The cover has a large title that has surrounded by some lightning bolts to imply that this is a magazine that reacts quickly to stories. It also gives the feeling that the magazine deals with next level content is always ahead of the curve. It has a simple bar-code along with the month and year it was published. The price of the magazine is listed on the cover and has the currency type to show that his is a magazine made in the USA and primarily sold there. I used a lot of different colors for the different texts so that each would eye-catching and make the reader want to look at all of them. This was complemented with different fonts styles as well to give each statement their own unique feel. Size was also a large factor in the text; the more important information is presented in larger fonts. The statements are all about making a better student that is on the next level of education compared to the competitors. The photos show that the common core not only gets the students thinking on a higher level, but also has them collaborating on creative project that is also on this higher level with the advanced materials they are using in the picture. The laptop and paper that the students are using is what gives the photo the advanced level feel. The laptop itself is a technological advancement that a lot of schools do not have access to and the paper looks important, but is it hard to tell what it actually represents. The paper being so hard to determine what it is makes it look more advanced than it may be because if the reader doesn't know what it then it is probably beyond them and thus on a higher level. I have inserted a question into the picture on the left to get parents to see how critical thinking that is going to be used with their students could also benefit them, this includes the parents in the learning which can give them the feeling that they are leveling up with their child. I used a plain blue background so that the text and photos would pop out more and not blend in with the busy background.
The media language techniques that I used in the magazine cover were: grammatical techniques, idiomatic phrases, and alliteration.
The media persuasion techniques I used were: association, explicit claims, intensity, new, and symbols. I used association by stating that common core will "level up" their students mind, since leveling up is a good thing consists of obtaining and unlocking a higher state of being. Explicit claims were used by stating the price of magazine and in the statement, "A deeper understanding". The statement was neither true nor false, but suggests that it will give you a deeper understanding. Intensity was used in the statement, "Cooler Creative Classroom" because cooler is a comparative in that it is saying this cooler than other creative classrooms. The common core concept itself is a new idea which gives it the new technique. Symbols are seen with the two pictures on the cover. The first on the left side says that it will get the students mind thinking and the picture of the students on the right are working together on a creative project with a laptop that suggests that these students are being extremely creative and advanced in their work.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI think you used some intriguing techniques here. The cover has a different look and feel than a lot of what you see circulating out there regarding education and the common core; specifically, it is a bit more fresh. I'll admit, my cover plays to the stereotypes, using pictures of students, teachers, and classrooms, and playing to natural human thoughts and questions. From a strictly text view, yours looks to be a little different, perhaps having a different view, or at least having a different energy. Leveling up students minds with common core makes me very interested in what kind of approach the article takes on the academic system. I also like that you included the image of children working, along with the idea of "cooler classrooms."
For subtext, I would interpret that this magazine will focus a little more of the student learning benefits of the common core, and how the common core will enhance learning. It represents the common core as an "upgrade" and as something that will lend value to classrooms . I think viewing it as a "level up" is smart...instead of viewing it as a different educational system, it delegates it as the next step, an advancement or sign of progress. I think you also expanded the target audience with the phrase about "bringing home the bacon," which could intrigue parents to explore the magazine as well.
Nicely done!
I see pictures of students collaborating and a silhouette of a human head with yellow gears turning inside. The background is blue, black barcode and several subheadings of what’s inside. Details of cost and issue are on the cover also.
ReplyDeleteI like your magazine title “Level Up” and think this was a nice complement of colors united in your magazine cover. I also enjoy the bold dimensional font you chose. Very nice! The Colors are in both the warm and cool parts of the wheel, which give the magazine a very popping quality. I also liked how you tied Leveling up in your first heading in orange. This is a play on words clearly. You had no problems using those techniques, cooler creative classrooms is another great one. I simply couldn’t come up with anything super linguistic, so stuck with grammatical techniques which I find easier. Clearly you have a proactive, positive interpretation of Common Core and it shows in your magazine construction. Bringing home the bacon is another great touch. Nice job!
I love that you introduced a bit of gamification to your education magazine!
ReplyDeleteI see the title, “Level Up” in 3-D and brightly colored font. I then notice the “gear head” with the title, “Leveling up Your Students Minds with Common Core” and subtitle, “How does critical thinking affect me?” and underneath that, “A deeper understanding.” Other titles that I see are “Cooler Creative Classrooms” and “Getting your child ready to bring home the bacon!” Between these two texts is an image of two students and a teacher discussing a map with a laptop next to them.
Your use of bright colors and a variety of fonts not only draws attention to the cover but also conveys a sense of playfulness that adds to that element of gaming that you’ve incorporated. Beyond the title and subtitles that use the terms, “level up,” “creative,” and “cooler,” the background to the gear head is a series of question marks that remind me of a trivia style game. The relaxed postures and smiling faces of the people in the image illustrate that that they’re having fun while learning. Yet for all the lightness that is conveyed, there are elements to the cover that bring and underlining seriousness of education; elements such as the words “critical thinking” and “a deeper understanding.” The use of gears suggests a sense of industry or systematic thinking. That industrial feel is also evident in the subtitle, “bring home the bacon.”