Posts Tagged ‘LAMPcamp’

The LAMP’s August Illuminations

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

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The LAMP Illuminations
August 2010

News from The LAMP!
In July, we wrapped up two sessions of LAMPcamp, one in Brooklyn with the Prospect Park Y at the Park Slope Armory and another with the Mount Hope Housing Company in The Bronx. And, Education Director Dr. Katherine Fry traveled to Ludwigsberg, Germany for the “Culture and Education: An International Survey” conference sponsored by the Department of Culture and Media Education at the University of Ludwigsberg. While there, she delivered a presentation on The LAMP’s media literacy efforts in New York City as a microcosm of other media literacy efforts throughout the United States.

Through the month of August, The LAMP continues its Saturday workshops with Mount Hope. To learn more about these workshops and the most recent LAMPcamp sessions, keep up with the LAMPpost blog and be sure to check out our Flickr page and YouTube channels as we continue to post student work.

Spotlight: Sabine Gruffat and Bill Brown, creators of Bike Box
The LAMPpost’s newest blogger Sarah Brown sat down with Sabine Gruffat and Bill Brown.  Together, Gruffat and Brown created an iPhone application called Bike Box which turns a typical bike ride into a multimedia experience of personal narrative and local history. Brown spoke with them about what motivated them to build the application, the challenges involved, contributing artists and much more. Check it out!

Highlight: LAMP t-shirts!
The LAMP is proud to present its very first t-shirt! Available in crew neck or v-neck, these short-sleeved grey American Apparel shirts include The LAMP logo on the front and our slogan and website on the back. The shirts are sponsored by our good friends at CustomInk.com, so when you buy a t-shirt, your money goes to support our programs and students. E-mail us today if you’d like to buy a shirt!
To help us continue our services as New York City’s only nonprofit organization giving free media literacy workshops to parents, youth and educators, please consider a small tax-deductible donation. Your donation goes to work immediately supporting workshop equipment, supplies, and administrative and facilitator fees.


Check out The LAMP on News 12!

News 12 stopped by The Bronx for a segment on LAMPcamp, and spoke with teachers and students about the program. Watch the clip and see for yourself!



Gaslight:
August
in Media History

August shares landmark anniversaries for news coverage, film and literature. Learn more in August’s gaslight!

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LAMPers look at gender, narrative and more in media, plus first LAMPcamp pics!

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Click for more photos!

As LAMPcamp wraps up its first full week, LAMPers have explored media in their own neighborhood, looked at how gender is portrayed in media, explored how narratives are used to construct a message, got into the basics of podcasting and began their own short-form documentary video projects. Click here for the first pictures available from LAMPcamp in Brooklyn, and read on for Brooklyn facilitator Lorenzo Tijerino’s account of Day 4:

“Today went well. We began with a screening of three documentaries;  two were student-produced documentaries and one was from Rooftop Films. The students responded strongly to the documentary featuring Merlin, the boy in the pink scarf. The LAMPers discussed their feelings and impressions regarding gender roles and stereotypes. The third film was about a female fan of hip hop and her response to the objectification of woman in music videos. This led into a discussion about the responsibility of the viewer and the role that we all play in propagating negative imagery.

The LAMPers completed a worksheet on the language of documentaries. We discussed docs as stories and the role that the camera plays in telling the story. The children were able to identify various shots used in the doc, as well as viewpoints that were not included in the story.

We then got to work on creating our own documentaries. The LAMPers were asked to choose between gender roles or advertising or a combination of the two. Once the kids chose their subject matter they got to work on developing the structure of their docs and creating questions for interview subjects.

Before long, LAMPers were out on the street asking the hard-hitting questions. They returned to base just in time for lunch. Tomorrow they’ll get started on the editing process armed with technical skills they picked up over the course of the week.”

LAMPcamp 2010: Day One

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Click here for the video!

