Ignite Talk

Slide 1 Ask audience about what they think when it comes to peer pressure

Slide 2 Talk about how the media relates peer pressure to smoke and drinking

Slide 3 So much pressure from parents to resist peer pressure that they eventually fall into peer pressure

Slide 4 Not all peer pressure is bad

Slide 5 Introduce mimi ito's homago

Slide 6 introduce the three concepts

Slide 7 talk about this category for a brief moment

Slide 8 introduce the second and main category

Slide 9 friendship

Slide 10 talk about how friends influence new friends

Slide 11 Affiliation

Slide 12 talk about how friends influence affiliation

Slide 13 Romance

Slide 14 talk about how friends can influence romance

Slide 15 Talk about myself in high school not having a girlfriend

Slide 16 Talk about my best friend and his peer pressure

Slide 17 Bought a present within two days which I normally would not do for a stranger like her

Slide 18 Talk about why i went to the christmas party

Slide 19 talk how genre of participation is good

Slide 20 Peer pressure will always be present, whether we notice it or not, and will we follow it on our own free will?

Final Blog Post

Photo Essay 

(read pictures from top right to bottom left)

At Mon Shiro High, not many students do so well. Some exceeds in grades while others...not so much. Shinigawa, who got an 18, is one of them. Mimi Ito, in her book "HOMAGO", gives us four key concepts that are involved in today's learning environment. We will be discussing about the first three. Shinigawa and his friends can apply these to their academic/non-academic learning.

"By shifting focus away from the individual and to the broader network of social relationships...social groups become key sites of analytic interests" (Ito 14). If a student did not know anyone in his/her class, he/she will most likely not participate because they are afraid they will make a mistake and be made fun of. In a classroom full of peers, the student will most likely participate because he'/she know his/her friends will not mock him/her for making a mistake. Genre of participation is the first key concept in Mimi Ito's HOMAGO.

Genre of participation can be broken down into two categories. The first one is friendship-driven. "For most youth, these local friendship-driven networks are their primary source of affiliation, frienships, and romantic partners" (Ito 16). Students sometime participate in some activities because of a love interest. What Shinigawa's friends did not know was that he was not going to attend high school after junior high. But after he met a girl at Mon Shiro High, he decided to go to high school. 

The second category is known as interest-driven. "Interest-driven practices are what youth describes as the domain of the geeks...the kids identified as smart, different, or creative, who generally exist at the margins of teen social worlds" (Ito 16). If a group of students share a common interest, they will work come together to reach a common goal. At Mon Shiro High, different clubs are working together by decorating the school for the festival. These clubs include the art club, drama club, and yearbook club. 

Networked public is the second concept. "Engagement with media is a constitutive part of how we learn to participate as culturally competent, social, and knowledgeable beings" (Ito 18). When students are not at school, one way to communicate is through technology and the internet. 

Networked public can be broken down into two categories. Friendship-driven is the first one. "With friendship-driven practices, youth online activity largely replicates their existing practices of hanging out and communicating with friends" (Ito 19).  One of the most common ways for students to connect with one another is through Facebook. Students can post on each other's wall, message one another, and invite each other to events and activities. If a student has a problem with his/her studies, he/she can find his/her classmates on Facebook. 

The second category of networked public is known as interest-driven. "Through sites such as YouTube, fan forums, networked gaming sites...youth can access publics that are engaged in their particular hobby or area of interest" (Ito 20). There are other ways students can connect with one another online. One common method is known as mmorpg. Students can engage with one another like they do in real life. They can learn things from the game and from each other while playing. Shinigawa and his friends are playing their own kind of mmorpg to find a student who needs help with his studies.

One of the easiest and hardest thing to do is peer based learning.  "A growing body of ethnographic work documents how learning happens in informal settings...rather than in an explicit instructional agenda" (Ito 21). Not many students want to go out for help. They rather work alone and try to find the answer themselves. Asking for help is the first step which is what Shinigawa is doing.

There are two categories that peer-based learning can be broken down into; the first is friendship-driven. "Our description of friendship-driven learning describes a familiar genre of peer-based learning...important lessons in growing up, giving kids an environment to explore romance, friendship and status just as their predecessor did" (Ito 22). Students can learn non-academic lessons from one another. Attitude and behavior are one of them. These fellow students learn how to be tough thanks to Shinigawa and his friend. 

The other category is known at interest-driven. "In the case of kids who have become immersed in interest-driven publics, the context of who their peers are changes, as does the context for how reputation works, and they get recognition for different skills and learning" (Ito 22). Students can learn different things as their interest changes throughout the school year. They will find new friends to hang out with to learn these new things. If a student, who liked English, becomes interested in Math, he/she will go find students who are good at math to help him/her out whenever he/she will need it. This girl wants to become a troublemaker, and she knows Shinigawa is best at it.

