Looking for the Girls

What Are Music Videos Really Teaching Us? Lessons from "Looking for the Girls"

When most people watch music videos, they're usually just looking to be entertained. Before reading Looking for the Girls by Andrea Brown-Thirston, I never really stopped to think about the messages that are hidden beneath the surface. This chapter made me realize that music videos can teach viewers a lot more than we might realize, and unfortunately, not all of those lessons are positive.

In this chapter, Brown-Thirston explores what young African American men and women are learning from R&B and rap music videos. While every video is different, she found that many of them promoted the same messages and stereotypes.

One thing that really stood out to me was how women were portrayed. Many of the videos showed women wearing revealing clothing and dancing provocatively while serving more as decorations than individuals with their own voices or identities. On the other hand, men were often shown surrounded by expensive cars, jewelry, and designer clothes while treating women like possessions instead of equals. What was noticeably missing from these videos were examples of healthy, respectful relationships.

That leads to the bigger question Brown-Thirston asks: How do these messages affect young people?

I think one of the biggest concerns is that these videos create unrealistic expectations about what success looks like. They often make it seem like money, expensive possessions, and attention from attractive women are what define someone's value. If young people constantly see these messages, it's easy to understand how they could begin believing that's what success is supposed to look like.

The messages about gender are just as concerning. Young girls are repeatedly shown that their appearance and sexuality are their greatest strengths instead of their intelligence, talents, or opinions. At the same time, young boys are taught that being a man means having money, power, and control over women. Those are unhealthy ideas for both boys and girls to grow up believing.

Another point that really made me think was how these videos can shape the opinions of people outside of the Black community. Brown-Thirston explains that for some young white viewers who have limited interactions with Black communities, music videos may become their primary source of information about Black culture. If those videos consistently highlight wealth, violence, hypersexuality, and materialism, they can reinforce stereotypes that don't accurately represent the community as a whole.

The biggest lesson I took away from this chapter is that media is never "just entertainment." Whether we realize it or not, the media we consume can influence how we think about relationships, success, gender roles, and even entire cultures. As someone who works with young people every day, it reminded me how important it is to help students think critically about the messages they're constantly seeing online and in the media.

Digital Tool: perplexity.ai

 Play around with ANY digital tool that you know well or want to learn more about, and Make a tutorial about the digital tool and post it on your blog.

   The application of AI in my daily life really excites me, especially its ability to streamline everyday tasks. I've been using AI in some capacity since around 2023, and it has become a helpful tool in my work as an educator. I've used it to create review packets, guided questions, and even assist with grading student work.

After reading about how Bonnie Nieves used Perplexity AI in her classroom and hearing Dr. Molly Bogad talk about how she uses it in her own work, I wanted to give it a try. I'll start by saying that I'm most familiar with ChatGPT, and after spending about an hour using Perplexity, I'd say it's a very similar tool. One thing I've learned from using AI is that prompting is everything. The more specific, clear, and detailed your prompt is, the better the results usually are. Even then, it doesn't always get it right. I'm still working on improving my prompting skills, and I often find myself having long conversations with AI models to refine exactly what I'm looking for, especially when I'm using a platform I'm not familiar with.

I posted a video above showing some of my dialogue with Perplexity AI if anyone wants to take a look. Part of the video shows me asking it to create a handout for an article from an Amplify lesson. After some back and forth, I was able to get a handout that I would actually consider using in class, although it still needed some revisions. The other part of the video shows me trying to create a reference sheet with helpful links and idea starters to support a research project my scholars complete when I'm absent from class. Perplexity didn't give me exactly what I wanted, but it did provide some useful ideas. I think if I had spent more time with it or watched a tutorial on YouTube first, I probably could have gotten much closer to the final product I was looking for.

One thing that impressed me was how long I could use its highest reasoning mode before reaching any limits. I used it for about an hour, and the quality and context of its responses stayed consistent the entire time—and that was without paying for a subscription. In comparison, I've noticed that ChatGPT's higher-level features reach their limits much more quickly without a subscription.

Overall, I definitely want to spend more time using Perplexity AI and see how my results improve as I become more comfortable with it. I'm planning to use it to help with parts of my final project for this class. If anyone is interested, leave a comment, and I'd be happy to post an update comparing my experience before and after using it more extensively.

My Thoughts On The Final

What ideas do you have about your final project?  Did any of the Media Literacy projects you reviewed in this deck on slide 8 inspire you?

    I watched and listened to a few different Media Literacy projects, and Liz Pelletier's final project stood out to me the most. It seems like a manageable option because I think I could create something authentic through a podcast. The other project ideas seem like they have too many moving parts, and I feel like I might drop the ball somewhere along the way.

