Why American Crime Story Matters

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

OJ.jpgI remember exactly where I was when the verdict was announced in October 1995. I was in grade ten and traveling the halls between English and Art class where I found myself stopped in front of a TV located outside the school’s music room.  A storm of students of all ages and grades stood in complete silence as a soap opera we were innocently engulfed in was about to come to a close.  “Not Guilty” was the verdict and with those words a complete sense of loss came over us. The story (so we thought) was done and our shared invested time seemed wasted. O.J. Simpson was found innocent and the narrative of a sensational crime faded out from our cultural milieu. What I didn’t realize at this time as a 14 year-old student was that the duration of the Simpson trial, broadcast like a contemporary soap opera on CNN, ABC , NBC and other major networks, was that well before Survivor, mass audiences were consumed by reality television .  Everything was there: archetypal characterization, villainy, sexual intrigue, race, gender and most importantly – violence.  Now looking back at that time and re-visiting suppressed memory with the American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, such a rendering of a brutal reality was reflective of a culture voided of substance. At a time when real issues mattered and should have been discussed transparently, the world became lost within a courtroom of celebrity and a deep disconnect between TV broadcasting and urgent cultural issues.

This is why American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson truly matters within a critical culture, social and political discussion. This is a program that is worth teaching: it speaks loudly to current race issues in America (relevant to other nations) along with providing sound history on the complexity of race; stemming from the brutal  beating of Rodney King that reignited pre and post- Civil Rights tension . This is how American Crime Story begins. Significantly, it does not begin with grandiose images of O.J. Simpson’s athletic glory or B-level movie celebrity, but rather the raw and terribly disturbing images of racism and social disorder – the beating of King and the violence of the LA Riots.  These are images I remember from my pre-teen years, feared, but did not understand. The ability to understand was never present: not at home or school.

With all of this, I strongly encourage you to take the time and watch American Crime Story. If you’re like me and remember seeing the Bronco live on CNN, the trial headlines and the grocery store tabloids, the series will speak to memory. If not, the story is still deeply topical. At the time of Black Lives Matter, Oscars So White and other discussions around race and inequality, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson cannot be missed.

 

 

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“Fuller House” is counter-culture. Wow!

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

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Forget Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Dare Devil and Jessica Jones.  Fuller House is Netflix’s greatest victory.

This may be deemed a rather odd critical proclamation considering the calibre of original programming Netlfix has produced over the course of the past five years. However, where Netflix responded to the emergence of cinematic television in the era of HBO and AMC with adult oriented content, it failed to do one thing television was always meant to do: bring families together

Yes, this conversation around the politics of television is conservative itself and I will avoid to save you from a layered historical recounting of post Word War 2 values,  but it is important to note that Netflix was born on the idea of individualized and mobile programming. As such, in regards to the family space, the idea of viewership was fragmented.  From multiple televisions in one dwelling to mobile technology including smartphones and tablets, the idea of “coming together” dissipated.  Individual family members could watch their “lists” at will. As such, households have been streaming but not necessarily viewing together.

This past Friday, Netflix embarked on a very brave journey. It reached  into nostalgia and embraced the values of yesterday with the intention to serve an audience not looking for superheroes, lesbian cellmates or corrupt politicians. Understanding that the millennial generation is burdened by the outer realities of their today, Netflix provided an opportunity for a comforting pause and a reminder that the old fashion needs to be re-trended.   The result:  a cultural event occurred. From trending on Twitter to perhaps breaking “network television” on Friday (as evident in a drastic decline in regular Friday night programming), Fuller House spoke loudly and proudly.

So, if you have young children like me, grew up on TGIF yourself,  and took solace in the time spent over the last couple of days watching “old friends” in a somewhat new story, who do you thank.

Begin with: Jeff Franklin, John Stamos and Netflix.

In an era of television where villains are being decapitated on Gotham at 8:00pm or reality television continues to run with fury, Fuller House can be considered counter culture. Wow!

Here’s hoping and looking to Season 2.

