Digital Literacies

Why do I love YouTube?
I think its because people can have such a laugh making daft films.
A lot of the time they laugh at themselves and spoof big budget movies.
It is often an opportunity just to play and to celebrate amateurism.
I think this is what attracts so many people to watching YouTube as it links you to others and (sorry this is cheesey) you share a kind of humanity through your solidarity at being amateurs together!

Identity stuff: I also think we like to look at representations of ourselves on screen – having been mesmerised for decades by enigmatic folk on the tv and in big films – we can see that actually there is nowt special about people who appear on screens.

Stuff that is banned becomes unbanned on YouTube. Am researching for the writing of a chapter about YoTube for the book Guy and I are putting together on ‘Web 2.0 for Schools’ – (for this series.)

have used the search term ‘banned cartoons’ and fascinated to discover this Betty Boop cartoon:

Obviously banned for its racist content. Interesting also is the discussion that follows in the comments section.

More disturbing was the discussion which followed a news report about a banned diversity training video… this is a more recent film which was supposed to be used as a staff development/ awareness raising piece. However people complained about the assumptions that white, ‘blue collar workers’ are more likely to be racist than black or hispanics. The discussion that ensues on YouTube is quickly taken over by white supremists. Following links from their discussions quickly took me down avenues too dark to paste into my blog. Gut wrenching stuff. Anyhow this is the original news report:

Certainly all sorts of issues here to consider in terms of using YouTube in schools – I would not feel confident that I could deal with the possible outpourings that some of the videos and comments that YouTube might incite from my students. There are important issues to consider about how to introduce YouTube and how to guide students’ use of the site so that they come to a critical reading of some of the hateful material there.

And I have to admit, this kind of stuff forces one to take a moral position – something I find a real challenge. I like to think that as a teacher I don’t dictate to kids what to think but give them the resources to think about and to think with and then let them go. But actually when push comes to shove, I would have to take a clear ant racist and anti sexist stance – and I am not sure what this looks like without either allowing some of these views to be voiced in my classroom (and all that implies) or without banning this stuff. Hmmm.

And finally … maybe Ihave a lot to learn from sites like this which Rosa told me about.

Obviously, we all know vegetables are good for you:

(OMG do not make the mistake of viewing the WHOLE of this video…)

This is perhaps a new take on the ‘five a day’ rule:

As you are aware, vegetables are great for your health, but it turns out they have a great number of other uses too. Plenty more where this came from:

I wrote before a bit about memes here and here and here. Just wondering if the whole veggies as musical instrument is also a meme.

I am pretty sure that the ‘How to …’ format is a meme of some kind… which THE PERKLETS have heroically joined in with.

I think that the term meme is a term to be used to describe a social phenomenon but is NOT something that determines what should happen. That is to say I think a true meme evolves through and across groups, but f it is kind of DIRECTED, it does not seem like a true meme to me As in this example here.

Or am I being too purist about this? If you want to row about this check out this

… After exploring ‘How to ‘ genre videos on YouTube and VideoJug, I could not resist sharing this wonderful promotional video, from a couple of people who make family videos for others:

there is certainly something to be learned from this … which is about how many of the videos on websites reflect that we know a lot about self presentation, about how to engage the audience,a nd about what works on film. (There is nothing like watching other people’s errors to make you realise what knowledge you have.)

For the umpteenth time yesterday I was part of a conversation where people were saying that it was terrible that there was so much rubbish ‘out there’.

What is meant by this, is that on the Internet there is a lot of stuff that people do not want to read, see, watch, hear, etc. It means that there is a lot of stuff that they think is not good enough.

These opinions implies that for some, the Internet should have some kind of system that sets a minimum standard. Maybe that some people cannot participate or that each text has to be checked somewhere or somehow. I do not agree this is necessary. (I do agree that we should not have pornography or violent acts etc – dunno who judges these really though). I think these comments often come from those who use the Internet mainly for work and it is deemed to be a SERIOUS place. However for others it is the place where they play and really act in a way they cold not elsewhere. And for some it is a place where they do ALL these things.

I think anyway that we are all learning about how to judge sites. We are all finding sites that cater to our tastes and that these sites change over time (Flickr) and also that our interests tastes change as well. Why do we need to have the Internet ape printed publication rituals and values? I challenge the necessity for this and although I sometimes see sites I think are of low value for me, they are of value to others. The Internet represents a huge range of people, interests, desires, values and culture. I would not want to say who could hang out there or not.

So yeah. I am happy for the Yotubers of all shapes, sizes, denominations and stuff. Anyway. I like to research it.

Seems to me that so many people live their lives against a little commentary in their head.  (I am not talking schizophrenia here. I mean that little self presentational narrative …. no? OK…)

such as:

the worst album covers ever

the cooking by numbers idea

the industrious counting machine

They are all great. I haven’t used stumble upon or ages. But it was fun today.

But not as great as this:

they are the young (and gorgeous) relatives of a student on the MA in Educational Research which I teach in. They are fab. (This is the first in the ‘How to’ investigation…. watch out for more.)

It is a year since the Information Commons opened at The University of Sheffield.

What better way of celebrating than viewing a YouTube video filmed in that luscious space…

The popularity of YoTube is immense and in a recent piece of research I found that this is the favourite website of 24/24 interviewees aged between 16 and 18 . What is the attraction … well for the most part it is WATCHING videos and then talking about them on MySpace, Bebo or Facebook. It is a vital part of online conversation. Videos most watched are music videos ..’ so you don’t have to buy them’ and ‘funny videos’ . they did tell me that they would love to make videos and upload and would like to learn how to do this in school….

Seems to me that just as on other social networking sites, people do stuff in order to upload to YouTube… not ust about recording stuffalready going on. Look at this bit of naughtiness as students trespass on the roof of the infamous Arts Tower.

the loveliness of this idea as a piece of streetart by joshua allen harris… oh it is delicious….

(Thanks to the food of the future for this).
There is also this video which shows an hour in the life of a Banksy piece:

There is some doubt about the authenticity of the guy in this video … and it’s probably and April fool thing

Really loving the way these pieces spread round the web these days.

There’s nothing like a good meme or a good piece of gossip.

The World of Dolly Parton sleeveface
Originally uploaded by Stephen Sleeveface

So is this a new literacy practice I wonder?
You get an album with a big face on; hold it to your head … and you’re a popstar!!
Ace.

It’s a group on Flickr and a blog.
It must be a meme.

As after the sleeveface blog … there have been loads spring up. Check it out on Google.

If you don’t know how to do it ….go on You Tube. Or look here >>>>>>

so are you gonna have a go?

Huh?

The message was spread mainly via Facebook for everyone to KEEP STILL and FREEEEZE yesterday at 3.30p.m. in Trafalgar Square.

People turned up from all over the country to take part in a massive piece of art work – a community event which begins online, moves off line to the real world and is reported and documented online again.

Enabled by the web these flash mob games continue through the world.