On the Language of Internet Memes
an arts-based educational research dissertation in arts & visual culture education
Category: Uncategorized
December 13, 2013
Basic Animated GIFs
This is an Animated GIF
It is a sequence of still images that played in rapid succession, will give the illusion of movement. This particular Animated GIF consists of 21 still images, which we can appreciate better at a slower frame rate.
In fact, if you right-click on either one of the Animated GIFs above, you’ll be able to save them to your computer and see them one still image at a time.
There are many ways to make your own Animated GIFs but they all begin with finding and choosing the images you will use. For this you can either draw your own or search for them online using Google Image Search; however you must always be very careful about what type of search you do and which images you use, as some of them might be copy-right restricted. A good way of avoiding this potential problem is by using the Creative Commons Search tool, which will show you only images that you can use and modify completely free of charge.
Another thing to keep in mind when selecting your images is that Animated GIFs require still images that have some sort of continuity or sequence to them. In the cases above, the rolling clouds are the element in the images that make it flow in sequence with a certain continuity.
Once you have selected and downloaded the images you will use; you might want to add some text to them in order to give your Animated GIF a more personal feel. You can use Meme Maker’s Create Tool in order to do this. Simply hit “choose file” select the images you want to use and then follow the steps to add a caption and save the new images to your computer hard drive.
Now that you have a sequence of images with your text of choice on them saved to your computer; you can use an online tool like Picasion to animate them. This is only one of many possible choices, a simple search for online GIF maker will give you plenty of alternatives.
Once your Animated GIF is done, make sure to download it to your computer hard drive so you can post it or share it whomever you might want to.
June 11, 2013
Week 1 (June 11th-13th)
Welcome to Meme Studio!
During the next few days we’ll be talking about Internet Memes and their language.
You know Internet Memes, don’t you?
They’re mischievous cats, cute puppies and dancing crowds; but did you know that they can also be art?
Now please take some time to talk with your partner and answer the following questions:
- Were you familiar with internet memes before watching this video?
- Why does the video say that internet memes ARE art?
- Why does it say that they ARE NOT are?
- Do you think that internet memes are art?
- Why?
Keep your answers in mind and look through the following images. These are screen-grabs from the video you just viewed:
Click on the one you like the most and download it by holding down the <alt> key and clicking again on it; select <save image as> from the drop down menu.
Now click here and create an image macro of your own using the image you chose.
May 17, 2013
Poe[Meme]s: Plan of Study (1st Draft)
A three-day workshop where young poets will be introduced to the expressive language of internet memes and guided through the production of their very own poe[MEME]s. The workshop will take place from July 18th-20th at the Santa Rosa Branch Library, 1075 S. 10th Ave. Tucson, AZ.
Day 1 (July 18th).
-
Learners will be asked to share their own favorite poem.
-
If they have not written poetry before, they will be asked to share their favorite poem by somebody else.
-
-
Learners will be shown the video Know your Neighbor: Samuel, the Concise Poet.
-
Concise and succinct poetry will be discussed.
-
Are a few words enough?
-
How many words does poetry require?
-
-
Learners will break into small groups of two or three participants each.
-
As a group, they will exchange the poems they shared previously.
-
Learners will be guided through a haiku-writing exercise in which the object will be to rewrite their peer’s poem as a collection of 3 or four haikus
-
The haikus will be shared and discussed as a class.
-
Learners will be guided through an internet search for images that are related to the haikus they just wrote and shared.
-
Google’s safe search will be used in order to ensure that all content gathered is age appropriate.
Day 2 (July 19th).
-
Learners will be shown the videos Visual Culture Online and Animated GIFs: Birth of a Medium.
-
Internet memes and their language will be discussed.
-
Can they be art?
-
Can they be poetry?
-
-
Learners will be introduced to the properties and production process of Captioned Animated GIFs (CAG).
-
Anatomy of CAG.
-
Continuity of action.
-
Frame rate.
-
Short captions.
-
-
Learners will begin producing series of CAG for each of the Haikus they wrote based on their peers poetry.
Day 3 (July 20th).
-
Learners will finish production their series of CAG.
-
As a class we’ll discuss how we’ll showcase the Poe[meme]s produced.
-
Will all be shown?
-
All together?
-
Each by itself?
-
- As a class we will all set up the showcase as part of TYPS’ monthly Poetry Slam.
May 17, 2013
poe[MEME]s!
Poe[Meme]s will be conducted as part of my dissertation research, which has centered around the language of internet of memes and the potential for it to be integrated into educational experiences. This workshop will be deployed in partnership with Tucson Youth Poetry Slam, a wonderful organization in Tucson, AZ that works with young slam poets.
![Poe[meme]sFlyerWeb](https://memeducationdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/poememesflyerweb1.jpg)
Please feel free to post this flyers at your own discretion. To register or inquire further please email me delarosacarrillo@email.arizona.edu. Space is extremely limited.
April 25, 2013
School for Poetic Computation
I love the idea of this school. It reminds me of Donald Knuth’s Turing Award lecture Computing Programming as an Art and of Guy Steele’s call for an MFA in software practices.
We are interested in craft, and the idea that every writer needs space and time to hone their trade. Our school aims to provide a safe haven – so you could get acquainted with the craft at your own pace, make it your own, find that part between your true creative process and the craft. This takes time, encouragement, the right push at the right time, conversations with colleagues, and more time.
via SFPC – mission.
April 18, 2013
Internet Memes as art[?] [Introductory exercise]
[This exercise is meant to function in conjunction with the Internet Memes as Art [?] TED Ed lesson.]
- Look through these screen-grabs ᔥ Are LOLCats and Internet Memes Art?.
- Pick one of them that you want to use and download it by clicking on it, and saving it to your computer:
-
- Review your answers to questions 3 & 4 from the Internet Memes as Art[?] TED Ed Lesson.
- Summarize each response in a four-word sentence.
- Using MemeMaker’s Create Tool caption your selected image with your summarized responses.
- Download and save your meme but also save the link to it provided by MemeMaker.
- Continue to the Internet Memes as Art[?] TED Ed Lesson and complete the Discussion activity.
November 18, 2012
Supporting the Collaborative Development of OER Aligned with the Common Core: A Policy Brief | aperta educationem
Forty-seven states and territories have fully adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics. The implementation of CCSS will be extremely costly to states, in part, because many districts will have to purchase new instructional materials and textbooks aligned to the CCSS out-of-cycle. Several policy options exist to help states deal with these costs, including increased federal funding, increased federal regulation of textbook publishers, and support of collaborative development of open educational resources (OER) aligned with CCSS. I recommend the third option because it not only offers a budgetary respite, but because it gives states unprecedented flexibility in instructional materials management. [Read on] http://tjbliss.org/oer-and-the-common-core/
On the Language of Internet Memes 