Strength of Numbers
There are many different ways to think about the word community. The list of synonyms are endless; society, body, association, fellowship, customs, assembly, kingdom, neighborhood, public, etc. But what is the structure of community? What makes community thrive? Even synonyms of community have a characteristic in common, and it is the structure in which they are founded. They all rely on the interaction of people. People talking, living, working, empathizing, and supporting each other.
This movie reflects the big idea of community and the importance of its structure. When people become part of a group, they are expected to pull their weight and work towards the greater good of the whole group. Individualism, therefore, is not a characteristic of a strong community. This fact is important to discuss with students who are often pressured in their individual academic achievement. When collaboration is labeled as cheating, and standardized testing stresses competition, how can students learn to effectively work together? Through this movie I would hope to raise awareness to the meaning of community and share the truth about their roles as a group.
I chose to film a game of Jenga because the set-up of the blocks reflected the structure of community. Together, the blocks are stacked in alternating directions and it creates a whole, sturdy tower. As blocks are removed, however, the tower acquires holes and loses its sense of solidity. Eventually the loss of blocks becomes too much and the tower can no longer support itself. As a result, it falls. The remaining blocks are thrown to the floor and there is no sense of structure or connection.
Metaphorically, each block represents an individual within a group and the tower itself reflects the community. In order for the community to stand, it needs the support of all the individuals. If people lose sight of the common goal, or fail to support others, they leave gaps in the network of relationships. Enough gaps will cause the community to weaken or fall. Therefore it is important that individuals reinforce the structure of their surroundings and continually support the values and people around them.
While the blocks are being removed, I am reading a poem entitled “In Community” by Sailing to Windward. The poem was chosen because it connects the Jenga blocks to the idea of community and its structure. Lines in the poem stress the importance and benefits of maintaining interactions with others as opposed to individualism. The final lines are read after the film has been reversed to portray the idea of community being used as a healing process. Even after difficult times have passed and left relationships broken, there is always the possibility of coming back together.
JENGA! Oh man that was very fun and very well done. The idea of that game is actually perfect for your idea and adds an amazing visual to the movie. The reverse was well done and the pause between the fall and the end of the poem was well thought.
ReplyDeleteI think that the voice overlay was a good choice for this idea. The video and poem work really well together and convey your intended message without question. Overall you did a nice job.
ReplyDeleteREALLY nice mandy ( :
ReplyDeletei liked it a lot, and i like how you decided to split up the poem with the video. I think it is really powerful and thought-provoking.
woohoo!
who cares about stop-motion...
Cool video, liked the reversal like an old mix tape stuck in that weird cassette mode. I wish the poem had not ended in the middle the pause is jarring.
ReplyDeleteI wish the speakers worked, cause us old people are deaf and silly and sleepy.
i think your i movie was really interesting. the idea of building one was very relevant when you started to reverse the video. using jenga was a really good choice along with your poem. good job they fit really well.
ReplyDeleteYour video is really interesting. I liked that you utilized various angles in your film as well as showing it forwards and backwards. One aspect I was not so fond of was the one point when there was no voiceover. It was slightly awkward in those few seconds. However, I love the poem you used. I don't think I would have gotten such a sense of community without it.
ReplyDeleteUsing jenga was a great idea to connect with community because it takes so much work. reading the poem was very effective along with the video. great job!
ReplyDeleteGreat job with your movie, I really like the techniques you used to show community - I wouldn't have thought to film that game! The narration works really well, but I do wish you had put music in the background too, so that the space where there is no narration wouldn't seem so blank.
ReplyDeleteI really was drawn into your movie. So simple and clean, but very effective. The voiceover and the excerpt integrated nicely.
ReplyDeleteYour lesson plan is very thought out and detailed. The idea of identity is an area I have worked alot with, and my advice for you is the more specific the better! Identity is such a broad topic and can be explored in so many ways and perspectives. If you keep it specific, students will have a clear goal and understanding of what they need to do! Good Job!