Next week I am off to the NMC’s Horizon.au advisory board meeting. I am doing my homework right now and finding some great articles about emerging technologies in the associated wiki - its public for viewing, so go have a look!
The press clippings are most interesting, with an assorted compilation of reports, articles, and media attention given to new media and education. I am in the process now of starring the clippings I think are significant from my teaching and research perspective. But its difficult not to just star them all.
In a very clever move, popular soap opera The Young and the Restless has developed an online magazine and blog for a fascinating blend of fiction and reality. Restless Style is a magazine that is an important part of the YATR storyline, and although fictional, it now exists in the online world so fans can access extra-diegetic videos, info, tips, music and so on. There are fake news clippings about the launch of the magazine, interviews with the “magazine CEOs”, videos of magazine cover shoots, fashion tips and more, all linked to the fictional characters in YATR and yet…. linked to RL fashion events and info like a real fashion magazine might do. I think it is very clever and wish the show was on Australian free-to-air TV so I could watch for intertextual links.
I found out about it via one of my favourite pop culture blogs, Pink is the New Blog, here.
I have prepared a whole lot of images to be flickering past in the background as I speak about Second Life - hopefully meaning will be made in some third space between my spoken text and the images
(thanks to Jo Kay and Alja for letting me use some of their great images!!).
OMG the best news ever today - the ARC grant I have been working on for a long long time was successful! I am very very excited as this means I will get funds to help me research younger children’s machinima, game-making and 3D digital storytelling. I have been working on the grant application with colleague and co-chief investigator, Professor Len Unsworth, and we are collaborating with our industry partner, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, specifically with Peter Maggs, who is the Head of New Media at the ACTF. If you are interested in the long process of getting an ARC grant, please read on. Keep reading →
An otherwise bright light in a stressful semester - a very complimentary review of my book, Youth Online. The review is from the Education Review Journal and can be found here. Here is an excerpt:
Conclusion
This work is extremely important for educators in understanding the state of current students, and as a call for changes in the future educational process. This is an accessible work that explains the theories and their applications in a very clear way. Through Thomas’ case studies, it also offers a picture of the world of the modern and future student. This work is useful for those in academia, in teaching, or those looking to understand what it is that students do online. However, it only offers a glimpse. Thomas opens the reader’s eyes, but it is up to the reader to proceed down the rabbit hole.
Can the institution of education proceed in the traditional manner? Students spend most of their lives outside of school. What they are learning outside the institutional environment is not replicated inside it. Certainly students need to learn about mathematics, language, and science. But is the medium currently used the best, or is the world that Thomas is showing a better one to model for educators? This is something that Thomas calls for in Australia, and around the world. Online literacy will be important for success in the future. It is a travesty for schools not to integrate these areas of literacy into education
Thomas is not the only voice urging these ideas. Her work resonates with that of Gee, Hawisher, Selfe, and Steinkuehler. Some of this work focuses on videogames and how they can be used in education, but also on how videogames form an important part of learning literacy. Reading and writing are not enough – other literacies are important in education.
As Thomas has shown, students will spend the time learning them, and they can learn from each other as a community of experts. This work also attempts to understand identity creation of students in online environments, equally echoing the call from Gee. The problem with utilizing these works is not educating the students, but educating the educators.
An inspirational introduction to the potential of Second Life, from the NMC’s Symposium on Creativity:
Your avatar: the means for personal expression and identity exploration.
Robbie Dingo’s machinima, MASK:
Questions: what do you know about Second life already? What were some of the key ideas made in these two videos? What are the questions you think would make an interesting discussion?
Slides: A sociocultural overview of Second Life
Reflection:
a) What makes Second Life unique and of interest to so many different groups of people?
b) What do some of the stories and case studies tell us about the worth of a space such as Second Life in their lives?
c) What are some of the potentials for using Second Life in and across a range of contexts?
d) How might you now answer your own questions before viewing the slides? What is left unanswered?
Further References:
iVillage Fashion Show:
IP Precedent (the sex bed):
Mixed reality event (beer):
Persephone Milk
Question : What do you think of this man’s story?