Though learning isn't all that great, when it comes to friends, it can be one of the funnest things ever. Friendship-driven and interest-driven may both be different, but they both do share one common factor, friends. 

Reflection

     After re-reading Mimi Ito's HOMAGO, I realized that I only knew about her ideas from a broader point of view. I did not fully understand her ideas. Mini project one and two were done from my previous knowledge while mini project three was done from my new knowledge about HOMAGO. Knowing more about the concepts, I decided to revise my first mini project. I paraphrased each section, so the essay won't be so long, repetitive, and boring. Randy and Kedric both agreed that short and simple was good. They said it be boring to read a long essay that they already read in class. I added the new knowledge and tried to connect it with the old knowledge. It was hard trying to connect everything to learning. I drifted off every once and awhile, so that became a problem. I like how everything came out. Came out smoothly from my personal opinion.

Work cited

Itō, Mizuko. Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2010. Print.

 Yoshikawa, Miki. "Yankee-kun to Megane-chan Manga." - Read Yankee-kun to Megane-chan Online For Free. N.p., 24 Oct. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://www.mangareader.net/874/yankee-kun-to-megane-chan.html>.

Yoshikawa, Miki. "YANKEE-KUN TO MEGANE-CHAN." Manga Here. N.p., 5 May 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://www.mangahere.com/manga/yankee_kun_to_megane_chan/>. 

Mini Project 3

Kinetic Text

Presentation

(watch full screen for better quality!)

Reflection

Mrs. Lacy said a kinetic text about HOMAGO would be very interesting, so I decided to go with it. This literally took me forever! I worked on this slide show for about thirteen hours. I had to make sure everything transitioned right. After that, it took me foreverrr to find a website to upload the presentation that will also present the effects and transitions. But, I am glad that it turned out the way I wanted it to. The video moved smoothly. There was no lag and everything went the way it should have. After talking about what HOMAGO was and how it can be applied to a "real" life experience, I decided to compare what we all think HOMAGO is and what Mimi Ito's researchers believe it is. I asked for my brother for his inputs on Peer Based Learning, Networked Publics, and Genres of Participation. After that, I went back and read HOMAGO with great focus. I found that there were two different kinds of description for each of the concepts, friendship and interest. As you can see, what we see and what the researchers see are both different. But they are similar in some ways. I made sure to color code and add effects to the same stuff. I did not want the thing to be all over the place. 

Mini Project 2

Comic

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Reflection

The hardest part about this project was the dialogue. I wanted everyone to know what was going on and what was involved, and yet, not have too much talking to where it gets boring. At first, it was only one video. Randy told me it was a little too short after I showed it to him and I decided to make it a little longer. I put more into Snowman's problem and came out with what was posted. I thought about what I should do and seeing how I basically explain what HOMAGO was with visuals, I decided to apply it to a situation that can be seen in a movie called "Rise of the Guardians". I like how it turned out but at the sometime don't. The website I used did not allow a lot of text in the bubble which limited the conversation. Other than that, I like it myself. It's short and simple.

Mini Project 1

Photo Essay 

(read pictures from top right to bottom left)

In Mon Shiro High School, not many students do so well. Some exceeds in grades while others...not so much. Shinigawa, who got an 18, is one of them. Mimi Ito, in her book "HOMAGO", gives us four key concepts that are involved in today's learning environment. We will be discussing about the first three.

When students are not learning or when they are learning, they got nothing to do. Some louche around and snooze off while others find ways of having fun. Some may do things because others want them to, aka peer pressure.  

Parents find peer pressure to be a bad thing. When parents think of peer pressure, they relate it to drugs, alcohol, and gangs. Parents do not want their children to get into fights and come home with serious injuries or in a body bag. Shinigawa's parent believe peer pressure is negative based on their son's past experience

However, peer pressure is not always bad. Through peer pressure, students participate more in activities related and non-related to learning. Many do not participate because they do not think they will have fun or might get the question wrong. Shinigawa has never participated in any activities; he is forced to work with another student on a school project.

When in social groups, however, participation is high. "By shifting focus away from the individual and to the broader network of social relationships...social groups become key sites of analytic interests" (Ito 14). If a student did not know anyone in his/her class, he/she will most likely not participate because they are afraid they will make a mistake and be made fun of. 

