Experimenting

The main reason i moved blogs recently was because I was experiencing major delays and difficulties with blogsome.  WordPress.com is so fast and easy to use I can’t believe the difference it has made to my attitude and blogging practice.  Maybe its because it is new and still has novelty factor, but I realise that the cumbersome process of the old blog actually deterred me from posting much for quite a while.  It was too time consuming, and I would lose posts in the ether which meant I felt like I was wasting time.  But now that the process has become so easy I have a tendency to blog more often.  I wonder how many other people notice that the interface significantly affects their blogging / literacy practices?

And one of the unexpected results of moving blogs has been the number of widgets now suddenly available at the click of a button.  So I am going overboard a bit and trying them all out – from the movie trailer “pod” widget, to adding in some of my favourite blog feeds directly into my blog.   It’s fun and I haven’t finished experimenting yet, but I feel guilty about spending too much time on it and better get back to some serious work :)

Avatar Fashion Artists

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I never stop being surprised at the talented fashion designers for the avatar. The combination of creative skills and technical skills is something I really admire, and the women I know making it a full time business venture are doing very well indeed. Fashioning the avatar is a significant part of SL culture for most women I know. It feels extravagant, luxurious, frivolous, and purely indulgent to spend a few dollars a week buying hair or skins or shoes or even glamorous gowns for one’s digital persona… and yet it is totally addictive. Again, the idea of being art, wearing art, and feeling that a sense of your aesthetic identity is projected through your avatar makes it compelling to explore.

Here is my very first attempt at constructing my avatar in December, 2005:

Anya in December 2005

and here I am now, some 14 months later:

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I think this reflects my development from “newbie who thought it was all a bit of a game” to somebody who now uses Second Life for aspects of both my professional and social life. Second Life still has its fantasy elements, and is definitely a lot of fun, but it is only a game in the sense that life and reality is also a game.

And for anybody interested, the first and third images here show me wearing my favourite fashionista’s latest gown – Nonna Hedges. Nonna told me today her business is going so well she has dropped her price point BY HALF!!! I think this gown makes me look like the rose in my blog banner which I photographed when I was in Armidale in 2005.  I remember seeing the roses in Armidale and rushing to capture them with my digital camera at the time.  I felt the same way when I saw Nonna’s gown.  It is art.

Four Eyed Monsters

I realise this is very old news but while I was away in Tasmania for the Summer, I missed out on a ton of amazing events in Second Life. One of them was the screening of Four Eyed Monsters on Sundance Island in Second Life.

Here is a synopsis of the movie:

They have four eyes, two mouths, eight limbs that wrap around themselves. It’s disgusting!” Arin says, as we see images of couples throughout New York City. “But I can’t help but envy them.”

Arin is a wannabe filmmaker and highly inexperienced with love, despite the fact that he spends most of his time editing wedding videos. In one of the most populous cities in the world, he is alone and tormented by the beautiful women he sees everywhere. He turns to the Internet.

Susan is an art school graduate working as a waitress and suffering from a lack of inspiration. She receives a message from Arin, but since she’s tired of dating, especially online, she suggests that he should just stop by her work.

Arin is too shy to introduce himself. So instead, he follows her home without her knowing and emails her pictures of her mundane daily trudge. She is intrigued.

They decide to meet up, but in an attempt to keep their interaction interesting, they make a pact to not speak to one another. As their romance develops, they only write, draw, email, text, have sex, instant message, and make videos for each other. No talking.

Susan’s creative clouds begin to lift, and Arin’s dry spell has ended. Unfortunately, a new world of more complicated problems is discovered, and they are forced to deal with intimacy as they meld together and create a monster.

And here is the trailer:

Some of my friends in SL went to the screening of the film. Here are two machinimas made about the event:

What is really interesting is the way the film makers have developed a video blog and used myspace, youtube and other media to market their film. The series of videos tracks the news and progress of their film, the awards they have won, and the people they have met, places they’ve been along the way.

In today’s news update video podcast, the film makers share the details of the forthcoming DVD release, which will include as extras all of their video blog videos.

I can’t wait to see the movie myself – and the whole series of events surrounding the film is fascinating, covering so many of the issues about new media literacies and youth culture that I research and write about.

