Dora, Illegal Immigrant?

Eleven years have passed since Dora the Explorer first went to syndication on Nickelodean and since then Dora has become a multi-million dollar franchise that is seen in 151 markets and has been translated in 30 languages. In 2010 when the internet newpaper blog The Huffington Press accused Dora the Explorer of being an illegal immigrant, it was really a protest or mockery of a immigration law that passed in Arizona. Even though the mug shots of Dora spread around the net as a joke, it did lead to somewhat of a moral panic and opened debate over more serious issues: people’s attitudes towards immigration, multiculturalism and globalisation.

Dora the Explorer first went to syndication on Nickelodeon eleven years ago and since then Dora has become a multi-billion dollar franchise that is seen in 151 markets and has been translated in 30 languages. Last year Neilsen Media Research rated it globally as the most popular television show with 100 million people watching the show each year. (Neilsen Media Research in The Futon Critic 2011 and Rock, 2010 p.1) The show provides a positive multicultural, bilingual experience that engages its viewers by asking them for their opinions and answers.

It is interesting that Dora herself cannot be defined by one culture but rather is a loose amalgamation of characteristics taken from several South American countries. Her place of birth has never been clear and the locations of episodes are vague (jungles, castles, forests, pyramids, snow). Her friends include a monkey, a bull, fox, a squirrel and iguanas, a polar bear and singing insects, animals that are associated with different locations. The ambiguity of her background and location makes the show appeal to a wide audience. (Carlson, 2010, p.2) One of the show’s creators Valerie Walsh Valdes said that Dora wasn’t originally a Latino character, but a forest heroine and that Nickoledeon asked them to consider making her Latino as research at the time said there wasn’t any positive bilingual characters on television. (Valerie Walsh Valdes in Ratner Arias, 2011) In contrast characters such as Speedy Gonzalous, and the Bumblebee man from the Simpsons are more two dimensional stereotyped Latino characters.

Examples of more stereotypical depictions of South Americans

http://www.cartoonspot.net/looney-tunes/speedy-gonzales-picture.php

References

Abdullah, Anna Christina 2009, ‘Multicultural Education in Early Childhood: Issues and Challenges’, Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.12, No.1 pp.159-175.

Carlson, J. 2011. ‘Using Children’s TV to Teach Globalization: Dora, Diego, Kai-Lan and Global Values?’, APSA Teaching & Learning Conference

http://works.bepress.com/jondcarlson/25

Guidotti-Hernandez, Nicole. 2007, ‘Dora the Explorer Constructing “Latinades” and the Politics of Global Citizenship’, Latino Studies. Palgrave. 1^st. 8600254

Nick Jr 2011, Viacom International Inc, Calfornia, viewed 1 October 2011, http://www.nickjr.com/

Ratner – Arias, Sigal, Dora the Explorer, a multi-billion –dollar franchise has created a decade of multiculturalism, The Canadian Press, August 27 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=cp_e29449.xml&show_article=1

Rock, Amanda. 2010, Ten Years of Dora the Explorer -- The Adventure of a Lifetime, About.com Preschoolers, retrieved 1 October 2011 from:

http://preschoolers.about.com/od/technologyentertainment/a/Ten-Years-Of-Dora-The-Explorer-The-Adventure-Of-A-Lifetime.htm

Ratings, 06/28/11 - 02:24 PM, The Futon Critic. The world’s best television resource, retrieved 24 October 2011 from:

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2011/06/28/nickelodeon-closes-2q11-as-top-cable-net-icarly-ranks-as-basic-cables-top-entertainment-program-for-the-quarter-42313/20110628nickelodeon02/

Dexter made me kill my brother

When the television show Dexter was blamed for the murder of a ten year old boy, panic arose about the show that ‘glamorizes murder’. Lumby and Fine argue in Why TV is good for kids: Raising Children in the 21^st Century, that there is too much moral panic about the effects of watching television on children. They suggest that watching television can be a positive experience, and can equip children with the skills needed to function in the 21^st Century. Even though Dexter is a show appropriate for a mature audience, the skills needed to read it and define it as fiction, rather than to take it into reality need to be taught at a young age. Children need to learn digital literacy skills so that they can tell the difference between fact and fiction and make judgements according to their values and attitudes.