In a classroom full of peers, the student will most likely participate because they know their friends will not mock him/her for making a mistake. On some occasions, however, mockery can encourage one to participate. Genre of participation is the first key concept in Mimi Ito's HOMAGO. 

Networked public is the second concept. "Engagement with media is a constitutive part of how we learn to participate as culturally competent, social, and knowledgeable beings" (Ito 18). 

Sites such as Yahoo! and Wikipedia provide answers for several problems given to students. Whether it be social problems or academic problems, homework, there is always an answer out there in the web. Forums are always the best way to go. There are topics for almost everything; if there is a topic about it, then there will be several people there to talk about it.

One of the most popular public network used by students is Facebook. Status update is sometime used to ask questions that will be open to others in their news feed. Sometime the question is a little personal so message and wall post is also an option. These group of students are trying to find Shinigawa's Facebook profile to help him with his studies.

One of the easiest and hardest thing to do is peer based learning. Not many students want to go out for help. They rather work alone and try to find the answer themselves. Asking for help is the first step which is what Shinigawa is doing.

Tutoring is available to everybody. There is always someone out there who knows everything you do not know, your friends especially. "A growing body of ethnographic work documents how learning happens in informal settings...rather than in an explicit instructional agenda" (Ito 21).

Students always learn from others; peers provide new knowledge everyday. Shinigawa is surrounded by friends who are there to help him in his time of need...whether he wants it or not.

When all three concepts are put into place, learning will be easier than it usually is. When others learn about the key to your success, they will want to follow in your footsteps. This group of students is seeking help just as Shinigawa did.

Sources: 1) mangareader.net 2) mangahere.com 3) HOMAGO by Mimi Ito

Reflection

Working on this mini project was fun. It was time consuming but it helped me learn more about Mimi Ito's ideas. I thought about a way to provide a visual to Mimi Ito's ideas in HOMAGO. Talking about it does not always help. In books and novels, visualization is not always provided. When the novel is turned into a film, everybody gets excited about it because they can see the words in action. I thought adding pictures and providing an example would help others better understand Ito's ideas. Randy thought it was a good idea, so I went with it. I spend the two recent workshop working looking for visuals online which saved me a lot of time to work on calculus. After finding several images, about fifty, I had to go through em again and again to find the best ones in the batch. That took forever; I even had to cut panels from one page and find another panel that can go with it on another page. 

Meeting with Forestview

It was great speaking with the students from Forestview High. Even though they were only one year younger than us, it felt nostalgic talking about the days we were in high school. It was fun describing how scary it is before you start college. I kind of felt intimidated knowing that they were doing the same stuff we were doing in college. It was like we were doing high school work instead college work. 

I like the group work the most! It was fun learning about the other's thought about college readiness. What I like most was that they all participated. Most students would not want to participate. They rather sit around and feel all awkward. I wouldn't mind working with these students again.

All about Mimi Ito...

For the second half of the semester, I chose to put all my focus onto Mimi Ito. We all know her from one of our previous readings from the first half of the semester, HOMAGO. Her ideas are quite interesting. She talked about how peer influence participation, public networks help other learn, and peers help one another learn. I applied them to some of my own experiences. I talked about her in my blogs and in my midterm paper.

I have been reading her book, Fandom Unbound, and it is very interesting. Granted, the beginning was very boringgg. I could not get through the first 50 pages without nodding off. Sadly, it took me forever to get through even 100 pages. She talks about learning throughout the beginning of the book which helped out a lot for the analysis. I don't know how the other 200 pages will be, but hopefully I will get through them alive.

College Readiness

In class, we talked about college readiness and our own thoughts about it. One thing I don't think should even be part of the college readiness concept is the SAT.

When I got into high school, the one thing all my friends and teachers stressed the most were the SAT's. I did not know what that was. I thought it was a funny way of saying Saturday and how it's the only good day in the week. I didn't know I had to take a test to get into college. I thought the only thing important was getting good grades and filling out college applications on time. I know in Japan, you have to take an entrance exam just to get into the specific university. Japanese students spend all their summer preparing for these exams, that's cut throat! I did not want to do that.

I already knew I was going to UNC Charlotte, so I decided to look up the average SAT scores for the undergraduates. The average scores were between 1300 and 1600. After I got my scores back from my first test, I was super happy. I got a 1500, so I was a sure in for UNCC. However, most of my friends didn't think so!

They told me it's best to take the test again for a better score...I did not want to do that! But after so many peer pressure, I took the test again. Before my scores came in, I got an acceptance letter from UNCC. After that, my scores came in...I got a 1610. I was so piss! Not because of my score, but the fact that I paid $45 for a test that was not even part of my application to UNCC. I knew that low, crappy score I got was good enough! I even bought a stupid study book for the second test. This turn out to be more of a rant than a blog I believe.

