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Home/ AED322 Visual Culture & Educational Technologies F2012/ TRANSCULTURAL DIALOGUES (Helsinki University and Penn State University)
Karen Keifer-Boyd

TRANSCULTURAL DIALOGUES (Helsinki University and Penn State University) - 143 views

transcultural dialogue social media metaphor

started by Karen Keifer-Boyd on 09 Oct 12
  • Karen Keifer-Boyd
    #1 Karen Keifer-Boyd on 09 Oct 12
     
    In the second week of October, we will begin a project with students at Penn State and University of Helsinki. Each student should begin with reply "post" at the bottom of this DIIGO topic "TRANSCULTURAL DIALOGUES (Helsinki University and Penn State University)"

    1. MEET & GREET: Using DIIGO (with a post to this topic) as the social media platform, communicate to each other regarding metaphors, analogies, and sayings that participants from Helsinki University and Penn State University have heard repeatedly growing up. Explain what it means and how you see the meaning played out in your experiences. In your post, provide a link to a website that you feel conveys the idea. Due 10/16.

    DIALOGIC RESPONSE: For response to another there are so many possibilities. The dialogic task is not to see something in a negative way but to see beyond the surface layer of the website selected to communicate the idea of the saying. Focus more on the linked site and interpret the visual culture of that site in terms of messages (without setting up a dualism of negative and positive) in regards to race, gender, and/or social class. Find a different way to look at the familiar visual culture of the linked website, i.e., a different narrative. Post response on a DIIGO sticky note on the website page. Due 10/23.

    The full TRANSCULTURAL DIALOGUES project is described at http://cyberhouse.arted.psu.edu/322/projects/3_td.html
  • Jessica Grentz
    #2 Jessica Grentz on 09 Oct 12
     
    Have you ever heard the saying "Life's not fair get used to it"? This is a saying I grew up hearing, when I thought I should have as much as my brothers, or when I didn't get enough Christmas presents, etc. I remember crying and whining, "That's not fair!" to quickly be told by any adult figure in my life that Life isn't fair so I better get used to it. I also experience this in college when I wish I didn't have to work to pay for tuition while others don't. I have to remind myself that not everyone has the same experiences or advantages and everyone has their own life.

    http://extraordinarylivingbydrscotty.blogspot.com/2011/10/thats-not-fair.html
    In the link above please focus on the image at the top of the page and not the blog post posted by the blogger. The image is an example of the saying, "Life isn't fair get used to it".
  • Ally Aubry
    #3 Ally Aubry on 09 Oct 12
     
    Hello Everyone! My name is Ally Aubry and I am senior (fourth year) Art Education major at Penn State, although I am a native New Jersey girl.

    Growing up, ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with various accents seen across the United States. Although I have always grown up in the East Coast, I have had the privilege of having family and relatives from all over. It is amazing that you can cross a border into another State, and the accents and sayings completely change. For example, I have family in Boston, Massachusetts and they all have heavy accents. One popular sayings that I often hear people from Boston say is "Wicked Smart". This term, especially the word "wicked", is placed in front of basically any adjective. However, Bostonians are known for saying the term "Wicked Smart" due to popular media and visual culture. It is important to note the phonetic differences in how people from Boston say it. For example, although they pronounce wicked as it is read, they pronounce smart as, "smarhhht" - they essentially drop the r sound and add an H. Although it has the same meaning, it is pronounced differently. This has become a landmark saying for Boston, being seen on a lot of their historical memorabilia and on downtown souvenirs.

    One way in which this saying is used in popular culture is in the hit and classic movie, "Good Will Hunting":

    http://youtu.be/ymsHLkB8u3s

    In this video you can see a scene in Harvard (Harhhhvarhhd) Bar where Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk about what it means to be "Wicked Smart (Smarhhttt)".

    In terms of using this in terms of images, this saying can be seen on Boston memorabilia and souvenirs seen everywhere. For example, on this website: http://www.chowdaheadz.com/wicked-smaaht-college-tee.html , you can see the saying being used on a t shirt that displays it in a collegiate way, again illustrating the idea of being "wicked smart".

