Dr. Nathian Shae Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University and core faculty in the Area of Excellence: Digital Humanities and Global Diversity. He specializes in critical-cultural and digital media studies, critical communication pedagogy, and pop culture pedagogy. His research focuses on minority representation in media, specifically LGBTQ and Latinx portrayals and intersectional identity negotiation, as well as pop culture, identity, radio broadcasting, and issues of masculinity/mascing. Dr. Rodriguez also has 10 years of professional radio experience in on-air talent, sales, promotions, and social media marketing.
PEDAGOGY
Learning Outcomes
- To understand the pedagogical value of Adobe Spark
- To discover the ways Adobe Spark has been employed in Media & Communication courses
- To implement Adobe Spark in your courses
Todd Taylor's Ten Principles for Instructional Technology
- Keep people first
- Start simple
- Focus on program and pedagogical principles
- Invest in hands-on instructor training
- Practice and make precise instructional tutorials
- Consider access
- Reflect critically on technology
- Consult with others
- Expect the crash
- Use technology as a lever for positive change
Adapted from Taylor, Todd. "Ten Commandments for Computers and Composition." The Allyn & Bacon Sourcebook for Writing Program Administrators, edited by Irene Ward and William Carpenter, Allyn & Bacon, 2001, pp. 228-242.
Intersectionally Inclusive Content
Critical Pedagogy: Paulo Freire’s (1970) conceptualization of critical pedagogy (CP) is rooted in critical theory and maintains that individuals, specifically students, should question ideologies and practices they consider oppressive and work both as individuals and collectives to respond to those oppressive conditions in their own lives. CP posits that individuals are able to construct a critical view of the world through a process of dialogue with others. Through a critical dialogic exchange, individuals are made aware of their interconnectedness and their responsibility to others. Educational spaces provide opportunities to foster critical dialogue, resulting in knowledge creation and sharing. These opportunities are interdependent, involving both instructor and student. The role of the instructor is not to mirror traditional practices of pedagogy that echoes oppressive society in educational settings. Rather, the instructor helps facilitate a critical dialogic process with and among students, creating and recreating knowledge. Source: Rodriguez, N. S. (2020). An Intersectional LGBTQ+ Pop Culture Approach to Critical Pedagogy. In C. Carter Olson & T. Everbach (Eds.), Testing Tolerance: Addressing Controversy in the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Pop Culture Pedagogy: The inclusion of pop culture media (movies, television shows, clips, streaming media shows, songs, music videos, podcasts, memes, social media posts, and mobile apps) as examples to “make relevant” intersectional identities in our students to better comprehend the role of intersectional media in society. More specifically, the strategies of implementing pop culture pedagogy helps instructors facilitate a critical dialogue with and among students. This helps to not only create and recreate knowledge (an outcome of CP), but will also foster a critical consciousness where students will learn how to perceive and take action against social, political, and economic contradictions. Source: Rodriguez, N. S. (2020). An Intersectional LGBTQ+ Pop Culture Approach to Critical Pedagogy. In C. Carter Olson & T. Everbach (Eds.), Testing Tolerance: Addressing Controversy in the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Adapted from Rodriguez, Nathian S. "RAPID: Teaching Race Within An Intersectionality Framework" Forthcoming in Struggles, Strategies and Scholarship of Teaching Race (Eds. George Daniels & Robin Blom).
Why ADOBE Creative Cloud Express?
- Offers a simple, immediately usable platform to begin learning with instructional technologies.
- Adds clarity, emphasis, professionalism, and a "human touch" to documents and presentations.
- Provides opportunities for more student engagement, collaboration, and creativity.
- Easily embeds and showcases a range of media.
- Accessible to screenreaders.
Adapted from Chung, Shauna & Justin Hodgson. "Spark Workshop." Creative Campus February 2021. https://tinyurl.com/SparkWorkshop218
MEDIA & COMMUNICATION PROJECT EXAMPLES
JMS 492: Creative Uses of Emerging Media
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER PROJECT
Students will create a social media influencer Spark page and self-marketing plan directed at Hyper.