Meeting the Teacher’s College Students

This evening (well, 2am) I met up with Charles Kinzer’s class in Second Life. We watched some machinima and I talked about the process of constructing machinima and what it feels like to be a hot leading lady (*laughs*). I even found them some theatre seats for their outdor screenings of Lip Flap and Seriously Engaging.

chucksstudents4

Here are the two machinima we watched:

Then we went to my little room and I talked about teaching and lecturing in Second Life. No nice chairs there though, just my lecture book about identity and the avatar!

chucksstudents2

The fun part was trying to keep up with the questions and meeting up with Gus again :)

Henry Jenkins Interviews Peter Ludlow

In November I interviewed Peter Ludlow for Slatenight in this piece: “An Interview with Urizenus Sklar“. I am sure Henry Jenkins must have read it and was fascinated by it because now he has interviewed Peter as well, see!

Henry and Peter provide a little prelude about his forthcoming book with Mark Wallace, which Henry describes as “a fascinating saga of mobsters and griefers, of civic boosters and would be socialites, and of the challenge of governing virtual worlds”.

NMC Online Conference Keynote

Larry Johnson from the New Media Consortium has invited me to participate in an online conference in March.  I am thrilled that I will be presenting in any context with prolific writer and expert on all new media and culture phenomena, Henry Jenkins!

Here’s my title and abstract – comments welcome while I construct my talk over the next couple of weeks!

TITLE

Evocative Spaces and Aesthetic Grabs: How youtube and video blogging are redefining self expression
DESCRIPTION

I will begin this talk with a discussion of how youtube and video blogging have become a mediating space for what Sherry Turkle calls “evocative objects”: objects, or in this case spaces, that we use to think about ourselves.  I argue that the act of viewing ones-self in public performances, and acknowledging public commentary on those acts, provides dual reflective lenses which serve to reconstruct, reinvent and redefine one’s identity.  To demonstrate I discuss a number of examples in which the nature of the autobiographical is countered and transformed through the performance of self for the public.

Next I will draw on Senft’s notion of “the aesthetic of the grab” – a way of re-articulating the dynamics of spectatorship and participation in new video communities.  I will discuss the notion of commodity fetishism and the ways in which “grabbing” bits and pieces of other people’s video performances is then being reconstituted into one’s own performances of identity.  This includes but goes beyond one’s amusement at memes, desire for a shared cultural context and networked solidarity, in that it presents a “shopping for truth” about one’s place in the world.  It also includes the notion that what is public and telepresent can be owned and manipulated for one’s own desires.

Finally I will raise the question about what it might mean for the millions of youth participants in youtube and videoblogging with respect to ethics, consequences and reputation management in an age where the personal is political.

Here is the Call for Proposals: 

Call for Proposals: NMC Online Conference on the Convergence of Web Culture and Video

March 21-22, 2007

Proposals for presentations for the NMC Online Conference on the Convergence of Web Culture and Video, a special 2-day, live, online event to be held March 21-22, 2007 entirely via the Internet, are being solicited through February 23.

See http://www.nmc.org/events/2007spring_online_conf/proposals.shtml for full details.

Video as we know it, produced by experts and consumed by viewers, is metamorphosing into a different genre altogether, blurring the lines between producers and audiences. New video-based forms of self-expression are emerging, with notable examples like video mashups, jumpcuts, and video blogging. Nonlinear narratives abound in this format, in which stories unfold across a series of 1 to 3-minute clips and web viewers are drawn into mysteries such as the story of Lonelygirl15. Brand-new forms like machinima are emerging that bridge virtual worlds, gaming, and storytelling, all through the medium of the small video.

We are seeing the emergence of a production culture, one where, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 48% of American adults have published content on the Internet. For this generation, video is becoming the medium of choice for content and expression, and as the video shrinks in both program length and physical size, the way we think about video is changing significantly. The 100 million-plus examples on YouTube (and the company’s $1.65 billion price tag) and the nearly 1 million videos on Ourmedia are, for the most part, nowhere near the quality of professional video, but the sheer numbers of viewers who watch them is clear evidence of the compelling nature of the form.

