Mini project #2

This week we presented our second mini project. I was very impressed by everyone's work and thoroughly enjoyed all the presentations. For this project, we were instructed to design messages for our campaign, test the messages among our target audience, and then change the messages based on the feedback we received. My group, the Walking School Bus, created posters that were way too corny and "babyish" for our target audience of 6th-8th grade students. However, the honest feedback we received helped us to create much more age appropriate and interesting posters and flyers. Regarding all the other groups--- The vaccination group had professionally made ads that definitely inspired me to try and improve the Walking School Bus flyers and posters even more. The food stamp group used personal testimonies and an eligibility chart for families to see if they qualified for food stamps. The global warming group did a nice job of using wrong reason to promote use of the trolley (riding the trolley not only to help the environment, but also to save money and study for exams-- reasons which might be more influential on students). Last but not least, the Shakti Rising group (a shelter for women) did a great job of emphasizing the support women provide one another at the shelter. Class went by super fast this week, and I am very excited for the final presentations and our class potluck.

It's the end of Module 4- Methods and Channels - and I think I learned the most about messages, methods, and channels while working on the second mini project. My favorite topic of the module was Pop Culture & Entertainment, and my top three learnings were the importance of the source of the message (e.g. Oorah: Binge Drinking- a video we watched designed to decrease binge drinking among US Marines), the use of entertainment to promote health, and the powerful role the internet can play in health education.

Ah, I can't believe the semester is almost over!

Pop culture & entertainment

Popular Culture and Entertainment was the topic of last week's lecture. I loved it!-- Almost more than the health literacy lecture. We learned about Entertainment Education and pretty much focused on how entertainment can work to promote health. We watched clips of Hollywood movies, including As Good as it Gets and Spongebob Squarepants, that have incorporated health messages into their storyline. We also discussed communication contracts, and I learned that one of the reasons I do no enjoy movies such as the Matrix and Star Wars is because I break the entertainment contract by not suspending belief. I also learned the importance of the source of messages. In order to influence behavior, whether using entertainment or not, you must match the appropriate source to your target audience. For example, one student mentioned receiving information about flossing from her dentist and from a doctor on Oprah. Although her dentist has told her to floss a million times, it wasn't until she heard the same information from a doctor on Oprah that she started flossing. Anyways, I think entertainment is a great, effective way to promote health and modify behavior.

Doodling

OH so glad to be back to school and work and normal life! This week's class was.... sad to say it, but... pretty not enjoyable. We had a guess lecturer.... a very, very intense one. A PR veteran whose been in the business for 30 something years. I usually love guest lecturers, but this one had me doodling flowers on my paper 1/2 way through her lecture. She definitely knew what she was talking about, and was definitely quite passionate about it, I just wasn't that interested in the topics she chose to discuss (e.g. how to write queries and then follow up on them by either "email and snail mail or email and phone calls approximately 2-4 days later, leaving no more than 2 voicemail messages"). I don't know, maybe I am just not that interested in journalism, advertising, and PR stuff. Although a little bored by her lecture, I was happy to hear her mention how hungry the news is for health promotion and disease prevention. She also mentioned two prominent issues in public health-- sensitivity and privacy. These are two very important issues to consider when dealing with public health and behavior modification. She told us to be "media hounds" and shamed us for not being totally caught up on all the news and everything that is happening around us. Does she remember what it's like to be in school and work?? I'd love to be more aware of the worldly news and all that’s happening around me, but I have classes and work and a thesis that takes up most of my free time. Most of the time my head is stuck in a HP book or journal article. Maybe I'll try and squeeze a little news time into my schedule, but I don't think I'll ever be the hound she would like me to be. Anyways, although I wasn't that interested in the lecture, I did learn the basics of PR and what it entails. It also made me realize how much I enjoy our class discussions and Dr. Engelberg's lectures --which are always very interesting and also very funny!