Webalicious
Here's a link to my website!
May 2, 2007
April 25, 2007
Hypertext web as Artwork
In class once we talked about whether or not hypertext webs could be considered artworks.
I make a web from a chapter of my thesis on Lesley Dill's work. The chapter was the hardest for me to write because I don't like analyzing poetry and every single piece of art I discussed from this artist had poetry in it. Anyway, the image that emerged from the web was quite beautiful. I have used the patterns the boxes and lines made to make a few images since. I thought I'd post a picture of it so you could see it.
April 21, 2007
What is Google good for?
In other words, other than the obvious web browsing capabilities, what does Google have to offer?
Take a look at this blog for one person's opinion. The post claims that Google is useful for when you don't know how to spell something because it comes back with "did you mean..." to help you find what you're looking for.
So how does this affect/relate to the idea that chidren's writing skills are being destroyed by the Internet?
April 19, 2007
Convergence
On the note of 2.0 technology helping disabled people, cyborgs, vlogs/blogs, visual culture and video parody, check out this video I came across. I'm thinking...how could we push this already obviously brave and talented kid to make work that is more compelling?
It's a little slow in the middle but the end is the best part.
April 17, 2007
Drawing
Hellow my name is Simon...and I like to do drar-rings...
I mentioned to Joe Norman when he was here that I didn't ever take a drawing class.
I was talking about it in the context that none of us have ever taken an art class that was taught in the way that we are learning to teach. His response was that he could teach me to draw using a system that he developed and that we could do it through email exchange with scanned images.
I sort of felt like he missed my point in that I wasn't asking for a drawing teacher, more talking about how I had never had idea-based studio instruction for an entire semester. But, none the less, I was excited at the possibility to learn to draw from a renowned artist and all around great guy.
So I emailed him today to ask if he was still willing to do that with me this summer.
We'll see what happens!
April 16, 2007
YouTube
So the other day someone sent me a link to a YouTube video made by Alanis Morissette. I liked her music when I was in high school but didn't get what she was trying to say with this video. After clicking around on some of the other links from that YouTube page I discovered that Alanis was mocking a popular rap song and video done by the Black Eyed Peas. I watched their video and realized that Alanis was making some poignant social commentary by choosing to create this video response in her own style of music on the Internet. I like that artists are starting to use the 2.0 tools to make statements. If the muscians are using the technologies to comment and make claims, and our students are already using them to make commentary and responses to culture, then it seems that the education uses are already taking place just without explicit guidance or labeling as such.
In watching these two videos: the Black Eyed Peas and the Alanis Morisette response, I thought that while the content is a little explicit for school, it could, nonetheless, be an interesting lesson if a teacher was in a progressive school. There is no bad language, just discussion of "lady lumps" and other such sexual allusions. The fact is that kids are presented with this sort of talk all the time on TV and in advertizements so my feeling is that we should be discussing it. I'm sure that's why Alanis made the video...to get people talking...so what are we going to say about it? Or, more importantly, what are we going to ask our students about it?