WilliamHartPhD's Notes: August 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

MediaTech: Key Theories Related to Media Tech (W2-P5) Fa16

What are some key theories related to communication/media technology?

Diffusion of Innovations
Social Construction of Technology
Technological Determinism
Winston’s Model Communication Technology Development
Others...

Examples:

Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations
“the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system.”(Rogers).

Winston’s Model of Communication Technology Technology Development,
Winston's models explains how technologies develop from idea to prototype to diffusion.

Media Technology and Society: A History From the Telegraph to the Internet by Brian Winston.

More details on these theories later.

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MediaTech: What are the Parts of Technology? (W2-P4) Fa16

A technology usually has two components: hardware and software (Rogers).

“a hardware aspect, consisting of the tool that embodies the technology as a material or physical object.” (Rogers).

“a software aspect, consisting of the information base for the tool” (Rogers).
Think: user's manual.

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MediaTech: Have You Heard of These New Comm Technologies? [VID] (W2-P3) Fa16

There is some interesting communication technologies out there. Have you heard of these?

: )

But seriously, what about future communication technology.
Let's look into the future. Oh, the possibilities.

If you are curious and want to see more of the above, see this video clip.

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MediaTech: What is Communication? What is Technology? (W2-P2) Fa16

What is Communication?
“Human communication is the process through which individuals – in relationships, groups, organizations, and societies – respond to and create messages to adapt to the environment and one another” (Ruben & Steward).

What is Technology?

“a design for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the cause-effect relationships involved in achieving a desired outcome”(Rogers).

What exactly does that mean? Break it down. Piece by piece.

"Tech" in the Dictionary: (Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster...)

How's the term "technology" used on Twitter right now.

So, given the above definitions, what is communication technology? Media technology?

OpenClipArt.org

Is a pencil a technology? Is it a communication technology?

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MediaTech: In Honor of Everett M. Rogers (W2-P1) Fa16

I teach this media tech course in honor of Ev.

He was my professor, adviser, co-author -- and my mentor. He is missed.

Everett M. Rogers (1931-2004)

Communication Technology (Series in Communication Technology and Society)

If it weren't so out-of-date, I'd use this book that Ev wrote.

Someday I'd like to write an updated version of this book. But, that's later.

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS, 4TH ED.

At least my graduate media tech students get to use Ev's Diffusion of Innovations.

If you are curious, here is a link to a Vimeo video titled "A Conversation with Everett Rogers".

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DigPhotog: Intro to Photography: Critiquing Photos (W2-P2) Fa16

Photography Criticism

When learning how to critique photographs, a good place to start is with Barrett's book, Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images.

According to Barret:

“Criticism is informed discourse about art to increase understanding and appreciation of art.”

Barrett's Approach to Critiquing Photographs

Describe what you see - just the facts, be objective
Consider the subject matter
Consider how form relates to subject matter.

Subject matter + form (focus, contrast, etc.) = content.

Let interpretation be communal.

Who determines the meaning? Photographer? Critic?

Suggest photographer be silent.
Interpret the photograph by questions it raises.
Avoid hasty judgments - don't jump to judgement
Consider presentational environments.

Subject + form + context = content

Ask how the photograph would be judged.
Consider assumptions/theories - why did the photography do what they did?
What are the photographer’s theories about the way the world works?
Be honest and open.

Barrett's approach can be summarized as the DIET way of critiquing a photograph.

Describe - just the facts, be objective
Interpret - what does it mean?
Evaluate - is it good or bad, rate it, pass careful judgement
Theorize - why did the photographer take the photo?

Below is a photo to critique using Barrett's approach. Start with describe and then...

Gordon Parks' American Gothic. Portrait of government cleaning
woman Ella Watson. August 1942. (Public domain photo)

If you like, you can post below your critique of American Gothic using Barrett's approach.

American Gothic, that sounds familiar. What was Parks' inspiration for the title of his photo?

For some background on the American Gothic photograph see the clip below starting at about 19:00.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

InterculturalCom: Pops and Why Study Intercultural Communication? (W2-P6) Fa16

It is imperative to study intercultural communication.
What does imperative mean? Imperative: "impossible to deter or evade” (Dictionary.com).

Technological imperative - technology is increasing intercultural interaction
- Communication Technology
- Transportation Technology
Demographic imperative (in U.S.)
- U.S. Demographics (e.g., raise in Hispanic pop.)
- Immigration
Economic imperative (globalization) - to do well in business, it is important
Peace imperative / "A Wonderful World" (see video below)
Self-awareness imperative - as we look to better understand others, we also come to better understand ourselves.
Ethical imperative - it is the right thing to do

How does this relate to the previous post about hazards and benefits?

Source: Intercultural Communication in Context by Martin and Nakayama

"Hey Pops, what do you mean 'A Wonderful World'..."

InterculturalCom: What are the Hazards & Benefits of Studying ICC? (W2-P5) Fa16

When we are studying intercultural communication, what hazards do we want to be careful to avoid?

What are the benefits of studying intercultural communication? What do we get out of it? How can it help us?

