Tag Archive for 'consumerism'

Bill Moyers throws it down on media reform

Published at June 10, 2008 in literacy and media. 0 Comments Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Speaking at the National Conference on Media Reform, Bill Moyers outlines the dismal landscape that is mainstream media today, while encouraging all viewers, listeners and readers to demand that the media tells “what we need to know.”

More at alternet.org

Added: Just got back from stumbling on Antonio Lopez’s Mediacology blog where he’s posted a video of Bill Moyers schooling a Fox reporter on how real journalism is done at the NCMR 2008. Check out the video:

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Doodle 4 Google continues in-school branding campaign

Published at May 12, 2008 in education, literacy and media. 0 Comments Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

A few months ago, I asked if I was the only one troubled by Doodle 4 Google, the in-school marketing campaign art competition put on by the good folks at Google. Since then, over 16, 000 K – 12 students across the United States have spent valuable class time helping Google redesign their logo, just like Dennis Hwang does for special occasions and holidays. Unlike Mr. Hwang, the thousands of students working to “re-design” Google’s logo aren’t paid employees of the corporation. They’re just unpaid labour in Google’s latest marketing campaign to establish brand loyalty in young students, take over the learning and become the curriculum.

Check out the classroom product placement and unquestioning student/teacher adoration for the Google logo in the video below.

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Talking kids’ virtual worlds with the TDSB

Published at April 21, 2008 in appearances, education, gaming, literacy, media and virtual worlds. 2 Comments Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Last Friday marked the end of my classes at OISE’s Bachelor of Education program, but I’m not done with my teacher training or talking to teachers.

In addition to a month-long internship at the Institute of Child Studies Lab School, I’m heading out to Huron Street School this afternoon to talk with elementary teachers about virtual worlds for kids. It’ll be part of an overall workshop on critical literacies in the classroom, much like my presentation at the OISE Dean’s Conference in March.

I’ll be looking at the underlying messages that are currently in most kids’ vws (ie the game/coin/consumption cycle of consumerism) and showing teachers how they can get their students to look critically at the messages, question them and reimagine their own virtual worlds with messages they’d like to see.

If you’re interested in learning more, there’s a blog for the presentation and a below are the ppt slides (but there’s no audio and slides really need audio to make sense – will work on that.)



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Am I the only one troubled by Doodle 4 Google?

Published at February 14, 2008 in education, literacy and media. 1 Comment Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

From a search of the web on Doodle 4 Google, it looks like I might be. Is anyone wondering about how elementary students and high schoolers spending valuable, publicly funded, class time helping Google redraw their logo benefits students’ learning? Not that I can find.

Google and all its apps are great learning tools that definitely improve student learning. But tools are meant to be used. Through Doodle 4 Google, it’s the students and schools that are being used.

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Friday night with Y! Live

Published at February 9, 2008 in literacy and media. 0 Comments Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

y02938nd.gifY! Live, Yahoo’s new streaming video service, launched last night and thanks to my resident early adopter, I was there to watch it all unfold. As I watched hundreds of people from around the world broadcast their own live video streams and chat to each other, I realized that something very important was happening.

Y! Live isn’t the first live videostreaming chat site, but with the reach of Yahoo to back it up, it will definitely be the one to grab the Facebook crowd. But first it’s got some serious privacy and user control issues to deal with.

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MinyanLand to sell free-market gospel to kids

Published at February 6, 2008 in education, gaming, literacy, media and virtual worlds. 8 Comments Print Email This Post AddThis Social Bookmark Button

In the wake of the sub-prime mortgage disasters in the US, the crashing of stock markets around the world, and the already upon us, I mean, approaching recession, it’s refreshing to know that those kooky free market, pull yourself up from your bootstraps, capitalists over at Minyanville are launching their very own virtual world for children. Did I say refreshing? I meant terrifying.

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