Week 12-13 Information Literacy Guide

Week 9 Deconstruction of Advertisement

I chose the Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh counter ad to deconstruct, after reviewing several ads and video from the Media Gallery of Images for my comments and written assignment. Various print advertisements and videos were available to deconstruct, but the Deli Fresh ad was an easy target for me to deconstruct and comment, because I’m probably bias as I prefer fresh local food and not from factories. The presentation of both ads does a great job one (fresh like) the other (chemical based).

I did my best to deconstruct this advertisement. We all nibble on cold cuts including myself from time to time. In my essay paper I chose the words perception, point of view, and theory for my paragraph headings. This made for describing a print ad easier for the reader without the visual of the ad to support the text. Finally, this explanation of this deconstruction of an ad comes down to buyer beware.

Week 11 Baby Boomer Interview

I found this interview interesting, because I was able to compare the pre-digital age and the current technology of the 21^st century of what emotions and thinking from one individual. That individual is Yolanda Suida who is my wife. The interview brought to the forefront how a person can adapt to new situations. Digital technology for Yolanda has been frustrating at times; nonetheless, Yolanda persevered and moved forward into the 21^st century. We have to remember that not many 65 year olds will even attempt to embrace all the new technologies.

What I have Learned:

I learned how to hone my critical thinking skills how to ask right questions not only on this subject, but the art of preparation for interviews in future endeavors.

What Surprised Me:

I was surprised with Yolanda’s response to my questions as they were not staged. I asked direct and relevant questions normally Yolanda is a reserved and shy individual.

Week 8 Readings from Henry Jenkins & Marshall McLuhan

Week 8 Reading Reactions

Marshall McLuhan

There many interpretations of how man’s literacy skills evolved over the centuries the author believes “It’s helpful to know the origins of the alphabet and of civilization and of rationality in that sense because we have come in the twentieth century to the end of that road. And it’s a considerable revolution to have been through 2500 years of phonetic literacy only to encounter the end of the road. Right now, the people in this room are making the decision whether or not we’re going to have any more literacy or any more civilization in the twetieth century or whether it’s going to stop right here.” (McLuhan, 1970, pg. 2) This quotation can be taken as a reflection of the past how we survived first, with paper and pen all writings were done by hand. Second, the invention of the printing press improved mass communications. Third, the contemporary time period improvement of communication tools between individuals such as; telephone, radio, and the television. Finally, the digital age and the invention of the Internet in my opinion is the new age revolution of communication.

McLuhan, Marshall. (1970) Living in an Acoustic World. University of South Florida. Retrieved from http://www.marshallmcluhanspeaks.com/media/mcluhan_pdf_6_JUkCEo0.pdf

Henry Jenkins

I took a step back in my re-reading the table of contents in the report Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21^st Century by Henry Jenkins, and I discovered a topic of interest “The Challenge Ahead: Ensuring that All Benefit from the Expanding Media Landscape. ”At the present time there is a discourse how we as a society can go forward in these unknown times of politics, economics, and uncertainty. Henry Jenkins reports that “Ivey and Tepper bring us back to the core concerns that have framed this essay: how can we “ensure that all students benefit from learning in ways that allow them to participate fully in public, community, [Creative] and economic life?” (Jenkins, 2010, pg. 61) This is an important topic to discuss because each day student’s that are falling behind in their class work for ever reason, lack of community support, and turmoil with his or her family life affects their academics.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.

Week 5 Citizenship in the Digital Age

Civics

I stepped out of the required readings for Week 5 blog on the subject of digital citizenship and added a related subject. Throughout the journal article Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age by W. Lance Bennett in 2008 the words civic, civic engagement, and democracy resonate for me because I lived through the 1960s as a young adolescent and that time frame was the demise of “civics” as I knew it. I realize the following except from a presentation may seem lengthy and dated but very appropriate to this topic.


“Sometimes referred to as "pressure cooker" civic education, these early initiatives tended to be catechistic and dull, but they carried on for more than half-a-century sustained by the patriotic euphoria of two world wars and the "circle the wagons" mentality of the early years of the Cold War. The 60s, of course, meant a "goodbye to all that." Vietnam and then Watergate brought disenchantment, rebellion, experimentation, a loss of faith in traditional institutions and traditional leaders, the break-up of consensus, weakening of the core culture, the advent of heterogeneity, multiculturalism, etc. One of the great ironies of America’s civic culture in this century, is the fact that it has been so victimized by its success.” (civiced.org, Quiqley, 1999)

 Cultural Change

“The future of democracy is in the hands of these young citizens of the so-called digital age. Many young citizens in more economically prosperous societies already have in their hands the tools of change: digital media, from laptops, pagers, and cell phones to the convergences of the next new things. These new media reposition their users in society, making them both producers and consumers of information.” (Bennett, pg.9) This great example of participatory culture the power of the people is in their hands to create changes sometimes for a better world. Citizenry is important to a nation’s survival.

