It is important to introduce the title of the video and list the objectives. This will bring focus to the video and the learner will know what to expect from the learning module. The Movie Maker is extremely useful in producing the video from the “big picture” point of view. I will also be using the Movie Maker for the closing credits where I will put a short review of the major points of the presentation. This may violate the redundancy principle, but in this case I believe that the repetition will ensure that the intended learning is transmitted. In this way Movie Maker is like a “frame” for this project. It will provide the opening and closing texts for the video. Microsoft Movie Maker also has a storyboard and timeline. Within the framework of the opening and closing credits, I will insert the Blueberry video I described above. I can edit and cut within the storyboard of Microsoft Movie Maker and keep track of the timing. (Microsoft, 2015)
      Getting started was not difficult. Microsoft Movie Maker is already installed on my desktop. The Blueberry software needed to be downloaded onto my computer. This is just a click of the mouse. The only issue is in choosing which Blueberry program you would like to download. I wanted the free download so I chose Blueberry Express. Blueberry Express has limited features, but combined with Microsoft Movie Maker, the free version will be sufficient for my purposes. Once you enter the Blueberry program, the company has many video tutorials on how to use their various features. The introductory video tutorial was helpful in introducing Blueberry Software’s capabilities. They use a screen recording of a videogame as a demonstration in the video. It was very helpful in that I was ready to produce my own combination of screen recording and webcam to produce an E-learning video. Once you click into the desired mode, screencast, webcam or combined picture in picture. Then with a click of the mouse and a countdown, you are recording. Once I produce my Blueberry segment of the video, I can simply insert the video into the storyboard of Microsoft Movie Maker. All of the editing, splicing are done in Microsoft Movie Maker’s storyboard and timeline. This is somewhat clumsy going between programs, but I can make it work.
      The most challenging part of putting this multimedia presentation together is the editing and re-takes. If you are a perfectionist, this could take some time. The re-takes of screencasting and webcam are done in Blueberry. I might speak too quickly in one take or possibly stammer. Maybe I am not looking into the eye of the webcam. These are good reasons to re-take the video. But at some point I must stop and pick the best video take that will deliver the instruction to the learner. Then I insert the video into Microsoft Movie Maker and there I can edit. The free version of Blueberry doesn’t allow edits once it is recorded. A typical edit will be the extra time in the beginning or end of a Blueberry video that I would like to trim. The trimming will be done on the Movie Maker timeline.

Works Cited

Blueberry Software. (2015). BB Flashback Express. Retrieved from
     http://www.bbsoftware.co.uk/bbflashbackexpress/home.aspx
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-Learning and the science of Instruction. San
      Francisco, Ca: Pfeiffer.
Microsoft. (2015). Getting started with Windows Movie Maker. Retrieved from
      Microsoft Windows: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/getting-
      started-with-windows-movie-maker

Final SII Reflection Paper

       New media and new literacies was an eye opening course into many of the issues and theories in learning and emerging technologies.  This course lays a foundation for this Master’s degree program in that it introduces the terminology of this modern and still developing discipline.  Without understanding the language and possibilities of emergent technology, it is difficult to pursue any higher or sequential learning in this curriculum.

The SII Method for Assessment Reporting (Wasserman & Beyerlein, 2004) offers a framework for assessing learning that is, "concisely stated, supported by evidence, and delivered in a positive manner" (para. 1). The SII method includes three sections: 1. a thoughtful description of the assessee's strengths, 2. areas if improvement, and 3. insights that can be transferred to other contexts.

Self-assessments always make me feel uncomfortable for many reasons.  The most important reason is that I have learned that sometimes my opinion of myself is simply quite wrong often.  If I ever question this notion, I just have to ask my wife.  I think my strengths in this course are aligned with the academic training I have undertaken previously.  I also believe that this course has strengthened and honed this skill that is integral to Library and Information Science: academic research.  I think that I have some experience finding relevant and credible resources.  I used my reference skills to access appropriate information to the assignments.  I also believe my previous training has given me the ability to comprehend the theoretical aspect of this course.  Many of the learning theories we delved into included Information Literacy and other 21 century literacies. I have some experience with this subject.