 

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Teachers want Less & More…

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

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Over the course of the past two days I had the sincerely humbled opportunity to present and attend Reading for the Love of It for the first time. Being married to a high school English teacher, I’ve only experienced the conference through her warm reflections. As she has shared in the past, Reading for the Love of It  is incredibly rich in scope. From the inclusion of digital tools to approaches to infusing student voice in creative writing, the conference is grounded in the classroom teacher/student experience.

As a classroom teacher myself, I have a deep respect for those who do their best to ensure that student learning is the focus. This warm admiration for the classroom teacher, grounds and humbles me in my work as a curriculum writer, tech-ed consultant, instructor and presenter. To talk change is very different than attempting to implement it. To be in a classroom, filled with diverse personalities, abilities and personal stories, is not like any other role. I say this with diverse experience and  guilt, as in the past I was prophetic; assert to teachers their need to change but not being an agent of change myself.

When it comes to tech integration and my presentation “The Resume is Dead: Create, Curate, Publish” at Reading for the Love of It 2016,  that was about the decay of the paper resume and the need for students to show what they know & make connections through multi-modal production and digital portfolios / profiles , it become strikingly and consistently apparent over two days that an approach to tech enriched / 21st century learning needs a re-imagining. I know this may sound cynical but from the critical needs of the classroom teachers I engaged with, more and less is needed.

Less:

Teachers are overwhelmed by potential system and/or school based demands. There needs to be a systematic pause and less push down. The classroom teacher cannot focus on all initiatives at once or be expected to. This demand or expectation is not viable for educator or student. As a parent of a school age child, I’d rather see my child’s teacher attempt to implement one meaningful initiative masterfully (with potential system support) rather than be a pseudo-expert of all. Nothing good comes from this. Teachers need time for a respective craft / pedagogical approach to evolve. They deserve this respect as do the students they serve . Slowing down is okay. In fact, the following writing titled “Teachers: How Slowing Down can Lead to Great Change,” attests to this thinking. A great read for classroom teacher, school administrator and system leader.

More:

When it comes to tech , teachers are looking less at equipment (even though infrastructure is essential) and more at time to build transferable skills. These are the multi-modal skills that allow teachers to support students in “showing what they know.” It’s ignorant and passive to say that students “know how to use the tech.” I use to say this in a consulting role. As a classroom teacher, I can assert that students still require scaffolding (perhaps some more than others) and teachers need not, the expertise, but the comfort to provide novice support and/or the courage to redirect and find the resources. Even knowing where to look is essential and needs viable support. With this, administrators wanting tech integration must be ready to be a true active & instructional leader. This means, actually doing along with those in the classroom. Many teachers I met over the course of the conference shared that there was an expectation by administration that technology be used. From classroom blogs to pedagogical documentation there is a demand – often without the “tangible” support. There are amazing opportunities for partnership between all invested stakeholders. The consensus, time and meaningful purpose is needed.

In the end all of the teachers I met at Reading for the Love of It,  have a sincere vocation to improve the learning experiences of their students. My hope is that they are given the platform to reflect and share their needs – slow down – and make one meaningful initiative work to their very best. From there , they can take their next step and build their toolkit of diverse pedagogical approaches.

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It’s Our Story Too: Why Canadian Audiences Must Watch “The Revenant”

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

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The myth of The Revenant is growing. Celebrated for its glorious cinematography and sense of scope along with transforming folklore of a brutal production that placed filmmakers against the elements, the film has deservedly earned a must see reputation.

In much of the conversation around the film, the focus has been on the representation of American colonized history and the brutal nature of indigenous displacement. Such conversations are important and legitimate as director Alejandro G. Inarritu is intentional in meaning. Questioning or rather decoding the film’s message is unnecessary; it’s literal and reminds an audience that the myth of the Western is about power, wanting and taking. In all, the film loudly speaks to political and shared experience (past and present).

The most compelling narrative outside of the film is around the open dialogue about American colonization. The film speaks loudly about this history – a history that does not live in isolation. Taking into account that the film was shot in Alberta Canada, Canadian audiences need to find meaning in their own national history tainted by the colonial treatment of indigenous people. From reserves to residential schools where horrific physical and emotional abuse was gravely imposed on young people, The Revenant is not just an American story. It is a Canadian story. Looking at the present, the ramifications of a colonial past still lives. This is evident in the realities brought forward by the Canadian government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission findings. Part of Canadian history, like the world depicted in The Revenant lacks humanity and is motivated by difference, ignorance and dangerous Western ideals.

