Chapter 4 Response
I remember years ago hearing the word remix and thinking it
was strange…why would someone “remix” a song?
I didn’t realize how much the concept has taken off. It is an interesting argument that Lanskshear
and Knobel make, when they say on page 97, that remix is a necessary condition
for culture. They go on to say, “Cultures have been made – created – and they
are made by mixing ‘new’ elements with ‘pre-existing’ elements in the manner of
‘conversations’ (p. 97). I guess it
makes sense when you think about our culture and how it has changed overtime. Documentary and independent films have become
very popular, as well as Photoshop and memes (just learned that’s what they are
called) and apparently there is a whole other world out there with anime.
There was one sections that worried me a little. Being a third grade teacher, where we spend a
lot of time learning to write, grammar, spelling, etc., I didn’t love the section
The status of digital remixing as a new
form of writing (p. 99). I realize
they aren’t suggesting we replace writing with digital remixing, but I don’t
want to lose the importance of the written word and have it replaced with remixes…maybe that is just my belief!
This chapter has expanded my ideas of digital
storytelling. Before and throughout this
course, my thoughts of digital storytelling have changed about 4 times. Originally, I thought of digital storytelling
as mostly serious and about real things.
Now, after reading this chapter, I’ve realized there are plenty of ways
to tell a story in a lighthearted funny way.
In fact I have spent the last 2 hours searching different remixing
websites and laughing at what people have created.
There was one remix I had not heard of before, the mashup. The one that stood out, not sure how useful
it is, but it’s cool, is the Wikipedia one that tracks the changes being made
via Google Maps, Wikipediavision. I am
not sure why people need to know that, but it is definitely interesting to
watch the map…kind of creepy! Some of
the mashups I looked at on programmable seem unnecessary or complicated, but it
just goes to show how anyone can become a creator or inventor.
One question I have after reading this chapter is where does
it all end? Is this sort or remixing
(music, fan fiction, mashups, etc.) sustainable for years to come? Lankshear and Knobel make the case, along
with others, that we have been remixing since the beginning of time and
everything today is a remix of something pre-existing. So what will the future hold? How much more remixing can we handle? I have written in my teacher manifesto that I
am preparing my students for jobs that don’t yet exist, what will their jobs
look like??
I had the same reaction about "The status of digital remixing as a new form of writing," however, I think most "original*" content stems from the written word. Many movies are based on books, and/or at least require screenplays. Television shows need scripts. Even songs need lyrics. I think the written word may be the most basic of these literacies, but perhaps the most powerful.
ReplyDelete*I quote "original," because as L&K note, everything has been remixed. However, on a spectrum of mashup YouTube video to novel, I would consider a novel more original.
Hi Emily, I like your reflections and response to the chapter from your perspectives as a teacher. I agree with Mitchell about the written word. It's as basic as math is to programming to me. Behind all of the software and interfaces we use is this complex math. Just like behind the shows and movies we watch there is this complex written story that we take for granted. So my belief and hope for the future is that writing will continue to serve as the fundamental source of communication it always had. I think with the current popular social networks memes and simple sometimes stupid mashups are popular because of how things are aggregated and fed into ones 'feed.' It's easy to breeze through Twitter and Facebook, glossing over in depth posts where as the meme stick out because they are flashy, and funny, and have some meaning. Who knows if these current platforms like Facebook and Twitter will stick? Maybe other types of mashups or remixes will take shape with different platforms. The important thing to note is that it's all part of our cultural language and the means for which we have been creating mashups has evolved over the years. It's not going anywhere but the means for which to produce and consume these remixes certainly will change.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirk,
DeleteSorry, I didn't see this until just now...not sure why?!?! Thanks for your comments, and I agree with you and Mitchell that the written word isn't going anywhere...it was just something that came to my mind while reading that section. I often wonder how long Facebook will be around or what it will remix to in the next 5-10 years??
Interesting take on remixing. I think your "where does it end" comment really sums up the remixing idea. The internet is full of ways to make fun of things or to draw attention to certain people or groups. It is almost unfortunate that people don't even care about the news unless it's some train wreck or a Kardashian wardrobe malfunction. It seems like with all these remixes it's taking more and more sparkle to hold peoples attention on important topics.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! People rarely take the time to actually read a news article anymore...they want quick and easy, doesn't matter if it is the truth or not
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