This week I would like to talk about the project that we began working on in class. I think that this is a really good idea, because then we will be able to learn about the things that were popular when we weren't even born yet. Then we can compare the previous decades to the decades that we were alive in. I find it interesting that there are so many of the same popular things now that were popular up to fifty years ago. I think that it is a very good learning experience, and the presentations of each decade will probably stick with me a lot better that something like notes. Also, while researching the fifties, which is the decade that my group is learning about, I found that there were many Disney movies that were released in the fifties, but a lot of the main movies were made in black and white. I found it peculiar that there was enough technology to make cartoons, but was lacking in basic colours for movies in which everything was in colour. Also, this project gives the opportunity to research something that we enjoy, like music, movies or fashion, and enables us to show it in a different way, besides an essay. All in all, I think that this project should come together really well.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Journal #5
(Media Studies)
This week I would like to talk about the clips that were shown in class in which two different people commented on Canada. One of the people was Tucker Carlson, and him, along with a woman, made comments that were completely wrong about Canada. The woman (I'm not sure of her name) had a very strong opinion about Canada, and said that it should be happy it's allowed on the same continent that the United States is on. I think she is totally misinformed, and simply does not know her geography that well. Does Canada have a choice that it is on the same continent as the US? It is just our location, so I do not think that she should have used that argument, as it just made her look bad. As for Tucker Carlson, he talked to the woman that stomped on a George Bush doll. He made very rude comments to her, and made himself look like a fool when he said, more than once, that all Canadians do is dog sled. I really liked what the woman had to say, because if she was so insignificant, why were they making such a big deal over what she said. My problem was that Americans are so mis-guided about Canada. I have travelled all over the United States, and it amazes me that they know so little about a country that is connected to them. Also, I have seen Rick Mercer's "Talking to Americans", and I found this hilarious, yet also very disturbing. Many people do not even know that we do not live in igloos, or drive dog sleds. And there were well educated people on the show, for example, professors at Harvard. The things that Americans believe about Canada is scary, and I wonder why they don't learn at least a little bit about our country. We learn some things about the US, and I can say many do not have such outrageous misconceptions about our neighbour to the south.
This week I would like to talk about the clips that were shown in class in which two different people commented on Canada. One of the people was Tucker Carlson, and him, along with a woman, made comments that were completely wrong about Canada. The woman (I'm not sure of her name) had a very strong opinion about Canada, and said that it should be happy it's allowed on the same continent that the United States is on. I think she is totally misinformed, and simply does not know her geography that well. Does Canada have a choice that it is on the same continent as the US? It is just our location, so I do not think that she should have used that argument, as it just made her look bad. As for Tucker Carlson, he talked to the woman that stomped on a George Bush doll. He made very rude comments to her, and made himself look like a fool when he said, more than once, that all Canadians do is dog sled. I really liked what the woman had to say, because if she was so insignificant, why were they making such a big deal over what she said. My problem was that Americans are so mis-guided about Canada. I have travelled all over the United States, and it amazes me that they know so little about a country that is connected to them. Also, I have seen Rick Mercer's "Talking to Americans", and I found this hilarious, yet also very disturbing. Many people do not even know that we do not live in igloos, or drive dog sleds. And there were well educated people on the show, for example, professors at Harvard. The things that Americans believe about Canada is scary, and I wonder why they don't learn at least a little bit about our country. We learn some things about the US, and I can say many do not have such outrageous misconceptions about our neighbour to the south.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Marshall McLuhan
(Media Studies)
1. "The medium is the message" means that the medium burrows into the message, and slowly changes it as time goes on. This quote means that the way the information is shown is the message, not so much the information itself. More focus should be put on the media, and what portrays the information that the world is given, rather than the focus being on the actual news and information. It means that the medium, meaning how it is portrayed, is the message, not just how it is shown.
2. "Television is teaching all the time, it does more educating than all the schools and all the institutions of higher learning." This means that television is the key to knowledge. It is true that almost everything you can learn in school you can learn on television. Some things may not be exactly right, but the main message for subjects is there. It also gives you information that you may not be able to learn in school. This may include more in-depth explanations and discussions on subjects, or it could even branch to topics that may be inappropriate for school. This could include gangs and drugs, that are not often talked about in the classroom. Learning things on television could be used to your advantage, as there is only a certain amount of time allotted for each topic in school. For example, when learning about history, you may learn the main points about a war. But if you watch it on television, you will be able to expand on the subject by watching a variety of documentaries and movies dedicated to teaching about past wars.
