My Learning Graph

When reflecting back on the post Dear Future Self, I’ve outlined a lot of writing goals. During this semester I was able to focus on them through my Popular Cultural subject and the task of keeping a blog. By rewriting concepts in my own words I was able to comprehend the reading Blood in the Gutters. It helped me relate ideas in the article to my own experiences I was able to understand them better. By writing posts I’ve not only gained confidence and understanding but it has helped me identify areas I’m interested in. Even if it was just a few sentences the blog allowed me to track what I would someday want to explore further.

When it came to the readings, I found some to be extremely dense and although the blog helped I still needed more. I found that printing out the articles and highlighting material I’d found interesting helped me to comprehend them. I feel that I am better suited to learning environments that support hyper attention, and so being able to highlight and write notes on the paper supports this because I am doing two things at once. I also feel like I learn better when I engage in class activities, or when concepts are displayed in visual forms like videos or pictures. Overall I feel a hands on approach is the best way for me to learn, especially when it comes to new equipment, because not only am I listening to what’s being explained I can also follow along.

The readings haven’t been my only source of struggle this semester as I’ve found myself struggling with failure. During the first lectures it was mentioned that we were going to fail and that it was going to be in front of everyone. It’s been hard for me to adapt to the idea that failure means that there’s something that can be improved on rather than being the end of everything. Fear of failure has also hindered my attempts to experiment more and push things out of my comfort zone. To fix this I’ve tried to approach each assignment as a way to improve and try new things rather than worry too much about marks. With our most recent project (Media Project Four), we’re trying voice recording and broadcasting as opposed to film. This is something new and something that I have enjoyed scriptwriting for and experimenting with how to project emotion and intensity through voice alone.

I’ve also struggled with reflection, as it’s hard to assess something you’ve worked so closely on. For Media Project Three, I reflected poorly on my video because of the bias I had for it. To change this I need to become more critical when reviewing my work and really highlight what I’m doing well and where I need to improve. It would also be good to have a peer or a lecturer review my reflection to make sure it’s formal and unbiased. Another good strategy I am currently undertaking is practicing reflections on my blog.

This semester has been really good for grasping an understanding on not only media, but who I am as a student and how I learn. When it comes to my creative practice I’ve discovered that although I enjoy making media, I am much more interested in the theory surrounding it. With that said I have learnt that brainstorming is an amazing tool that I need to utilize more as it helps focus my ideas and get rid of the ones that are cliched or too close to my comfort zone. In the past I’ve started things late and often given myself no time to explore other options or ideas. For Media Project Four it was through brainstorming that we were able to come up with our idea of the news like radio program.

Overall I am excited with the progress I’ve made and looking forward to the next semester.