Yesterday marked the first day of LAMPcamp 2010, running concurrently in the Bronx with the Mount Hope Housing Company and in Brooklyn at the Park Slope Armory with the Prospect Park YMCA!

In The Bronx, News 12 stopped by to interview LAMP students and teachers for a video segment on LAMPcamp. Click here to check it out!

Brooklyn LAMPcamp also got off to a fantastic start. In the words of lead facilitator Lorenzo Tijerina:

“The group was, as expected, very boisterous and lively and eager to get started. We began with the entrance survey, which everyone filled out. We moved on to to viewing commercials and got to use the fancy new projector, which I love by the way. We got the kids talking by showing them a few sensational videos involving BP and the World Cup, asking them to describe the purpose of these commercials in their own words. They had a great understanding of the intent and techniques used by the advertisers. We also showed them a re-cut BP commercial on YouTube and they were very excited about the idea of expressing opinion through satire and video.

We introduced the class to some of the vocabulary of persuasion, and with the help of the facilitators they really seemed to get it. By the halfway point we moved into the first exercise, the Media Scavenger Hunt. We ended up with about 16 kids, which allowed us to divide them up pretty evenly into four groups. I stayed behind while the kids hit the streets with the YMCA staff and the other facilitators. Katherine, Chrissy, Scott and Mike all agreed that the children were calm and well-behaved outside, but still excited about the exercise.

The children videotaped their findings, paying particular attention to ads that are not supposed to be directed at them, such as alcohol and cigarette advertisements. They did describe many of these ads as being very colorful and attention grabbing. This led into a discussion about their interest in these products, peer pressure and the glamorization of adulthood.

Finally, at the end of the class I went around with a Flip camera and got to know everyone. Then, everyone signed my cast and we called it a day.”

Stay tuned for more LAMPcamp news!

The LAMP is in the New York Daily News!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Reporter Clem Richardson spoke with D.C. Vito, Katherine Fry and Emily Long about LAMPcamp and why media literacy is so important. Be sure to check out the article online, or in the print edition of today’s paper!

Save the Date, Brooklyn Tech, Phishing Confessional–News from The LAMP!

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

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The LAMP Illuminations
April 2010
In This Issue
Spotlight: Meredith Summs, MOUSE Program Manager
Highlight: A Cautionary Tale
Gaslight: April in Media History

News from The LAMP!
BTHS logoThis week, The LAMP completed its first collaboration with Rooftop Filmsand Brooklyn Technical High School. As part of their criminal justice major, students looked at how one capital punishment case was reported differently in a documentary by Rooftop Films, a print newspaper and a television news show.

The LAMP has been busy booking LAMPcamp sessions and other summer workshops, but it’s not too late if you or your organization would like to host a summer program! Check out our LAMPcamp videos, and email us or call 718-789-8170 for more information!

Spotlight: Meredith Summs, MOUSE Program Manager
Meredith SummsThis month we interviewed Meredith Summs, the inspiring and vivacious program manager at MOUSE, a technology and education non-profit The LAMP has collaborated with on several occasions. Learn moreabout her journey from media consumer to producer to educator, and the origins of her popular blog, Never Slap The Gift Donkey.

Highlight: A Cautionary Tale
apple ipadThis month, Communications Director Emily Long wrote on The LAMPpost about her embarrassing turn as the victim of an online scam. It’s important to remember that even the most web-savvy people can still make mistakes. Check out “How I (unwittingly) spammed everyone I know”and spread the word to friends and family so the same thing doesn’t happen to them.
To help us continue our services as New York City’s only nonprofit organization giving free media literacy workshops to parents, youth and educators, please consider a small tax-deductible donation. Your donation goes to work immediately supporting workshop equipment, supplies, and administrative and facilitator fees.

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The LAMP will not share or sell your email address.  Period.