 References:

Bennett, W. Lance. “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age." Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth.Edited by W. Lance Bennett. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 1–24. doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.001

http://www.civiced.org/papers/papers_quigley99.html

 

Week 3 Culture Convergence (Free Culture)

The internet has opened the flood gates to total freedom of the press—in this case the electronic press. More than ever before self-publishing is available to millions of people around the world with the click of a mouse and at little or no cost to produce whatever one wants to share on the internet. At least in the United States as long as one does not impinge on another’s reputation, harm, or inflict any harm we as citizens are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.  This leads us to one of the contributor’s writings in the book Networked Publics “At the beginning of our history, and for just about the whole of our tradition, noncommercial culture was essentially unregulated.” (Lessig, pg. 56) This quote resonates that free speech is alive and well and hopefully continue into the future.

Varnelis, K.(2008).Networked Publics
http://site.ebrary.com.library.esc.edu/lib/empire/reader.action?docID=10251680

Week 3 The Networking of Public Space Comment

The editor of the book Networked Public edited by Kazys Varnellis and contributor writer Anne Friedberg directs our attention on page 16 and 17 to the theorist Jurgen Habermas in his writings of the early 18^th century describes how people gathered in café’s or coffeehouse’s in Europe to discuss the gossip but more importantly the news media of the day. Through distribution of pamphlets which is the vehicle Thomas Paine in the 1760 and 1770s printed himself in his spare time and distributed copies of his famous publication “Common Sense” throughout the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which inspired America’s founding fathers to fight for freedom. Mr. Paine himself would congregate with others in coffeehouses mostly gin mills or pubs and debate the arguments of the times. I mention Paine  as one of many examples that we must look back at history in order to learn how information is acquired and transmitted, during this era information was communicated through the printing of broadsheets—a publishing term for a newspaper printed (wide sheet) and an example is the New York Times. NOTE: Thomas Paine has had an effect on my reading and writing during my undergraduate work at SUNY Sullivan and Empire how the printed word can influence others in open discussions both online classes and social media.

 

I ask the question: How did an 18^th century theorists Jurgen Habermas foresee the future how people would gather in public spaces? Some 300 years later since his writings people converge in coffeehouses around the world and gather in isolation (hyper-individualism) using cell phones and laptop computers. Finally, I’m looking forward further into the 21^st century how people will communicate by electronic means.

 

SIDEBAR: I prefer to speak to others in person either in person or phone.

Technology Enhanced Learning

In reading the publication Technology Enhanced Learning, I found myself an better informed individual of digital literacy. My background is the printing industry which all started when I graduated from the New York School of Printing a vocational-technology high school in 1972. Our curriculum material studies were movable metal type on a manual printing press, art and design, photography, and offset printing methods on press, in addition to our academic studies. I’m self taught in desktop publishing. I’m by no means a computer geek but I adapt to new challenges well. As the publication states on page 6 “A revolution in communication” which I witnessed firsthand. As I read further into digital literacies I learned additional terms of technology. What has become interesting—digital literacy is a necessary skill students of all ages must learn to complete all levels of education. In the work place whatever the occupation computers are everywhere, employees must adapt or find themselves in meaningless employment.

In reading the publication Technology Enhanced Learning, I found myself an better informed individual of digital literacy. My background is the printing industry which all started when I graduated from the New York School of Printing a vocational-technology high school in 1972. Our curriculum material studies were movable metal type on a manual printing press, art and design, photography, and offset printing methods on press, in addition to our academic studies. I’m self taught in desktop publishing. I’m by no means a computer geek but I adapt to new challenges well. As the publication states on page 6 “A revolution in communication” which I witnessed firsthand. As I read further into digital literacies I learned additional terms of technology. What has become interesting—digital literacy is a necessary skill students of all ages must learn to complete all levels of education. In the work place whatever the occupation computers are everywhere, employees must adapt or find themselves in meaningless employment.

Commentary on Digital Culture

There have been several major communication revolutions over the centuries beginning with the invention of the printing press with movable type by Johann Gutenburg in 1436 which changed the way the printed word was produced versus handwritten text. This slow process changing of letters and printing one sheet at a time was a major breakthrough how mankind communicated. The next advancement of communications was the first electrical telegraph in April 1839 by Sir William Fothergill Cooke and Alexander Graham Bell in February 1876 invented the telephone.

 

Fast forward to modern times two examples are: the inventions of radio and television are forms of communications, in the right context both serve a worthwhile purpose in communicating the spoken word. All of the above has contributed to the advancement of communication. The turning point in “new literacy’s culture” is the creation of the digital age of the early 1990s right up to the present time and going into the future.

 

Finally, as of this writing in September 2016 the digital revolution has created a meaningful participatory culture via texting via cell phones, blogs, discussions boards, and social media etc. We as a society are communicating more than ever before in the history of mankind.

In the book, Literacies Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives by Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear early in chapter one two subjects that caught my attention: literacy and illiteracy. Up to the mid 1950s only third world countries were referred to or having adult illiteracy. Interestingly enough in the United States during the 1940s  as World War II progressed more and more men were needed for military service it was this all branches of the military rejected soldiers’ and sailors were rejected for poor reading and writing skills. (Knobel & Lankshear, 2011, pg 4.) I mentioned this fact because; adult and child illiteracy was put aside and not in the public eye in the U.S. only until recent times children and adult literacy has become a recognized issue.

 

Reference:

Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (2011). Literacies Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives. New York, NY: Peter Lang.