"Technologies are not simply inventions which people employ, but are the means by which people are re-invented." This means that new technologies have the power to shape people as they evolve. We should not just use these new technologies, but allow them to change us as people. As technology continues to advance, this, in turn, will allow the world to change us. This will change the human race. For example, new technology can allow us to communicate with people all around the world. By this, we can be re-invented as we learn about different places and cultures. Many years ago, people barely travelled away from their homes, and new little, if anything at all about other cultures and places. But now, the rest of the world is at our fingertips, and if we let it, it can change who we are, mostly for the better. New technology could break down some barriers that are in place, dividing cultures, religions, and races. It allows us to get a first hand look and explanations from people who are different than us.
1. "The medium is the message" means that the medium burrows into the message, and slowly changes it as time goes on. This quote means that the way the information is shown is the message, not so much the information itself. More focus should be put on the media, and what portrays the information that the world is given, rather than the focus being on the actual news and information. It means that the medium, meaning how it is portrayed, is the message, not just how it is shown.
2. "Television is teaching all the time, it does more educating than all the schools and all the institutions of higher learning." This means that television is the key to knowledge. It is true that almost everything you can learn in school you can learn on television. Some things may not be exactly right, but the main message for subjects is there. It also gives you information that you may not be able to learn in school. This may include more in-depth explanations and discussions on subjects, or it could even branch to topics that may be inappropriate for school. This could include gangs and drugs, that are not often talked about in the classroom. Learning things on television could be used to your advantage, as there is only a certain amount of time allotted for each topic in school. For example, when learning about history, you may learn the main points about a war. But if you watch it on television, you will be able to expand on the subject by watching a variety of documentaries and movies dedicated to teaching about past wars.
"Technologies are not simply inventions which people employ, but are the means by which people are re-invented." This means that new technologies have the power to shape people as they evolve. We should not just use these new technologies, but allow them to change us as people. As technology continues to advance, this, in turn, will allow the world to change us. This will change the human race. For example, new technology can allow us to communicate with people all around the world. By this, we can be re-invented as we learn about different places and cultures. Many years ago, people barely travelled away from their homes, and new little, if anything at all about other cultures and places. But now, the rest of the world is at our fingertips, and if we let it, it can change who we are, mostly for the better. New technology could break down some barriers that are in place, dividing cultures, religions, and races. It allows us to get a first hand look and explanations from people who are different than us.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Journal #4
(Media Studies)
This week we watched "An Inconvenient Truth" in which Al Gore talked about global warming. I found it amazing, as I didn't really know the exact meaning of global warming. It was very informative, but also very scary. The statistics are alarming, and I am worried that not enough people have this information, or take it seriously. I know some people think that global warming is fake, or just a fad. In my opinion, it is very real. I believe footage showing that Antarctica is melting. And I would think that this would be a bad thing, and I am definatly not a scientist. The graphs and diagrams showing how global warming is caused was very interesting and easy to understand. I think that this should be shown more to educate people of the dangers of global warming. I was really shocked when I saw the diagrams showing how the sea levels would increase if parts of Greenland and Antarctica melted. I was astonished that so much of the world would then be underwater. The fact that the World Trade Center Memorial site would no longer exist is unimaginable to me. One scientist was quoted saying that we would have to create a new world map if this kept occurring. As a person, I would never have guessed that such a thing would even need to be mentioned. I am worried that many people think that it is nothing to worry about, and carry on as they have been. My question would be "Well, what if it is real?" Would it hurt to start doing some things to help the environment instead of help kill it? I don't think some people realize that this is the only world there is; if something happens to it, is there an alternative for life? I don't think so. And I enjoyed how Al Gore put the movie together, even if there were times that focused on him and his family and experiences. I think that this just made the movie more personal. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie.
This week we watched "An Inconvenient Truth" in which Al Gore talked about global warming. I found it amazing, as I didn't really know the exact meaning of global warming. It was very informative, but also very scary. The statistics are alarming, and I am worried that not enough people have this information, or take it seriously. I know some people think that global warming is fake, or just a fad. In my opinion, it is very real. I believe footage showing that Antarctica is melting. And I would think that this would be a bad thing, and I am definatly not a scientist. The graphs and diagrams showing how global warming is caused was very interesting and easy to understand. I think that this should be shown more to educate people of the dangers of global warming. I was really shocked when I saw the diagrams showing how the sea levels would increase if parts of Greenland and Antarctica melted. I was astonished that so much of the world would then be underwater. The fact that the World Trade Center Memorial site would no longer exist is unimaginable to me. One scientist was quoted saying that we would have to create a new world map if this kept occurring. As a person, I would never have guessed that such a thing would even need to be mentioned. I am worried that many people think that it is nothing to worry about, and carry on as they have been. My question would be "Well, what if it is real?" Would it hurt to start doing some things to help the environment instead of help kill it? I don't think some people realize that this is the only world there is; if something happens to it, is there an alternative for life? I don't think so. And I enjoyed how Al Gore put the movie together, even if there were times that focused on him and his family and experiences. I think that this just made the movie more personal. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie.
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