Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Critique and Review 2.0

ST: New Literacies in Practice

After viewing the class' Multigenre Literacy Autobiographies, here are some things that I missed in reflection for my own video!

• Counting Crows
• Richard Scarry
• Beatrix Potter (big fan of Benjamin Bunny)
• Books as gifts
• Being a narrator for kindergarden plays
• Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
• Reading Rainbow
• 3,2,1 Contact
• Hating phonics lessons
• Where in the World in Carmen Sandiego game
• Nancy Drew
• Bobsey Twins
• She-Ra/ Barbie Magazine
• The Hobbit-- went out to buy the book before my teacher finished reading it aloud
• Family Matters
• Full House
• Saved by the Bell
• Alf
• Charles in Charge
• Oasis
• High School Musicals and Theater: Music Man, Joseph & Amazing . . . , Bye Bye Birdie, Can't Take it With You,
• Art Classes: batik, enamel, baskets, pottery,
• AP English class and teacher: better writer and reader response
• Muppet Show
• Golden Books
• Scholastic school book orders
• Video games played on Super NES
• Magazines I read as an adult like Elle, Architecture Digest, Cleveland Museum of Art,
• Comedians: Lewis Black, Denis Leary, Craig Kilborn, Daily Show, Jon Stewart
• British TV: Monty Python, Dr. Who, Red Dwarf
• Ace of Base
• Walkman
• MTV and VH-1 music videos!
• First experiences with cable TV
• iPod
• Multigenre Graduate project on Great Gatsby
• Cassette and then CD singles and now iTunes
• Labyrinth, Return to Oz, Aladdin, Enchanted movies
• books with records and then cassettes to follow along to
• not being censored
• Bond movies and wanting to be a spy when I was 5
• looking at diagrams or avoiding reading instructions to build Barbie furniture
• Disney Sleepy Hollow with Bing Crosby as Halloween tradition
• Harrison Ford
• Indiana Jones and Star Wars
• Fairy Tale and folk tales turned to studies of Joseph Campbell
• Love of children's book illustrations turned to using picture books when teaching
• the "Maria's" of song that people recall for me: West Side Story, Sound of Music, Blondie, Santana,
• Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney
• Photography
• Westerns like Hoppalong Cassidy, Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid
• Princess Caraboo movie
• Sweet Valley High and Saddle Club books
• African American literature in college: Eyes Watching God and Beloved
• Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny, and other cartoons
• Unicorn picture books first ones checked out from library
• Mother Gooseland
• HS Literary Book
• College Literary Club
• Pride and Prejudice rereading
• Bible Studies in college
• DJ during college
• Book it at Pizza Hut
• Summer Reading
• first experiences on internet
• owning books vs. library visits
• SRA
• Bradbury Theater

After listening to everyone's videos, some common themes also came up:

1. Most of us were not enjoying what we were reading in MS or HS, or maybe read nothing.
2. Some of us were not reading in MS or HS and still getting As in LA.
3. The popular culture of our childhoods creates a social group for us because the similarities and memories almost binds us, even though we are strangers.
4. Many different media helped us make meaning in our world.
5. Using popular culture is a great way to connect to other people.

Other links:

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Video

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Critique and Review 1.0

Old Spice- New Marketing

University students used the new "Old Spice" commercials to film this "parody" to encourage students to study in the library. They have even created a blog to document some of the press and behind the scenes work, as well as promote their own creative talents. Not only does this show the power of communicating on media like film, you tube, and blogs to engage their audience, one of the articles on their blog lead to some interesting information concerning the new "Old Spice" campaign.

Newspicepromo Blog

The Intoxicating Scent of Internet Success reports that Old Spice's new campaign might be one of the most successful. And besides the catchy writing and wonderful acting, it seems that part of it is using new media-- video and You Tube and CONNECTING with people, much like Stephenie Meyer did to promote "Twilight".

The company made 180 thirty second "movies" in response to questions posted via Twitter. Some were marriage proposals, ties to famous actresses, advice to president, and more. By using Twitter to get people engaged with the commercials and products, people have become "part" of this campaign.

Watch more Old Spice videos here

Media has even become a way to propose to your loved one! Check out the way video games, iPods, Twitter, and other technology has play a role in marriage proposals!

Web Gave "Twilight" Fresh Blood

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Web Gave "Twilight" Fresh Blood

When we talk about the new literacies and their impact on people, this article shows how a new medium can connect with people on a different level.

Everyone has heard of the successful "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. However, at one time she was starting out and trying to promote her book. The company did what they could for a beginning author-- a short tour and a website."But that site failed to pick up on the book's subtler themes -- the bridled desire and self-deprecating humor that connected with fans and were representative of Meyer herself."

So Stephenie Meyer took things into her own hands and started her own site. She included things about herself and her family. She answered people's emails and blog comments. She wrote on other people's blogs. She gave permission for others to start "Twilight" websites. 

She connected.

We talk about connecting with people face to face, and for our closest connections, this is probably true. Face to Face time builds an intimate bond. Though, there are plenty of people we meet face to face and know on a "friend at work" or "friend of a friend" basis. So, perhaps we CHOOSE to spend more face to face time with those we are closest to. 

At any rate, Stephenie was able to CONNECT with people and build a fan base for her book. She offered personal information and made friends. She engaged her readers with her site by listening to them and writing back. 

This phenomenon has caught on to other social networking sites. You can follow authors and musicians on Twitter. Nevermind that they aren't following you and your friendship may not be reciprocated. Think about the fact that I can tell when Neil Gaiman is out shopping with his girlfriend or see pictures of him walking his dog through the MN blizzard! I feel a certain connection to people who are complete strangers with no interest in me at all!

Stephenie capitalized on this phenomenon. I am curious to know whether she is still as connected to fans since the popularity of her books took off. Instead of just using a website as a static, information only, advertisement, she took the idea of online communication to a more personal level that grew a fan base for her.

And actually this goes to show that people still DESIRE the closeness of connection that we associate with face to face time. The website about the book didn't do much for Stephenie. It was her reaching out and engaging people. 

So our desire for connection and communication is the same. Our means of connection, however, has broadened to include more people than we can imagine.