I feel more comfortable identifying the improvements I have to make as I move forward in this program.  At times I can be a little too self-critical, I believe.  This my wife would disagree with.  My biggest concern with my aptitude for learning with emerging technologies is getting more comfortable with using technology tools.  I feel more comfortable with the researching and writing for the course, but not so comfortable with the video presentation aspects.  After I finished my YouTube presentation at 1030 PM before the midnight deadline, I was thinking of a couple of ways I could have improved the video.  In a way I am glad I stopped editing the video because YouTube wouldn’t accept the video in the format it was in.  I had to convert the file format which took almost an hour.  Around 11 PM I was getting nervous.  I was thinking: Is this going to convert in time before the deadline?  What if it converts and YouTube still does not accept it?  Luckily, the format was changed in time and YouTube accepted the video.  What would I have done differently if I had more time?  The part of the video in which I use the webcam should have been stronger.  I should have a better webcam – there is a lag between the audio and video.  It should have been more rehearsed.  I had cue cards, but the images still look unnatural to me.  During the slide presentation, I think that I found better slides to use after I already put the presentation together.  I think that when you are attempting to engage a student through video, the facilitator should always shoot for a “wow” factor.  Since I have the advantage of multimedia, I could have used more visually attractive slides to engross the learner.  The problem was not just the shortage of time, but it was also with my slack of experience with the technology I was using.  Every time I spotted a mistake or something that needed improvement, it would take at least 15 minutes to edit.  Sometimes 15 minutes to edit a couple of seconds of video.  For example, if I made a mistake during the slide presentation portion of the video, I had to make the edit in the Blue Berry software, then change it in Windows Media Player.  Then I had to use the editing features on both software applications.  I believe that the intentions of both software companies was to make their products intuitive and easy to use – but if you have very little familiarity, it’s a trial and error experience.  For example, sometimes during the cutting part of production, I cut too much or too little.  Then I needed to re-take the part.

In the end, the final video presentation was the best I could do in the time allotted and the skills I possessed.  Even though I am hyper critical of the video, I am also somewhat proud of the video.  I have used YouTube as a learning tool, now I have a little more confidence that I can use YouTube as a learning facilitator.

The insight I have gained in this course goes back to the 2 main areas I have discussed in this self-assessment: academic research/writing and video tools for learning experiences.  I hope to pursue a career and academia and this course was heavy in reading in writing.  Although the course work was difficult at times, I must accept this challenge.  A career in academia will provide an abundance of scholarly research, reading and writing.  This type of learning in new media and new literacies will prepare me for the rigor of academic writing.  Using video tools for learning experiences is a challenge.  I will take my experience in writing, performing and producing this video as a benchmark for future multimedia learning modules.  This video production experience will be applied to many other contexts including an emerging technologies academic librarian.

Information Literacy Learning Guide for College Students

 Information Literacy Learning Guide for College Students

This learning guide is based on the 5 Information Literacy Standards set by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).  These are the Information Literacy Standards used at ASA College.  The 5 standards serve as performance indicators for proficiency in information literacy, but they are also steps to writing a college level research paper.  This guide will discuss each of the 5 standards and their use for writing research papers at the college level.  The 5 standards are:

1. Determine the extent of information needed
2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
3. Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base and
4. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
5. Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

Determine the extent of information needed

This is the first ACRL Information literacy standard and it also the first step in writing a research paper.  The first step in writing a research paper is having a topic and thesis statement.  The goals of your research have to be very clear in order for the information inquiries to be effective and efficient.  If we are student writing a research paper, we also look closely into the instructions given by the instructor to help direct our information needs.  When determining the extent of information needed, we are looking at the expectations of the reader (professor) and choosing a topic and thesis to begin our research.

Access the needed information effectively and efficiently

There are many ways to access information nowadays.  We can still use print methods.  We can go to the library.  Library information literacy skills include understanding how to use the online public access catalog and locate a book on the shelf.  Other print skills include knowing different types of print reference books and their uses.  These include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases and directories. 

Online searching can be easy or complex.  There are many online search engines to choose from, for example: Google and Bing.  These search engines have tools to refine your search such as: images, video or news.  We can also use subscription databases that are provided by libraries and universities to get to information that may not be free of charge – like eBooks.  Databases also provide advanced searching options to refine your query.  Most databases allow you to search by author, date, publication, scholarly or peer reviewed.

There are other ways to refine your searches.  Most search engines and databases allow for Boolean searching.  Boolean searching is using “AND”, “OR” or “NOT” to expand or decrease search results.  Some databases like Lexus Nexus use certain codes to refine searches.

Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base

This is the longest explanation for a standard on this guide, yet it will still not do this topic justice.  This will be a general guide to evaluation information.  Inside the word evaluate is value.  When evaluating the information you are thinking critically and looking into the quality of the information.  We live in an information age when anybody with internet access can publish.  Is all the information on the internet credible and trustworthy?  Of course not.  How about print publications?  One way to check the quality of the resource is to give it the CRAP test.  CRAP stands for: Currency, Reliability, Authority and Purpose/Point of View.

Currency:

When checking the currency we are looking at the publishing date of the information.  If we are looking at a website we are also looking at the last update.  In certain situations the latest material is very important.  If the resource is reporting on volatile information that is fluctuating rapidly, the most current information would be the most valid.  If the subject is stable and the information is not changing, then currency is not as important.

Reliability:

We can check for reliability by asking yourself certain questions concerning your information resource: What kind of data is included in the resource? Is content of the document balanced or is it one-sided? We can also check to see if there are credible references used by the author to back up his/her assertions. 

Authority:

Authority has the word author inside of it.  We are looking into the credibility of the author or organization that is providing this information.  We can check the author’s academic background.  Is this a medical doctor writing an article about a rare disease? Is it a Juris Doctor writing about a medical issue?  We can look at the expertise or experience of the author.  We now live in an age when you can use Google or an online background check.  We can also look into the organization.  For example, is a journalist writing in a known republican or democrat publication?

Purpose/Point of View:

When we look at the purpose or point of view of an information resource, we are reading the language very critically.  Is the author trying to make me vote for a particular presidential candidate?  Maybe the author wants me to buy a product.  Sometimes the language could be misleading.  The author may be using objective information like statistics to lead the reader into agreeing with his/her agenda.

 

Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose

Performance indicators for this standard set by the ACRL include: “The information literate student applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance. The information literate student revises the development process for the product or performance.”  The easiest way to understand this standard is in the context of the other previous standards.  In the first standard, the student is choosing a research topic and thesis statement.  In the second standard, the student is actually doing the research and accessing information.  In the third standard or step, the student is evaluating their research and only choosing the most credible resources.  Here in step four, the student is organizing the research into a presentable package.  This may be an oral project or a research paper.  There are many methods of organizing information.  The most common is a structured outline. This may be written or may be digital.  There are many outlining and mapping tools available on the internet to assist in organizing information.  We should not skip this step.  Just like a builder needs a blueprint before erecting a sound structure.  A researcher should organize their information before writing a final draft. 

Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.

The economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information include plagiarism and copyright.  In the academic world plagiarism is using somebody else’s information and not giving them proper credit.  In the economic and legal world it is making unlawful copies of somebody else’s intellectual property.  Violating copyright laws can have legal and economic consequences.  This is an issue in the digital age because it is so easy to download and share information without regard to intellectual property.  A common example of intellectual property infringement would be sharing of copyrighted music files for free.

In the academic arena, you do not have to pay or ask permission to use somebody else’s information.  You must properly cite the information resource to avoid plagiarism.  The citation is a stylized method of acknowledging the owner of the information.  Citations follow strict rules of sequence, capitalization and punctuation.  This is an academic, professional and ethical requirement.

 

Interview with my video gaming 14 year old cousin.

The following is in an interview with a 14 year old cousin Kyle, whose last name will not be given.  He is an avid video game enthusiast.  Most of the questions were predetermined.  The planned interview ended up being a conversation in which Kyle touches on many topics relating to the digital native generation. He was very open and honest in our interview/conversation.  I even asked him if there was anything he did not want me to publish or if there was anything he didn’t want his mother to know – I didn’t want to get him in trouble.  He gave the green light.

1.      How would you describe a video gamer?

A gamer is someone who plays games actively and as a hobby.  A real gamer plays more than other people.

2.      Do you fit the description? What games do you like?

I think I do.  I play about 7 hour’s day.   I play League of legends, it’s a multi-player game. You have to use strategy to play.  Being a multi-player game, the players have to listen to each other.  You have to have no ego. If you want to win the game, you cannot put yourself before others and you need to communicate

3.      What is the goal of League of Legends? 

You have 5 teammates and you have 5 enemies. You have to destroy the nexus from other team.  You have to get their base.  You have to work together.

