MIDTERM REFLECTIONS - We're Halfway There

1. After studying media for eight weeks in this class, what you learned? Please be specific.
During this class I have learned to be more aware of the media around me, and why it is effective at relaying its message to the audience. After being in this class and dissecting different media texts I am looking at all the media around me differently.

2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a critical reader, a writer, and a thinker in this class so far?
I have learned that reading and writing critically is not as hard as everyone around me makes it out to be. I get frustrated with my peers when they complain about having to read a text and then heaven forbid write about it. That is what school is for, and you should be thinking critically about everything you read and writing is a tool you can use to express your thoughts and opinions about something you have read. I have learned that even though I may not be personally interested in a specific text I can still have strong opinions about the information provided and have an interesting conversation with someone about the text. I have also learned that in terms of thinking critically repetition is very useful for me as a learning tool.

3. What’s one think you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
One thing I would do differently if I were to take this class again would be to study the power tools more at the beginning of the semester and memorize them at the beginning of the semester. I feel like knowing them by heart after the first couple weeks of the class would have helped me use them more effectively later on in the class. Even though I know the power tools well at this point in the semester I could not just list them off for you.

4. What’s one thing you would like me to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

If possible it would be nice to spend a little more time talking about the texts that we read, sooner after we are finished reading them. That way it is easier to build on the previous text with a new text and we are not jumping around so much.

5. Please comment on the usefulness of the power tools, our quizzes, the course blog, your personal blog, our films, and our books as learning tools.

Power Tools: I think that the Power Tools are very useful, which is a good thing since they are the foundation of the class. Having all of the concepts and ideas that the class is about laid out in this way is very helpful to me since I am a linear thinking person and like to have everything in one place laid out in a way that makes sense. I think that boiling these concepts about media down into one or two terms is also very helpful and makes it easier to talk about and dissect media.

Quizzes: I think the quizzes are a useful part of the class because they give you an extra reason to really read the texts carefully and think about what the message is. Even if the quizzes are really short they are still useful and a good motivator.

The course blog: I love having the course blog. It is great to have our assignments all laid out and explained in depth on line where they can be accessed at any time. It is very helpful in case I forget to write something down to be able to go to the course blog and figure out what the assignment is. I also like to hear what other people have to say about the text that was assigned because sometimes when I get stuck it helps to generate some ideas or clarify what the text was trying to say. I also like to find out where people stand on a certain issue regarding a text and the blog is a good way to communicate with other class members.

Personal blog: At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like having to keep a personal blog, but I have found it to be fun and entertaining and a good way to make the media and concepts we talk about in class personal. It is always easier for me to understand material when I can work with it and relate it to my personal life, which is what the personal blog helps me do. It is also a good place to express opinions about everything!

Films: I think the films have been very helpful in helping to dissect media, and to learn what to look for and applying our power tools to media.

Books: The books, like the films have also been helpful in learning how to dissect media and understand how the media is affecting us. I like how the texts build on each other and help me as a reader to develop more advanced and refined opinions about the media and its effect on me, and those around me. I also like how we have read some texts with opposing opinions and we were able to compare and contrast the different texts and their different opinions.