Moral Panics regarding violence on television have been based around connections between acts of violence and the portrayal of violence on television that is viewed by children. Two examples of incidents reported in newspapers by journalists blaming violence on television will be discussed. In 2008, in Washington, a boy died in a sandbox after his friends re-enacted a scene from the anime movie Naruto. In the anime series ninjas fight attacking sand that wraps itself around their bodies. His family said it was a tragic accident. The boy’s friends thought his thrusting around in the sandbox was acting but in fact he was trying to get breath. (Surette, 2008) In 2009 Andrew Conley, a 17 year old boy who was an avid Dexter fan strangled his 10 year old younger brother. He told the police who interrogated him, he had been studying serial killers and “I don't know if you've heard of it, but it's called 'Dexter', and it's on Showtime. And I feel like him because he's a serial killer of bad people…but I just feel like him.” (Mendelsohn, 2008) There is no denying that there are links between watching violence and violent behaviour (Nabi and Sullivan 2001, Lumby and Fine 2006) in children, however other factors need to taken into consideration.

Lumby and Fine proposed that television is not the only influencing factor of how and why people act. ( Lumby and Fine 2006, p.7) They wrote, “ the problem with moral panics is that they distract people from the real issues and real solutions by suggesting that things like drug abuse, violence or child neglect are the result of a single monolithic external cause like television, Muslims or rap music.” (Lumby and Fine 2006, p. ) In the case of Andrew Conley, he suffered

considerable neglect throughout his childhood and it has been suggested that his family generally ignored him.” (Mendelsohn, 2008). Dr. Edward Connor, one of four doctors who evaluated Andrew Conley , wrote in his psychological assessment that Conley, "struggl(ed) with various severe psychiatric symptoms throughout his latency and young adolescent years.” (Conner in Mendelsohn, 2008) In contrast, Michael C Hall, who plays Dexter, said that it is a challenge to make a serial killer sympathetic to audiences. Hall said what attracted him to Dexter’s character was the moral ambiguity and the challenge of “breathing life into someone who claims to be without the capacity for authentic human emotion.” (Hall in Singh, 2010) Maybe Conley related to this character as he said he didn’t feel emot

ion.

On one Monday night of viewing on Free Access Television in Brisbane Australia, within the 8.30- 9.30pm and 9.30 to 10.30pm time slots these shows will be aired: The Mentalist, CSI Miami, Law and Order SVU, Burn Notice, Sherlock Holmes,

Body of Proof, Breaking Bad: Kafkaesque, , and Supernatural. (eBroadcast 2011, guide for Monday 14 November 2011) There aren’t many other sorts of shows offered within these time slots, except Man Vs Wild, Targeting Bin Laden (includes violent themes), or Degrassi High. This shows that crime investigation shows saturate the market and it can be assumed that many people enjoy watching them. The crime shows listed have M ratings but are still shown at times when teenagers would be watching television. All of these programs depict violent act. If television viewing alone lead to acts of violence, with this high volume of violence being shown regularly on Australian television wouldn’t there be much higher rates of copycat crime?

From an early age, parents should watch television with their children and discuss the show in terms of what is real and what isn’t. Children need to be taught how to separate reality from fiction. (Brooks, 2008, p.10) Children need to discuss values, morals and attitudes with their parents while watching television shows. Even the character of Dexter shows a moral system, as he will only kill people who have got away with murder themselves.

Television can be of general benefit to children. It can expand their world view far beyond their realm of experience and knowledge. If selected carefully viewing can be a constructive way to spend time. (Gunter and McAleer, 1997) While younger children acquire basic skills older children can become critical viewers, using television to construct identities for themselves and distinguishing them from other children. (Kondo 2007) Classroom curriculum about television or film, from very early years needs to teach children how to critically think. It should engage students at all levels, thinking, enquiring, problem solving, creating, producing, reflecting, appraising, evaluating (Cohen, p.5) and editing. Digital Literacy is about teaching children about the language that is used in representations of reality, whether they are real or virtual, right or wrong. Multimedia literacies, such as film and television include layering of different communication tools such as spoken word, background sounds, imagery and movement.