Reflection:
What are some of the key themes and issues related to life in virtual worlds?
Some say that 80% of internet users will have a second life within the next few years - do you think this is probable? Do you own bit of future speculation
What questions do you still have unanswered? (Take them to your tutorials!)
Tomorrow the CEO of the New Media Consortium, Dr Larry Johnson, will address congress in Washington in a Hearing on Online Virtual Worlds. Larry’s address is entitled:
“Online Virtual Worlds: Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium”
Of particular interest is one of Larry’s key points:
The emerging landscape of virtual worlds represents as profound an opportunity, as profound a driver of changes in the way we think, learn, and work, as any other technology that has ever preceded it - and more so.
Larry makes some calls for action to the US congress which we in Australia would do well to take note - speaking to the need for programs and policies that would allow people, communities and institutions to take full advantage of the potential of virtual worlds.
Larry address also uses CommentPress, so if you want to comment on any aspect go and do so!
Happy Easter! (to find out what this image is - keep reading!)
The beginning of the working year has been crazy crazy crazy this year - I took on some additional administrative duties and they’re really time consuming!! So here is a little update of some great news, some catch-ups and some very sad news.
Last week I had my book launch (a joint book launch with Jon Marshall) and we were fortunate and honoured to have Colin Lankshear come over (down / up / across) and officially launch our books. He was just so generous in his praise of our books and in his expressed belief in the value of our work. I am just so fortunate that I know Colin and Michele and they have become central to my International network of New Literacies colleagues. Thanks again Colin!
The book launch was just lovely and I met some great new people who came along who were interested in my work - thanks for coming to those people! It was a really thrilling feeling to be sitting in the “author’s chair” and at the “author’s table”. Being referred to as “the author” gave me a real sense of having achieved something special. Is it OK now for me to write the word “author” under PROFESSION in all my official documents now?
In other really fantastic news, I am pleased to announce that my colleague Kerreen Ely-Harper and I were successful in an application to the Literature Board of the Australian Council for the Arts for a grant to fund our What If? Virtual Shakespeare project. Although it is official I haven’t seen the public announcement of the details yet so stay tuned.
Lots of other interesting things have been happening in the pop culture / fan culture scene, some of them being:
- the cast of Sex and the City have given more interviews about their upcoming movie, and SJP is seen here doing one of them:
- Britney Spears released an AMV for her latest single, leaving fans of Britney going “What the..?” and fans of the AMV scene disgusted (and she appeared on How I Met Your Mother, and is also opening her own dance studio, and…)
- The Beckhams have had their heads stencilled in dark chocolate onto some white chocolate Easter eggs (yes, that’s what my post image shows!)
- Prada created a really unusual short animated fantasy movie to support an upcoming fashion line:
And now in some sad and disturbing news, the amazing Al Upton (whose work with primary school children and blogs I have applauded and pointed to for a long time now as exemplary) has been ordered to close his blog. The outpouring of support he has had from all over the world is reflected in the many comments following his announcement. I want to publicly add my support to Al and his inspiring work with the kids in his class. We’re lucky in Australia that we have certain freedoms to explore and experiment with new and innovative ideas. But we’re also sometimes dragged down by the culture of fear and moral panic about kids and the internet, and this is reflected in some of our policies. It’s so frustrating for those of us advocating the use of social networking tools and practices in the classroom when teachers turn back around to us and tell us that their schools have banned such practices. I really sympathise with Al and send him my best wishes. I think it is always the case that those of us trying to venture into new ground are testing and trialling and pushing boundaries, but we should take heart that the problems we must face and work through will hopefully help those who follow us. I know exactly what it is like to feel like your work is on the margins and not really valued, which is why when I saw the hundreds of comments to Al I felt comforted for him and for all of us in similar situations.
Life has been hectic lately with grant applications, admin, classes, professional development, meetings, more admin… the usual but I managed to escape work for a while to enjoy the most amazing musical ever: The Hatpin.
