Week 7 Reflection

This week I decided to play with a few different tools: Discord, Parlay, and Rumble. I previously used Discord for a Japanese Language and Anime group I joined. We mostly used it for event organization and communication between members. Other than this, I rarely used the platform. So, I was happy to get chance to visit the platform again. Upon looking through the communities, I found some language study groups that incorparate a variety of study options for the members. A popular Korean Language teacher, Go Billy, utilizes the different rooms in the community to offer different options. For example, there is a room for Youtube videos and media resources, another for Korean speaking practice, one for writing practice, and another for general questions. I also found a Sign Lanaguage group that had a room where the members played a game called "What's That Sign". A member posts a video or picture of a sign, then the others have to correctly identify the meaning of the sign in the photo. This often leads to members discussing how to properly position or make specific motions with the hands while making the sign. Parlay, was also quite interesting. I liked how it is able to create discusssion and lessons plans by grade level. It also functions as a chat platform for students. I imagine this would be extremely helpful for teachers and would save them a lot of time lesson planning. I wish I knew about this platform when I was teaching English in Korea. It would have be a huge help as a new teacher. Rumble. I don't have much to say about this platform. It is meant to be an alternative to Youtube that has less restrictions and allows more creators to monetize their channels. It functions the same as Youtube, however, Rumble allows users to directly connect their Youtube and social media plaforms to their account. This allows creators to repost their Rumble videos to other outlets, saving them time re-uploading content. I really like the idea behind this platform especially since it addresses issues that many users complain about, but there aren't nearly as many users on the platform. I think this would be a major hurdle when trying to build an audience.

Kpop Demon Hunters

Last week the animated movie Kpop Demon Hunters was released on Netflix. Since its release, I've been seeing so many videos and advertizements for it on social media; Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. When I first heard of the movie's concept, I thought it would be really silly, but I really enjoyed it! The care and attention to detail for each character was very evident. As someone who spent some time in Korea, I noticed a lot of familiar items and references throughout the movie such as the food they were eating, the traditional clothing used for the demons and even the curly perms all of the old ladies wear. I was very impressed. Even the music and choreography was on point. I noticed that one song in particular has gone viral: "Soda Pop" by the Saja Boys. So many people are doing their own dance covers for this one song from the movie. The song is as cutesy as the name suggests, but it has captured the hearts of Kpop fans across the globe.

Week 6 Reflection

This week's assignments and reading focused on networked knowledge activities. These are knowledge-building activities that are done within the context of social media. There are 6 different types of networked knowledge activities: Collect Curate Share Broker Negotiate Construct Social media nowadays offers a variety of tools that enable users to do more than share photos. Many social media platforms allow users to curate playlists and news feeds, subscribe to pages, and share photos and videos with ease. Platforms today enable people to customize what they see and who they share their information with. This presents new opportunities for instructors to present students information in a more personalized environment.It also presents opportunities for learners to interact with their peers and instructors in a more casual and natural way. I instantly think of using Google Docs with my classmates to organize class projects, or using Pinterest as a vision board. Youtube is also a gold mine for countless music playlists for every occassion. Social media offers so many possibilities. We just need to be creative and open to its potential.

Ballet Advice

Today on Reddit someone posted a ballet pointe shoe fitting in r/Ballet. The dancer posted the video because she was concerned that the shoes given to her weren't a good fit. She said she went to a professional fitter, but she did not get to try on many options. She said she tried on 4 pairs, but the try-on for the 4th pair was rushed. The fitter gave her the pair in the video. She said her teachers also saw the shoes and approved them. But, my gosh! The shoes were horrendous! Pointe shoes are the ballet shoes that allow the dancer to dance on her toes. There's a solid block that wraps around the toes that enables the dancer to balance on her toes ("en pointe"). To dance en pointe safely, the dancer must have strong ankels and able to balance her weight evenly across the box of the shoes. This was not the case in the video. Her left foot sickled so she was standing on the corner of one shoe. The shoes were also too lose; there was a lot of space in the back. In pointe, the shoes must be a bit snug so that the dancer is well supported. Shoes that are too loose, are dangerous and unstable. Several people commented on the post stating that that the shoes are a terrible fit for her. Several also commented that the vamp, the front of the shoe was too long and would sink into the shoe, which is also dangerous. Some said that she should talk to her teacher, and with a weak ankle, she really should not dance in pointe shoes at this time. She needs to stregnthen that ankle. Many people like to give Reddit flack because of "toxic behavior" within communities. But some subreddits like r/Ballet are quite helpful. People in the community give helpful advice and do not shame others for where they are in their journey. There is a risk of misinformation. Some people may unintentionally give bad advice, but I think in this case, Reddit users came through and gave very sound advice. I am surprised a professional fitter gave the okay for her to buy those shoes. They were a terrible fit!