Television will always have influence on children’s behaviour yet, we need to remember that television viewing happens within a context. If children are taught how to critically reflect about the nature of television from a young age, they will have the skills when they are older to differentiate between fact and fiction or positive and negative experiences on and off the screen.

References:

Brooks, K. (2008) Consuming Innocence: popular culture and out children, UQP, St Lucia, Qld. Australia.

Cohen, D. (Childhood Obesity, poor attention spans, low literacy levels and ..., , retrieved 20 September 2011 athttp://www.acsso.org.au/natconf07/cohen.pdf

Gunter, Barrie & McAleer, J. (1997) Children and Television, Second Edition, Routledge, London, United Kingdom.

Lumby, C. and Fine, D.(2006) Why TV is good for Kids: Raising 21^st Century Children, Pan MacMillan, Sydney, Australia.

Kondo, K. And Steemers, J. (2007) Can television be good for children? , Report for Safe Kids TV, The Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster, United Kingdom.

Mendelsohn, M. (2008) Teen Kills Brother, Loves TV show Dexter, Life Imitating Art, ABC 20/20 March 18 2011, retrieved September 20 2011 at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/teen-kills-brother-loves-dexter-life-imitating-art/story?id=13161191#.TrxYC3LO0u0

Nabi, and Sullivan, (2001) Does Television Viewing Relate to Engagement in Protective Action Against Crime? : A Cultivation Analysis From a Theory of Reasoned Action Perspective Communication Research December 2001 28: 802-825

Singh, A. (2010) Dexter Star Michael C Hall Diagnosed with Cancer, The Telegraph 14 January 2010, retrieved 28 September 2011 at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/6989229/Dexter-star-Michael-C-Hall-diagnosed-with-cancer.html

State of Queensland, Department of Education and Training, (2004) Multiliteracies and communications media, New Basics Project. Retrieved on 20 September 2011at http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/newbasics/html/curric-org/comm.html

Surette, T (2008) Boy dies after friends imitate Naruto, tv.com Australia, http://www.tv.com/news/boy-dies-after-friends-imitate-naruto-11008/

Images : Dexter - http://www.fanpop.com/spots/dexter/images
Michael C Hall and Andrew Conley from Daily Mail Reporter (2010) Dexter made me kill my brother, Teenager jailed for murdering boy 10, claims he was inspired by hit tv show, Mail Online, 15 October 2010. retrieved 10 November at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1320982/Dexter-kill-brother-Teenager-jailed-murdering-boy-10-claimed-inspired-hit-TV-show.html

Our Language is deadly, ana !!!

There is a gap in preschool children’s television programming, as there are very few educational engaging programs aimed at aboriginal children. Waabiny Time was launched in 2010 and is spoken in both English and Noongar language, based around thirteen dialects from the Western Australia’s south-west (Perth and surrounding areas). Episodes aimed at three to six year olds, teach children Noongar language and link it to indigenous culture. Indigenous television programs act to increase children’s awareness and appreciation of cultural traditions and to provide positive representations of indigenous people (Lonsdale, 2010).

In Sally Jackson’s news article, Indigenous Language finds life through Children’s TV, she argued that this fun show has a very serious objective, to save one of Australia’s languages. (Jackson, 2010) To see the full article click here. There has been a large decline in the passing down of Indigenous language from generation to generation. (Trimboli, 2010). Before European invasion there were 250 Aboriginal languages spoken, and in 2011 there are 145 with 110 of them considered critically endangered. (Korff, 2011). A benefit of preserving these languages is that it can “instill a sense of wellbeing and belonging for many indigenous people who have lost tie to their culture”. (Korff, 2011) Jackson stated that Cath Trimboli, the show’s creator said “I hope it will pave the way for other people to recognise the significant impact language programs can have on that age group.” (Trimboli in Jackson, 2010)

The bilingual series includes thirteen thirty minute episodes which uses fifteen common words throughout the series and up to fifteen other Noongar words each episode. Like other successful bilingual programming, such as Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street which are spoken in both English and Spanish, viewers are engaged through participation and are asked to repeat words, dance and sing. The show includes engaging activities: Sand Yarning (story time) and Our Mob (Noongar culture) and includes songs, animations of indigenous animals, craft, learning activities and family gatherings.

