Final Project: Classroom Ning for Unit on Adaptations

In review of all the work done this semester, I could not find any one particular media or medium to study. Rather, I wanted to challenge myself by creating my first unit that I might use in a classroom that studied media, film, TV, books, etc. After reviewing my interested, I thought I might try and design a unit that would teach the form of the Adaptation, the different types it takes, the messages found within them, how they show rhetorically, and other juicy tidbits. It is all found on the Ning site posted below. If you want access, just respond with an email and I will get you an invite. Using Prezi, Powerpoint, Voicethread, and lots of videos from You Tube, I endeavored to create a project that is both inclusive to use by any teacher's standards and understandable to present to a classroom too. That said, it is mostly presented in a point of view of actually teaching the class.

While in creation of this unit, I found myself often stuck and thinking often before writing. I really wanted to feel the gravity of this information being taught to a student. Most of this information is based of personal observation and lectures given by pass teachers and professors. So most of this comes from original thought which may or may not overlap with other people's thoughts. Creating this lesson plan independently from other secondary sources was very important to me. I wanted a part of me to be in this unit. Not everyone may agree with some of my ideas, but I hope they come to understand that it is a fully developed thought.

Further adieus and drum rolling as side, the following link goes to my Ning site. Enjoy!

http://teachingmedialiteracyfinalcory.ning.com/

Using Film and TV Adaptations: Mildred D Taylor and Parade; A Practical Use of Last Blog

In growing though the American education system, it becomes very important to teach literature that not only entertains but also educates us on our past. As a younger student, I remember on author strongly influenced me greater than most: Mildred D Taylor. As an African American writer, she created the "Logan" family who struggled through the hatred and discrimination of the post war South.

Now in searching one of the seminal books on YouTube (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), there are a ton of projects based on this book. Just check the link:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=roll+of+thunder+hear+my+cry+book&aq=5

Perhaps, this is a good idea to gain further interaction with the text. However, without getting connection with this first, these restrings of the text is not much more than putting stage directions on book.

So to really connect this story to reader, I would try to have the students find other medias that relate to not only the struggle of the South but also the story itself. This would be an activity that serve best as a weekend project.

Lesson Plan:

- After assigning the class to read "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry", the class would discuss the issues at hand in the book (making sure that the racial tensions of the South, uneven education, family fabric of the time, and the state of trials and the media that surrounds it are all discussed themes)

- I would segue into saying to watch and listen the following clips and see what similarities can be divined from the clips and "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry". Before airing, I would say that this is from the story of jewish business owner Leo Frank from the musical Parade. The scene is from his trial of him being accused of murdering and raping a little girl:

"That's What He Said"


- Things that should be noticed: stereotypes of the black man, stereotypes of the jewish man, how the crowd acts. Try to connect "Parade" to "Roll of Thunder..." in these concepts thematically.

- Describe personal experience (i.e. connected Taylor's book with Brown's "Parade" when I saw the later); this connection makes not only personal experience but also establishes further meanings onto the piece

- I would then ask students to come up with their own connections to media pieces. Could be a song (i.e. Bob Dylan's "Hurricane"), TV Show, film, etc...

- These connections should be presented next class. Students should be prepared to say how the two pieces connect and to defend their comparison.

To me, ordaining the ability to make these connection and support them with concrete arguments based on thematic similarities is very important in becoming media savvy.