Benefits -- Knowledge

Personal Empowerment
Freedom from Ignorance
Productive Relationships

Hazards

Oversimplification
- Ignore exceptions and subtleties
Overgeneralizations
- Assume all people that share a culture are the same
Exaggeration
- Overstate differences between groups of people

What have been the hazards and benefits for you? Same as above?

Source: Among Cultures: The Challenge of Communication by Brad Hall
(Note: Dr. Brad Hall was an intercultural communication prof of mine while I worked on my Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico.)

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InterculturalCom: A Model of Intercultural Communication (W2-P4) Fa16

How does intercultural communication work? What is the process?
How does the model of intercultural communication shown below describe the process?

Describe the process shown above. Starts with? Ends with? In the middle?

What stops effective intercultural interaction? What are the bricks in the brick wall? What labels would you put on those bricks?

How would you tear down the wall? What's that mean?

What are the results of effective intercultural interaction? :)

Yes, that's me and the family. The photos are a little older now and so are we.

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InterculturalCom: Cultural Groups: What are Your Cultural Groups? (W2-P3) Fa16

What are your cultural groups? How many cultural groups?

The primary groups are on the inside and the secondary are on the outside.

What is the difference between the primary and secondary groups? Hint: permanencia

With this understanding of your cultural groups, how often are you involved in intercultural communication?

Source: Workforce America!: Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource by Loden and Rosener

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InterculturalCom: What is Communication? What is Culture? (W2-P2) Fa16

Photo by mattkoltermann (CC)

What is Communication?

“Human communication is the process through which individuals – in relationships, groups, organizations, and societies – respond to and create messages to adapt to the environment and one another” (Ruben & Steward).

What is Culture?

Culture is the set of shared knowledge that influences a particular group of peoples' thoughts and behavior (Hart).

Where is culture?
Given the above then, what is intercultural communication?

InterculturalCom: Mr. Nice Guy: An Introduction to Intercultural Communication [VID] (W2-P1) Fa16

This is a clip that I edited and posted on YouTube. I use this clip in my Intercultural Communication course to introduce students to the difficulties of intercultural communication.

In the clip Jackie's fiancée has just arrived in the U.S.

Is there intercultural miscommunication? What is the problem exactly? Whose fault is it? Is it right to blame somebody?

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MyFavMusic: Just listened to the "The Very Best of Jimmy Reed" album by Jimmy Reed. Added a FAV track to my "BLUES FAVS - 1000 Recordings" playlist on Spotify

Fav track from album: Big Boss Man
By Jimmy Reed
From the album The Very Best of Jimmy Reed

Added to BLUES FAVS - 1000 Recordings playlist by William Hart on August 29, 2016 at 05:27PM

See info on 1000 Recordings

Listen on Spotify

My musical interests on Tumblr

Monday, August 29, 2016

DigPhotog: Intro to Photography: Mentors - Gordon Parks (W2-P1) Fa16

Gordon Parks, 1963
Public domain photo

One way to begin your study of digital photography is start with a close study of photographs. Before taking photographs, study photographs. Be able to critique a photograph first. Be able to say what is a good photograph and why and then go out and take good photographs based on what you learned in your study of good photographs.

Instead of studying just any photo though, it would be best to start with a study of photographs taken by some of the great photographers.

I'd suggest that you find two or three great photographers that can serve as your mentors. Start by visiting the Masters of Photography site. You may find other similar sites online.

I'd encourage you to consider Gordon Parks as one of your mentors. In addition to being a photographer, Parks was an artist, a composer, an author, and a film director (e.g., Shaft).

See the clip below from about 11:58 to about 19:00. Wait to view the rest along with a future blog post.

If you are interested, read Gordon Parks, a Master of the Camera, Dies at 93 (NY Times)

Sunday, August 21, 2016

The Secrets of Academic Success: Secret #3: Words and Lists

Secret #3: Words and Lists (or How to Fish)

"So, Dr Hart, what’s going to be on the exam?” This I sometimes hear.

Let me share with you a secret that I discovered when I was a student. [Wait, wait, you know what, I probably learned it from some book. But, it sounds better to say I discovered it. I could have learned it from a book titled "How to Read a Book” by Adler. That’s another book that I’d strongly recommend to students.] Now where was I? Oh yeah… words, lists and fish.

So, let’s just focus on a single textbook chapter. Got your favorite textbook chapter in mind? : ) Good. Now, how would you study for a test just on that chapter?

I once overheard a couple of students say they did not know what to study for an exam, so they just picked pages at random and “studied” them. The problem here is focus. What exactly do you study?

When you read/study a chapter you can use some of the techniques described in Secret #1 to figure out what to study. But, here let me add my own two cents. I’d suggest you see the chapter you are studying as a collection of words and lists.

The words would be the jargon/terms, names (people and places), key fact, etc. Examples: Communication is the exchange of information by which…, John Harper is the author of …. (Hint: Some textbooks may boldface these words for easy identification. Some textbooks have lists of words (or “key terms”) at the end of the chapter or better yet, some textbooks have a glossary of the terms in the back of the book.)

