Online Revision Guide

Thanks to Sherish who has tracked down a sample chapter online from an A Level Media revision guide (which, by the way, is well worth buying). It has an excellent section on Wider Contexts, which is especially important, but it's the homework for both classes next week to read through the whole chapter (as the first part is all about Key Concepts and textual analysis - really useful revision). This needs to be done by the time you return after the bank holiday for discussion in lessons.

Mocks

For all Year 13s...

Don't forget...mock exams are fast approaching and you should all be revising hard for them NOW. This is your only chance to practise these questions and develop these skills under full test conditions so make the most of the opportunity - if you haven't prepared you'll be wasting both your own and your teacher's time as the only feedback you'll get is 'do some work' - not very helpful when the purpose is to help you improve for the real thing in June.

The dates/times are (in case you've forgotten)...

• MODULE 4 Mock for 13D - Tuesday 17-04, periods 1 & 2 (in P06)

• MODULE 6 Mock for 13D - Thursday 29-03, periods 7 & 8 (in E01)

• MODULE 4 Mock for 13C - Monday 16-04, periods 1 & 2 (in E01)

• MODULE 6 Mock for 13C - Tuesday 27-03, periods 3 & 4 (in P06)

Your revision/preparation should be...

MODULE 6

• Read through the 13D 'Issues and Debates' blogs.

• Read through the handouts on 'Issues & Debates' (Marxism, Uses & Gratifications, etc.).

• Read the Media Keywords A-Z handout (the big one).

• Practise note-taking/comparing two different texts (MIGRAIN, WC: SHEP, Issues & Debates/Theory) for half hour stints.
  

MODULE 4

• Read through all notes and handouts on the two key topics...

• Representation - Representation pack (cartoons), Gauntlett, Mulvey, etc.

• Genre - Genre pack, Slasher pack, repertoire of elements worksheets, etc.
  

• Read through all 'Representation' & 'Genre' past questions.

• Write essay plans for as many different questions as possible.

• Complete at least one timed essay for each topic (Rep, Genre - 45 minutes/question).

Media Mentors

• Do you want valuable and rewarding paid work?

• Are you responsible, mature and capable of being a positive role model?

• Have you got excellent video editing skills?

We invite Year 13 students to apply for the post(s) of Media Studies Student Mentors. The appointment(s) are intended to improve the provision of video editing support for Year 12s undertaking their production coursework.

Two successful A2 students - to be selected at formal interview - will work in the video editing suite on Mondays to Fridays (one from 8am to 9am, and the other from 3.30pm to 5.30pm) starting on 05-03-07 for a total of 8 weeks at a rate of £7.50/hour for each student.

The students will only work (and be paid) when necessary as there are likely to be some occasions when they are not needed. They will report directly to Mr. Bush, Mr. Munro or Mr. Babu, one of whom will be on call every day to direct them, help out with any problems and lock up at the end of the sessions.

Tasks will include...

• Providing support to AS students with the use of Adobe Premiere Pro
  

• Offering feedback to students about the quality of their practical work

• Checking and trouble-shooting camera equipment

• Starting up and shutting down PCs

• Maintaining order in the edit suites & limiting access to Media students

• Troubleshooting minor software issues

• Reporting larger problems to Mr Babu or Mr Azeem

• Keeping the edit suites tidy & the equipment in good working order

• Helping students to source archived music & video clips

• Producing tip sheets and displays to help students use the equipment

• Running off DV copies of finalized productions

• Making VHS and DVD copies of productions for the exam board

If you wish to apply for these posts you must write a 300-500 word statement outlining your reasons for wanting to take up the position and the qualities and experience that you think make you suitable for the role. You may also wish to comment on how this will help you in your future studies/career. This must be emailed to Macguffin before Monday 19-02-07.

You will be informed by email if you have been shortlisted and those selected will be called for interview (before a panel to include Mr Bush, Mr Munro, Mr Babu and a Year 12 student) during the first week back after half term on Wednesday 28-02-07, periods 5 & 6.

Good luck!

Slasher Genre Film Club

As you all should know by now, we will be running a compulsory Genre Film Club (for your Module 4 exam) over the next half term. It is vital that you attend the once (or twice) weekly film showings (on either a Tuesday or Thursday) as without doing this you will not be able to follow what happens in the lessons each week or contribute to the discussions. Also, it's far less scary watching with friends!

Please don't say: "I've seen it already" because we've heard it already. Each performance will be in E01 and will start at 3.30pm promptly. Registers will be taken and you will be expected to take notes so bring pen and paper.

Make sure you put all the following dates in your diaries and seek to cancel and re-arrange any prior appointments you may already have…your A Levels must be your priority!!