4.      This sounds like fun.  Is it easy to learn?  What is the experience of beginning players? 

You’re not going to be good at first.  You have to get used to the game, but if you want to play it’s something that we can work towards.

5.      Maybe I’ll play.  Do you choose your team or do you get random players?

You can invite your friends and play together.  So we could play together.

6.      You spoke about communication skills during a game, please explain?

 

When someone makes a mistake, you don’t want to criticize them.  You want to tell them in a nice way so they don’t do this again.  You don’t want to make it worse.  Teammates can become enemies. You don’t want that.

You want your teammates to like you.  You complement each other.  If you don’t like the people you are playing with, you are not going to have a fun experience.

7.      What are the feelings you experience during gaming? 

There are many parts to the matches.  There’s climaxes in the game and different feelings. I get an uneasy feeling before fight.  I’m like waiting for something to happen.  It’s the intensity of the moment.  I feel that winning and losing doesn’t matter.  I like the feeling when playing the game, in the moment.  It’s also cool because you are experiencing the game with your friends.  If you lose you definitely want a second chance.

You may be losing very hard but you can win if you put your all into it. Best type of win is a comeback win, with friends. 

When I’m playing games I don’t think about real life. 

8.      Tell me about Epic wins?

Wow, if you win it’s a relief.  Matches can last 40 minutes.  After it’s over, wow that’s awesome. If we win, I feel like a winner. The game says, “Victory!”

9.      What types of skills from gaming can be applied to reality? 

Connection to reality, leadership, teaches you about interaction with other people.  Decision making, real time, right then and there, no time, you have make decisions.  Cooperation with other people, you may not know the people and you must get to know the people and make the best of it.

10.  Are there negative consequences to gaming? 

In some cases it can be bad but mostly positive.

11.  What is your concentration level when you are gaming? 

I am very concentrated; I forget it’s a game. 

12.  What is your concentration level when you are doing your schoolwork? 

Schoolwork concentration depends on subject.  I’m not as intense.  Not enjoying like gaming.

13.  How are your social skills in person as opposed to online? 

I still look people in the eye.

14.  Does gaming have an effect on social life? 

No. I don’t mix gaming with real life.  One thing, people introduce others who like to game and share a common interest.

15.  How would you describe people that you play games online and you know personally in reality? 

Some people that I know have different personalities online and in person.

16.  Are there people that you only know online?  What is your relationship with them like? 

I am playing with people in Canada and Chicago.  I’ve known them 3 years, that’s more than some of my real life friends.  I definitely want to meet them.  We share a common experience and we have bonded.

17.  Do you have other interests aside from gaming?

I play tennis.  I play percussion.  I read books.

18.  Print books?

Yes, print books.

19.  Do you play physical games like Wii?

I don’t really play Wii. The physical video games are for kids.  The intellectual games involve reasoning.  That’s my interest.

20.  Are you more comfortable communicating in online text or in person? 

Depends on the person.

21.  Is it easier to meet someone online or in person?

Easier to meet someone online.  In matches.  In real life it’s situational; in a game you have same interest.

22.  Do you take care of your basic human needs, like do you miss eating and sleeping for video games?

I eat and sleep.

23.  If you are not online do you miss games? 

Depends on the situation.  If I’m at a party and there’s nobody to talk to, I would rather game.  If something is interesting I don’t feel need to game.

24.  Do you use Social media?

I do Facebook and Instagram.  Gaming goes hand in hand, at same time.  The Canada and Chicago friends are my social media friends.

25.  Do you need to be constantly stimulated?

I get bored easily; sometimes I need to be doing something. Yes, maybe I have a smaller attention span.

Week 9: Reflection on Mcluran videos and Jenkins quote

Jenkins (2010) states that for the past several decades media literacy advocates have called on schools to, "foster a critical understanding of media as one of the most powerful social, economic, political, and cultural institutions of our era" (p. 31).

This is an is is ainteresting quote on many levels.  In this course we are practicing the principals touted by Jenkins in this quote.  Among the readings for this week were the multimedia videos: Marshal Mcluran – an introduction by Tom Wolfe and The message is the massage, by Marshal Mcluran.  Among the media literacy advocates who have called on schools to use new media for learning includes the subject of these films, Marshal Mcluran.  Although these videos are many years old, they are a time capsule of a man who envisioned the possibilities and effects the internet would have on human civilization.  It is interesting to note that Mcluran states that the artists are usually ahead of academia in defining an era.  In this case, Mcluran is an academic who was ahead of his time.  He predicted many of the issues and significances of the internet age.

