When this class began and I realized I would be forced to become a "blogger," I never thought I would actually enjoy posting or reading other people's posts and comments. Good god, no. In fact, the idea of blogging was something that was on the equivalent scary level of getting shots, swallowing horse-sized vitamins, etc. It was an unknown that freaked me out. The wiki freaked me out even more. I wasn't quite sure how to get into it--there was no entry point that really clicked with me right off the bat. There was no entry point that made sense to me in terms of my more "traditional" educational structure.

I think the reasons for this are that (a) I was not accustomed to writing about "academic" things in an informal and instantaneous way, (b) I was scared at the thought of finding "good posts" (i.e. interesting quips of info to share with you all), and (c) it was new.

However, as all good stories go, there was a turning point . . . a trigger was pulled that somehow made blogging (and much later in the semester, but with much more enjoyment, the wiki) a very fun and rewarding experience.

I really like checking in with the blog now, and especially looking at the wiki, because I think it is a very interesting and fun concept. I now love the idea of blogging for class, because I think it enables classroom communities to interact in more intimate, more personal, and less formal ways. That is beautiful. I am such a proponent of bettering the learning process, and I feel like after a semester of easing my way into the world of class blogging, I really see it as an empowering way to learn. Not only do I get feedback (sometimes immediately!) from my classmates, but I get to see how people think, where their entry points into New Media are, and I glean a better understanding of the topics at hand with much more depth and significance.

Essentially, I love the idea and practice of the blog, and especially the wiki, even though at one (not-so-long-ago) point in the semester, the notion of these online interaction venues was appalling. I feel so much more empowered to tackle New Media and life as a human submerged in digital culture. COOL!