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Without a doubt in my mind, the initiation posts have been the hardest posts to write. For broad topics such as creativity in media studies, it’s difficult to come up with ways to link it to things that haven’t already been discussed in class. So for the past few days I’ve been thinking, “What the heck can I write about that hasn’t been talked about yet?”. Now this might be pushing it, but I think I managed to squeeze out an idea.

Blogging.

Now I don’t recall ever talking about blogging in my workshop in relation to David Gauntlett’s ideas, so it’ll have to do for now! But seriously, Gaunlett’s main argument is that a shift to the ‘makers’ side of media studies would be more productive than the academic side of it. And it only just clicked right now that I’m in a course that is doing exactly that.

By utilizing blogging as a media tool; and in a sense ‘making’ media by writing four blogs a week, learning about media has been a lot more easier. Personally, I find that doing something through trial and error versus reading about doing something is a lot more effective and efficient at helping me retain information. Along with the minimum of four posts, there is also a set criteria we have to meet each week – and it goes as follows:

i. At least one post relating to the lectorial and any reading/s set for that week (it must directly comment on core issues discussed in that class and reading)

ii. At least one post documenting and reflecting upon an activity/exercise undertaken in the workshop for that week

iii. At least one ‘initiative’ post connecting an idea encountered in this week’s classes with a media text/production exercise/event/experience of specific interest to you but that hasn’t been specifically mentioned in the course.

Yes, I know. It says initiative posts has to be relating to things that haven’t “been specifically mentioned in the course”. But, I’ve made a small exception, since blogs weren’t mentioned in the workshop for that week. Anyway, upon reading this, I was bit bothered by the amount I had to write about on a weekly basis. But when I gave it some thought, it actually makes a lot of sense. The first criteria is useful in the case of the readings. The readings can sometimes be hard to absorb and understand, when you’ve got a ton of other readings from different classes to absorb and understand as well. But by writing about the readings; including information such as things we understand, things we don’t understand, things we agree with and disagree with, not only does it help me remember all the information a lot easier, but it also gives way for other students and teachers to fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
The second criteria helps me to revise and reflect on the activities undertaken within the workshop. Sitting in that class for three-hours straight can sometimes be draining. So by thinking about the workshop after the fact, and also putting what I learned about in practice, it makes data retention 10-times less difficult.
And finally, the initiation post. This particular initiation post didn’t really do it; but initiation posts help to make things more interesting and relative. By making a link between ideas encountered from the course with media that we encounter or are interested in, it makes learning about media a lot more engaging, and simply just more fun. So I guess – in a way, this initiation post did sort of make me look at my course as a whole, and made me realise how dynamic my course actually is.