Save the Date!

cherries_and_hearts_cupcakes_photosculpture-p1531287778711587743s98_400  by thelampnyc, on Flickr

On Tuesday, June 8, The LAMP will hold its first fundraising event at Brooklyn’s Double Windsor!  Stay tuned for details on an evening of sweet treats, delicious drinks and surprises to support The LAMP and kick off your summer!



Gaslight:
April
in Media History

April is a huge month in film history–in fact, the movie industry might not exist without the innovations celebrated in this month’s Gaslight!
Zoetrope
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News from The LAMP! Our February Illuminations Newsletter

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

The LAMP Illuminations
February 2010
In This Issue
Spotlight: Chesley Andrews, The LAMP’s Web Designer
Highlight: “Digital Nation” Reviewed
Gaslight: February in Media History

News from The LAMP!
LAMPcampThe LAMP is all set for its spring programs with Rooftop Filmsand Brooklyn Technical High School, as well as PS 107 and other pilot workshops. We’ve also been working on our library of free LAMPlit resource guides, as we’ve put out a revised version of Beginner’s Guide to Going Online and recently published Check Out the News!, our guide to basic news literacy. Visit our Resources page to download both of them for free today!

And, it’s the perfect time to schedule LAMPcamp–The LAMP’s media literacy summer intensive launched last summer for teens. Check out our LAMPcamp videos, and email us or call 718-789-8170 for more information!

Spotlight: Chesley Andrews, The LAMP’s Web Designer
ChesleyThis month, we interviewed Chesley Andrews, web designer for The LAMP. Last summer she took on the daunting task of overhauling our website, and launched her own studio,Dossier. We talked to her about her inspiration, how she approaches her projects and the business of web design.Click here for the interview!

Highlight: “Digital Nation” Reviewed

Digital NationOn February 2nd, PBS Frontlinepremiered “Digital Nation,” the follow-up to writer/producer Rachel Dretzin’s “Growing Up Online” (Douglas Rushkoff also shares writer/producer credit here). Emily Long, The LAMP’s Communications Director, wrote about the documentary on The LAMPpost, plus her “compelling review” caught the eye of HASTAC. DId you watch “Digital Nation”? Tell us your thoughts on The LAMPpost!

To help us continue our services as New York City’s only nonprofit organization giving free media literacy workshops to parents, youth and educators, please consider a small tax-deductible donation. Your donation goes to work immediately supporting workshop equipment, supplies, and administrative and facilitator fees.

Join Our Mailing List

The LAMP will not share or sell your email address.  Period.

Vote for The LAMP on Change.org!

As part of Change.org’s Ideas for Change in Americacontest, The LAMP has proposed an increase funding for media literacy programming which would support our work in New York City and lead the way for similar funding in other cities.Vote for The LAMP, and help us make it to the final round for meaningful media literacy funding. Vote now!
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Gaslight:
February
in Media History

In honor of Black History Month, The LAMP dedicatesFebruary’s Gaslight to African American pioneers in journalism.
Cartoon
Connect with The LAMP on:

LAMP delicious
LAMP SU
LAMP YouTube
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Explore our website!

Spotlight: Video Artist Kristin Trethewey

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Kristin Trethewey

Kristin Trethewey

This month, we interview video artist and LAMPcamp volunteer Kristin Trethewey. Read on to learn why media literacy and art are tied together…

Favorite Blogs: Thinkthinkthinkwhywhywhy (because a little self promotion never hurts) Cakewrecks (because I’m a bit of a foodie) and Kitschykoomag (this is a friend from Calgary who is a great advocate of young hip art and culture)

Favorite websites: Etsy, Moment Factory, Ubu, Rhizome

How did you get involved with LAMPcamp? Daniela Capistrano, a media savvy journalist in Brooklyn, put me in touch with the team knowing a bit about my own interest in media and video production.

What was your favorite part of LAMPcamp? Definitely the time we spent making the movies with the YMCA campers.
How would you describe your work as an artist? Interdisciplinary, collaborative, electronic, video, performance and installation would all be keywords in a tagline.

