My First Exposure to Vlogs & Digital Mapping

MY REVIEW OF THE WALLSTRIP VLOG "THE HOLLYWOOD RECESSION"

I found a vlog series that seems to take advantage of the fact that it is on the Internet. Keep in mind, I don't have cable television, so a vlog with a few swear words and suggestive images gets easy laughs from me! There was no warning, however, that the content was adult-oriented. Perhaps they felt buffeted from young eyes because the theme of the vlog series is investing.

Called Wallstrip (a play on Wall Street with "strip" implying both a comic strip or digital short and a cheap laugh with an opening montage of a streaker being arrested), this vlog takes serious topics and gives an edgy twist to them. The particular vlog post I am reviewing is called "Hollywood Recession." http://www.bnet.com/2422-17910_23-214175.html

I liked how this post used visuals to create plays on the vlogger's words. For example, in discussing the recession, the vlogger talks about being stuck under a pile of bills. The over-her-shoulder visual (think evening news or Saturday Night Live's fake news) to support her point is an NFL player being tackled by a crowd of Buffalo Bills players. Another clever visual was a reference to an Arctic cruise that showed Tom Cruise lying amid a phalanx of penguins. The vlogger's jokes and the visuals fly by pretty quickly, so the viewer must stay alert. I liked this fast-paced style of humor. It kept me intently interpreting the visuals and gleefully anticipating the next pun. It reminded me of the "how to" videos we watched on youtube where the hand-drawn pictures animated the speaker's words. Except this vlog was "laugh out loud" funny.

This vlog seems to have young, affluent web users as its audience. The vlogger is young, and the jokes are fast enough to appeal mostly to those "quick on their...brains." Since it's an investing vlog with Wall Street at its heart, it could be aiming even more specifically for a New York investment community audience. CBS appears to be behind the vlog, so the vlog might be aiming for a subset of the CBS Marketwatch investment news followers. Sort of like a Daily Show take on investing news.

MY FIRST VLOG

I did not attempt to replicate the successes of the vlog above. In my first vlog attempt I took 3 takes to achieve an acceptable vlog. What was wrong with the first two? The first one did not have the top of my head in it (some might consider that an improvement rather than a detriment--defer your judgment until you watch my vlog); the second attempt was interrupted by a thirsty spouse.

I kept it relatively spontaneous. No script. No rehearsal (except two bad takes). In fact, the third contained content not found in the "outtakes" (which I deleted rather than offered as "extras").

If my vlog does not show up below (it has been cranky today), you can either view it on the Ning or by following this link: http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/embed/44263

FINAL PROJECT IDEA DIGITAL MAP

Below is the digital map I have created to represent an idea for my final project. I am contemplating a faculty in-service training that is a "greatest hits" of this class. The benefit I see for users of digital maps (mine is from bubbl.us) is relational. I have typically been an outliner, but the digital map allowed me to show relationships that would be challenging and confusing with an outline. In particular, if you look at my map below, you'll see that my presentation will have two main points:

1. Organizing the web
2. Blogs

However, look at the blog bubble and you'll see that while it is a main point of the presentation, it is also a subpoint of RSS feeds, which is a subpoint to main topic Organizing the web? Sound confusing? That's the beauty of digital mapping: the map communicates the relationship better than traditionally written formats. This type of idea mapping tool would be equally beneficial for students and instructors to show relationships of ideas. They can make bubbles of key terms first--and then make connections to organize, re-organize, show relationships. Having students make the digital map and then create an outline--and vice versa--would be useful to give them strategies for organizing ideas. They can see which approach they prefer or could use each (or both) as desired. Some of the digital mapping tools will make an outline out of a user's map, though I think there is value in having students learn to translate between the two approaches.

Please feel free to comment on my digital map for the faculty in-service. I will be updating it as the class goes on and would appreciate knowing your perception of the relationships between bubbles! (Note: you can manipulate the digital map by clicking + and - to change size, and you can drag the map around to view it better.)