This show could be used in any Early Years classroom. Learning activities could include: singing, poster making, role playing, dancing, making bush medicine guides, Noongar word bingo, or performance.

Jackson, S. (2010), Indigenous language finds life through children's TV , The Australian, May 10 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2011 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/indigenous-language-finds-life-through-childrens-tv/story-e6frg996-1225864247897

Korff, J. (2011) Aboriginal Languages, Creative Spirits Website, retrieved 5 November 2011 at http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/language/

The Translation People (2010), Endangered indigenous language Noongar given boost by children’s TV show, retrieved 5 November 2011 at

http://www.thetranslationpeople.com/blog/language-focus/endangered-indigenous-language-noongar-given-boost-by-children%E2%80%99s-tv-show/

Waabiny Time Website http://waabinytime.tv/site/parentinfo.html

Images - Waabiny Time Website http://www.waabinytime.tv/site/index.html

Discovery

The impacts of film and television in our lives and that of our parents and children cannot be denied (Gauntlett & Hill, 1999). This form of media has been an integral part of mainstream popular culture since the mid twentieth century, when affordability and the advent of free to air television placed this entertainment within reach of most of the western world. For much of it’s existence however, this media has been designated as a one way entertainment vehicle, its audiences passively absorbing content created for them by studios and advertising companies, referred to by Katz (2009) as Collectivist viewing.  Now, the reality of Jenkins’ (2006) Convergence media is exploding onto our screens like the next Hollywood blockbuster. IPTV  and its sister, Web TV (TV content on web browsers and PCs), user created content, YouTube, smart phones, tablets and ipads, all have enabled interconnectivity and accessibility for users of these media, and is set to transform the way we view and participate in television and cinema like never before (Ross, 2008; Easdown, 2011).

With this in mind, I must question my own preparation for a future which is user led. My past employment has been working in Information Technology with some of the most innovative travel industry leaders. Despite years of participation in research and development, and exposure to some cutting edge ideas and implementations, I still have difficulty keeping up with the advances in media and technology as they become available. Some of this difficulty for me is due to time constraints; some of it is due to lack of access or funds to gain access to applications, bandwidth or hardware. How is this any different for many of my students? It is not, of course. 

One of the more recent realisations I have had is to sign up for Google Reader. This functionality enables easy classification and tracking of various blogs – both professional and personal-  and a one stop shop for daily scanning of updates in each category. I now utilise this to keep track of a variety of educational content, including:

·         Industry updates and feeds

·         Pedagogical blogs

·         Government updates

·         Teaching technology feeds

·         General media technology

I have incorporated Google Reader into examples for students in Business Communications classes, and will be used in 2012 to track progress on student blogs in one place for assessment of Tourism competencies.

Further on the use of blogging for assessment, an overhaul this year on assessment items for students within the Tourism program has resulted in redesign of more streamlined, technology rich, holistic assessments using blogger as the medium for delivery. Bolstered by the Participation and Convergence  concepts of Gauntlett (2008) and Jenkins (2006), I am the main instigator within my teaching team to develop the Team Blog as a vehicle for measuring teamwork, use of business technologies, written and visual communication , peer reflection and feedback.  The two hurdles our team must face in this instance is bandwidth /speed within the educational facility, and audit requirements which have proven to be somewhat antiquated in relation to e-learning to date (Callan & Clayton, 2010). 

I have also used film and television programs frequently in the classroom to date to reinforce workplace scenarios or develop understanding of location specific criteria. This works extremely well and feedback from student groups indicates the combination of theory and visual/auditory learning helps to reinforce learning objectives (BNIT, 2010). One of the more frustrating problems in the classroom however, is the inability to use YouTube videos successfully. These resources are free, user created (so can potentially provide realism ), and searchable for students, however bandwidth issues means that frequently the viewing is interrupted for long periods while buffering occurs in the download. I am investigating a conversion tool suggested by my blog colleague , www.keepvid.com to convert the files I want to use in class to a format that is not reliant on the internet to play. This is to be done in my own time, with my own resources, as my current employer does not permit access to this download – another issue to tackle in the future.