As a multimedia artist, do you think that your work is at all influenced by “big media?” That’s an interesting question that I think is hard to answer. I wouldn’t say on a conscious level that I am, but I also wouldn’t say politics influence my work. I think when you are talking about such large entities its hard to say that you aren’t influenced by them. You really can’t help being a product of them.
Do you think someone who has been through media literacy training would view your work differently from someone who has not? Sure. I studied cultural studies in my undergraduate degree and culminating an awareness of media literacy completely changes your perspective of visual, mediated cultural content.

Catch our ED in an interview about LAMPcamp

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Ypulse Interview: D.C. Vito, The LAMP

Posted by meredith on 07-23-2009

Today’s Ypulse Interview is with D.C. Vito, Executive Director for The LAMP. An organization after our own heart, the LAMP [the Learning About Multimedia Project] is a Brooklyn-based non-profit dedicated to addressing the lack of media literacy in New York city schools and helping educators and parents to better engage in a dialogue.

This summer, as an extension of that mission, the team launched LAMPcamp, a four day program at a local YMCA designed to help tween campers explore the influence of advertising and the ways gender was represented in media. I spoke with DC to find out more.

Ypulse: How does LAMPcamp fit in to LAMP’s vision of media literacy? What was the inspiration for extending the project into a summer camp?

D.C.: It fits perfectly into our vision of media literacy because we’re tackling several forms of media (video, print, texting, comic books, music videos, documentaries, social networks) and trying to break them apart for our LAMPers. From the very beginning when Katherine and I formed The LAMP, we had always envisioned a summer camp. You can really accomplish a great deal when you have the students entrenched in a concentrated exploration of media literacy. And because we were able to break it into girls- and boys-only sections for some of the lessons, we were really able to expand on issues of gender representation, reinforcement and manipulation in the media – which is one of our major goals.

YP: What was the process for coming up with the curriculum of LAMPcamp? What did you want “LAMPers” to take away from the session?

D.C.: We took existing curricula we’ve used for previous workshops and tailored it for the age group and time we had to work with. Katherine was very intent on making the curricula flexible with both our different media presenters (one on each day) as well as with the LAMPers themselves. We really wanted them to feel like this was their project too, and that they had a voice in the direction. As a result, they came away with much more, and explored media and gender in ways that were new for them. Not only did the LAMPers gain a deeper understanding of how comics, music videos, documentaries and other media are constructed, but they also examined how all these media influence the way they see the world, and how media impact their every day lives. When the students stopped to really look at the media in their neighborhood, they were completely surprised by how many media messages exist on just one block.

YP: Could you describe one or two highlights from the session?

D.C.: We had a discussion about texting, but instead of raising their hands to ask a question, the LAMPers could also submit one via text. They sent questions to DC that they might have been embarrassed to ask in front of the group, and the result was a really honest discourse about texting–its benefits, detriments and their opinions of its place in their life.

The video projects they completed by the end of the week were also extraordinary. The other LAMPcamp leaders and I were really impressed, touched and humbled by their quick learning, their talent and their voices. Once we provided the forum, the kids took the reins and ran with it.

YP: How did you define the benchmarks of success? Did you feel like they were met? What, if any, challenges did you encounter?

D.C.: What we really wanted [Lampers] to understand is the notion of different mediums and how they affect you differently depending on what media you’re involved with. It’s all constructions. In terms of our ultimate goal, we’re not trying to create future filmmakers or future journalists but savvy media consumers, future critics who can ask worthwhile questions.

As far as what we could do better, the kids said in their evaluation they thought we talked too much. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we grabbed them as soon as they were there early in the morning. Once they were engaged though, it didn’t seem to be an issue.

…We definitely need more time, not just exploring video projects. We don’t want to spend all of our time on just one media…Video is a completely different influence than just sound and just print. Once these principles become clear, it’s a lot easier to stay sharp about what they see and hear.

