My Course Reflection...

 I can't believe that our last class is this week! Wow... it seems like only yesterday we were meeting in the IT Lab with Dr. Lee for the first time (quickly migrating to the seminar room in 2-17) on January 20th. Now, we are at the end of the road, at least for this course. We've had quite a journey since the beginning, and the memories of each class flicker in my mind like a photo album of visual learning.

 This class reminded me of my undergraduate education at Rowan University as a Communication: Radio/TV/Film student, wherein I would study various mediums of mass media and their effectiveness and overall impact on people through sight and sound. Exploring the spectrum of visual communication in this class has proven to be nothing short of sheer enlightenment. I enjoyed each class and the learning that transpired from conversation and instruction.

 Our first class together was long, but very informative and enlightening! Following that class, we were given the assignment of reading "The Visual Literacy White Paper" and completing a summary of the article, thus commencing our readings of various articles of or relating to visual design. I learned much from these readings and my perspective has been enhanced. It was a lot of fun identifying visual symbols to represent who I am as a person. Furthermore, I think that I have changed as a person as a result of this class.

 In regard to my teaching, I have begun to incorporate more visual literacy techniques and strategies to promote student identification and utilization of images as symbols and metaphors. It's important for students, especially within the realm of language arts to be able to comprehend information that is abstract in nature. Imagination is a key component to learning, and I believe that we should do more to engage students in educational opportunities in which they can explore their creative side. I have a wealth of new ideas and a newfound perspective on this as a result of my coursework for this class.

 Overall, this class proved to be interesting and worthwhile. I really liked the different types of projects that we were assigned, because I feel like I took different things from each. However, I did feel that the article summaries were a little much. I think that the class could have benefited more through collegial conversation as opposed to written summaries. Nonetheless, it's just an idea. I can't believe it's over, but as with most things in life, as one door closes - another opens. See you next week, Dr. Lee!

21st Century Bloom's Taxonomy!

Contemplative Pause...

"The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds and makes of all political and social life a mass illness. Without this housecleaning we cannot begin to see. Unless we see, we cannot think. Nothing can take the place of thoughts. If we do not think, we cannot act freely." -Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (New York: Image) 77 and 79.



Contemplative Pause...

 

Throughout this week... PAUSE.

 

TAKE A BREATH and LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART.

 
 

        What is one thing

that you can do

                      in this moment

to spring clean?

SIGNS

What is a SIGN?

 The Free Dictionary defines a sign as "something that suggests the presence or existence of a fact, condition, or quality."

 I have my own personal definition of the word. A sign is a conveyor of information. It's a beacon of truth in the sea of reality. Signs provide us with direction and guidance throughout our travels in life and help us to best understand the terms and conditions of our journey. It is the sign that allows us to steer clear of certain things that may cause us trouble and misfortune OR conversely send us en route to clarity and progress toward our goals and objectives.

 Signs have a great purpose in society as an agent of information to people that identify with them to conduct themselves accordingly or simply best understand their environment, but as the times change and the environment is altered, the overall importance of certain signs diminishes. While these signs might have held significance and pertinence in yesteryear, their relevance is now obsolete or unnecessary altogether.

Here are a few examples of signs that are going extinct

and the signs that are being born as a result:

"Dead End" signs are now being replaced by "No Outlet" signs, which is widely considered more politically correct.

While the comedy-tragedy masks still serve as theatrical signs for performing arts, most people tend to relate the Hollywood sign with anything relative to entertainment.

This is a hand sign signifying peace or victory (a rude hand gesture when shown back side out) has been in use for a very long time; some saying that it’s use as an obscene gesture dates back to medieval times. Yet, this timeless hand sign has faded to make room for other hand signs of more controversial nature.

 

This hand sign - once a sign of good luck - is now seen as a symbol of ROCK N ROLL! 

When I was in middle school, my parents got us hooked up to America Online, otherwise known as AOL. It was great because it was a new and fresh way of communicating with new people and keeping in touch with friends and family. Do you remember chat rooms? I get a laugh out of it now, because so much has changed...

Last year, Facebook beat out Google as the #1 most visited place on the world wide web. AOL is not the place to go for social networking anymore. Facebook is the only friend you need for that.


 I'd imagine that as time goes on, signs will continue to change as necessary. One thing is for sure though. As long as people need information, signs will be EVERYWHERE.

