Let's begin with what it is not entirely about: serious issues.
I want students to enjoy learning about and producing a variety of media projects. For instance, some might like to present a short video on caring for pets, gardening, painting, or music. Or, let's say you want to present the basics of a sport: its history and how it is played today. Any hobby or passion can be the subject.
The topic can be presented in a straightforward how-to kind of way, or with humor. There might be elements of animation involved. It can be delivered as an audio only or a video podcast. Forms could include interviews, skits, demonstrations. There might be an audience or no audience. Purposes could range from demonstrating a talent, skill, or process to simply informing, or exploring, or raising questions about a topic of interest. Modes could involve satire, humor, or exposition. One might present a debate. Another might illustrate a way of sharing the faith. A third could attempt to arouse a response from an audience: give something, write something, do something, find something., donate something eg start a gofundme campaign and convince people to contribute.
We will use software and devices that we have at hand. A few pieces of software I intend to use are google blogs, Publisher, Word, Powerpoint, Adobe Acrobat, a simple photo editing program, and various free apps. Devices will include digital cameras, smartphones, laptops, monitors, and perhaps professional grade studio equipment.
Now, let's talk about the serious...you knew I'd get here. We will seek to understand what the ideal role of a free press is in a democracy. Once we have looked at the ideals of journalism, we will trace a few general lines of how journalism developed in the West, beginning with print media, leading to radio, the television, and finally, the explosion of the internet, including social media.
We will read a massive best-selling non-fiction book by Bernard Goldberg titled "Bias: a CBS insider exposes how the mainstream media distort the news". Goldberg is an award winning television news journalist with more than 30 years experience in the field. His book shows in a humorous and powerful ways just how much the "news" has become story-telling by people who share a common worldview, if not an actual agenda.
Reading and discussing the book may inspire some students to think about pursuing journalism or communications as a career. At the very least, it will open students' eyes to the power of media for shaping the attitudes and behavior of entire societies. Knowing this, you will become more careful, alert consumers of information.
I hope to arrange special speakers and at least a couple of field trips. A friend of mine is a Disney animator and professor of graphic arts. He is a talented artist in drawing, painting, and computer graphics. If possible, I will have him come and share some of his work. I hope he can teach us something about animation and direct us to some online, I hope free, programs that we can use in projects. Another idea I have is to visit a Toronto web based journalist named Ezra Levant, whose work we will check out on therebelmedia.com. Maybe we will have a chance to visit a major traditional publisher like the National Post to see how a modern newspaper works.
I want students to enjoy learning about and producing a variety of media projects. For instance, some might like to present a short video on caring for pets, gardening, painting, or music. Or, let's say you want to present the basics of a sport: its history and how it is played today. Any hobby or passion can be the subject.
The topic can be presented in a straightforward how-to kind of way, or with humor. There might be elements of animation involved. It can be delivered as an audio only or a video podcast. Forms could include interviews, skits, demonstrations. There might be an audience or no audience. Purposes could range from demonstrating a talent, skill, or process to simply informing, or exploring, or raising questions about a topic of interest. Modes could involve satire, humor, or exposition. One might present a debate. Another might illustrate a way of sharing the faith. A third could attempt to arouse a response from an audience: give something, write something, do something, find something., donate something eg start a gofundme campaign and convince people to contribute.
We will use software and devices that we have at hand. A few pieces of software I intend to use are google blogs, Publisher, Word, Powerpoint, Adobe Acrobat, a simple photo editing program, and various free apps. Devices will include digital cameras, smartphones, laptops, monitors, and perhaps professional grade studio equipment.
Now, let's talk about the serious...you knew I'd get here. We will seek to understand what the ideal role of a free press is in a democracy. Once we have looked at the ideals of journalism, we will trace a few general lines of how journalism developed in the West, beginning with print media, leading to radio, the television, and finally, the explosion of the internet, including social media.
We will read a massive best-selling non-fiction book by Bernard Goldberg titled "Bias: a CBS insider exposes how the mainstream media distort the news". Goldberg is an award winning television news journalist with more than 30 years experience in the field. His book shows in a humorous and powerful ways just how much the "news" has become story-telling by people who share a common worldview, if not an actual agenda.
Reading and discussing the book may inspire some students to think about pursuing journalism or communications as a career. At the very least, it will open students' eyes to the power of media for shaping the attitudes and behavior of entire societies. Knowing this, you will become more careful, alert consumers of information.
I hope to arrange special speakers and at least a couple of field trips. A friend of mine is a Disney animator and professor of graphic arts. He is a talented artist in drawing, painting, and computer graphics. If possible, I will have him come and share some of his work. I hope he can teach us something about animation and direct us to some online, I hope free, programs that we can use in projects. Another idea I have is to visit a Toronto web based journalist named Ezra Levant, whose work we will check out on therebelmedia.com. Maybe we will have a chance to visit a major traditional publisher like the National Post to see how a modern newspaper works.
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Topics that interest me:
- Biology concepts that we learn
- Animals
- Cooking
- Real world issues
o The inside of Coronavirus
o A quick overview of 9-11
o A quick overview of Trump’s impeachment
o Wind turbines
o Climate change
- DIYs
- How to argue against
o Abortion
o Theological issues
o Evolution
o Homosexuality from the Bible
- We could study a passage of Scripture and explain what it means (mini sermon)
Project ideas:
- I like the idea of quick 3-5 min videos that explain, introduce, and inform people. I like watching these types of videos the best because they are not in-depth. These videos could be on like Biology concepts or such, not so much the arguments. I would hope these quick videos would help get people interested in the topic so that they would want to research more on their own. Or if they are struggling in their biology class for example this could help explain for example mitosis.
- We could do animated videos which could be difficult with voice overs. It would have to be very simple animations.
- For arguments we could take two sides, for and against. Or we could bring up typical arguments for abortion and debunk them with what we know.
- We could research the reality of climate change and/or wind turbines and combine all the information we have on those and compile it into an animated short 3-5 min video.
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