YP: What would you like to see happen at next year’s LAMPcamp? For LAMP in general?

D.C.: Mostly, we want more time. The kids had so much more they wanted to do with us, and we had a lot of other ideas for guest speakers and projects where they can make more of their own media besides the videos they did. We would like LAMPcamp to help us meet the demand we receive for our workshops during the school year, and allow us to expand to serve more communities. Pretty much, the answer is just more.

See Also: The LAMPcamp Flickr page

LAMPcamp – Day three

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

We’d built up so much momentum with the excitement our LAMPers had shown for the video projects, that we found ourselves as we prepared for Day 3 pulling back on our plans to explore digital media. We created a completely closed and private social network for LAMPcamp on ning.com where our LAMPers would be able to post their own pics, video, music, where they could chat and even start discussion topics – all completely within the confines of the relatively safe environs of LAMPcamp. With only a day left for us with them, we decided that we didn’t have enough time to really explore this like we’d hoped. Nonetheless, we still invited all of them to the LAMPcamp ning, as well as spoke about it at the beginning of the discussion. And then, we flipped the entire LAMPcamp on its head.

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D.C. asked the LAMPers again if they remembered to bring their cellphones. Like an excited crowd rushing through the opening gates of a brand new amusement park, the LAMPers quickly shuffled into their backpacks, pockets and purses retrieving their favored devices. Holding them at the ready, the LAMPers waited to see why we had prepped them so much for this moment. D.C. explained to them that he wanted them to text him any question they wanted to ask him, and if he felt the question would benefit the group as a whole, he would read it out loud. The person who asked the question would remain completely anonymous.

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Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, and we’re certain that if we hadn’t logged the many hours already with the LAMPers, this exercise wouldn’t have worked the way that it did. As it was, we’d developed relationships with them, started conversations and narratives which was reflected in the dozens and dozens of questions D.C. received on his phone.

All told, in a period of 15 minutes, over 45 questions were sent to D.C.’s phone. Some of them silly, some of them revealing and some of them very, excitingly poignant. For the most part, they were read out loud. Those that D.C. felt were too private and deserved a private response, were replied to directly by D.C. with a text.

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Following here is a sample of the questions from the LAMPers (all spelling and grammar kept in context):
- “Do u like catherine?” (Katherine Fry – Our Education Director and LAMP co-Founder with D.C.)
- “Do you think kids in this generation text way to much”
- “r u married?” (Specifically, asked to D.C.)
- “Are u a happi person?”
- “Do you likee beinq heree ?”
- “How many dates did u go on” (with some clarification, this question was referring to how many dates he went on with his wife before they got married)
- “Do you like to live inn ny? If so why? :)
- “Is yur wife hot” (also directed at D.C.)
- “Why are we doing this?”
- “How long have you been married??”
- “Do u like 2 fart in a bag and then smell it ? (It was decided that this was not appropriate to read out loud and was only meant to cause a stir)
- “Wat is yor favorite color”
- “Do you find LAMP boring?”
- “What did u do in skool wen u were little??
- “Has someone sent ya a text that ever sacred you?” (“scared” not “sacred”)
- “should there be a cutoff time for texting like a bedtime fot texting”
- “If you had kids, would you let them text as much as we do?”

Throughout this texting exercise, we continued to have a discussion about their texting habits, how they felt it benefitted them/damaged them, how they viewed their parent’s involvement in their cyber lives, and how unsafe they felt overall. Universally, they all agreed they texted too much. That said, they didn’t think this was necessarily a bad thing. When pressed, they found themselves often bored, and having a constant jingle in their pocket of a quick quip from a friend made them feel more grounded and connected with their world. They also agreed that they didn’t understand nor appreciated the ban on cellphones in school.