With all of this, The Revenant reminds us that history has consequences and that honest, frank and raw conversations must be had. Like films such as Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner or Smoke Signals, history does not live in isolation; it’s grounded in personal stories that have continuous and circular meaning.

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Re-Navigating #OscarSoWhite

Posted on January 23, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

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It’s been fascinating to see how the #OscarSoWhite conversation has evolved to include both personal and industry minded perspectives. As celebrities, media outlets and movie fans react and share their political perspectives, perhaps the conversation should evolve away from the glamour of the Oscars to the real problem ; the overall narrative depiction of blackness in mainstream American cinema. As a cinephile, I find it depressing that this conversation continues to be sparked at Oscar time but is mostly dormant during the regular movie year. From summer blockbusters to fall Oscar contenders , the conversation needs to be more focused as the roles Black America plays in mainstream cinema continue to be indicative of cultural values that are misaligned with the urgency around equality and inclusion.

This isn’t something new. In a definitive text titled Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre and the Action Cinema, academic Yvonne Tasker examines the politics of both maleness and the representation of Blackness in contemporary action cinema. The conversation of action cinema is not to be dismissed as it continues to be the most popular of mainstream cinema. Whether as hybrid or in its purity, the genre continues to thrive. Just look at the most successful films at the North American box-office. All of the titles (Star Wars the Force Awakens, Avatar, Titanic, Jurassic World, The Avengers), are all entrenched within the action realm.

As Tasker notes in her essay “Black Buddies and White Heroes: Racial Discourse in Action Cinema,” “constructions of blackness in particular, are central to the American action Cinema (Tasker, 35). Tasker continues to build and sustain an argumentative and legitimate discourse that “blackness is coded in spectacle.” As such, the role of the Black character is primarily to support narrative through physicality or action. This is not to say that such characters cannot play vital roles, but rather, those roles are typical to build the visual spectacle of the narrative or to serve the white protagonist. This is strictly evident in the Rocky series. Celebrated as an American story, the original Rocky and subsequent sequels (exclusive of Creed) are problematic within the relationship with race. Aligned with Tasker’s notions of Blackness, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), reinforces both spectacle and servitude.  From the original Rocky (1976) where his charisma and body become a canvas in which Rocky must evolve as a fighter and person, to Rocky 3 (1983) where Apollo intimately serves Rocky in the role of the trainer, the idea of the black character is typically supportive and lesser.  This is echoed in the Rocky 4 (1985) where Rocky, not Apollo, must “win” the cold war against Russian Ivan Drago. Apollo’s death in of itself becomes spectacle for it highlights the strength of white Russia only to be revenged by Rocky Balboa himself.

Within the conversation of Rocky, the issue has not dissipated over time.  Beyond mainstream films starring Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson or the likes of Will Smith, the role of the black character (primarily the male), continues to be aligned to Tasker’s thinking. This is evident in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2009), where Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter to the comedic antics of Tyrese Gibson in the refuelled Fast and Furious franchise, the idea of the black actor continues to be trapped within spectacle and servitude.

With all of this, the Oscars are indeed overly white. However, as George Clooney shared in Variety, the conversation is not about nominees but rather the mode of production. The story telling as a mode to address cultural attitudes must change.

Can this happen? Yes! What we all need are more films like Selma and Creed, films that both echo the black voice of America and more importantly transcend race and succeed within the popular cinema conversation.

Although I focus here on the male, the issue is not singular as female representation is in equal (if not more) need for a re-telling. More to come on that!

 

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Social Profiles Matter

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Anthony_Perrotta

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Over the course of the past two years (or potentially longer) I have loudly been proclaiming that classroom assessment must be coupled with an urgency to provide and enrich student learning by building opportunities that allow for the curation of work –  and importantly the making of social connections. Like the family fridge where early learning work and activities are posted with pride, students must evolve with the understanding that their work matters. Work, an extension of the student, must be put on display. Specifically, speaking to my experience as a high school teacher, students of all grades must be empowered with an understanding that their learning and voice matters within today’s digital age; thus they must be nurtured to harness transferable multi-modal production skills that give them the 21c tools to “show what they know.” Many teachers do this across all subject areas ; from digital presentations to producing videos, students are harnessing digital technology to show their learning, construct knowledge, problem solve etc.