 The added bonus, I am discovering, is that once I have converted the YouTube video, I can use video editing applications (even the most basic Microsoft Moviemaker) to fine tune and edit the content to be and exact fit to my requirements.  Potentially this could lead to re-uploading my own user created mashup content to online learning platforms for e-learning opportunities – provided copy write does not inhibit the process too greatly.

The potential of Web2.0 tools which are freely available to integrate technology into my classroom and the learning experience is extensive. The insights to some of the possible uses of various applications which are unearthed through interaction with colleagues and co-students, are invaluable when attempting to navigate a starting point.

References

Brisbane North Institute of TAFE . (2010). Student Survey Results Semester 1, 2010. BNIT, DET.Brisbane: Queensland Government Department of Education and Training.

Callan, V. and Clayton, B. (2010). E-assessment and the AQTF: Bridging the divide between practitioners and auditors.  Australian Flexible Learning Framework, Adelaide.

Easdown, R. (2011). TV’s the new PC. Sydney Morning Herald, August 23, 2011.Retrieved October 12 from:  http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tvs-the-new-pc-20110819-1j0p8.html

Gauntlett,D. (2008). Participation culture, creativity and social change: Inaugural lecture, University of Westminster. Video file. Retrieved August 2011 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I1ccF2UXVw

Gauntlett, D. and Hill, A. (1999). TV Living: Television, Culture and Everyday Life. London, Routledge.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press.

Ross, S.M. (2008). Beyond the Box: Television and the Internet. Oxford :Blackwell.

From Buffy to Bella – Celluloid Vampires, Feminism and Teen Sexual Identity

There is nothing new about humanity’s fascination with vampires. What has changed over the years, is the perception and portrayal of vampires within popular culture. The last twenty years has seen an explosion of vampire culture onto the youth market like never before, setting storylines within schools, and intertwining with the everyday lives of the teenage characters as the supernatural stories unfold. Some recent examples which feature either on television or cinema screens include , Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries.  The popularity of vampire media for teens, with particular reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is discussed in the article, ‘ School is Hell: gendered fears in teenage horror’ . In the article, Jarvis (2001) contends that modern teen horror portrays , “a mixture of fears about failing to meet the social expectations of school, of ostracisation and loneliness, anxiety about sex and sexual violence and the realisation that responsible adults (teachers and parents) cannot protect young people from these challenges”. Television  and film representations of vampire culture are reflections of popular culture at large and do not just exist for entertainment value, but are purpose built to illustrate themes of sexuality, norms and understanding for the next generation (Nayar,2010).

School, as the setting for vampire tales resonates perfectly with teens: it is the venue for much of their social and cultural interaction, where acceptance, safety and emerging identity issues far outweigh any academic concerns (Krieder & Winchell, 2010). Teachers, too in most episodes, are irrelevant , inadequate, or at best, portrayed as ‘monsters’ or ‘aliens’ ,a reflection of teen uncertainty about authority figures (Jarvis, 2001).  The article also makes mention of feminist ideals reflected in the strong, self- sufficient female Buffy character, an ideal originally envisioned by Joss Whedon, the creator of the series,  "The very first mission statement of the show was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it" (Whedon, in Gottlieb, 2002).  Buffy shows viewers that as a modern girl, she can look after herself, defeating the ‘monsters’ in the supernatural world, and in ordinary teenage life, and all in trendy outfits.

Fast forward to 2011, and the latest celluloid teen vampire offering , Twilight- Breaking Dawn 1, is set to burst onto our cinema screens in November 2011. The cinematic version of Stephanie Meyer’s incredibly popular twilight fiction about a very ordinary girl at school called Bella, who falls for a hundred year old teen vampire – Edward.  