It’s a very dark, Gothic, heart wrenching dramatic thriller that was inspired by the true story of a young, homeless, single mother Amber Murray, and is one of the best pieces of storytelling I have ever seen. The fact that the historical events happened just around the corner from where I am living right now sends chills down my spine. It is macabre, grisly, spooky, and terribly terribly sad.
According to the website info, it is:
a tale of great friendship between two women, borne out of tragedy. It … deals with the notions of motherhood, and companionship thriving under extraordinary pressure and self-liberty. Essentially, it is a story about the resilient nature of the human spirit in times of great loss.
The story of Amber Murray and that of John and Sarah Makin in 1892, is considered influential in bringing about awareness in Australian society of the need for welfare for single-mothers and the demand for an Australian Child Protection Act. It marked a pivotal turning point in our history and helped define our society and social structures, the consequences of which are still seen today.
Caroline O’Connor is extraordinary and really gave the show integrity on so many levels - providing some of the most touching and yet comedic moments in the narrative. The music was wonderful - here’s a medley that was made and published on youtube:
There’s also a youtube video of an interview with the writer and composer which provides additional background info:
I also found an excellent review from the Sydney Morning Herald and here’s a snippet from that:
Hardwick’s control of pace and the cast’s commitment to each moment sustain intense engagement. Again and again production choices elevate the material. Costumes are all shades of grey, nuances of characterisation and theme conveyed with bold efficacy - villainy and heroism on a symbolic continuum of human fallibility. Lighting and visual effects are superb, cold streetscapes a gravestone for compassion, choral transitions lit in ghoulish, expressionistic patterns.
Stirring performances abound. Melle Stewart is heartbreakingly real as Amber Murray, the teenage mother who gives her son away. Stewart’s emotional bravery is complemented by Gemma-Ashley Kaplan, who brings just the right amount of peculiar to Clara Makin. Kaplan’s performance of the denouement title song (and Clara’s redemption) is breathtaking.
Caroline O’Connor lends star power to the earthy Harriet Piper, Amber’s friend. With irreverent banter almost improvisational in its freshness, O’Connor lifts this mask of humour to reveal emotional depth with profound effect. Michelle Doake creates extraordinary engagement with Agatha Makin, wresting this villainess back from melodramatic overstatement while pushing to the hilt the psychotic hysteria just beneath the facade of respectability. The male characters are paler by comparison, their snivelling and posturing well executed but less relevant to the drama.
The Hatpin is far from perfect but this fearless production is a must see. Its artistic ambition, committed execution and capacity to engage an audience suggest a landmark moment in Australian musical theatre.
I can’t rave enough about this - if you’re in Sydney, go and see it!!! The storytelling is just spectacular.
And, if you are a Drama / English / History / Theatre / Music teacher of young people over 15, take your classes along!!! There’s a teacher’s resource package here that includes some of the original source material and lesson ideas which are really well developed.
I’m running a professional development course for teachers interested in getting a Certificate in Digital Literacies (which may also be used as accreditation towards a MEd degree with extra assignment work). Anybody interested? Here’s all the info in a pdf file.
This course will involve a critical investigation of digital literacies, multimodal digital authoring and new forms of social networking, covering the upper years of primary schooling to the HSC years. The course is designed to provide sufficient time for experimentation with materials and ideas in between sessions, and, from Session 2, will include opportunities for participant feedback and sharing. During the sessions students will:
Examine and analyse a range of multimodal digital fiction and discuss how they might be included in studies of new forms of narrative
Discuss fan fiction and its value in young people’s writing development
Be introduced to a range of social networking sites including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and wikis and discuss ways teachers are currently (and might in future be) using such sites for enhancing student literacy
Discuss how video games might be used in the classroom for educational purposes
Explore the virtual world of Second Life and see how thousands of educators around the world are leveraging this space for all of its educational affordances
Explore the use of digital spaces for identity play, creativity and role-playing and evaluate how these concepts influence, shape or contribute to innovative literacy uses by young people, and
Learn how to create a machinima using Kahootz and / or Second Life as a multimedia authoring tool.
The course format will consist of lecturer presentations, group activities and discussions, virtual world (Second Life) exploration, and workshops. Come spend a few Saturday afternoons with me
Here are the details of my forthcoming book launch! Its a joint launch with my friend Jon and we’ve been planning it for a while - all welcome!!
