Hit or Miss: Grammy Style

This past Sunday night I got to watch one of my favorite television shows of the year--The Grammy's. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards not only bring out the most talented musicians of the year, but also the greatest fashion of the year. As a lover of both fashion and music, it is easy to say that I love this night. 

Usually the Grammy's bring about some crazy fashion trends, but this year I was pleasantly surprised with how well I thought most attendees came dressed. From Carrie Underwood to Leona Lewis, "high-fashion style" was the theme of the evening.

Carrie Underwood looked as gorgeous as usual wearing a beaded gold Zuhair Murad gown that really complimented her skin tone and hair. With beautiful diamonds and a fabulous gold clutch, Carrie's look really was "classic."

Another favorite of the night was Kate Beckinsale. Although she is not a musician, she presented a Grammy and coincidentally had one of the best dresses of the entire evening. The fitted black bodice with a mermaid train was spectacular. It showed off her every curve in ways that most women dream. She made the perfect decision to wear her brown ha

ir down and lightly curled. Her entire appearance was breathtaking. With a look this good worn to the Grammy's, I can only imagine what she will look like next month at the Oscars. 

Although I mentioned that I was pleased with most of the fashion this year, there were some exceptions. Before I begin on the next victim, let me first give this woman props for attending. M.I.A. was due to give birth on the very same day as the Grammys and still came. She not only attended, she performed! However, there are no longer any excuses to be given to pregnant women; there are beautiful maternity gowns these days that need to be worn! M.I.A. showed up in a dress that looked as if it should be worn in a stage production of "The Wizard of Oz" by the munchkins. Not to mention that she wore her dress with high-top sneakers. 

As stated earlier, I really was impressed by the red carpet this year. I think fashion is really exciting and I always look forward to seeing the latest trends. Now it's time for the Oscars! 

Media Literacy: My Opinions

In the following blog I address the Seven Debates associated with the article "The Seven Great Debated in the Media literacy Movement" by Renee Hobbs.

Should media literacy education aim to protect children and young people from negative media influences?

No. I do not necessarily believe it should be aimed to protect from negative media influences. However, I believe that the teachers and parents of the children should limit the range of information the children will be exposed to.

Should media production be an essential feature of media literacy education?

Yes. I believe that media production should be essential for media literacy education. I know that from personal experiences that I tend to learn more when I am engaged in something creative rather than having a person simply telling me what to do.

Should media literacy focus on popular culture texts?

On this question I have differing views. I believe that in this day and age 

children will learn more if they have entertaining subjects that they can relate to. Often times, it can make their learning experience more fun and in return, they might pay more attention. However, I also see the relevance in teaching with traditional texts because traditional texts have a lot of good insight to offer students on a wide variety of subjects.

Should media literacy have a more explicit political or ideological agenda?

No. I disagree with this very much. Media literacy is meant to teach media literacy, not persuade children to think or behave in any certain way. There should never be anagenda when teaching media literacy.

Should media literacy be focused on school-based K-12 educational environments?

Yes, media literacy should be focused on K-12 educational environments. Children in school are in the ideal setting for media literacy education. Giving them the propereducation at a younger age will greatly help them in their futures.

Should media literacy be taught as a specialist subject or integrated within 

the contexts of existing subjects?

I think that media literacy should be integrated within the contexts of existing subjects because I think it is more relevant and efficient for not only the students but the schools as well. If media literacy is integrated into regular curriculum, students will be learning multiple subjects at one time.

Should media initiatives be supported financially by media organizations?

I don't think that it should be demanded that media organizations support media initiatives but I think it would serve the benefit to the media organization. There would be more exposure to thousands of students by financial support and in return, the children might always remember the brand that helped fund their programs.

I think that media literacy is a very important tool to have in the modern day and will continue to be useful as the world gets more and more media driven. Below, I have given links for some helpful media literacy sites.

http://www.medialit.org/about_cml.html#education

http://www.frankwbaker.com/default1.htm

Traveling: More than Pretty Places

Traveling is a passion of mine that I have had since I was a little girl. I love everything about it. The different types of people, the new cultures, the history of the places and most importantly, the types of experiences you can take away from somewhere new. 

I have had the privilege of doing a lot of traveling in the United States. I've been lucky enough to see some of the most well-known places in America from the East Coast to the West Coast as well as many places in between.  Not only do I come away from memories from these places but knowledge as well. And although I have never been outside of the country, other than to Mexico, I still believe that I have come away with insight to the way other Americans live their lives.

Traveling, to me, can be such a great learning tool for those who might not always enjoy simply reading about exciting places from pictures in a book. I've always been the type of learner that would rather "experience" new information. There is so much to learn from traveling. I especially think traveling is a fantastic learning tool for children. Children need to be exposed to more cultures and experiences to fully understand the world and how things work and in my opinion, traveling is a great tool that parents can use to teach those things in a fun way. 

If I could choose one place in the entire world to visit, I would choose Ireland. I am almost 100% Irish and I still have very close relatives living right outside of Dublin in a county called Clonakilty. I've always been interested in genealogy and love my Irish roots. My grandparents have gone to visit our family in Ireland and still keep close contact with many of them. Seeing where my family comes from would be one of the greatest experiences I can think of. My family actually owns a pub as well as a bed and breakfast (pictured below). I have recently spoken to some of my cousins and I am praying that I get to visit soon and finally get to meet part of my family.

 

Traveling should always be fun and if you take the time to explore, traveling should also be informational. If there are two things in this world that are worth the expense, traveling and education rank among the top two.