    I hope this helps you understand a little bit of a saying/phrase in Boston, Massachusetts!
  • Brittany Gibson
    #4 Brittany Gibson on 09 Oct 12
     
    The saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a saying that I have been hearing since I was little. There are many times when I am given something in life, and I may complain about the timing, or the inconvenience, or other little things. My mother always tells me to be grateful for my blessing, and make a positive out of it, so when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. I no longer complain about or disregard it, but make use of whatever I've been given, and am positive about it.

    http://youknowmojo.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade/
    This link contains a blog that I thought explained this saying very well, and I really like the picture at the bottom of the blog, when you scroll to the bottom.
  • Jackie Settimio
    #6 Jackie Settimio on 09 Oct 12
     
    Ever heard, "like a moth to a flame"? I have numerous times. Its that pull inside of you that keeps saying do it, do it, even when you know it won't end well. It's the feeling of when you know something is inevitable. I understand the fact that somethings we are drawn to, and other things we draw to us, and those things are often inevitable. If a moth can't keep itself away from open warm light what can we not stay away from? For me its online shopping, and for others its an array of instictual desires.

    http://blogs.families.com/media/Like%20a%20Moth%20to%20a%20Flame.jpg

    This link is a demonstrating of a moth going toward something it knows is dangerous, but can't help but go towards.
    "Like a moth to a flame"
  • Jillian Wenklar
    #7 Jillian Wenklar on 11 Oct 12
     
    Hello! My name is Jillian and I am a senior at Penn State.
    The saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is an inspirational quote that I can relate to. This can relate to anything in your life. In my experience, this relates to school and other hobbies that I have been involved in. I am one to complain about homework, a test, or a project if I don't like or understand it. Is it going to kill me? No. Once I have completed the task I feel like I did something amazing, and I am a better person because of it. In the various hobbies that I participate in, this quote will always stand by the sports I have played. I played soccer my entire life, and when the weather was terrible, or my team was down, or I was having an 'off' game, I always knew it would be okay. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is something that will say, hey, you can do it. It's not the end of the world, keep going. You'll be stronger when you finish.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OT6z4wr-mJg/T6Q-H5u0hQI/AAAAAAAAE8I/sUzj2tO4UXI/s1600/Mount-Everest-Climb.jpg

    http://www.shape.com/blogs/working-it-out/monday-motivation-what-doesnt-kill-you-really-does-make-you-stronger

    The link above demonstrates a different view on the saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". In this case, it is dealing with health and diet.
  • Sarah Fogg
    #8 Sarah Fogg on 11 Oct 12
     
    Hi everybody! My name is Sarah and I'm a junior at Penn State. The saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover' is something that has been said to me throughout my life. It isn't literally talking about judging books, but it is talking about anything. It means that you shouldn't make opinions about somebody or something before you actually get to know them. The most popular example of this is when someone judges somebody based on their appearance. They are quick to think different opinions about someone based on how they look before they get to know them. This is not a good way to live your life because who knows how great someone could be if you look past their looks.

    Here is a video of a woman who isn't very attractive but has the most amazing talent that nobody would have guessed.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PECmXi8dv9s
  • Annie Seagraves
    #9 Annie Seagraves on 11 Oct 12
     
    Hey everyone! My name is Annie and I am a senior at Penn Sate. A saying that I heard a lot in my life is "Don't judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes". It doesn't literally mean go take someone's and walk a mile in them. It means that before you make a judgment about someone, you should consider what might be going on in their life. Everyone has their own personal struggles, and although you might not know what someone is going through, you should treat everyone the way you would want to be treated.

    This is an image that I thought exemplified this saying.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1R-bh_eaCVI/TZquIgr3MEI/AAAAAAAAAIE/MZKuzH-i5aU/s1600/walk.jpg
  • zack artz
    #10 zack artz on 11 Oct 12
     
    Hey Everyone! My name is Zack and I am in my Junior year at Penn State University. The saying that I chose to share is "close but no cigar." This saying simply means that you came very close to success but in the end you fell just short. Growing up, I used this saying a lot, because in my free time I was always involved in sports. Either for a school or for fun, sports were my life for many years growing up. From Football to golf, I was a very competitive person, so I would either use this saying to joke to the opposing team if I had just won an event, or I would say it to myself or my teammates if our team had lost a close match in a sporting event. This expression does not only have to be used in sports, but since I grew up playing a lot of sports, that was the context that I used this expression most in.

    This video is a perfect example of where I would have used this saying if I were the person in the video or if I was along with him when he made this shot. It is a golfer and he is attempting a long putt.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7gazvoQboU&feature=related
  • Beata Szekeres
    #11 Beata Szekeres on 11 Oct 12
     
    Hey All! My name is Beata and I am a junior at Penn State. I remember using the phrase "does that ring a bell?" often as a young child and into adolescence. Although I do not use it much these days, the phrase has an association to my childhood when interacting with peers, friends, and siblings. The phrase does not literally mean "do you hear [that sound] and does it ring like a bell, rather the phrase asks the person whether they recall a memory, or remember something. The bell sound is commonly associated to getting an idea or remembering something so it is appropriate that the phrase uses a bell. An example of this phrase may be asked when someone explains an experience or something learned and asks if you remember that by using the phrase.

    http://rlv.zcache.com/does_the_name_pavlov_ring_a_bell_mug-p168582124689162402en711_216.jpg
  • Jenna Eiker
    #12 Jenna Eiker on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hello Everybody! My name is Jenna Eiker and I am junior (third year) Art Education major at Penn State and a native Pennsylvanian.