DEADLINES
Students will upload the Spark link to their Adobe Portfolio and Canvas by 11:59 p.m. on Friday Feb 26, 2021
DIRECTIONS
Your task is to convince HYPER (a social media influencer company) to add you to their list of social media influencer endorsers. You will use Spark to create a dynamic report that is formatted in a professional, yet attractive web page outline. You will identify three other influencers similar to you and your focus/area, identify your social media platforms and positions, identify possible brands that would hire you. Be sure your Spark Page report includes the following:
- Your brand: Name, slogan/tag line, color scheme.
- The objective of your brand or campaign, including the target audience (support with statistics), platforms (support with statistics), & positions if at all.
- The appropriateness of the match between objective, audience, and influencers (support with statistics).
- Brands that would possibly pay HYPER to select you as their social media influencer.
- Current social media influencers (at least 3) that are similar to your brand and why they were selected, including their focus, platforms, & current brands.
- The effectiveness of a brand selecting you - beyond the brand’s objective, including impact on the organization's brand, media buzz, and stakeholder behaviors.
- Social Media Posts (at least 2) that would promote your main influencer channel/platform. Be sure they're created with your campaign color scheme using Spark.
- Be sure you have utilized all the design functions in Spark.
- Then, in the Canvas assignment, submit the URL of your Spark Page.
- Please, also include the URL/link in your Adobe Portfolio. At this point, it's ok as just a link. I will show you how to embed it in a few weeks.
GRADING
Students will be graded based on content, creativity, structure, formatting, GSP, and adherence to directions. Please proofread your paper do not plagiarize. Failure to turn in this assignment on time will result in a zero (0).
JMS 492: Creative Uses of Emerging Media
PODCAST PROJECT
Students will create a podcast and self-marketing plan using Adobe Spark & Adobe Audition.
DEADLINES
Students will upload the link to their Adobe Portfolio by 11:59pm on Sunday March 14, 2021
DIRECTIONS
Your task is to create a Podcast. The podcast can center on anything you want, including, but not limited to, your social media influencer project. Then, you will create an interactive Spark Page that is formatted in a professional, yet attractive outline. You will identify three other podcasts similar to you and your focus/area, identify your podcast platforms /sites, identify possible brands that would sponsor your podcast, and create a sample podcast episode (2-10 min in length). Be sure your Spark Page report includes the following:
- The objective of your brand or podcast, including the target audience, platforms, & positions (cite stats to support).
- The appropriateness of the match between objective, audience, and your podcast.
- 2-3 Brands that would possibly sponsor your podcast ( short sentence why).
- At least 3 current podcasts that are similar to your brand and why they were selected, including their focus, platforms, & current sponsors.
- The effectiveness of a brand selecting you - beyond the brand’s objective, including impact on the organization's brand, media buzz, and/or stakeholder behaviors.
- Podcast Artwork: 3000x3000 pixels (perfect square). Use Adobe Spark Social Posts. Consider Pixabay or Pexels for other photo options.
- (Be sure your podcast has creative commons music, royalty-free music, public domain music or music you have purchased. Try these sites: Incompetech (Links to an external site.), Free Music Archive (Links to an external site.), 909 Music (Links to an external site.), MusoOpen (Links to an external site.), DanoSongs (Links to an external site.), CC Mixter (Links to an external site.), Purple Planet (Links to an external site.), YouTube Free Audio Library (Links to an external site.), SoundBible (Links to an external site.).
When you are completed, embed the finished product on your Adobe Portfolio. Be sure the podcast episode is embedded in your portfolio and in your Spark page. Your Adobe Portfolio will show either the embedded podcast and the Spark page link OR the embedded podcast and the embedded Spark page. Then, in the Canvas assignment, submit the URL of your Adobe Spark Page.
JMS 492: Creative Uses of Emerging Media
SPARK VIDEO PROJECT
Students will create a Spark Video that promotes/explains/exemplifies either their influencer project OR their podcast project.
DEADLINES
Students will upload the video link to their Adobe Portfolio and Canvas by 11:59 p.m. on Friday October 23, 2020
DIRECTIONS
Your task is to create a 1-min to 3-min video using Adobe Spark VIdeo that promotes, explains, or exemplifies your social media influencer project or your podcast project. The video will utilize text, photos, and voiceover. You may choose to use video footage in your Spark Video, that is up to you, but not required. Please utilize the guides and videos included in the Spark module. Be sure to include the following elements in your Spark video at least once:
- Introduction slide
- Photo(s)
- Text on slide and text over photo/video
- Split Screen Layout
- Caption Layout with Icons animating in/out
- Caption Layout with photo
- Music
- Voiceover
When you have completed your Spark Video, embed the finished product in your Digital Portfolio under "Premiere Pro tab." Be sure the video is embedded in your portfolio. Rename the Portfolio tab to "Spark Video." Then, in the Canvas assignment, submit the URL of your Adobe Portfolio site that hosts the video.