 

Whether something is "good" or not is relative, and ultimately I think the value of a project is up to its creator. In my eyes, the final for this class is similar to a piece of art, and I don't consider myself to be the most creative person. No matter which direction I choose, I worry that the final product won't meet my own standards.

Because I'm having that internal conflict with myself, it's creating a mental barrier that's making it difficult to even come up with ideas to get started. I was talking with Dr. Bogad this morning, and I shared that one of my biggest strengths is my ability to build relationships with my students. I'm also someone who loves to talk, so that's why I'm leaning toward creating a podcast for my final project. It plays to my strengths and feels like the most authentic way for me to express my ideas. Even with that, I still find myself doubting whether my final project will be "good enough," and that self-doubt is creating an even bigger mental block. It's honestly been really frustrating to think about because there needs to be a quick turn around for the final.

My Relationship With AI and Opinions on Ferlazzo, Galland, & Rettinge

What is your personal relationship to AI?

    I think AI is an extremely valuable tool, both today and moving into the future. The applications of artificial intelligence are endless, from medicine and engineering to education and many other fields. What concerns me most is that people may become too dependent on AI and begin using it for everything instead of thinking critically or developing their own skills.

How do the arguments of Ferlazzo or Galland & Rettinger feel to you?  Do they resonate with you? Alienate you? Scare you? Excite you?

    I agree with all three authors and the message they were trying to convey. Many schools currently view AI as the enemy because students are using it as the "easy way out." I think this connects directly to several points Gallant and Rettinger make in Chapter 1, Why Students Cheat. They explain that students often cheat because of factors like low self-efficacy, fear of failure, pressure to succeed, and procrastination—not simply because they want to break the rules.

As Gallant and Rettinger state, it's not simply just having access to AI that is giving some students the "confidence" to cheat. We have to try to change the ways in which we speak to students about their skills, build them up so that they see themselves as capable scholars and harvest their growth mindset. It is also incredibly important to try to create meaningful connections with individual scholars. Making sure that students can find truth within you and you can help the class to feel as though they can bond with one another as well. In doing so we hopefully eliminate more students caught in the middle who may find themselves tempted to cheat if the correct condition presents itself. 

As a society, we're clearly moving in a direction where AI is going to become a normalized part of our everyday lives. Instead of constantly fighting against it, I think schools should spend more time teaching students how to use AI responsibly and as an asset instead of a crutch. If we did that, I believe we would see fewer issues with cheating. 

Ferlazzo provides a great example through educator Bonnie Nieves, who uses a "hybrid approach" to introduce AI in her classroom. She uses Perplexity AI to help students better understand peer-reviewed research articles. At first, she provides guided prompts so students learn how to use the tool effectively. As they become more comfortable, she gradually removes that support and encourages students to create their own prompts. As she explains, this process "empowered them to take ownership of their learning."

I think this is a great example of how students can learn to use AI in a positive and productive way when they receive the proper guidance. It also connects to what we briefly discussed in class today about teaching students the appropriate and responsible use of media instead of assuming they already know how to use these tools effectively.

My Opinion On "Digital Native" Terminology

 

What do you make of the positions of Prensky and Spiegel?  Where do you stand on the “digital native” terminology?

After reading Prensky Revisited, I got the impression that Spiegel believes Prensky's definition of people's comfort level with technology and media was too broad. I both agree and disagree with Prensky because, from what I gathered, he was one of the pioneers in this field. At the time, it seems like he was one of the first people trying to understand how technology was changing education. When you're the first to explore a new idea, it's difficult to have concrete answers. I think Prensky was working with the information and ideologies available to him at the time. I would be interested in reading how his thinking has evolved over the years and how he would update his ideas based on today's research.

I really liked Spiegel's interpretation of the different types of technology/media users because it aligns more closely with how we think about learning today. Learning is not a linear process, so placing everyone into only two categories doesn't seem accurate. Categorizing people based on how they use technology/media —whether they are creators, social users, gamers, or workers—feels much more realistic. It helped me better attempted to understand the strengths and learning gaps within each category. As I prepare for the upcoming school year, I'm already thinking about ways to identify these different types of media users among my scholars so I can help them become well-rounded, multifaceted users of technology instead of staying confined to just one category.

Who Am I

 

WHO AM I

My name is Michael Correa, but everyone calls me Mikey. I was born and raised in Rhode Island. My mom is Dominican, and my dad is Colombian, but if you ask anyone, they would probably tell you I'm 100% Colombian.

For the last four years, I've worked at Blackstone Valley Prep.

A little about me:

I love watching and playing soccer, and my favorite team is Atlético Nacional. They're one of the best teams in Colombia's first division. I also love fashion—clothes, sneakers, brand collaborations, really anything in that world. Lastly, I love going to the gym because, in my eyes, it's one of the simplest ways to reset and clear my mind.

If you have any questions about the pictures, feel free to ask during class or leave a comment!