Representation+CO


 * Students will: **
 * 1) understand media representations about events can be edited and transformed.
 * 2) understand that each person interprets events in their own way.
 * 3) distinguish between an event and a representation of an event. (reading a newspaper story is equal to reading a letter about the event; listening to a news broadcast is like listening to a phone call about the event)

"On that day I had just one question to ask the Dalai Lama . Here's what I asked. I wanted to know: 'Your Holiness, you inspire so many people, but what inspires you?" He paused and leaned over for a moment to talk to with his translator. then His Holiness turned to me and with a lighthearted laugh he said, "I don't know, I am just a simple monk." The enormous conference hall erupted into giggles and whispers. I was by far the shortest time he'd spent answering any question that day, and it did not go unnoticed. with that, the Dalai Lama's speech ended abruptly, he was whisked backstage and the CEO's and I dispersed for a break into the crowded lobby. And that's when the real lesson from that morning hit me, through the reactions I experienced from others.
 * Real Example by Liz Murray: **

Walking in the massive marble lobby among the crowd of executives, I was trying to sort out what had just happened when all of a sudden, one by one, the CEOs approached to tell me what they knew His Holiness had actually meant by his answer. first, a gruff man in his forties approached me and said, "I'll tell you, it was very Zen of the Dalai Lama, the way he talked to you, very Zen. His answer was all about // simplicity // ." A tall woman in a power suit was next. "It's deep," she said, "the // not-knowingness // of it all. As a monk, he is okay with the ignorance inherent in the human conditions." And next, a tall man with a furrowed brow, obviously angry said, "Liz, he didn't answer you about what inspires him because he didn't want to lower himself to our level, It's arrogance!"

Nearly a dozen executives came to me during the short break and interpreted, with certainly, the meaning of the Dalai Lama's answer. Until finally, later on, backstage, when I was being miked for my own speech, one of the Dalai Lama's stagehands found me to apologize. "Sorry, Liz," he said, "the interpreter fumbled your question and His Holiness wasn't able to understand you, because, well ... we goofed. Oops."

It turns out there was actually no meaning whatsoever to the Dalai Lama's answer. Or rather, there was no meaning beyond the one each person had assigned it. What's more, each person had witnessed the very same exchange, and not one of them came away with the same interpretation."

Source: Murray, Liz. "Epilogue." // Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard //. New York: Hyperion, 2010. 327-28. Print.


 * Assignment: **
 * 1) Create a wiki page called Re-presentation initials. Copy the information below and paste it on the page that you create.
 * 2) I will show the class a brief video of an event or an interview. Imagine you are a reporter who has just witnessed this event.

After viewing the event. complete the following
 * A. Take five minutes to write down quickly in note form everything that you can remember about the event. **

Mrs. Casanas got mad at Mr. Woodward for not getting someone. They both started screaming in the middle of the hallway. She kept telling him that he should have ve picked him up and he was confused because he send they would never schedule something like that on a Wednesday. He said it wasn't his fault and that she was getting angry and shouldn't be screaming. He told her to figure it out and then left.


 * B. Using your notes, try to organize the"story" of what happened into a sequence in which the most important information is given first. **

1. Mr. Woodward forgot to pick someone up 2. Mrs. Casanas got mad he was being irresponsible 3. She started to scream at him and he was confused 4. He thought he was right so he said, "Why would we schedule it on a Wednesday? I would never agree on that!" 5. She kept screaming saying things like, "I was stuck with him," and "We were waiting on YOU." 6. He said "well I hope you figure it out!" and left.


 * C. If you were able to have a still camera to record the event, what one picture would you most like to have taken? **

A picture of her screaming and him leaving.


 * D. Using the materials you have got, write a story for your local newspaper ( include who, what, where, when, why ) that tells what happened. You should include a sketch of your imaginary picture with a caption. (Use Tux Paint to draw the sketch. Go to File on the wiki page and upload the file to your page.) **

We were all sitting in class listening to Mrs. Carrier about her trip to JOrdan as we heard Mrs. Casanas and Mr. Woodward screaming in the hallways. They were yelling at each other about a student that Mr. Woodward


 * E. Compare your story with those produced by the rest of the class. (Read at least 10 stories on the wiki.) Has everyone agreed what is the most important part of the event? Do you all have the same choice of picture? If there are differences, how do you explain these? **


 * F. Do you think some versions are more accurate than others? Give your reasons. **