• Thur 1-03

Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock, 109 mins.)

• Thur 08-03

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper, 83mins.)

• Tue 13-03

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter, 91 mins.)

• Thur 16-03

Friday the 13^th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980, 95 mins.)

• Tue 20-03

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984, 91 mins.)

• Thur 22-03

Scream (Wes Craven, 1996, 111 mins.)

• Tue 27-03

Scary Movie (Keenen Ivory Wayans, 2000, 88 mins.)

• Thur 29-03

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003, Marcus Nispel, 98 mins.)

PS...Sorry it's an ugly picture, Sherish!

Does Blogging Help?

Once you've completed your first drafts, you need to reflect on the whole process before attempting the next one! This will allow us to think about how you (and next year's students) can best be helped in the future. In particular, we need to evaluate the impact of using blogs when preparing for coursework.

Therefore, could you please cut and paste the following questions to your blogs and answer them as fully as possible, providing concrete examples where you can. The deadline for completion is Monday 12th February (13C) or Thursday15th February (13D)...

1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?

2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?

3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?

4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).

5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?

6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?

7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.

8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?

9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?

10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?

11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?

12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?

13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?

14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?

15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?

Good Luck...You Can Do It!

To all of you Year 13s sweating over your Independent Studies this weekend (because you - unwisely - left everything to the last minute) we want to wish you 'Good Luck!'

No one said Media Studies was easy (except they often did, but they were wrong, weren't they?) and it may well be a tough weekend for you, but once you get started things become a lot easier. And think how good you'll feel when you've done it!

Leave a message here or email Macguffin if you have any problems. But, chances are, you'll be OK...after all, you've been researching this topic for six months and you're experts in your field (believe us).




The crucial thing is to finish it. Don't worry too much that it's not perfect yet - it's only a first draft. Obviously, you will want to do your best and put as much effort into it as you can over the next few days, but there's bound to be room for improvement. Just make sure you meet your deadline!

Med 5 Blog Task 16

The following comprises TASK SIXTEEN. It needs to be completed by Monday 5th February (13C), Tuesday 6th February (13D). (Like you'd forget!)

• Complete your first draft of your Independent Study.

• It must be a word processed 3000 word essay (with a word count included at the end).

• Also, include correctly set out references, quotes and footnotes. (Footnotes should take the following form - Author Surname, Author First Name (year of publication), page number(s). eg...Craig, Steve (1992) p. 123.)
  

• A full bibliography must be submitted. (See Task 10 for help with this). The first section should be titled 'Works Cited' and will contain everything that you make direct reference to in your essay. Divide it into 'Books', 'Newspapers & Magazines', 'Internet' and 'Moving Image Texts'. The second section should be called 'Works Consulted' and will cover all the additional research you did but that didn't necessarily get directly quoted. This should have the same subheadings as the first section.

• Three copies are necessary. Hand in a hard copy (on paper) on the deadline day. Also create two electronic versions - firstly, paste your first draft up on your blog; secondly, send it by your writeboard page to your Study Buddy and Macguffin. (No more waving around floppy discs saying, ' My printer doesn't work'!)

This is the big one so no excuses and good luck!!

Med 5 Blog Task 15

The following comprises TASK FIFTEEN. It needs to be completed by Monday 29th January.

• Go to the collaborative writing site - Writeboard - and follow the instructions to set up your own personal writeboard account.

• Paste your full Independent Study title and first paragraph onto your writeboard.

• Save your writeboard.

• Invite Macguffin and your 'Blog Buddy' from your Media class to collaborate with your writeboard.
  

• When you receive your email invitation (check your junk mail as it could well end up there by mistake) from your 'Blog Buddy' you must help them to re-draft their introduction by editing their writeboard page (whose link they will have also sent you). Make changes to spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence construction/expression, etc. Also, add anything that you think is missing and make suggestions about what else (quotes, references, elaboration, etc.) that needs to be included [do the latter in square brackets like these].

• Click 'save as the newest version'.

• Click 'send via email' to your 'Blog Buddy'.

• When you receive your new version from your 'Study Buddy' go to your writeboard page and compare your version with the updated one using the compare tool. Make changes to the updated version based on your 'Study Buddy's' suggestions but remember that you don't have to follow everything they say (they may actually be wrong themselves!) Use each change/comment as a prompt to help you think about how your work could be improved.

• Click 'save as the newest version' when you're happy with the results and send to your 'Study Buddy'. Then you should have a much improved introduction to start off your essay and as this is one of the crucial aspects of any piece of writing, you should end up producing something much better when you complete your 3000 words (see TASK SIXTEEN).
  