Mcluran was speaking mostly about television and movies which were the new media of his time.  It is interesting to note that Mcluran was not interested in television for his own interests, according to the Tom Wolfe video.  He was interested in watching his 6 children watch TV and use other new technologies at the time.  He observed the children watching TV, listening to the radio and doing their homework at the same time.  His conclusion was that education must be changed.  New media must be implemented into modern educational systems.  As stated in the opening quote, Mcluran was one of the leading advocates of learning and emerging technologies for decades.  He saw the educational potential of new media even before the advent of the internet.

Mcluran noted that the educational system was more relevant to 19^th century reality.  There was a connection from what you were learning in school and real life outside of the classroom.  The advent of new media has changed reality. This new reality is very different from traditional classroom learning.  As noted before, many of Mcluran’s theories were written before the internet.  Now with the reality of social networks, communities and cultures supported by the World Wide Web, new media must be implemented into education.

Mcluran’s advocacy of new literacy and new media fits into Green’s model: operational, critical and cultural.  In the operational component, users are easily able to participate in participatory culture.  All that is needed is an internet connection and a media device.  Schools and libraries usually offer this connection for free.  Because it is so easy to get involved through the operational component, new media should be implemented into classrooms.  In the critical dimension, more multimedia and media rich text is being generated and used.  Instruction in the critical dimension must be provided to help guide the students through the research process.  The cultural dimension is multi layered in the World Wide Web.  New cultures are being generated online as I write this.  Because each information consumer can also be a creator of new internet content, instruction and guidance is needed in the cultural realm.

Deconstruction of a Print Ad

 

 

I really enjoy GEICO advertisements.  GEICO uses characters that are part of our collective consciousness, like cavemen or the pig that went “wee”  all the way home, to get our attention, make us think superficially and make us laugh.  The humor and attention grabbing themes get the viewer interested in the story line of the advertisement.  The story lines make you think a little, but not too much because the advertisers want to reach as many people as possible.  So by grabbing the viewers’ attention, making them think a little and then making them laugh; the viewer will have GEICO burned in his/her memory.

            In the advertisement that I am deconstructing, GEICO does not use a character from our imagination.  The attention is on Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis doing his signature pregame dance.  I see 2 extremes of masculinity when I look at this print ad.  On one hand, I see virile and rapturous ecstasy exuding high positive energy.  However, I also see a primal, violent and dangerous man getting ready for war.  I don’t think that the advertisers created the ad to be thought about too deeply.  It is very clear that this is a man that is over-excited about impending violent competition.

            The next thing I notice is that the image is framed by red curtains.  This make me think of 2 things.  First thought, this is a theatrical put-on.  Also, the red curtains are screaming for blood.  The background is 2 beat up cars in a serious collision.  The big letters read, “People that switch to GEICO sure are happy.  How happy are they?  Happier than a linebacker at a demolition derby.”  As a sports fan, I find this very funny.

            The humor is lightly thought provoking.  If you look at the 2 main images for the first time, football and demolition derby, you wonder the connection.  The captions clarify the message. This advertisement makes a number of assumptions, most are ridiculous. If a man likes heavy contact in one arena, he enjoys heavy contact in all other arenas.  If you like football, then you like demolition derby.  This ad is bizarre in a funny way.  This assumption has a definite logic, yet it is somewhat ridiculous.  I will use myself as an example.  I love to watch football, but I do not watch demolition derby.  This may be a regional thing, but I do not know anybody that watches demolition derby.   On the other hand, all my male friends watch football. 

Are there other stereotypical assumptions?  My first impression of the image was, what is the connection between Ray Lewis and demolition derby?  It made me think a little.  Does Ray Lewis really enjoy demolition derby?  My stereotypical answer is probably not.  I don’t think that demolition derby’s fan base is African American.  I’ve never seen the statistics, but that is another clichéd assumption.  Another question is, would this ad appeal to women.  I can’t be sure, but probably not unless she is a football fan.  Maybe a woman will look at the image and say to herself, “Isn’t that clever?”  I still believe the target audience to be male football fans.

