Zooming In http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/ 2005-12-19T15:30:19-05:00 Final Post http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_post_2.html For me, the highlight of this semester was visitting the MFA and writing about the Ansel Adams photos. Going to a museum and seriously studying art is not something that I would do on my own, but I really enjoyed thinking deeper about Adams's work and other works in the museum as well.

One skill that I notice I now have is the inability to look at an image in an advertisement without picking it apart. I do it especially when I'm riding the T. I literally cannot look at the advertisements without trying to figure out what audience the advertisers were trying to appeal to, the signficance of small details in the image, the use of colors, etc...I definitely never thought about these things before taking this class, so it has opened up my eyes in that respect.

This class exposed me to practices that go on in the media, such as the objectification of women, that I knew existed, but gave very little thought to. Watching the movie "Killing Us Softly" made me realize that the objectification of women is a topic that I, as a woman, should have more passion for. My goal for the future is to act more aware of this issue and challenge it more often instead of just accepting it as "the way things are," like I did before this class.

]]> Brenna lcissullivan 2005-12-19T15:30:19-05:00 final post? http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_post_1.html Hello everyone. I'm so upset that I missed the last class and seeing all of your final projects. I heard they were all sooooo wonderful and meaningful, I wish I could have seen them. I don't really know what I'm posting, but based on everyone elses posts I have a general idea. The stellar point in the class for me was doing the final project. It was a break from writing and it was fun, but it opened up my eyes. The final porject topped the cake and it made me finally understand what we actually learnt in these classes. Something that I learnt in this class that has helped me is being able to look at things and take a better meaning from them. A goal for the future is to try and see things in a better light and not to jump to conlcusions so quickly on things like I normally do.

]]> lcisnelson 2005-12-19T13:33:37-05:00 Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/evaluation_4.html Seeing as I'm probably the last one to post.. I completely agree with what everyone else has mentioned thus far...

College is selfish. I often feel detached from the world. I don't read the paper, don't have time to really read news online, and hate the tv news. In a sense, this class was able to integrate current events with the concepts we were talking about. I liked how we were able to free think in class, it made me feel like my thoughts mattered, for once. Everything in class was really great, but the most STELLAR moment would have to be the final projects. I was overcome with so much emotion after the class had ended. It was a good way to see how far each one of us has evolved through our first semester as college students.

I've always been a very opinionated person, but I don't always vocalize what I am thinking. A skill that I have definitely acquired is my ability to express my thoughts and beliefs and justify them better. This class has caused me to think even more outside of the box, and that very important in such an autistic society today.

I hope I take all of this knowledge with me and put it to good use by questioning everything I don't understand, I am a better and more aware person having taken this class.

]]> Lauren lcissearls 2005-12-18T12:22:47-05:00 Hey! http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/hey.html I have no idea what happened! Sorry Everyone!

]]> Emily lcisowens 2005-12-17T13:34:02-05:00 Final Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_evaluatio_1.html I know everyone is saying this, but I think it’s obvious how amazing the final projects were. I was so impressed by everyone’s artistic talents and ability to recognize an identity and think outside of the box to show how words and images can project this identity to society. There were so many projects that made me want to cry. That doesn’t happen in every class.

A skill I have now that I didn’t have before this class was the ability to be confident in my writing and to allow others to critique what I have written.  Blogging was very scary to me at first.  I would spend hours and hours reading over what I wrote, making sure that everything was proper English but still reflected who I am.  Now I still read over what I wrote, but I don’t spend twenty minutes on each sentence fearing that a classmate might be intensely critiquing something I blogged.  I finally realized that no one has enough time to do that.  I still don’t like writing things that other people can read but I’ve gotten over the fear and I can blog with no problem now.

My goal for next semester is to not worry as much about grades but instead to have fun and explore Boston.  I basically played catch-up this entire semester.  Now that I have a new start I’m not going to let myself get behind, but I’m also not going to allow myself to get as stressed as I did.  I didn’t do anything fun in Boston this past semester.  This upcoming semester I want to go to a lot of museums, walk the Freedom Trail and most of all, have fun.

Good Luck Next Semester Everyone! It's Been Fun!