GRADING
Students will be graded based on content, creativity, structure, formatting, GSP, adherence to directions, and relation back to influencer or podcast project. Please proofread your text in the video and do not plagiarize. Failure to turn in this assignment on time will result in a zero (0).
JMS 492: Creative Uses of Emerging Media
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN
DIRECTIONS
Your task is to create a social media marketing plan that promotes or enhances your previous projects in the course. The plan will be a strategy outlined in a presentation-style report on either Adobe Spark or Adobe InDesgin. You will also create accompanying media that you will embed with your plan. This includes, but is not limited to, videos, print ads, social media ads, and audio. Your social media marketing plan must include:
- The main objectives of your social media marketing campaign and 3-5 S.M.A.R.T. objectives. Be sure they are specific, smart, measurable, achievable, relatable, and time-based.
- Any slogans, logos, color schemes, etc.?
- Target audience(s) of your campaign and why (you’ll need a main audience and then auxiliary audiences for each social media platform – see below). Cite stats - back up why you chose this based on your topic, platform, etc.
- What is your creative strategy (messages, tactics, promotions, etc.)? Connect back to S.M.A.R.T. objectives.
- Five social media platforms to target and why. Cite stats.
- Five examples of social media adverts (5 various sizes for 5 various platforms). Text, video, and/or audio.
- Target audience of each advert/platform (cite - stats). How will you cross-promote across platforms?
- Promotion video and audio pieces (one of each).
- Promotions/giveaways/contests to promote and brand. Why? Make sure these connect back to your S.M.A.R.T. objectives and social media platforms (this will be embedded within one or all strategies).
- Evaluation – how will you know if these efforts have succeeded? Ties back to strategies, objectives, platforms. List at least one assessment tool (however you may have more than one for each or all objectives).
- Is this presented as a professional public-facing Spark Page, free of GSP errors – proofread.
When you are completed, embed the finished product in your Adobe Portfolio under "Social Media Marketing Plan" tab. Then, in the Canvas assignment, submit the URL of your post.
GRADING
Students will be graded based on content, creativity, structure, formatting, GSP, and adherence to directions. Please proofread your paper do not plagiarize. Failure to turn in this assignment on time will result in a zero (0).
JMS 410: Media & Sexuality
CRITICAL CULTURAL CRITIQUE: AN LGBTQ+ CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Students will choose a mediated example of LGBTQ+ representation in streaming media. The student will then create an Adobe Spark Page with a character analysis on the mediated example.
DEADLINES
Upload your Spark Page URL by 3:00pm Monday, December 14 on Canvas. Any assignment turned in later than the deadline (time & date) and/or plagiarizing will receive a zero (0).
DIRECTIONS
Each student will choose a mediated example from the list below, that has an LGBTQ+ character. I then want you to engage with the mediated example and reflect over the content. Finally write a two- to four-page paper on that content. It must be a critical cultural analysis on a character. As always, proofread before submitting link to Canvas. Also, be sure to address the following issues in your Spark Page:
- Examples of representation, absence, production, and consumption
- Production:
- Name of Media Text
- Media Platform of Media Text
- Creators, Producers, & Distributors of Media Text
- Representation & Absence:
- Analysis of LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or stereotypes.
- Include class concepts like hegemony, patriarchy, heteronormativity, intersectionality, and/or theories discussed in class and lectures.
- Think of motivations, actions, descriptives, and role of character to plot and other characters.
- Consumption:
- Reason for selecting media text
- What is the significance of your critique/analysis?
- What are possible implications on audiences (both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+)
- Use at least two outside academic or journalistic sources (plus class lectures/content/vocabulary) and cite correctly.
- Proofread, watch structure & GSP, and format correctly
GRADING
Students will be graded based on content, creativity, structure, formatting, GSP, and adherence to directions. Please proofread your paper do not plagiarize. Failure to turn in this assignment on time will result in a zero (0).