Islamophobia & Film

Here's the link to an excellent article in today's Guardian that will be really useful for Module 4: Representation (Asians)...

From Aladdin to Lost Ark, Muslims get angry at 'bad guy' film images

Cover Work (13D)

Mr Munro will be in to register you today (Thursday 25th January). Then you will need to do the following...

A. Reflect on last week's exam

Post up at least a one paragraph comment here about the Module 1 re-sit last week. Cover the following...

• Was it easier or harder than expected?
  
• Why?
  
• What key points did you make?
  
• Were you able to include any of the Year 13 (Med 4, 5 or 6) stuff you've covered and if so what?
  
• Did you do enough preparation?

B. Self evaluation

Carry out a self-evaluation in advance of your next set of Interim Reports (that we are writing at the moment). You can get the headings here. Then post up your responses on your Med 6 blog.

C. Complete late homework

Make sure you have completed the homework that was set for you before the holiday. This was the minimum of three exam practices, posted up on your Med 6 blog. It was intended, in the first instance, to help you prepare for the re-sit but it is also vital practice for the Module 6 exam too.

Unfortunately, only Raspreet, Harveen, Kavita, Ramneet, Rajan (kind of ) and Furzana have done the work. Well done - and credits - to them. The rest of you had better get this work completed by next Thursday (Feb 1st) or you'll be staying late after school to do it. You have been warned!

Good Luck!

All the best to all of you re-sitting Module 1 or 2 (or both) tomorrow. Remember, the vast majority of Year 13s do better in these exams (at least one grade higher) than when they took them in Year 12. Now is not the time to feel guilty about not doing all that extra practice and preparation that you promised you would do (but feel nice and smug if you did).




What you should be doing is going into the exam confident that all you've learned for Modules 4, 5 and 6 has reinforced and built upon the basics you need to show you understand in the AS. You know so much more than you did then so make sure you demonstrate this.

It's all about the Key Concepts (especially Media Language, Audience and Representation), 'Concept Flow', using key media terminology, constructing a well written essay, showing some personal engagement, linking it to other texts, information, ideas and theories (but not too much of this, it's not Module 6 yet).

Mr Munro will start the exam as I can't be there but best of luck...you won't need it!

13C Tutorials - Cancellation

Due to unforseen circumstances, all 13C coursework tutorials for Monday 15-01 and Tuesday 16-01 have been cancelled. Please let your fellow students know to save them a wasted trip into school. Unfortunately, there won't be the opportunity to reschedule these meetings this week so if anyone needs any advice before writing their first drafts (which should be started as soon as possible) then you have two options...

• Speak to Mr Munro, or...
  

• Email Macguffin with specific questions and he'll try to get back to you asap.

Sorry, and good luck!

13C Tutorials - New Times

These are the revised times. Don't forget that you must arrive at the Media Suite (E05) at least five minutes early and make sure you have completed all Med 5 Tasks 1-14 and that you have your Media folder with you...

• Friday 12-01: Alliaya (11am), Pip (11.30am), Ruby (midday), Jatinder (12.30), Heena (1.30pm), Navdeep (2pm), Kalpan (2.30pm), Anika (3pm)

• Monday 15-01: Kiran (9am), Alice (9.30am), Sam (10am), Priya (1.30pm), Shreena (2pm), Jaskeerat (2.30pm), Ashley (3pm)

• Tuesday 16-01: Kelly (1.30pm), Ajay (2pm), Avinash (2.30pm), Kiranjit (3pm)

Countdown

Med 5 Deadline

As you already know (but it can't hurt to be reminded) the deadline for the first draft of your Independent Study coursework is...

• Monday 5th February

By this date, a complete 3000 word first draft should have been posted up onto your blog, along with footnotes and a complete, detailed bibliography (set out correctly). If you're in any doubt about what this should look like then please check out some of the finished grade 'A' and 'B' Independent Studies from last year.

These will also be helpful when thinking about how to write your essay (what to include in the introduction and conclusion, how to structure the work, how to set out quotes, the correct tone, and how much research to include - they each contain between 20 and 40 footnotes, etc.)

But please ensure that all writing is done in your own words. Plagiarism is a very serious business and anyone found simply copying from other sources (either students or books/websites) will be in real trouble. And you will be found out if you do! We're not stupid - we know how you write, and we know very well what was in the previous studies (and there are numerous online checkers that we can feed your work into to see if it has been plagiarised).

The other thing you'll need to do is hand in a hard copy (on paper) in your first lesson nearest the deadline (so Monday 5th February for 13C, and Tuesday 6th February for 13D). This should be set out in one and a half spacing, and justified on both left and right hand sides.

Good luck!!