The setting is the same – high school, and some similarities could also be made of surrounding characters. However there are a few distinct differences between heroines and their ‘monsters’ which bear consideration.  Dana Stevens has (almost famously) claimed,” Bella is the Anti-Buffy” ( 2008) , indicating the very anti-feminist and antiquated gender roles portrayed by the central characters in the Twilight films and fiction.  From the moment she meets Edward, Bella seems to show no interest in anything which does not involve him, and is frequently manipulated and controlled by not only Edward, but her other love interest – Jacob , who just happens to be a werewolf.  She is even willing to die to be like him and with him forever (Merskin, 2011).  The release of the Breaking Dawn movie next month will be an interesting development in the portrayal of Bella for audiences as her foray into impending motherhood puts her finally in a position of control, as she defies Edward’s wishes and directs her own fate.                                        

What does all this mean for teachers and parents when addressing our teens and tweens? Firstly, comparisons between Buffy and Bella are inevitable  (Nicol, 2011), and can be used to highlight changes in norms, individual choice and situational pressures for students. Secondly, for educators, using Buffy and Twilight to illustrate parallels in social studies , civil consciousness and moral understanding can be helpful  in establishing interest and an identification point for a teenage student population (Jarvis, 2001).  Understanding concepts within an environment similar to their  own world helps establish relevance for young people  when grappling with life’s lessons.  

Winchell (2010) describes using Buffy the Vampire Slayer in lessons to illustrate feminism, conflict, gender relations and sexuality. Using specific episodes designed to illustrate learning points, activities and discussion is structured around analysis and comparison with other texts.  As a comparison, the Twilight movies can be used to analyse different reactions to similar teen issues such as sexual desire and appropriate reactions. Jarvis (2001) indicates the strong relation that the teen horror genre has, with the fear of sexuality and feelings of forbidden love and pleasure.  Both Buffy and Bella experience this in their stories, both being defined by the acts of their bodies and both grappling with the consequences .  This can be used as an excellent teaching and discussion point surrounding gender relations  sexual maturity and women’s rights. Even domestic violence issues can be discusses using the case of Bella’s insistence in Breaking Dawn in engaging in violent sex with Edward once they are married, despite the battering she receives (Nicol, 2011).  

The learning potential for educators when using the celluloid vampire in classrooms does not end with feminist theory and gender relations, but can encompass other study areas such as non verbal communication, science (how are the supernatural forces plausibly explained?) and religious narratives. As a result, far from dismissing these teen horror films and programs as phases or fads, the potential of their use in classrooms should be harnessed by more teachers with a view to engaging and reaching their student body.

References

Gottlieb, A, (2002).  Buffy’s Angels,  Metroactive.com. Retrieved October 10 2011: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/09.26.02/buffy1-0239.html

Jarvis, C. (2001). School is Hell: Gendered fears in teenage horror, Educational Studies, 27 (3). Retrieved October 9 2011: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03055690120076538

Kreider, J. A., Winchell, M.K. (2010). Introduction, Buffy in the Classroom : Essays on Teaching with the Vampire Slayer. McFarland.

Merskin, D. (2011). A boyfriend to Die For: Edward Cullen as Compensated Psychopath in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, Journal of Communication Inquiry, 35(2). Retrieved October 12 2011: http://jci.sagepub.com/cont4ent/35/2/157

Nayar, P.(2010) . How to domesticate a vampire: gender, blood relations and sexuality in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.(Critical essay), Nebula,7(3). NobleWorld.  Retrieved October 10 2011 : http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-238653765.html

Nicol, R. (2011). When you kiss me I want to die: Arrested Feminism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Twilight Series. In Anatol, G. L. (ed), Bringing Light to Twilight : Perspectives on a Pop Culture Phenomenon. Palgrave Macmillan. E-book.

Stevens, D. (2008). Review of Twilight, Cute vegetarian vampires in the Pacific Northwest, Slate, November 20. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2008/11/twilight.html.

Winchell, M. (2010). Whedon takes the Scary out of Feminism. In Kreider, J. A., Winchell, M.K. (eds.), Buffy in the Classroom : Essays on Teaching with the Vampire Slayer. McFarland.