]]> Emily lcisowens 2005-12-17T13:30:56-05:00 My Final Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/my_final_evalua.html I feel like I have learned a lot about communication from these MCC courses. I felt like the courses were based on how people talk to each other and how people interpret something from the way someone speaks or even from a visual image.

I think that the best moment was when we were able to do presentations about movies, and learn how actors are able to portray a certain person. We learned that usually what is portrayed about how a person acts is associated with stereotypes. I thought that it was great how everyone in the class was able to pick up these details from movies and pay attention to what the movie is trying to convey about people. I thought this was the best moment of the class, because everyone was able to present these ideas.

I don't think that I really acquired a new skill while being in this course, but I think that the skills that I already have were strengthened. I feel like I became more skilled in talking in class when I had the will to. When I felt like I had a good point to bring up in class I was able to do it and not feel like anyone would be too critical about my opinion. I felt like my opinion mattered and that other people were listening to what I had to say. I can say that this is one of the skills that I felt became stronger in this course.

Finally, a goal that I have set for myself is to try not to procrastinate with my work. Usually I have a good idea in my mind about a project that I am trying to accomplish, but I always get held back with a lot of other work. I think that I really need to find that balance in my work. When I can be able to do that then I think that my work will be even more effective. Overall this course has been a great experience.

--Yasmin

]]> Yasmin lcisperez 2005-12-16T16:59:12-05:00 Final Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_evaluatio.html Like Christina, my two favorite parts of the class were definitely the doing my final project and watching Crash and writing my analysis on it. I had a lot of fun working on my own final project and also seeing what everyone else had done. I was surprised at some of the other projects that i saw and how personal they were, everyone did such a great job! A skill that I developed in this class was being able to look at something (whether it be a painting or a piece of grass) and really see and examine it. I can now take something apart in a way that I couldn't before. I can describe something in much more detail and analyze some of the tiniest and seemingly most unimportant things. My goal for the future is to try to see things as Annie Dillard wrote about seeing. I want to take more time to look at the little things and life and try to be less focused on just the big picture.

]]> Kathryn lcismardin 2005-12-16T15:59:34-05:00 Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/evaluation_3.html No doubt, my two favorite parts of the course were the Crash analysis and the final project, probably because I was able to relate both of them to each other at the end of the course. Before this class, I had never analyzed a movie in depth. I grew to love looking for every black and white juxtaposition in Crash and wondering what these colors could mean in every scene. This black and white them, as most of you probably know, from my writing, carried throughout the rest of the class. I could not stop thinking about these two colors that represent so many different aspects of our society today. I tried to bring this new way of thinking into my project. I am so thankful for the final project. I was able to express my feelings through images and words. Although no one could ever look at my project and know everything about me, I truly feel that that poster is a representation of my life at this point. The last class was truly empowering. Everyone's projects were done so well--and with so much thought! I was blown away. These projects were definitely a highlight of the class.

I never knew that I could analyze pictures and films or find a deeper meaning in any art. I was told in highschool that I was too logical, too literal, and I probably strayed away from art because of this. Now, I know I can. My future goal is now to explore this newfound area. I truly want to embrace it :)

Great job everyone! -Christina

]]> Christina lcisgancarz 2005-12-16T11:10:38-05:00 Evaluation http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/evaluation_2.html Just like everyone else, I have to agree that the "stellar" moment of the semester for me was seeing everyone's final projects. I was absolutely amazed by the variety of projects and how everyone invested themselves in their project totally and completely. The projects were all extremely different because they all used different mediums, yet they were alike because each focused on something that the author/illustrator/creator was extremely passionate about.

A skill that I have now that I did not have at the beginning of the semester is the ability to analyze and "pick apart" both visual and verbal works. I know so much more now about how the little pieces of visual and verbal works fit together to make a complete "masterpiece". I especially used this skill in regards to Crash, which I thoroughly enjoyed, although now I will "be forced to" analyze many movies I watch. (By the way, did anyone notice that Matt Dillon was nominated for a Golden Globe for Supporting Actor in Crash?)

In the future I hope to be able to apply the same regard and interest to all the areas I study. This class was so effective, I believe, because everything we learned had real world implications. My goal is to search for these in every class I take.

