Welcome to the one place where EMAC is Whack!

"Attack of the EMAC" is Kevin Sharpe's class blog for EMAC 6300: Introduction to the Study of Emerging Media and Communications at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is an educational marketing manager and runs the Newspaper in Education program at The Dallas Morning News.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Why are leaders/teachers afraid of progress?

EMAC Classmate Little Miss Cales blogs about a disappointing attitude from elected leaders in government regarding our emerging digital world and how vulnerable we are all becoming due to our dependency on technology and digital connectivity. It’s a threat to homeland security!!!!

Little Miss Cales does a great job challenging that attitude. It’s an attitude I come across daily from teachers as an Educational Marketing Manager who is trying to inspire and motivate educators to embrace digital teaching tools. Their stubborn resistance to integrate technology into their lesson plans and instructional styles comes across nearly as passionate patriotism. Surely if these resistant teachers do not fight to maintain outdated approaches to education, civilization will fall!

This article by educational consultant and author Marc Prensky does a great job illustrating the behind-the-scenes battle he faces with headstrong teachers across the world who insist card catalogs in school libraries must remain in case the power goes out.

These teachers insist their cause is to ensure “the basics” remain in schools. Prensky calls their attitude and reasoning “backup” education.

... what the teachers are really saying is this: “We don’t trust the technology of today, or the future. We don’t trust the world in which you kids are going to live. We believe the way we did it in our time was the “real” way, the only reliable way, and that’s what we want to teach you kids – “the basics.” (That’s why they all applaud the idiotic video showing people on a stopped escalator just standing there calling for help.)

Monday, August 30, 2010

It may be the end for printed dictionaries | TG Daily

It may be the end for printed dictionaries | TG Daily

Summer Project - "Found out on Facebook" Feature

Over the summer, I made this non-fiction video about some great family news that was documented on Facebook. I challenged myself to use only authentic elements available on Facebook without manipulating the narration.



I'm trying to transition out of my comfort zone and utilize video -- rather than copy -- to tell stories. I majored in journalism as an undergrad and didn't explore broadcasting. Equipment wasn't very accessible back in those days. You had to take classes to learn how to use the tools then sign up and wait to use them. So I chose to focus on the emerging desktop publishing that was taking the industry by storm.