Media Resopnse 5

At the conference in San Diego, I saw watched a presentation being done with a Prezi and was impressed, so I decided to check it out. This is the one I used for my Theory presentation.

Stephen Prince on Prezi

I'm not a powerpoint fan. I hate being stuck in a linear path. No matter how the presentation was going or where the discussion was leading, the next slide was predetermined. My first experience with Prezi was great. It has the benefit of holding gathered clips, images, and information into a single presentation, but with the flexibility of an actual classroom setting. Similar to the Mind Meister, this is all held online, works as a storage device, and can be shared with anyone.

I created a very simple presentation and it didn't take too long to get used to the Prezi canvas, so I look forward to trying it again.

Apparently posting it to a blog limits the presentation. Sorry about that, but good to know.

Media Response 5

This movie's been sitting in my netflix queue for a couple of months now but I finally got around to watching it this weekend and I'm so glad I finally found the time to watch because it was great. Netflix labeled it a mockumentary and I suppose in the sense that it is not actually real it is "mock"-umentary but I tend to associate that term with Christopher Guest style over the top antics and while there were a few moments that approached that in this film, as a general rule the film felt extremely real to me. I've definitely had those freak out moments in the classroom, I've said things that 2 seconds later I wished I could take back. I've struggled to get kids to care about subjects that they seem to see as having little to no value in their lives. Most of the teachers in the film clearly cared about being good teachers and it was nice to see a movie in which most of the teachers seemed competent instead of making it all about the lone teacher who actually cares about her students amidst a see of indifference that seems to make up the plot of most Hollywood films about teaching.

Watching the film got me thinking about what draws us into a movie and causes us to identify with the characters. In this film I identified with the characters because they seemed to reflect some of my own experiences and emotions, but does that mean that the film won't appeal to anyone who hasn't taught in a high school? Clearly not, because I've also found myself moved to tears by situations and characters that bear no resemblance to my actual life. I don't really think I have any conclusions here, but I do think it's interesting how some stories capture us because they seem to embody some of our own experiences while others can be completely outside of our realm and yet also hold great appeal and empathy for us as an audience.

Media Post 5--A Week After Valentine's Day...

I went and saw Valentine’s Day. It reminded me a lot of Love Actually in that there are a million different people in it, many of them well-known, and they create a myriad of story lines that intersect and interweave over the course of the film. I thought it worked…many of the critics didn’t. Many of you may not. But I don’t care; I liked the movie.

When I got home from the theater that night, my roommate said that she’d been listening to a film critic on the radio who had dubbed Valentine’s Day “homophobic” because the story’s “gay” storyline culminates in one man caressing the other’s face with a flower, rather than a kiss. As I thought about this, I was struck by the ridiculousness of this statement. Has it really come down to the fact that the only way to demonstrate love within a film is by having the characters make out? Gay, straight, whatever, is there really nothing left to be said for tenderness, or does it have to be full-force sexuality all of the time? If that’s the case, it’s sad.

Now, would I ever use this in my classroom? Probably not, especially not this specific example, what with the general attitude regarding sexuality in the public schools in Utah. However, I can see using bits and pieces of the film to help in the instruction of narrative structure, as each individual storyline is relatively short. Further examination of various story lines could also be use to show interconnectedness of story and how each character within one narrative has his or her own specific life and set of circumstances that come into play, even if you’re not telling this particular character’s story.