    All the time growing up, and even now, my family and friends and others I have known have used the phrase "back to the drawing board". While literally this phrase was created during World War 2, and refers to going back to make a new plan or idea after your initial one has failed, it also has a little different meaning to me. For me, the phrase not only means going back to find a new plan or idea but it also gives the inspiration to try, try and try again.

    I great example of this idiom is the provided website below.

    http://www.womansday.com/life/the-origins-of-12-common-idioms-83098

    In terms of this website you get a definition of the idiom as well as a photo that portrays failed attempts and "going back to the drawing board".

    I hope this helps you understand the idiom "back to the drawing board" a little better!
  • lauravattulainen
    #13 lauravattulainen on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hello, My name is Laura, and I am a fourth year student at University of Helsinki. I will be teacher of lower degree. I come from Joensuu and I moved to Helsinki this autumn. I like to spend time with my friends and family.

    My metaphor could be "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken", by Oscar Wilde, which means in Finnish: "Ole oma itsesi, kaikki muut ovat jo käytössä"

    My picture:
    http://sani-valoakohti.blogspot.fi/2011/03/huhtikuun-teema-ole-oma-itsesi.html

    It is okay to be different, it is okay to be you:) that is what I would like to say in my metaphor and picture.
  • kristahe
    #14 kristahe on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hello! My name is Krista and I'm studying craft sciences and art pedagogy at University of Helsinki. This is my 2nd year.

    My mom teached me quite many sayings while I was a child and I've continued using them a lot. One idiom I remember quite well is "Hullu ei huomaa, viisas ei virka mitään" which could be translated to "A fool man won't notice and a wise man won't say anything". I see this in two different ways. First, it means to me that it isn't end of the world to fail sometimes - most people won't even notice your failure. And most of them who notice won't be too hard on you. On the other way I think this idiom can be a guideline how we should be treat each other. If you don't have anything nice to say, then sometimes it's better say nothing. To cut it short, my idiom is about being merciful to yourself and others :)

    http://heatherlydee.blogspot.fi/2011/09/commandment-8-what-would-i-do-if-i.html

    I like especially the second picture in this blog post. It's a good continuation for my saying.
  • Tiia Tupala
    #15 Tiia Tupala on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi! My name is Tiia Tupala and I´m studying education at University of Helsinki. This is my fifth year in my studies.

    "Parhaat asiat elämässä ovat ilmaisia" this means "The best things in life are free". Like family, friends, laughter, love and all the great memories you have. You can´t buy these things. This is something that one should always remember. :)

    http://data.whicdn.com/images/11745501/cute-friends-laughter-play-smile-Favim.com-98329_large.jpg
  • Henna Hyry
    #16 Henna Hyry on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi Everybody, my name is Henna and I`m stydying craft sciences and education at University of Helsinki.
  • Santeri Savonlahti
    #17 Santeri Savonlahti on 16 Oct 12
     
    Greetings from Helsinki. My metaphor is "Ei kannata lähteä merta edemmäs kalaan", which could be translated to something like "One shouldn't go fishing further than the sea." I see this that you can't find happiness by 'searching' it. I think happiness consists of small things which can be found near you. Enjoy your life, have an open mind and keep your eyes and ears open.
  • minnvain
    #18 minnvain on 16 Oct 12
     
    "When plastering it (always) spills". It`s an old finish saying. The idiom says a lot a bout me. I do not usually read the manuals, but I'll try things blindly and often figure it out on the way, and I`m not definitely too precise when I´m working on something. My name is Minna Vainiola and I`m a third year student in Helsinki University. I´m studying to be a teacher. My major subject is educational psychology and this co-operating with your University is related to art education which is my(our) minor subject. Before studying at the University of Helsinki I graduated as an artist. Nice to meet u all. :)

    Here is the url to the picture that describes the saying and me well:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidlipscomb/5263250679/
  • Samantha McCoy
    #19 Samantha McCoy on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi my name is Sam McCoy. I am a senior at Penn State. Growing up, I played several sports and was quite clumsy. Whenever I would fall and scrape my knees my coach would say "It will heal before you're married." My mom says it every time one of us is sad about something or whenever we have bumps or bruises. I have always taken it to mean that life is long and this is just a small problem that will pass. An example would be if you scraped your knee or broke up with a significant other and your mother or father would say "It will heal before you're married," to remind you that it isn't the end of the world. Apparently this is often said in Russia as well, if you would like more insight into the phrase there is a forum at the following address discussing it:
    http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2163381
  • Kelsey Shields
    #20 Kelsey Shields on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi, my name is Kelsey Shields and I am a junior at Penn State!

