A level media introduction tumblr

Summer 2013

CHEW VALLEY SCHOOL

MEDIA STUDIES A-LEVEL

Introduction to A-Level Media and Blogging

A-Level Media Introduction – Summer 2012

Notes Page

Chew Valley School

A-Level Media Introduction – Summer 2012

Blogging for A Level Media All of your coursework across the A Level Media course is assessed via a blog. This blog should contain all your research, planning, drafts, analysis, audience feedback and completed productions for each element of the coursework.

Setting up your blog You automatically have a blog set up for you using the Tumblr blogging platform. Access to your blog is initially through a central Chew Valley Media hub. Follow the instructions below: 1. Go to www.tumblr.com and click “log in”.

2. Sign in using the email address and password as discussed in the lesson.

3. This sign in will take you to the dashboard for the central hub, which is a blog maintained by me at the address http://chewvalleymedia.tumblr.com/ . This will contain lesson notes, useful resources, links etc.

4. Across the top of the dashboard you will see options to navigate to your own blog’s dashboard as follows:

Your blogs have been set up with addresses consisting of your name followed by the word “media” – for example http://emmymitchellmedia.tumblr.com/

Chew Valley School

A-Level Media Introduction – Summer 2012

5. Clicking on your name will take you to the dashboard where you can post text, photos, links, and videos to your blog. You can also customize the theme and appearance of your blog, but remember to choose a theme which displays all types of post clearly and completely.

6. You should also set up a Tumblr account of your own, which you don’t have to use. This will let you log on to your Media Studies blog using your own details. Whilst logged on as childrew@chewvalleyschool.co.uk, clicking on the “members” option will allow you to invite yourself to be a member of your media blog using the email address you have registered to your personal Tumblr. This will mean that your media blog will appear in your personal Tumblr dashboard, allowing you to post to your media blog without having to log in and out each time. Please do not leave the “chewvalleymedia” hub as this will be required for assessing your work.

Posting to your blog Clicking on one of the posting options across the top of your dashboard will allow you to compose a new post.

Use the HTML button to embed videos from YouTube or other webbased content

Click here to publish or save drafts of posts

Use this box to tag your posts so you and your teachers can find them easily

When adding pictures always use the highest resolution possible

Chew Valley School

A-Level Media Introduction – Summer 2012

Guidelines for blogging Think of the blog a bit like an Art sketchbook or a Technology portfolio. The whole blog will be assessed at the end of the course and should show the development of your skills, knowledge and understanding.

Posts on your media blog should only be related to your media course and should be appropriate for academic assessment.

You should aim to post at least weekly with progress on the work you have been doing. This might be a reflection on what you have learned in your lessons, an update on your coursework, or a commentary on a good television programme, film or music video you have seen.

You can also use the blog to keep notes on important theories and theorists, ideas, concepts, examples and case studies.

Using tags when you post will enable you and your markers to find posts more easily. You could use the tag “Foundation Portfolio” to identify all posts related to your AS coursework, for example, and the tags “Preliminary Task”, “Main Task” and “Ancillary Task” to differentiate between different elements of your coursework. Popular tags also include “research”, “theory”, and “evaluation”.

Before the start of the course in September 1. Make a personal Tumblr account and link your Media Studies blog to it.

2. Customise the theme of your blog. Try to customise it so that it represents your interests and personality. Remember, media is a creative subject with an eye on design and originality! Make your blog stand out, but make sure it is clean, clear and easy to read.

3. Post the following: An introductory text post that explains: who you are and why you have chosen to study the media how you’d like to use the subject in the future what your media interests are (favourite films, adverts, TV programmes etc) A music video you like, embedded from YouTube or similar, with a brief analysis of why you like it A film trailer you like, embedded from YouTube or similar, with a brief analysis of why you like it An advert (still or moving image) that you like, posted as an image or video clip, with a brief analysis of why you like it A link to a media website (see overleaf for some options – but don’t be limited to this list!) that you like with a brief analysis of why you like it.

Chew Valley School

A-Level Media Introduction – Summer 2012

Research and further reading Media Studies: www.mediaedu.co.uk www.mediaknowall.com http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/media_studies.shtml News: www.guardian.co.uk (especially http://www.guardian.co.uk/media ) www.bbc.co.uk/news Music: www.nme.com www.q4music.com www.popjustice.com www.thestoolpigeon.co.uk www.drownedinsound.com www.pitchfork.com Film: www.totalfilm.com www.empireonline.com Media Institutions: www.ofcom.org.uk www.aardman.com www.endemoluk.com www.itv.com www.sky.com www.channel4.com Follow on Twitter: @chrishildrew (I use the hashtag #mediatweet) @arusbridger (Guardian editor) @mediaguardian @davidgauntlett (theorist) @malcolmcoles (theorist) @JulianMcDougall (theorist) @TheMediaTweets (media blog) @tabloidwatch (media blog)

Chew Valley School