Your Commentaries on "Home" videos

Quick update Mon. 4/9: you should post your responses to each video on the same page as the video itself: you will notice a white box beneath the video that says, "Enter your comment. . . " so go ahead and post the comments there.  Remember to add your name to the bottom of the comment, since some people have signed on to the blog with a different name.

You will notice that all the Photo / Video Essays on "Home" are now posted in the new column to the right.  In most cases, your PowerPoint photo essays were converted to a very brief movie and then uploaded to YouTube.  For each video, I used the following settings:

• Unlisted (not public, but available to anyone with the link)
• Comments option:  off
• Ratings option:  off
• Embedding option:  on

I identified each video by the student's first name and last initial.  If any of those YouTube settings need to be fixed, if I didn't list your name correctly, or if you're listed with the wrong Discussion Group, just email me at jgarrett1@une.edu to let me know.  Also, if you added a soundtrack to your essay that somehow did not "translate" when it was converted the video, I'm afraid I don't know how to fix that.  If you would simply like to create a new version of your video, upload to YouTube, and then send me the new link, I'll embed the updated video. 

Here are the guidelines for your responses to the videos (posted earlier on the original assignment page).  Please post your response by Mon. April 9:

• once all the photo and video essays are up, all students will write a two-paragraph formal response to (at least) one of the other visual essays; begin this response by trying to describe the location and images depicted in the visual essay; then analyze those images by responding to a few of the questions below:
• compare and contrast this photo/video essay to your own idea of “home,”
• what kinds of figures populate this representation of home (if any)? why do you think the student sequences the images in this way?
• what do these images tell you about the notion of belonging and not belonging?
• how do ideas about gender roles relate to these images?
• has this person’s home shifted places, and if so, what does that mean?
• how does this person’s idea of home compare and contrast with stereotypical mainstream images of the ideal “American” home?
• how does the idea of home contrast with the public sphere / public spaces?
• is home a safe space?  or a dangerous space?
• how has this visual essay transformed your own sense of what “home” means?
• complete your response by offering a question or two that the visual essay raises for you 
• then "sign" your response with your name at the bottom (first and/or last)
• when you write your first response commentary to be counted for this assignment, you need to choose a visual essay that does not have any responses yet
• remember that these are very personal portraits that other students are offering, so your comments should be thoughtful and constructive in tone.   
• if your group members would like to contribute additional commentary and discussion after that first round, that would be great but is not required; the original producers of each video are welcome to respond to any of the commentaries and questions posted about their videos at any point in the discussion
• once you've completed your "2-paragraph formal response" to one of the videos, you can of course comment or respond to the other videos more informally if you like!