The lists would be sets of words, events on a timeline, points in an argument, steps in a procedure or process, etc. Examples: The 4 C’s of media management are … The first communication revolution was writing and the second revolution was… In the 1920s radio was … and in the 1950s TV… Television broadcasting begins first with signal generation and then…

Try it. Go get to a textbook chapter right now. I’ll wait…

No, I’m serious. Go get the textbook.

O.K. Now, pick a chapter. See what I mean? There’s some fluff in there, but at the heart of the chapter are some new words and lists to learn centered on the topic of the chapter. (Hint: If your textbook has detailed chapter outlines, you can more easily see a chapter as a mixture of words and lists. By looking at the outline you can see words within lists and lists within lists. See how it all fits together?)

This words/lists approach may not capture 100% of everything, but let’s say it covers a heck of a lot. For example, you may say, “Dr. Hart, what about diagrams?” My response: “Diagrams usually accompany some word or list already in the chapter. For example, a diagram may illustrate some procedure or process already described verbally in the chapter. The diagram is just a visual representation of the word or list. So, include it as part of your words and lists collection.” Or you may ask, “what about some key fact like the date of the Declaration of Independence?” I’d see that as fitting into the word category. It is something like a definition. Communication is the exchange… The date of the Declaration of Independence is 1776.

O.K., so lists and words. Got it. But, what about how many words and lists? The number of words and lists depends on the length of chapter and the level of detail in the chapter. Based on experience I’d estimate 20 - 40 words or lists per chapter. So, for a mid-term which covers six chapters that’d be 120 – 240 words and lists to study. For a comprehensive final exam that’d be approximately 200-500 for a course. That’s what it boils down to by the end of the semester. You are hopefully learning 200-500 things (words and lists) by the end of the course. Have you ever heard it put this way?

When should you find these words and lists? For goodness sake, don’t wait until exam time to cram. Gather the words and lists as you are doing your readings each week.

What to do with the words and lists once you’ve collected them? Two quick suggestions: My first suggestion is to try flashcards (the real things or you might find some flashcard systems online). You can put a word (or phrase) on one side and the definition or other corresponding information on the other side. As for the lists you could put the title of the list on one side and the list on the other side. Example: On one side put “List the steps of TV broadcasting.” On the other side of that card put “Step 1: Signal Generation, Step 2…” (See advice for flashcard studying above.)

My second suggestion for how to study your words and lists would be to write the words and lists from one chapter on one side of a sheet of paper. This way the whole chapter is captured there on one sheet of paper. (If you study it enough, you may be able to close your eyes during an exam and see answers exam questions.) You might have to write small (or get a bigger sheet of paper). For those of you who are visually inclined, you may want to draw lines and pictures on your sheet (see mapping in Secret #1). For those of you who are more verbally inclined, you may want to make your sheet look more like a well-organized chapter outline.

Now, how might the lists and words you’ve studied show up on an exam? Remember Secret #2 above about how professors write exams? If you’ve read the highly recommended article mentioned in the Secret #2 section, then you probably already see the connection between words and list and exam writing. You probably already see clearly that words make great multiple choice questions and fill-in-the-blank questions and lists would work well and short answer or essay questions.

The date of the Declaration of Independence is ____.

(A) 1776 (B) 1735 (C) 1860 (D) 1544

John _____ is the author Communication Revolutions.

(A) Harper (B) Smith (C) Hardy (D) Davis

So Dr. Hart, how about you just give us the words and lists, you know kinda like a study guide? No, I’m sorry. I’m not that kinda guy – I’m not a study-guide-kinda-guy for two reasons. First, I think you are going to learn the material better if you dissect that chapter yourself. If you tear it apart, you are better going to understand how it was put together. Secondly, have you ever heard the Chinese proverb: “Give a person a fish and feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and feed them for a life time”? I really like this proverb. It speaks to me. As a teacher I’m not interested in giving you a fish. I’d prefer to teach you how to fish, so you can do it yourself without me. I’m not interested in giving you an answer. I’m interested in helping you find an answer, so you can find it yourself without me. I’m not interested in giving you the learning (the words and lists). I’m interested in teaching you how to learn, so you can do it by yourself without me.

Closing Thoughts

So, I’m sorry to say that the secrets that I’ve shared with you are not some foreign-sounding words that you say three times and suddenly you have grand success with grades and college. I know that it may kind of a bummer. But, that’s reality. That’s life. It is going to take some work, but now you at least know some secrets that are going to help you.

With that said, let me leave you with a funny story…

“An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one-question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on his desk and wrote on the board: "Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."
Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class, however, was up and finished in less than a minute. Weeks later when the grades were posted, the student who finished in less than a minute got an A. The rest of the group wondered how she could have gotten the best grade in the class when she apparently gave the exam such little effort. This is what she wrote: "What chair?”

To be continued…

What are your thoughts?

Pages

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Monday, August 29, 2016

Sunday, August 21, 2016