Nic's Discoveries: SOCIAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

C4LPT: "Social Learning Community – Analysis of s successful start up" from @alc47 http://bit.ly/fwb28L​

Nic's Discoveries: SOCIAL LEARNING COMMUNITY:

"In just 3 weeks, Jane Hart’s (www.c4lpt.co.uk) new Yammer based Social Learning Community (http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/community.html) has exploded..."

This is GREAT! I hope social learning continues to grow and expand, so that the hearts and minds of students and teachers alike can be enriched by the insights and imaginations of others.

100 Awesome Open Courses and Lectures for Digital Artists!

LIVE TO LOVE. LOVE TO LEARN. LEARN TO CREATE!
100 Awesome Open Courses & Lectures for Digital Artists!

"Brand Storytelling In The Social Media Era" - Article Summary

 "Brand Storytelling In The Social Media Era" is an article that exposes the successful methods of branding a product through storytelling in the digital realm that truly resonates and connects to people on a meaningful level. The article explores mythological brands and mythic brands, citing that brands with great stories that "inspire people and connect with them emotionally" enjoy greater success.

  The article seeks to answer the question, "What is the state of storytelling for brands today?" According to Seth Godin, “…if I were trying to invent a mythic brand, I’d want to be sure that there was a story, not just a product or a pile of facts. That story would promise (and deliver) a heroic outcome. And there needs to be growth and mystery as well, so the user can fill in her own blanks.” Essentially, Godin is suggesting that in order to create a mythic brand, or a marketable story/concept/idea, then one must provide the consumer of information with the opportunity to think with their brains and feel with their hearts.

 The article provides a few ways in which brands can hook their audience and engage them in good ol' fashioned storytelling.

• Embrace consumers' stories. Basically, the article is suggesting that by allowing for direct involvement and participation by the consumer, they will ultimately feel a greater sense of attachment to the product and its purpose.
• Make use of the moment. In the generation of YouTube, people want their information FAST. It is pivotal that producers are up to speed and in the loop with the latest and greatest. Your ability to produce a meaningful story with brevity is essential. Thus, the use of current videos and themes has become exceedingly popular in this regard.
• Say it with a video. The article also expresses the necessity for video, stating that, "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you do the math on how much a 4 minute video is worth." Short films and other methods of abbreviated storytelling are being used commercially now more than ever. The reason for this...? STORIES SELL PRODUCTS! People like to hear a good story, and if the product advertised has appeal or utility, then you can rest assured that there is likely a potential customer in the viewer.
• Mix the online/offline world. In the article, it states that, "American Scientist magazine‘s research on what affects people’s buying decisions more: a picture of a product, a description of it, or the real thing, revealed that the people who saw the real thing were willing to pay, on average, 50% more. Digital plays a big part in our purchasing decisions, but gaining the customer in-store is still a battle to be won. So what does this mean? That you should extend the tread of your story from the online to the offline world and vice versa."
• Go Mobile. The articles states, "Nowadays you must reach out to your audience and deliver the message one to one. You need to find them wherever they are and when they are on the go." Everyone has a cell phone, and to most people it is a lifeline without which they would not be able to live or function within society. Companies are using cell phones as agents of digital storytelling to promote their product via phone apps.
• Spread your message across different touchpoints. Ultimately, this suggestion is promoting the use of storytelling through web series. Meaning, companies should utilize a thematic structure according to their logo and image and then produce a series of spots that follow a common storyline, so that people can connect the dots and make a mental investment in the product being advertised.
• Bring your A game. These days, telling a story about a product in the digital landscape is difficult. Times are tough and money is tight. Telling a story about a product that resonates and grows within its 21st century audience to the point of commercial success is rare. Yet, if the digital story has all of the major elements of a good story, then it doesn't matter if it is about a product or not, because it will stay with the viewer and perhaps even be retold to friends and family, not to mention other potential consumers of the product, for its narrative quality. Companies must be innovative and imaginative to tell these types of stories.

 Overall, I found the article to be very interesting and a unique perspective on digital storytelling. It seems very apparent that many companies are using digital storytelling as a means of marketing their product in the 21st century. Yet, the basic methodology of using stories as a means of selling units is not incredibly archaic.Think about it... Companies have used television shows and movies for product placement for decades in attempt to increase sales. Now, it looks like companies don't need to rely on Hollywood to provide storytelling opportunities for successful marketing of their products.

READ THE ARTICLE.