A key factor in the rise of the new video is that production, access and distribution are easier than ever before. A variety of new viewing devices, including Internet-enabled mobile phones, easily record digital video, and posting those videos to the web has become a trivial matter. The explosion of new content is enabled by cheap and easy- to- use equipment as well as new web-based editing and production software.

Join keynoters Henry Jenkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Angela Thomas, University of Sydney, and Cynthia Calongne, Colorado Technical University, for this 2-day examination of the convergence of web culture and video.

The singular focus of this gathering is to consider how these developments are impacting our lives, and how they are affecting the ways we work, learn, collaborate, and even socialize. The conference is designed to spark an examination that explores both the positive and negative aspects of this phenomenon on learning, social interaction, self-expression, and more.

The conference will be conducted entirely online. Sessions, which will be conducted live, can incorporate a variety of visuals and rich media, and are generally about 45 minutes in length, with about half that time devoted to dialog with participants using voice over IP.

Proposals are encouraged on the topic in any of the following areas, but this list is not exhaustive and selections will not be limited to these categories:

* Cultural impacts and trends
* Reflections on identity, self-image and new forms of expression
* Tools and techniques
* Learning applications
* Student-produced content
* Pedagogical potentials and implications

Proposals may be submitted online at http://www.nmc.org/events/2007spring_online_conf/proposals.shtml

This event is the ninth in the ongoing series of specially focused online gatherings that explore new ideas and issues related to technology and learning. The NMC Series of Online Conferences is itself an exploration of emerging forms of collaboration and tools, and this particular conference will focus on ways in which the conference sessions can each be highly interactive, in real time.

Additional information about the conference can be found at http://www.nmc.org/events/2007spring_online_conf/

Posts will be made here when the registration period opens on March 1.

Please circulate this announcement to any and all areas on campus that may be interested in participating.

Handbook of Research into New Literacies

Goodness! Don Leu just sent me the massive outline of chapters for a handbook I contributed to about research in New Literacies, and its going to be an amazing collection of chapters. Look!!!!! Its an honour to be in such great company. The Handbook is due out in June or July, and it promises to be substantial in more ways than one.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH IN NEW LITERACIES

Editors:

Julie Coiro, University of Connecticut
Michele Knobel, Montclair State University
Colin Lankshear, James Cook University
Donald J. Leu, University of Connecticut


INTRODUCTION

Central Issues In New Literacies And New Literacies Research

Julie Coiro, University of Connecticut
Michele Knobel, Montclair State University
Colin Lankshear, James Cook University
Donald J. Leu, University of Connecticut

SECTION I. METHODOLOGIES

An Introduction To Methodologies

Toward A Connective Ethnography Of Online/Offline Literacy Networks
Kevin M. Leander, Vanderbilt University, USA

Large-Scale Quantitative Survey Research On New Technology Uses
Ron Anderson, University of Minnesota, USA

Converging Traditions Of Research On Media And Information Literacies: Disciplinary, Critical, And Methodological Issues
Sonia Livingstone, Elizabeth Van Couvering, and Nancy Thumim, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

The Conduct Of Qualitative Interviews: Research Questions, Methodological Issues, And Researching Online
Lori Kendall, University of Illinois, USA

The Case Of Rebellion: Researching Multimodal Texts
Andrew Burn, Institute of Education, University of London, UK

Experimental And Quasi-Experimental Approaches To The Study Of New Literacies
Jonna Kulikowich, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

SECTION II. KNOWLEDGE AND INQUIRY

An Introduction To Knowledge And Inquiry

Learning, Change, And Power: Competing Frames Of Technology And Literacy
Mark Warschauer, University of California, Irvine, USA
Paige Ware, Southern Methodist University, USA

The Web As A Source Of Information For Students In K-12 Education
Els Kuiper and Monique Volman, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Where Do We Go Now? Understanding Research On Navigation In Complex Digital Environments
Kim Lawless, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
P.G. Schrader, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA

The Changing Landscape Of Text And Comprehension In The Age Of New Literacies
Bridget Dalton, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), USA
C. Patrick Proctor, Boston College, USA

Exploring Culture In The Design Of New Technologies Of Literacy
Patricia Young, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA

Multimedia Literacy
Richard Mayer, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

Multiliteracies And Metalanguage: Describing Image/Text Relations As A Resource For Negotiating Multimodal Texts
Len Unsworth, University of New England, Australia