Instagram Dance Lessons

During the pandemic, many dancers turned to providing online lessons to supplement their income. I recall taking a week-long series of lessons from a Georgian dancer. She was providing lessons on how to play with finger cymbols. The way she organized these lessons was different from what I previously experienced at the time. This person advertised her lessons in normal instagram posts and request participants to send her a private message to sign up. After registering, she sent me a link to a private video. This was the first video in the series. Each day she sent a new video for participants to view. Each video built on the previous until the final video at the end of the week. During the week, participants were allowed to comment on the video to ask questions. On the last day, the participant is expected to play along through a full-legnth song using the technique learned in the videos. OOnce completed, we were given certificates of completion and were allowed to download the videos.

Using Facebook as a Dance Instructor

As a dance instructor and troupe leader, I often used Facebook to manage the the troupe and any training content that my students may have needed. Facebook was an ideal platform for class communication. The majority of my students and troupe members already had Facebook. If they did not, they eventually realized that in Tallahassee, people rely on Facebook to stay in the loop about events and happenings in the city. So, they end up signing up for a Facebook account. On Facebook I would regularly post class updates and cancellations on my profile. Students and troupe members also often contacted me through Facebook messenger. It was a very convieient way to contact me. I was very active on Facebook through my computer, so they knew I'd reply right away, whereas I sometimes would forget my phone, so it would take some times before I'd see calls or messages on my phone. I also made a private Facebook group just for troupe and student access. In the froup, I created folders for class videos and troupe choreography. I also created pages for class contacts, location, and payment information. I wanted it to be a one-stop shop for all the information they needed. If they couldn't reach me immediately, they could go to the group page for information or ask other troupe members.I Facebook groups also allow members to create polls. This came in handy to receive feedback from group members about group activities or any decisions needed to be made. For example, if I receive an invitation to perform at an events, I would check how many people are availible to perform at that event. I'd then share that number with the event organizer, so they know what to expect. Facebook Groups allow members to share a variety of files including, text files (doc, docx, pdf), audio files (mp3, wma), and video files (mp4, avi, wmv). Users may also post sharable links to videos and audio via Youtube. Posting links to videos in the group gave each member and opportunity to practice at home on their own. I noticed that without access to the videos, the ladies would forget the choreography, thus slowing our progress during each rehearsal. With the videos, they were more prepared, and rehearsal went more smoothly. Using Facebook as a learning platform worked very well. It was convieient for everyone and easily accessible. It allowed to to customize the platform to meet our needs. Best of all, it was FREE! I'm currently not teaching lessons, but if I did, I'd use this approach again... As long as it's free.

Week 5 Reflection

This week, I've been reading a lot about AI. Whether we like it or not, AI is a part of our reality. Since it's release, my thoughts about AI have shifted quite a bit. In the beginning I was very much anti-AI. As an artist, I was very concerned about the ethics of its use and how it produces content. Many of those concerns still linger. Many people online on various social media platforms complain about AI bot accounts or people displaying AI generated content and claiming it is theirs. There are a plethora of issues we have yet to resolve. Though I still feel these concerns are still valid, I have recently come to accept AI and appreciate its uses when done properly and ethically. AI has helped me to overcome hurdles in several personal projects. I've used it to brainstorm ideas and have learned new skills with its help. At work, we are encouraged to use AI to make tight deadlines. It doesn't have to be the boogieman, but only if it is used properly and ethically.