]]> Brenna De lciscotis 2005-12-15T11:13:56-05:00 Final Evaluative Post http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_evaluativ_1.html Even though I am being redundant, I am going to have to say the most significant assignment/activity I did for the class was my final project and seeing others' final projects as well. I was completely blown away by the diversity of them--every single one was completely different in format and presentation and many new statements were made and perspectives formed on the eternally broad concept of identity. Though in the beginning of the school year I was not so enthusiastic about both classes, I did end up liking both. Maybe because in the beginning the transitional phase from high school/"old life" to college was hard on me and I had trouble focusing myself on my academics. But as I learned more about linguistics and visual culture as well as formed relationships and "built a community" (I'll use the corny cliché for lack of better terms now), I enjoyed the classes. I feel smarter from both Talk to Me and Zooming In!! I can think about language and visual images on a deeper level and I find myself always thinking and applying these darn analytical techniques and knowledge wherever I am! It's kind of a curse...

For the future, I am going to continue using this "curse" and viewing language and images more of in a linguist's perspective and seeing images not only at the face value level. I don't know if maybe these classes will influence future career paths I would like to pursue, but I do know that I'd like to take more communications classes and explore the possiblities of my Mac. Talk to Me, I know, will help me with pursuing languages because now I have both the scientific perspective and the cultural awareness of language.

]]> Freya lcisfreya 2005-12-14T20:41:52-05:00 Final Post http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_post.html The most important skill I feel that I've gained from this class is to think in an ABSTRACT way, or "outside of the box". I don't think there's any other way to put it. It has helped me to be more creative in my thinking.

I agree with Jessica that the highlight of the semester was the final project. I was completely blown away by how much thought and talent went into everyone's projects. And since the class is called "Visual Culture" I enjoyed doing a project that was visual! The other part of the class that I loved equally as much was the trip to the MFA and getting the chance to write about art through the context of the class. It helped me apply the concepts to something that I love.

My goal related to Visual Culture is to take this abstract way of thinking and apply it to many aspects of my academic life, and hopefully my future career, as well as to question what I see and what is presented to society.

]]> Ariel lcishagan 2005-12-14T17:54:19-05:00 Final Evaluative Post http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/final_evaluativ.html My favorite part of the class was actually the final project. I would much rather put together a project than write a paper, so I really enjoyed that. I also liked that it was basically open to interpretation, which made it a little hard to get started because there were so many possibilites, but once I had my topic I was all set and I really enjoyed putting it together. I think a skill that I gained over the semester was that I now, after watching Crash, look at movies in a different way. As I watch movies now, I think about why things are in the scene and why the director chose to show this and not that, and I find that very interesting. A goal that I have set for myself in the future is just to look at the world in different views. I hope that I don't take things for granted and that I can see the beauty in everything. I hope that I don't become to preoccupied with life that I miss some stunning sights.

-Jessica F.

]]> JessicaF lcisfaria 2005-12-14T16:12:32-05:00 Last assignment...as promised http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/last_assignment.html IT's almost all over...as you wind down and get ready to relax and rejuvinate, I'd like to ask you for a final evaluative post. Please think back over the semester and describe a stellar moment; a skill that you now have that you didn't when you began the semester; and finally a goal that you have set for yourself for the future .

Peace....

]]> Ellen lcisEllen 2005-12-14T11:07:56-05:00 Response to Yasmin's Question http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/response_to_yas_1.html 1) Why do people decide to code-switch (change one's dialect)in language?

I think that code-switchnig is an effective way to communicate. If you know that a certain type of person speaks a certain way, or expects you to speak a certain way, it is easier and more effective to fit the norms of the situation. A person might drop f-bombs with her friends all the time but when coversing with an adult, hesitates to say "crap". Because of this code-switch, the respect to adults is shown and both people in the conversation are speaking to each other the same way.

]]> lcisowens 2005-12-08T00:00:33-05:00 I Forgot a Title http://my.simmons.edu/lcis/zoom/2005/12/i_forgot_a_titl.html Sorry, the previous entry was my comments and questions for Lisa Delpit "No Kinda Sense"

]]> Emily lcisowens 2005-12-07T23:53:12-05:00