Now the question is:  Where does the work live? Where can I find this work, interact with it and provide constructive or positive feedback?

With this, the role of social media and the practice of portfolio building and reflection is urgent to create learning that promotes engagement; giving students opportunities to create, curate and share. Great marks are amazing  but acknowledgment from outside of the school can motivate on a grand scale and can authentically prepare students for the skills needed to “compete” within both hyper competitive educational and career environments . Post education is no longer talking about what one did in school – but showing . As such, the traditional resume is dead. Now , student learning and experience has to be tangible, show learning and lend itself to sharing.

Don’t take this from me; here’s a student in my Gr. 9 Intro to Business course, speaking to their understanding of why their “brand” and social profile matters. As teachers, we have a responsibility to serve students in establishing an online presence that matters.

 

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An Open Letter to J.J. Abrams

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Anthony_Perrotta

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Dear Mr. Abrams,

Upon the release of the first The Force Awakens trailer in November of last year, I blogged about my affinity for what looked like a return to glory for the franchise – practical effects, grittiness and energy to spare. Along with the trailer’s design, I enthusiastically shared my excitement in being able to take my (then 4 year old little girl) to see her first Star Wars film on the big screen.

Well, opening day finally came and I relished in observing my daughter’s face (behind Stormtrooper 3D glasses) look in awe as the opening frame encapsulated the screen. To provide context, both my children (5 and 2) are no strangers to the multiplex. We frequent often; from kid friendly fare such as Peanuts to “big kid” flicks such including Antman and Avengers: Age of Ultron.  With that said, Charlie Brown and Hank Pym are not Han Solo , Rey or Kylo Ren. This is evident in the two days that have passed since viewing the film, as my daughter is still asking many questions about the universe that unfolded in front of her.

In my daughter’s words “the director made an excellent movie.” Seeing Star Wars with her and observing her being taken away by Tie-Fighters, X-Wings and blazing light sabres will be a cinema going memory that will never fade. More importantly and here is my sincere thanks to you as a father to a little girl, the character of Rey has had a monumental impact on her. Without giving spoilers away to potential readers, Rey left an empowering impression on her. Although, from birth, she has been nurtured to be a vocal, strong and empowered girl,  it is rare in a culture of hyper mediated renderings of woman that are often entrapped in complicity, to see a fully developed, strong, empathic, courageous and loving female character fill both scenes of contemplation and action. No high heels required – Rey is practical and is aware of who she is.

This is The Force Awakens greatest achievement. Beyond balancing old with new and sparking a well-paced through back to the original, your characterization of Rey is the film’s greatest gift to audiences. She is a Ripley to my daughter’s generation.

With all of this, my thanks are extended to you.

We can’t wait for the universe to continue its evolution in Episode 8.

Sincerely,

Anthony

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“The Martian” is Ridley Scott’s “Top Gun”

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Anthony_Perrotta

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With a focused understanding of the science fiction genre, director Ridley Scott is a master in creating narratives that speak not only the complexity of time and space but more importantly address the layers of the genre itself.  With his films including Alien, Blade Runner and the most recent Prometheus, Scott’s visceral work speaks to academic John Baxter’s definition of the science fiction film. As John Baxter notes of Science Fiction cinema in his text titled Science Fiction in the Cinema  “it falls generally into two categories: the loss of individuality and the threat of knowledge. Probably no line is more common to SF than ‘There are some things man is not meant to know.’ It expresses the universal fear all men have of the unknown the inexplicable, a fear science fiction rejects, but has firmly entrenched itself in the SF cinema.” It is with this assertion that Baxter like the collective works of Ridley Scott, states that science fiction (outside of the realm of cinema) does not fear the unknown – that man was depicted in narrative knows no barrier and works beyond fear and displacement.  This lack of fear is evident in Ripley’s battle to survive in Alien, the question of whether Deckard is or is not an android in Blade Runner, or the complexity of creation and God in Prometheus. In each of these films the unknown is not feared but explored. It is the idea of exploration which is at the heart of Ridley’s Scott The Martian. A love letter to science, technology and math, the film is very much Scott’s Top Gun; a clear and surprisingly conservative celebration of American ingenuity and American maleness.