As the questions rolled in, some of them were asked out loud to the LAMPers, which would shape the discussion, leading to more questions sent via text. It’s our finding that texting isn’t just something they do in order to avoid face-to-face communication, but it’s also something they are very good at. It’s very natural to send their thoughts, emotions and opinions out into the ether. We noticed since we allowed them to use their devices while we chatted, they didn’t become more withdrawn, but in fact more relaxed – more themselves. These devices are very much a part of how they connect with the world and retract from it. They stayed even more engaged in the discussion than they did the previous days. Things did not roil into chaos as it might’ve, but in fact stayed very organic and fluid.

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One of the most surprising responses to a question we asked was the overwhelming “Yes!” when we asked if they felt they should be able to use their mobile devices in class, especially on tests in order to look up answers to a question ( An aside: Here lies an incredibly interesting conundrum. As it is understood, not everything on the Internet is accurate, just like asking their buddy for the answer, the kids understood that the answers they might find online would also be false. We thought this would be an excellent exercise in media literacy).

We were very grateful for the opportunity to explore this kind of learning environment, and though we only got to dip for a few minutes into this digital pool, it was incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.

Tomorrow, LAMPers get treated to a presentation by a renowned comic book artist for DC Comics and the completion of our media projects. We’re really looking forward to seeing how things look as we wrap LAMPcamp up, but are saddened we only get this short period of time to work with everyone.

LAMPcamp – Day two

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Daniela_5

We opened our 2nd day of camp with a presentation from Daniela Capistrano. The LAMPers immediately lit up when she told them she worked for MTV News. She was gracious enough to answer some questions about their favorite shows, celebrities and musicians – and even a tough question (“How and why do they come up with all the spin-off shows?”). She spent the majority of her presentation telling our LAMPers about other great organizations in New York City (Ghetto Film School, Starting Artists, and The Point) that allow youth to explore their creative aspirations in media careers.

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Many hands went up when she asked who would like to have a job working in the various media. Thanks so much, Daniela, for your presentation and your help throughout LAMPcamp.

We then broke back up into our Girls and Boys camps, allowing us to pursue some very incredible dialogue about issues that impact their respective gender and how the various media they encounter reinforce, define and propogate these issues.

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I was with the boys, so i can only report on what it was we did. Our main male LAMPcamp counselor put together an incredible media montage of various video and images that really got the discussion rolling. Images of Mike Tyson contrasted with Michael Jackson, or Christopher Reeves in his ‘Superman’ uniform with images of him in his wheelchair after his accident, or Wesley Snipes all muscled out as the main character in the movie “Blade” next to an image of Mr. Snipes in drag in the movie “To Wong Foo”.

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We asked our boys “What makes a man?” And a fantastic discussion grew from there, as they talked about their own experiences and opinions and openly addressed topics that in other circumstances wouldn’t be comfortable to tackle (i.e. boys who want to dress up like girls). Some of it was received with laughter, some of it with some very serious tones – but all of it was simply a thrill to be a part of as afterward the LAMPers declared how much fun and educational that was.

We then broke out into our smaller groups and started working again on our group media topics. These projects are really going to be fantastic as we can see how the discussion on gender really is going to play out in them.

Some of the more profound moments from the 2nd day:
- It was declared that most of the boys weren’t comfortable with seeing two guys kiss (that it somehow made them less of a man), but thought there was an incredible double-standard that it seems so socially acceptable if two girls were to embrace (which had no impact on how they were viewed as women).

- After just shooting two takes of one shot for their “Thriller” tribute video, the LAMPers declared “Man, if it takes this long just to do two shots for a 5 minute video, no wonder movies take so long to get made and are so expensive.”

- Going through some camera tricks to show them how they can get some cool effects, one LAMPer said,”You’re gonna ruin all the illusions of movies for me.”

Tomorrow, we’re going to chat about their mobile devices, their digital lives and the best practices for how to have a positive online, digital experience. We hope to go into more detail about the private social network we created for LAMPcamp and how we want this to go beyond the completion of LAMPcamp at the end of the week.

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