    "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

    This phrase means that if you cannot handle the challenge, whatever it may be, you should remove yourself from the situation. For me, whenever somebody has said this to me, it becomes a sort of dare. It makes me feel as if they do not think I can do it and that I am weak. It instills in me a fear of failing, and I try even harder to make it. This saying does not just have to do with cooking, and I would say that most times it has nothing to do with a kitchen. This could be said at a sporting event, in a class, or at a job. It is rather broad, but always means, "If you are not tough enough, and this is breaking you down, you should leave." For most people it instills a drive to succeed.


    http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/
  • Paula Strada
    #21 Paula Strada on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi my name is Paula Strada and I am a junior at Penn State. One phrase I heard a lot growing up was "don't cry over spilled milk." This phrase is used when something happens, usually and accident, and someone gets more upset than the situation calls for. By saying "don't cry over spilled milk" you're asking the person to calm down, and realize that it's not something to dwell on. This phrase is common between adults and children. Children tend to get upset, or even cry, when they make a mistake on accident and don't understand that adults will not be upset with them. This phrase helps the child calm down. I still hear this phrase as an adult as well. As a stressed college student its easy to get upset about little things that don't go as planned.

    http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/world/europe/qmilch-milk-sustainable-fashion/index.html

    This link is to an article on CNN about a designer using fabric made out of milk instead of water. There no need to cry over your spilled milk now because it could be used for an eco-friendly fabric!
  • tiia saari
    #22 tiia saari on 16 Oct 12
     
    Hi guys! :) My name is Tiia and I am third year student, also studying education at University of Helsinki. I love the phrase "Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you will look back, and realize they were the big things". Every time when you're mad about something which is really not that important, I think you should remember this phrase. I am a girl who demanded perfection. I have to be the best all the time but actually I should just let things be like they are and enjoy those little things.When I'm old, I don't want to remember just things that I have learned in school. I want to remember all those little things, I mean like a cup of coffee in the morning, autumn leaves in a street and late nights with my friends. When you start to think, they are actually not that little at all. Those are the big things. I hope you have seen a movie The Vow, but if you're not, I think you should watch it. You never know what tomorrow brings so I hope that we all appreciate the little things now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JoXHO3ceUY
  • Carolyn Schuler
    #23 Carolyn Schuler on 17 Oct 12
     
    Hi, my name is Carolyn and I'm a fifth-year Senior at Penn State. My mom used to tell me when I faced a difficult decision that I was "between a rock and a hard place". This is when a person faces two options within their mind that they cannot come to a decision upon. It can also be said as "an offer you can't refuse," and "choosing between the lesser of two evils." So the expression can give us an idea of a literal meaning:

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4Cb_t7BLaIA/TSs6vBfesbI/AAAAAAAAB80/H_pAELCbl8M/s1600/220127929_55d535ba92.jpg

    But it can also mean a position that you can be in where there seems to be no right way out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwm5Xk1YUw
  • danielleallison
    #24 danielleallison on 17 Oct 12
     
    Hi everyone! My name is Danielle Allison and I am a junior (third year) at Penn State studying art education. One saying that I heard a lot growing up was "kill two birds with one stone," meaning to accomplish multiple things at the same time in the most efficient way. My mom used this phrase a lot growing up because we always seemed to be pressed for time, so we would try to get as much done by the same means.

    Here is a link that further explains the phrase and the history behind it:
    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-kill-two-birds-with-one-stone.htm
  • Iina Ruuskanen
    #25 Iina Ruuskanen on 17 Oct 12
     
    Hi everybody. My name is Iina and I study in Helsinki University. I hope that in 3 or 4 years from now, I became a craft teacher.

    My idiom is "Joukossa tyhmyys tiivistyy" which could be translated "In a group stupidity condenses". I've seen it countless of time when you just became stupid in groups. Think crowds, ideologies or bullying someone in school. Often there is some strong person in the group and he/she can easily dominate others. In that kind of situations people don't necessarily think like they would think in another situation.

    Luckily you can also think the idiom another way. Smart ideas, tolerance and knowledge condense too. In a classroom for example students can achieve something that they couldn't do alone. I just read about math enthusiasts (teachers, students ….) who gathered together for a weekend and made an open source study material. They did it because they loved their subject but the point was doing it t o g e t h e r.

    Ps. Jouko is also a man's name in Finnish :)

    Here is an example in the nature's point of view:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakKfY5aHmY&feature=related
  • Henna Hyry
    #26 Henna Hyry on 07 Nov 12
     
    Hello! My name is Henna and my idiom is "Tekevälle sattuu". It can be translated "more you do, more happens". It means that someone who does many things does more likely also mistakes. Still its better to do things than doing nothing. When you try to do things right, don´t be afraid of mistakes! :)

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