The narrative of The Martian is simple:

  1. NASA funded team is on Mars;
  2. Massive storm forces mission abort;
  3. Astronaut is left for dead; Astronaut survives and continues to fight against odds;
  4. NASA is to the rescue;
  5. Man survives Mars.

It is within the narrative of survival and the setting of space that Scott creates a portrait that celebrates the resiliency of man. Left for dead and stranded on Mars, Matt Damon’s Mark Watney, quickly climbs out of self-doubt and fear of death into a mode of cowboy like survivalist. It is within the tradition of the American Western, that Damon’s Whatney very much embraces the unknown and warmly accepts Mars as a new frontier. From his ability to endure loneliness to colonizing Mars through his plantation of potatoes, Watney openly declares that he must “science the shit” of his situation.

It is with science at the heart of the film’s narrative, that the film is both a tribute to the glory days of space exploration and the director’s late filmmaker brother Tony Scott. Like Tony Scott’s Top Gun in 1986, which celebrated hyper-masculinity attitudes as aligned with military and the US Navy, The Martian is a is a recruitment film. It celebrates maleness and “de-geeks” science and math. Top Gun sees Maverick become the “best of the best,” while in The Martian, Whatney becomes an astronaut like no other. In extension to this, like Maverick who at the end of Top Gun requests to become a naval instructor, Whatney leaves behind space for the classroom. In both cases, the male’s ability to survive makes for authority in education as lineage and tradition.

In the end, The Martian does provide for a topical discourse around gender and institutional spaces. However, coming from director Ridley Scott, the man who transcended gender in both Alien and Thelma and Louise, the film does not feel like his own. Nonetheless, the film is worth the watch and the conversation.

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Let’s talk Flipping

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Anthony_Perrotta

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I holistically believe that teaching serves the human experience; it is very much about connectivity and working with, empowering and challenging individuals to be their best. Good teaching acknowledges the profession serves the human experience, while great teaching actively works towards a reality where students are intimately served with direct care and focus. Such care and focus can equally occur in both in face-to-face and online classes.

In regards to the online space, much of my professional practice has been grounded in the integration of technology including eLearning. Whether in past experience as a District eLearning Contact or program principal to evolving roles in administration and instructional design, the online space (both full credit, blended and flipped) provides for layered, diverse and at times contentious conversation. Importantly, the contention is fantastic as it often leads to a real opportunity to learn and grow as a professional.

With a focus on flipped learning, the collective of teachers who leverage the digital space, must acknowledge success and limitations. Success can equate to freeing up classroom time to establish inquiry and self-directed learning goals. Limitations can be when the line between teacher and evaluator become blurred. As such, when flipping, it is important to remember that the role of the teacher is still vital in establishing a culture of learning. The teacher must be the provocateur of the learning – a video should not erase or augment that importance.

Excuse my bold critique, but this is not flipping:

  1. Students use a VLE where teacher original or non-original video lessons are posted.
  2. Students view a video lesson at home (teacher driven, 3rd party such as Kahn Academy etc.)
  3. Students write down notes or complete a task.
  4. Students enter class the next day and review the video post / lesson.
  5. Students use class time to complete text book work that is rarely modified or not modified at all.
  6. Teacher sits at desk waiting for student questions or casually walks the room.

Not only as an educator, but more importantly as a parent, I question how the effective or meaningful use of classroom time has evolved. What has the flipping changed? What classroom cultural fabric has been redesigned? Where is the inquiry, the group work, the peer assessment?