            I was thinking about the possible consequences of the messages.  I was thinking about other assumptions from these images.  It is very manly to like violence.  Violence is blissful.  Living on the edge is exhilarating.   I can see that in a different situation this would be a destructive message.  But in this particular advertisement, the message of man being innately violent is an obvious joke to bring attention to the product – GEICO insurance.  Another underlying story line is that the cars in the demolition derby definitely need car insurance – preferably GEICO.  This advertisement would be destructive to society if it motivated male viewers to go out and commit violent acts in order to prove their manhood.  But I don’t think that would be a normal reaction to this advertisement.  I think most men would react to this ad with a laugh.  If the message has any seriousness to its message of masculinity, it is that real men switch to GEICO.

Week 6: Issues in Blogging

For this week’s blog, I read an article and watched a couple of videos about blogging.  It is very interesting to see the many issues that surround this media format. Therefore, I will be concentrating on the various issues surrounding the blog sphere.  The YouTube videos I watched were Networks, Power, and Democracy and Digital Youth, Social Movements, and Democracy in Brazil. I read Weblogs and the Public Sphere by Andrew O'Baoill. This week’s installment will be focusing on the practice of blogging and these following questions: What are the tools and techniques being put into practice? What are the key issue(s) outlined in or underlying the text (think in terms of Green’s model: operational, cultural and critical)? What are your feelings and opinions on the reading?

Green’s approach concentrates on 3 aspects: operational, cultural and critical.  The operational component concentrates on using the language system to decode and encode in a range of contexts.  The cultural part uses operational strategies to receive and transmit meaning. The critical dimension recognizes the socially constructed nature of knowledge and literacy practices.  The critical dimension also involves considering alternative solutions. 

As far as the operational skills needed to function in the blogosphere, it is very easy to write a blog.  This short paragraph will also address the tools and techniques being put into practice in the blogging world.  A perfect example is this blog you are reading right now.  It was created on Blogger. I logged on through my Google account, began typing and then clicked publish.  The process is so easy that minimal computer literacy is necessary to blog. In O’Baoill’s article this is described as an aspect of inclusivity.  By inclusivity in the blogging world, the author writes that “participation is open to all.”  Anybody with an internet connection can get involved in blogging for no financial charge.

The cultural dimension is where it gets interesting.  Blogging in many ways has created its own culture.  Another idea mentioned in O’Baoill’s article is, in a blog “any issue can be raised for rational debate.” Because blogging is an open forum for anyone to publish their views online, there will be a multitude of blogging topics and possibly a multitude of opinions on each individual topic.  Besides getting information from traditional sources, blogging allows alternative topics and subjects to be amplified within the information world.  Also the ability to comment on other peoples blogs has effects on the cultural dimension.  Lively discussions on blog posts whether positive or negative are conducted in the cultural dimension as users attempt to create meaning in their world views.

In the critical dimension we consider alternative solutions.  One of the videos from this week is a most powerful information resource concerning blogging in the critical dimension, Digital Youth, Social Movements, and Democracy in Brazil.  In this video Raquel Recuero gives a discourse on how blogging and social media is making social and political changes in Brazil. She touches on many issues.  One of her topics was an online debate concerning the construction of a controversial power plant.  Another subject was gay marriage.  The most poignant subject was of the favelas or poverty stricken areas of Brazil.  Some residents of the favelas are given internet access and tools to create blogs, websites and other social media to report on the living conditions in impoverished communities.  This technology has given a powerful voice to the oppressed members of society in Brazil.    By having a forum to criticize the powers that be in Brazil, blogging has empowered the powerless.  This is a prime example of blogging in the critical dimension.

            One of the topics that interested me was the rank of the blogs.  How do blogs get views? In  Networks, Power, and Democracy, Saskia Sasson explains that the top blogs may not be alternative news.  The top blogs may be connected to established publications commenting on what they believe to be the top stories.  They get the majority of the views because people generally want to read what their friends think is important.  These top stories get momentum and do not necessarily represent the alternative views that Sasson believes was the original intention of blogs.  O’Baoill comments that some blogs get readership because of connections to bigger organizations.  These 2 commentaries are congruent in my mind.  Connected blogs get views, which gains momentum exponentially.  Both O’Baoill and Sasson believe that blogs are not as “democratic” as they were intended to be.  I hope this opens a lively discussion.

O'Baoill, A. (2004). Weblogs and the Public Sphere. Into the blogosphere. Retrieved June 23, 2015, from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/weblogs_and_the_public_sphere.html