MY COURSE OBJECTIVES

I was not sure what form this class would take, and even what we would be covering. I thought it might potentially be about the latest trends in social networking (including the latest technological trends that support social media), but I was also open to whatever. In some ways, social media is morphing and developing so rapidly every day that it's hard to keep up and speak in generalities, but there are available up-to-the-minute stats. Perhaps that's not the overall objective/goal of this class. If I had to create my own objectives? Here they are:

• Make the most of my interactions (social networking!) with professor/classmates
• Informally pick up tips about how social media is used in the classroom (I'm not a teacher, per se)
• Take this time to do my own extracurricular reading on the latest trends in social media (that I've been wanting to do)
• Learn new technological skills where I can
• Gain a deeper understanding how social media fits in to the classic principles and evolution of the discipline of Media Literacy Education

SETTLING IN

Soooooo. Getting adjusted to first full week of class. Still feel like I don't know what to expect or what's expected (and I hate surprises).

I also strongly dislike anything inchoate (won't go to bed till the job is done), and I'm not an experimenter or explorer. Personal experience is my last mode/stage of learning and engagement, not my first. I like to do things vicariously and even virtually, and yet I am a total nonbeliever in transhumanism. Just give me the textbook. I would much prefer to watch the National Geographic special than go there. I'm the anti-tourist. "Go with the flow" is the antithesis of my personal philosophy which would be more like "direct the course of the current," or "go upstream."

I think my general attitude in a lot of ways is: whatever is going to save me the most amount of time, whatever is the shortcut (as long as it doesn't diminish the actual value and purpose of something), that's what I want. I have totally overextended myself for the past few years, and have declared 2015 to be the "Year of No." "No," was my actual New Year's resolution, so when I feel like anything is going to take up too much of my time, it irks me no end. I was unsuccessful in saying "no" (some things were beyond my control to say "no" to--just not an option for me) for January, February and March, but I have axed all other opportunities, travels, jobs, presentations for the remainder of 2015. The first "no" is the hardest. :)

Perhaps it's good for me to get out of my comfort zone with this class, try a new learning style, BUT I do love social media, blogging, writing, etc., and I don't mind sharing all kinds of personal reflections, so...here we go! I might even have fun. :)