This is just one example of Flipping that promotes active learning:

  1. Lessons are purposely designed (i.e. three part lesson)
  2. Students use the VLE to interact with “Minds On” content (video lesson, opening task etc.)
  3. Students return to class and participant in whole or small group activities based on the online “Minds On” content shared the previous night within the VLE.
  4. Teacher delivers a short lesson and uses the VLE to extend through video, audio, animation etc. Online digital content is to be short and direct.
  5. Students review extended lesson video in class or at home (depending on the classroom structure)
  6. In class, the students work in small group groups on learning tasks.
  7. The teacher moderates and actively participates. See the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOe3cpD3hvg

With all of this, I dare not proclaim that I am the master of knowledge as it pertains to forms of eLearning. However, I will assert that any online learning practice must be one where the teacher is not passive. Technology alone does not make for engagement. In the era where access to technology has dangerously made everyone an “expert,” the teaching practice must still be the focus.

Great reads on Flipping can be found here: http://www.facultyfocus.com/tag/flipped-classroom/

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Students need to build and showcase “social currency.” Skills matter!

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Anthony_Perrotta

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Much has been said about the role and importance of technology in education. From teacher use of technology to deliver content to the active use of technology by students to “show what they know,” notions of the traditional are in a constant evolution. As this conversation continues to deepen, it is urgent to have an appreciation of the whole student; not just as a digital child of the millennium but rather an individual who will need to build, sustain and broaden their skills within hyper competitive post-secondary and post-industrial economic landscapes.

With skills as the focus, I had the great pleasure to welcome Dr. Camille Rutherford to my classroom yesterday. Dr. Rutherford, an associate professor at Brock University in the Faculty of Education, addressed Gr. 12 and Gr. 11 students on the viability of building skills within the context of banking “social currency.” This currency reflects skills nurtured through both personal and academic growth. From volunteering at a community organization to being part of a school’s sports team, students (and teachers as well) must be aware that skills grown from those experiences are transcendent, whereas,  grades and a high final course average (in isolation) do not make for the most impressive and or attractive candidate.  As an educational culture often obsessed with high averages, it is provocative to assert that grades are not the most urgent entity. Although important to establish next steps, good grades without transferable skills are empty and do not matter.

As teachers, what should be our focus? Now that I am in my tenth year of teaching, I can confidentially assert that my concern with “content” is marginal compared to my first few years out of the faculty. Although I love my subject area of Communications Technology my concern is the learning process – those skills that will transcend any one curriculum. My concern is not grades but rather the learning journey. From creative skills that harness digital media to communicate effectively, to the student’s ability to be resilient and work collaborative and meaningfully within a team setting, the goal is not merely to “know” content but to “show” learning and importantly build life skills; a realization that “social currency” as Dr. Rutherford shared is of vital and of significant importance.

What else is needed? Importantly, within the digital space, skills and experiences must be curated and shared. As such, students must be provided with opportunities to create digital portfolios that allow them to establish and sustain a personal brand – a skill in itself. These portfolios are not a result of a final project or culminating task but rather are a progressive artefact that stays and grows with the student throughout their learning and personal journey. As such, the portfolio (and thus brand), does not live in isolation – students are to share their interests, talents and experiences beyond the academic. From sports teams to hobbies, students must use technology to create, curate, share and connect. This allows for the “social currency” to live and extend within a broadened cultural space.

What is the challenge? As educators it is a cliché to state we are at a time of change. Perhaps we are merely at a time of self-destruction if we do not embrace the important realization that our role is not content delivery and that using Power Point is not effective tech integration.  In fact, I hesitate to state that we are facilitators as that itself promotes student inactivity – the role of the facilitator is to be neutral and also suggests leadership in pushing the experience forward. Rather we must be provocateurs – challenging students to be leaders, embrace new opportunities, to be critical, to discover problems and find solutions. We must make success and failure equally comfortable – helping students discover next steps and as such build resiliency and a sense of scope. In all of this, we must challenge students to build skills – look for opportunities – and importantly showcase them.

In the end, we have to appreciate that grades are not everything and that a student’s potential post-secondary career (whether college, university or trades), will and does look much different than memories of our experiences. Times are changing and for our students to be competitive, we have to change and evolve as well.

As a side, I would like to share my deep thanks to Dr. Rutherford for spending time with my students. Her insight has surely provided for much reflection and thought. A great way to start the new school year!

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