Media Exercise 2

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RSS and Creative Commons

Contents

Task

  • Use an RSS reader and reflect on your experience using RSS.
  • Identify and search for Creative Commons Resources.
  • Create a blog post that incorporates Creative Commons assets and gives proper attribution to sources.


Part A: Using RSS Readers

  • The first part of this week's media exercise is about using an RSS reader (or aggregator) as a way to keep up with new content from blogs and other websites. If you are new to RSS, take time to review the video posted below, under "Resources."
  • Early in the week, set up an RSS reader. There are several good (free) options to choose from, such as Google Reader. If you already use an RSS reader, feel free to skip ahead. Some web browsers (e.g. Firefox) also allow you to subscribe to RSS feeds in your bookmarks, which can also be a convenient way to aggregate your RSS subscriptions. Here is an article reviewing popular and highly rated RSS readers: "RSS: news you choose."
  • You can also use a Web 2.0 Start Page as an RSS reader (e.g. iGoogle, MyYahoo, etc.). FeedmyApp lists the 28 top ranked Web 2.0 Start Pages.
  • Follow the instructions provided by the RSS reader you've chosen to subscribe to RSS feeds. Then subscribe to a few websites and blogs of personal or professional interest. Practice identifying RSS feeds on websites and subscribing to them, and practice using the RSS reader as a way to view the web-based content.
  • Consider the following questions: In what ways is RSS useful? What is a potential application of RSS in an education and/or information setting? Or, How does using RSS differ from other ways of viewing and organizing web-based content? (We'll return to talk about this in class.)
  • Note that you might find it very useful this semester to subscribe to our Class Blog RSS Feeds.
  • You can also subscribe to the RSS Feed for the Twitter Hashtag we're using in this class (#lis5313).


Part B: Creative Commons

  • The second part of this week's media exercise is about using Creative Commons. What is Creative Commons and how does it work? Please take time to review the videos posted below, under "Resources." We will be utilizing creative Commons extensively in this class, so it is important for you to understand what it is and how the different licenses work.
  • Use the Creative Commons portal of Flickr to search for images. (For this exercise, do not search for or use an image that has a "No Derivatives" license.) Find and download a photo you think is stunning. Note the Creative Commons license for the photo and the URL for the license. Also note the author of the photo (e.g. the Flickr username if no real name is provided). See the Blog Tutorial How to use Creative Commons Flickr images in a blog post if needed.
  • Next, find and download an audio clip that you think enhances and/or alters the meaning of the image. The audio clip should have a Creative Commons license or be in the public domain. Check Audio Resources on this wiki for help finding relevant audio clips.
  • Create a Blog Post.
  • Your blog post should follow the following specifications as closely as possible. (See my example of what a finished blog post could look like here: Who Am I to Disagree with Freedom?.)
  • In your blog post, embed the photo you chose. You can do this by uploading the photo to the blog and inserting the photo into the blog (just as you did for your Blog Post Introduction).
  • Include the audio file you selected directly under your photo.
  • If the audio file is already available on the web and you can identify the URL for the audio file, you can create a hyperlink to the audio file. Note that the URL for the audio file should end in an audio extension such as .mp3, .aif, or .wav. This is different than the information page about the audio file.
  • Alternately, you can upload the audio clip to the blog and then include a link to the file. To upload the audio clip to the blog, select "Add Audio" listed in the "Upload/Insert" section of the toolbar. Follow the steps to upload your audio file and then insert the audio into your blog post. See the Blog Tutorials for more info if needed.
  • Credit your sources:
  • Photo: Give attribution to the photo author, and state the license of the photo (and provide a link to the license). Instructions on how to do this are provided in the Blog Tutorial How to use Creative Commons Flickr images in a blog post. Also link to the related web pages for the photo and photo author if possible.
  • Sound: Give attribution to the sound author, and state the license of the sound (and provide a link to the license). Also link to the related web page about the sound and/or sound author if possible.
  • Give the blog post a title that says something about the image and audio in your post (e.g. as opposed to something boring like, "Media Exercise 2").
  • Tag your blog post "exercise2" (without the quotes) and any other tags you wish.
  • Categorize the blog post under "Media Projects" and publish it.
  • Make sure to review the post as it appears on the blog and edit it as needed until it displays properly! Sometimes if you have tried multiple attempts at inserting an image or audio file, the HTML gets mixed up and the image or sound won't display properly. If this happens it is often best to start over with a new blog post and delete the old one.


Submission Instructions

  • When you have completed your blog post, go to Blackboard > Assignments > Media Production Exercises, and follow the instructions to submit the assignment.
  • Assignments can only be submitted the week they are due (not before, and not after--unless prior arrangements have been made with the TA or instructor).


Resources


  • Are you new to Creative Commons (CC)? If so, watch these videos:

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