Second Semester Assignment 2

Last semester, I required that my students have a parent or guardian follow my class blog. I also required that my students have a parent or guardian follow their blog. I rewarded students a great deal for completing this assignments. Students who did not complete this project received a lower grade in the course.

I am requiring that students complete the project again, especially since new students have enrolled in the course.

After students have sent their parents or guardians three links (a link to my class blog, the student blog, and a link to my class syllabus.

Next, Students will invite me to their class blog at two e-mail addresses, mrfarley2010@gmail.com and bfarley @ nusd.org. I use the gmail account for the blog, and I send e-mails from my school e-mail. We can do this during class on Wednesday.

Invite your parent or guardian to your blog. Make sure they are following your blog and my blog.

Have your parent or guardian send me an e-mail telling me that they are following my class blog and your blog.


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Second Semester - Assignment 1

Although you have completed several assignments, this assignment will appear in the gradebook as your first graded assignment.

For many of you, this is review. For the new students, there might be some additional work.

1. Create (or keep) a gmail account that is identifiable, appropriate and professional.
2. Create a blogger blog
3. Send the link to a parent or guardian in the e-mail
4. Include the class blog link
5. "Copy" me in the e-mail
6. Include the link to the class syllabus
7. In the e-mail subject, write "Second Semester - Assignment 1, pd ___"  Added note: please do not include a blank line; inlcude your period. For example, pd 4 or pd 5.



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1980 Something

Twenty Five years ago, I was a high school senior. I was sitting in my American Government class when my friends called me over to watch something on the television. 

I sat on the floor and watched it over and over. I watched the video of the elementary school children as they anticipated their school teacher make history. Where are those children today?

When we complete the Mark Wills next block day, look for these types of images to support your five historical references. Ask family, friends, teachers and other people who may have known people who "cried when Elvis died."

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Movie Trailers

We have all heard the expression, "there is no such thing as a stupid question." Does that mean every question is a good question?

After our movie video project, we will look more closely at the Take on Me video. This will help us understand story boards. Story boards will help us create videos or movies.

Do you think we should create a "trailer" before we create the movie?

And why is it called a trailer anyway?

How are Movie trailers and music videos different?

Why can people listen to an album 100 times? What would we think about someone who watched a movie 100 times?

How are these different?

Oh, and here is a simple blog about movie trailers. You may need to view the videos at home.

Preview to Group Music Video Project

This blog post is back dated to yesterday, but I wrote it today.

For your first group project of the second semester, you will work in groups and review how music has been portrayed historically in film, television and or the internet.

This first project will also help new class member understand how we work in groups and familiarize everyone with the technology used to show student learning.

To demonstrate that each student has completed this project, I want students to do the following.

1. In the blog title, post the name of their video or subject. For example, "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend - Monroe"

2. Embed or post the link to your video and or audio.

3. Post your research question.

4. Provide your answer.

5. When you post, go to "post options" below the message area, and find where you can schedule the date of the blog post. Then publish this post on the date you presented to the class.

6. Type the first line of the blog post, "This blog post is back dated to so-and-so date. I actually posted this on whatever-date." Put actual dates!

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Early MTV Videos

Group Projects Continue...


Each group will work on a pair of music videos. We are still working on formulating good questions. If in doubt, start with Why, How, Where, When, and ... there is another, "What" is the last one.


Consider how your pair of music videos relates to the first music and video related content we previewed at the beginning of the semester.


Before creating your question and watching your video, please research the video. What can you learn about the artist? What was special? Who influenced the video or the artist? What was influenced by them?


And don't forget, what do you think?


Pair 1 Video Killed The Radio Star / First MTV Video of the Year
Pair 2 Bon Jovi, Bad Medicine / Wanted Dead or Alive
Pair 3 Straight Up / Hammer Time
Pair 4 Material Girl / Vogue
Pair 5 Love Story / Take on Me
Pair 6 Walk This Way / Fight The Power

Video Killed The Radio Star... or so we thought

When MTV launched, high school kids spent afternoons watching music. VJ's told us about the next cool thing, and we tuned in to bands like Men at Work and Duran Duran. If you thought OK Go was strange, perhaps you should search "Men Without Hats..." or look at Devo's Whip It to see men with hats. Strange Hats.



In the early 80's, we "dance if we wanted to." Men had big hair and huge pants. There were Flocks of Seagulls. The Fix was in.  The world was changing and our parents did not understand us then either.

See if you can figure us out.

The first project is to listen to Mark Wills song 19 Something (and/or find the lyrics.) Write a blog post including at least five of the historical references. Include the links or embed videos in your post. After this post, continue with your most recent Music Video Project.

Speaking Musically

On Tuesday, the Multimedia and Video Production classes will begin second semester group projects. In addition to creating interesting questions, please consider the following ten rules.


I have often told my class, "Please do not bore me." If you are ever bored, check out TED. Something will interest you. I promise.


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Questions Lead To Answers

During Winter Break, I read all of the final exams. I often spent more time reading the student reflections. I wanted to know what the students learned about solving problems. I teach differently than many teachers, in part because of the subject matter, but also because I am different.


I want my students to learn how to ask questions. Even more to the point, I want my students to learn how to ask the correct questions.


Does it matter if a student answers a question correctly if the student asks the wrong question? 


This semester, I will constantly challenge students to create their own questions. I will ask students, "Is that the correct question?" This will baffle students. Some will just want the answer... and soon, some students will just want me to give them the right question.


Yet, by the end of the second semester, students will be much wiser.