Text Message Class

Today's Media Arts classes were the best of the week...certainly a step up from yesterday's. What's really great is we only got to half of what I had planned to do!! So the week of discussions/activities will bleed into next week. (A little sigh of relief heard here.)

Because I didn't have my cell phone yesterday, today was the day to receive text messages from the students. The first "interaction" was for everyone to text me one thing I didn't know about themselves. I then turned these messages into content for a little guessing game. This was a good bonding moment for the kids, to get to know one another a little better during this first week of school.

Here is a sampling of messages received in my inbox. (Pretty unexceptional, if you ask me, but fine.):

Msg 1: I love golf.
Msg 2: I love hockey.
Msg 3: I'm not wearing socks right now
Msg 4: I don't txt much

Playing this little guessing game reminded me of a potential "connection-to-be-made" to another type of lo-tech yet very creative example of self-expression through messaging. I will show The All-America Rejects' music video for their song "Dirty Little Secret" and then talk about the web site that inspired the video--PostSecret. (I wonder if this is appropriate material to show a class of freshman...I think so, but I will make my final determination before tomorrow's classes.) From this, the students will then create their own mixed-media postcards to send somewhere. More on this later.


Next, I expanded the in-class, online activity and delved into a more involved texting assignment--SMS shorthand poetry as first done by The Guardian newspaper some eight years ago. Click on the link above, it's quite an interesting read about this newsprint poetry contest driven by text messages sent to the editors by Guardian readers.

The following are two examples of what was texted to me during class:

Sitin her media clss
w8 4 the time 2 pass
i hope ths isnt read


Even my beats are funny.
I can get you to jump
like the easter bunny...grr


Though poetry is certainly not my strong suit, I believe I was able to discuss/explain one of the winning entries as if I were a part of the English department! I found this to be a really great example...perhaps the first in the class...of media and arts coming together. And having students involved made it all the better!

The adventure continues tomorrow...


-Mr. Hoban