SECTION III. COMMUNICATION

An Introduction To Communication

Mediating Technologies And Second Language Learning
Steven Thorne, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

Of A Divided Mind: Weblog Literacy
Torill Elvira Mortensen, Volda University College, Norway

People, Purposes, And Practices: Insights From Cross-Disciplinary Research Into Instant Messaging
Gloria E. Jacobs, St. John Fisher College, USA

Gender In Online Communications
Jonathan Paul Marshall, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

SECTION IV. POPULAR CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND CITIZENSHIP: EVERYDAY LITERACIES

An Introduction To Popular Culture, Community, And Citizenship: Everyday Literacies

Intersections of Popular Culture, Identities, And New Literacies Research
Margaret C. Hagood, College of Charleston, USACollege Students And New Literacy Practices
Dana J. Wilber, Montclair State University, USA

Just Don’t Call Them Cartoons: The New Literacy Spaces Of Animé, Manga, And Fanfiction
Rebecca Ward Black, University of California, Irvine, USA

Cognition And Literacy In Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Constance A. Steinkuehler, University of Wisconsin—Madison, USA

Video Game Literacy: A Literacy Of Expertise
Kurt D. Squire, University of Wisconsin—Madison, USA

Community, Culture And Citizenship In Cyberspace
Angela Thomas, University of Sydney, Australia

New Literacies And Community Inquiry
Bertram C. Bruce and Ann P. Bishop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

SECTION V. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND ASSESSMENT

An Introduction To Instructional Practices And Assessment

Digital Writing In The Early Years
Guy Merchant, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Teaching Popular Culture Texts In The Classroom
Richard Beach and David O’Brien, University of Minnesota, USA

Using New Media In The Secondary English Classroom
Ilana Snyder and Scott Bulfin, Monash University

The Price Of Information: Critical Literacy, Education, And Today’s Internet
Bettina Fabos, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA

Researching Multimodal Literacy
Pippa Stein, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Multimodal Reading And Comprehension In Online Environments
Claire-Wyatt Smith and John Elkins, Griffith University, Australia

New Literacies In Math And Science
Edys Quellmalz and Geneva Haertel, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International, USA

Virtual Learning Environments: A Higher Education Focus
Colin Baskin and Neil Anderson, James Cook University, Australia

SECTION VI. MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON NEW LITERACIES RESEARCH

An Introduction To Multiple Perspectives On New Literacies

Savannah: Mobile Gaming And Learning? by K. Facer, R. Joiner, D. Stanton, J. Reid, R. Hull, & D. Kirk

Being a Lion And Being A Soldier: Learning And Games
James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

Savannah: Mobile Gaming and Learning: A Review Commentary
Susan Goldman and Jim Pellegrino, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA

The Nature Of Middle School Learners? Science Content Understandings With The Use Of On-Line Resources by J.L Hoffman., H.-K Wu, J.S. Krajcik, & E. Soloway

Intertextuality and the Study of New Literacies: Research Critique and Recommendations
Peggy N. Van Meter and Carla Firetto, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

Internet Pedagogy: Using the Internet to Achieve Student Learning Outcomes
Bob Bleicher, California State University Channel Islands, USA

Instant Messaging, Literacies, and Social Identities by C. Lewis & B. Fabos

An Essay Review Of The Lewis & Fabos Article On Instant Messaging
Donna Alvermann, University of Georgia, USA

Thoughts On The Lewis & Fabos Article On Instant Messaging
David Reinking, Clemson University, USA

L2 literacy and the design of the self: A case study of a teenager writing on the Internet by W.S.E. Lam

Critical Review: “L2 Literacy and the Design of the Self: A Case study of a Teenager Writing on the Internet”
Catherine Beavis, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia

A Commentary On “L2 Literacy, Electronic Representation of Self, and Social Networking”
Richard Duran, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

The journey ahead: Thirteen teachers report how the Internet influences literacy and literacy instruction in their K–12 classrooms by R.A. Karchmer

Researching Technology And Literacy: Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackboard
Colin Harrison, University of Nottingham, UK

Internet Literacy Influences: A Review of Karchmer (2001).
Jackie Marsh, The University of Sheffield, UK

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