03.01.06 Week 8

If Ideas were Fashion

Wong, E. D., & Henriksen, D. If ideas were fashion.

Postrel, V. Surface and substance. In "The Substance of Style."

assignments

Next week - Spring Break

Week 9: Graphic arts and advertising

Pre-class activity

Readings

Inquiry & Design Proposal

assignments

Pre-class activity

Next week's class will involve using principles of principles of graphic arts design to create a compelling visual example of an educational idea or advertising promotion. With this in mind, come to class with some ideas which you want to develop for this visual arts activity.

assignments

Readings

Krause, J. (2004). Design Basics Index. Sections about Harmony, Emphasis, Alignment, Flow.

McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding Comics. Chapter 7, The six steps. HarperCollins.

assignments

The Central Idea/Analogous Suggestion (1/2 page)

What did the professionals’ view of the NDCE in their work suggest for the NDCE in your work? Describe the ideas/analogous suggestions inspired by our guests between the NDCE in their domain and the NDCE in your domain. Be as specific as you can about what they said, did, or wrote.

Note: In this proposal, you should not list all the ideas inspired by our guests. Rather, you should only describe the specific idea(s) that you have chosen to focus on in this project.

assignments

Design: The Plan for Inquiry (1/2 page)

In your domain, you will want to try out these ideas and see what happens. What is your plan for trying out the ideas? What is your plan for seeing what will happen? Your response to these two questions constitutes the design or plan of your inquiry. Describe these two aspects of your design as specifically as you can. You will want to come up with a plan that will enhance the likelihood that you’ll learn something about the central idea. The heading for this section should be “Design” The Plan for Inquiry.”

Note: Although your design should be thoughtful, there is no need to think of this as a “formal” empirical study with all the associated methodological constraints and requirements.

assignments

Qualities of a Good Proposal

I can see clearly the specific ways that you have been inspired by the experts in fields outside of education.

I can see clearly the central idea/analogous suggestions at the heart of your project

I will be convinced that your project design will help you learn something about the central idea.

reflection on interior design

What ideas were inspired by how interior designers create compelling experiences?

fashion: what does that mean?

fashion

- n, a particular way of behaving or doing something

- n, the way of doing things that is popular at the moment

- vt, to give shape or form to something, to create

style

- a distinctive way of doing something

- flair, confidence about exhibiting skill or good taste

- extravagance or lavishness

if ideas were fashion

On a Paris metro train….

students and fashion

What evidence is there of our interest in fashion?

fashion: a deep inclination

Fascination with fashion is more than a just an immature phenomenon. It is a deep, human inclination.

“deep inclination” - something that has compelled us through the ages, across cultures

just to be clear…

“In fashion” is not the same as “to fashion”

Saying that “looks matter” is not the same as saying that “beauty matters”

Both “surface” and “substance” matter

“Cool things” are not the same as “cool experiences” with things

pitfalls of the fashion metaphor

Unintelligent attention to style may be associated with...

Being a "slave to fashion" - external influence, lack of choice

Non-rationality: impulse, emotions, peer pressure

superficial

fashion is only "for the moment", always changing, nothing endures

pitfalls of the fashion metaphor

social pressure and conformity, loss of individuality

obsession with oneself, obsession with others, obsession

dissatisfaction with the current, admiring the unobtainable

detracts from more worthwhile purposes

rampant, mindless consumerism

coveting, materialism, possession

the surface of things

There is a historical distinction between the superficial and the deep

appearance and reality

surface and substance

What is the basis for this?

why we distrust fashion

Historically, “we” have had more faith…

in our brain than our eyes

in our mind than our heart

in the power of reason than the power of perception or feeling

in science than art

…how unfortunate that this is the case

why fashion?!

When we consider ideas as fashion, we may better see…

the importance of the aesthetic

the social aspects of learning

how we are compelled when imagining the possible

how beauty matters to everyone

how style can be substance

the importance of creating and expression

implications

If ideas are fashion,

then the teacher a merchant and the student is a consumer

then teaching is selling and learning is shopping

ad campaigns for ideas?

We are familiar with ad campaigns for commercial products. What about ad campaigns or marketing strategies for ideas, attitudes, or behaviors?

ad campaigns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADizYtTrAI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Econsumerist%2Ecom%2F

Dove Real Beauty

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

Ad Council

http://www.adcouncil.org/

Ad Gallery

http://www.mediacampaign.org/mg/

Superbowl Ads

http://video.google.com/superbowl.html

IPod

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ads/640.html

http://www.apple.com/ipod/ads/rollerskating/640.html

ad campaigns

elements of an ad campaign

creating the need/desire

considering the “cool” factor

creating the “buzz”

fashion challenge

Imagine you work for an advertising agency. Your task is to make a particular school idea fashionable or cool.

In teams, develop advertising campaign ideas. Find inspiration and support your ideas by citing examples of

ad campaigns that have used similar ideas

phenomena that have become fashionable by similar means

ideas soon to be fashion

Idea: plants are the only thing on earth which produce their own food. All other living things rely on food produced by others.

Idea: the history and culture of a place can be understood by examining its physical geography.

“cool” - what it is

title

title

deep inclination

“deep inclination” - something that has compelled us through the ages, across cultures

A construct that may be useful for identifying “that which moves us” and, thus, that which motivates students

Two essential requirements for identifying potential deep inclinations of students

has both enduring (across time) and widespread (across generation, culture) expression in Art

is manifested in current popular culture or students’ world

deep inclination

In our analysis of popular and fine art, we were particularly interested in ideas that have been expressed across time and genre. As a literary scholar might search for classic universal themes and archetypal characters, we searched for similar qualities in the past and present human story as represented in the arts. We called the pervasive and persistent ideas “deep inclinations.” Because deep inclinations are expressed over long periods of time, through diverse mediums, by a wide variety of people, we propose these ideas will continue to find resonance with students today.

deep inclination

Absolute interests (Schank): death, danger, power, violence, and sex

Emotional interests (Kintsch): contrasted with cognitive interests

Situational interest (Hidi, Wade): novelty, unexpected or surprising information, intensity, concreteness, and visual imagery

Seductive details (Gardner)

deep inclination: examples