Friday, March 14, 2008 / 6.00 for 6.30pm Launch Jonathan Marshall and Angela Thomas Living on Cybermind / Youth Online: Identity and Literacy in the Digital Age
Published by: Peter Lang
To be launched by Professor Colin Lankshear
Venue: gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe
Cost: Free
RSVP: gleebooks - 9660 2333 or Request a place
Cybermind is an Internet mailing list, originally founded in 1994 to discuss the issues and problems of living online. It proved exceptionally fertile and is still going strong thirteen years later.
This book is an ethnographic investigation which follows Cybermind members in their daily lives on the List, and explores the ways they look at the world, argue, relate online life to offline life, use gender, and build community. Perhaps the most comprehensive history of an Internet group ever published, it includes detailed analyses using List members’ own words and commentary, and develops a unique theory of the relationship between culture, the problems of communication, and the ongoing processes of categorisation. Living on Cybermind illustrates how behaviour is affected by the organisation of communication, and how people deal with the paradoxes involved in resolving ambiguity and truth
in a situation in which presence is always on the verge of slipping away.
Jonathan Paul Marshall has an M.A. (Hons) and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Sydney. He has been an Australian Research Council Research Fellow at the Transforming Cultures Research Centre at the University of Technology, Sydney, working on a project on online gender.
Youth Online chronicles the stories of young people from several countries - the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and Holland - and their interactions in online communities over a seven-year period. It examines how young people construct their identities in various social contexts: social, fantasy, role-playing; and for various social purposes: leadership, learning, power, rebellion and romance. It explores the ways youth are deploying both visual and literary cues to
develop a full sense of presence online and to effectively communicate with their peers. Using methods of textual, visual, and socio-psychological analysis, this book illuminates the ways in which young people are making sense of their own identities and their place within broader communities.
Angela Thomas is Lecturer in English Education at the University of Sydney. She specializes in teaching new media literacies and is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on fan fiction, online role-playing, blogging, digital fiction, cyberculture, identity, and learning in virtual worlds, and is co-author of Children’s Literature and Computer-Based Teaching.
I’m still keeping track of the cross-media marketing and extra-textual conversations surrounding Sex and the City - but here’s the official poster and teaser trailer.
To keep up with the marketing and conversations (debates, arguments, gossip etc…) there’s an official blog now -
The Ritchey Sealey art studio in Second Life (Ponden, 147, 212, 33) is really something special. It is a showcase of the real works of Ritchey, and features works using media such as oils, acrylics and charcoals. He has a stunning collection of modern abstract work in vibrant bold colours and geometric shapes - here is me below interacting with one of my favourite pieces:
But as well as that he has some amazing seascapes - and having grown up by the beach I am always moved by images of waves crashing against rocks. Here’s one of my favourites taken in the studio:
I wonder if I could convince Ritchey to do a Filthy Fluno and commission a piece which incorporates my avatar a la image number two there. I wouldn’t mind the seascape either!!! I don’t usually look at art in SL with a view to purchasing the real versions, but since Ritchey lives in the same country as me, it is easier to imagine, or at least to dream, of dropping by his studio and picking up the ones I fell in love with in his SL studio.
Yesterday I was treated to the third instalment of the ZeroG Skydancers in Second Life. Sponsored by the NMC and under the direction of “hyperformalist” DanCoyote Antonelli, it featured a spectacular interpretive dance piece with long flowing avatars telling a story about freedom, life, death, rebirth and redemption. The orchestral score was composed by SL musician ZeroOne Paz and was simply breathtaking. This was one of the most creative, artistic and unique performances I have ever attended in Second Life. I was also (as always) impressed with the amazing avatars sitting in the audience - each person there had a unique look and I managed to catch a few. Here are some shots from the show:
I am a senior lecturer in English and Arts Education and my research interests include digital cultures, new media literacies, multimodal semiotics and digital narratives.
In Second Life, where I teach and conduct various research projects, I am known as Anya Ixchel. My former blog was i-Anya.