Anime Life

Otaku - japanese term that refer to people who are obsessed with anime and manga

I've been taught that being an Otaku was a bad thing. Even my best friend told me to never become one. They are viewed as creepy by many, even I find them creepy.When I think of an Otaku, I think of a guy who stays in his room all day doing everything that can be related to manga/anime such as cosplaying and sleeping with a human pillow.

On one of my blog responses, I replied to Mimi Ito's post on her new book, "Fandom Unbound". I thought her thoughts about the Otaku World were interesting. She discussed about their impact in culture. I didn't really think about how they can have a positive influence on the world. One of our assignments for class is to choose a novel to read for the semester, I didn't think about this book, since it wasn't really a novel. However, Prof. Lacy suggested that I read the book. I guess I'll be spending the rest of my semester learning about the ways of an Otaku.

Do the dancing

So I did not know what to post that was part of our English class work or homework...so I'll just talk about one of my hobbies that can be applied to HOMAGO. On my spare spare times, I like to learn dances to my favorite songs. It is a lot of fun learning all the different  moves. It is more fun to learn 'em with friends.

Learning these dance moves involves participation, public networks and peer based learning. Obviously if you're going to learn the dance moves, you got to participate. Just watching 'em won't guarantee that you;ll know how to perform 'em. I'm not afraid to participate because I'm surrounded by my friends. Even if they laugh, I won't take it in a bad way. I can connect with my friends through Facebook if I need any opinions on how to do a certain move. I can also learn from my friends while practicing. If they see that I'm doing something wrong, they'll help me out. It's good to have someone to learn from because you can't learn the moves so well if you don't have an example. The best part is when you got the whole dance down and can dance, with no mistake, till the song is over. The hardest part is to get everyone to dance in sync, but once everyone perform at the same time, it looks great.

So far, I learned nothing but dances from Korean groups...like a typical Asian. They are fun to watch...and a lot more fun to perform. We definitely won't make it on ABDC and win like Poreotics and Super Crew. We just do it for the fun. Here's a couple of examples of the dances I know: I'll be back - 2PM, Neverland - U-Kiss and Crazy - TeepTop

Cloud of words

I really enjoy working on Wednesday's homework. The reading part not so much, but the word cloud was fun. I really love how the words shape out the design you pick. They offer so many options. It was a bit hard to pick which one I wanted to print out.

I went with the cloud because it was in the name! Buttt I will be messing around with the website now, seeing how much fun it is to mess with the words. The one I like the most is the star, look so the nice!

Gaming in class?

When I was told to bring a game to class to play or let others play, I was kind of mind blown. Have you ever heard a teacher tell you that before? I had to replay the video a couple of times before I could believe what my homework was. I couldn't think of any games to bring to class that did not involve bringing a huge a** game system. But then I remember she said we can bring an "app" as well, so I played my favorite app, Pocket God. Pocket God is a game that allows you to control 6 to 8 islanders. You are their god, and you can do whatever you want to them. You can make 'em sleep, eat, drown, etc.

This game follows a couple of Gee's Ideas. You assume a new identity, "God". Nothing really happens until you do something, interaction. If an islander dies, he can be revive, so player can take risks whenever they want. Players can customize the game; there are customization packs available for players to change the setting however they want. The game have these side missions the revolves around different episodes or updates. These missions are quite challenging if you do not understand the riddles given.

Pocket God has access to the internet, so people can compete against one another in one of the game's mini game. They can learn techniques from one another or go on forums for help. This is a good peer based learning. 

so the hungry!

Rather than working on my day-book in class during the workshop, I decided to work on it at home. I got out of work and had nothing to do at home. I work at a Japanese restaurant, so I reeked of  fried rice and eggroll. Every Sunday night, I go out to eat with my family since we don't eat together on weeknights.  Because of those two factors, I was starvinggg!! >_<

I get home from work at 5 o'clock, and we don't go out to eat until 8 o'clock. Since I had nothing else to do, I grabbed some magazines and started cutting. Since I had 2ish hours to work on it, I made sure to do a good job on it...well my definition of a good job is that it ain't crappy looking. By the time I finish the front cover, I didn't realize what I had done. There was nothing but food all over!

Seeing how I duct taped half the cover already, I added the word "delicious" to top it off. I then got out one of my old drawings, cut out a background and slapped 'em on the back cover. I have to say, the character's expression goes well with the theme.

I'm quite satisfied with my day-book. Had a fun time working on it!