What is "News"?

All the news that's fit to WIKI.

I know that quote is totally cliche, but I have always wanted to use it and this was my only halfway good excuse! And here it is folks! The long-awaited Blackboard Jungle's Wk9 Kare 11 Wiki!

Yipee: New Links!

I added some fun new links to my list so check 'em out. I especially like Found Magazine. They also have a print version. I'm hoping use them as creative writing prompts. I also stuck The Onion in there as Beach mentions it--and I also think it's awesome--and I really like the news site we went to this week, so I saved that link. In addition, I also added something called Fake Gay News, which is almost identical to The Onion as far as the stories go. It is only online however, and doesn't update as often. Definitely worth a look at as you might want to pull as story or two from there. (I particularly enjoyed the one about the man marrying the goat--clearly absurd!).

It's fair and balanced. Trust me. I command it!

I just knew that underneath that rough, post-modern exterior lurked a heart of gold! And yes, I have discovered it when reading Ch.9 of Beach. An entire chapter on media literacy and nary a word suggesting the concept of media-created realities. Dr. Beach you have won my respect and loyalty! Seriously--I really did enjoy reading Ch. 9 because it focus on my original concept of media literacy, i.e. the ability to understand, analyze and make informed decisions--personal and political--that are thrown at us every day from any number of sources. In addition, there were some great ideas for putting that into practice in my classroom.

One complaint this week's reading's however--and I think Beach might agree--let's not forget that even those cross-curriculum concepts we consider to be "fact," are also not without bias. I think this actually strengthens the argument for using film in the classroom because it does allow for different interpretations and points-of-view that what has been accepted has for so long been accepted for so long as absolute truth in our patriarchal society. Just of the top of my head comes a different view of the Civil War: Gone With the Wind, and The Wind Done Gone

6 WKs w/o WIKI

I think I'm really struggling to understand some of what's going on in this class. I've finally wrapped my head around "how" to do a wiki. In as much as I know that say, houses can be made from wood. And that people live in houses because they need somewhere to sleep (among other things).

But, what I don't get is WHY I'd want to communicate with a wiki, when I have all kinds of other cool optionsl? Just like I don't really know which building materials would be the best for a house in every case. I mean--I'm pretty sure I don't want to live in a mud hut in Seattle. Okay, screw the annoying analogy!

What I'm trying to say is that I have no real understanding of the wiki as a genre. That's important in Language Arts. I can understand now why some students are completely puzzled by the thought of "how" to write a poem or short story. Having my students put together a wiki would be a great idea, but I just don't get it. Is it merely an extensive encyclopedia entry? Where do you place your commentary? Is it really appropriate? It seems more separate, sterile than some of the other things I would otherwise do.

So far, I've been focusing on the potential technological barriers I would have in mastering and then teaching my students about creating wikis, but now I see that will probably be the least of my issues. It's possible that I just haven't come in contact enough with other wikis to fully understand the genre. My experience is limited to Wikipedia and various wikis that contain information about subjects such as video game or website easter eggs, etc.

How would I use that in my classroom? Possibly each student would create a page about a different poet/author in a certain literary period? Ideas anyone?

Anorexic Beauty

Media Constructions: ProAna, ProMia

When I think about media distortions and representations of daily life I can't help but think of how our problems, illnesses, the worst we have to offer is put in front of us every day. For better or worse, mass communication spreads news more quickly than before. There seems to be more of everything now and of course it's been argued if what's happening is really new at all, or if we're just hearing about it now. (Did you know that 9 out 10 people put their peanut butter on before their jelly? Isn't that cool? I would never have know that if not for the internet.)

Anyway, this week I did some thinking about what MIGHT have been created by the media, and the one thing that came to me was the "pro-anorexia pro-bulimia" trend that has surfaced in the last several years and is still going strong. In this case I can almost see what Beach describes as media creating its own reality. However, I would claim instead, that the distorted message strongly influenced young girls and women who in turn put a new spin of those existing mental illnesses.

There seems to be a strong connection between celebrities and media representations of eating disorders and their victims that makes them very appealing in a way, which has lead to this wave of "pro ana" and "pro mia" groups. In addition, these groups flourish in the cyber-community, yet another facet of how media effects this trend. This probably isn't news to some of you, but I felt it was particularly appropriate for those of us who do plan on educating adolescents who are facing this new trend. I searched around for links I thought you guys might find interesting, which are listed below.

Pro Ana Nation (You can't get into this one without clicking through two disclaimers.)
World's Largest Pro Anorexia Site (This is the name, I don't know if that's true.)
bluedragonfly.org
shiveringnaked.org