Here we are, down to the final count. Only two days left and soo much to do. I have to be honest, after taking Seminar in Thinking and Writing with Jerz I swore that I would never take a class with him again because it was so difficult. But now my feelings about this man has changed. I enjoy his unique teaching style even though there is a lot of work involved. I am very glad that I decided to take EL250 Video Gaming because I have learned so much, not only about the area of study but also about my work ethics.
This class has taught me a lot about video games and new media journalism . I have learned that video games are more than what they appear, there is a lot of effort that goes into creating games and they have more behind them than what appears on the outside. I have learned that gaming is more involved in mainstream society than what I had assumed. I used wonder why my brother would lock himself in his room and play games for hours or even days without stepping into the sunlight. He gets so frustrated at these games, and I never knew why but now when my parents tell him that it is only a game, I tell them that its not just a game, it is a part of him life. Gaming is a relm that I was afraid to travel before but I feel much differently about. I have opened myself to review games on a more intellectual level than before. I would have to say that my proudest piece of work throughout this class is my final review of Mortal Kombat. I have always been drawn to the game and I feel that I became a gamer when I wrote that.
Throughout this class I have met some very intellegent people that I could have never gotten through this class without.They knew their stuff every well I might add. I have made reading Leslie's blog a daily activity because she knows what she is talking about and she makes everything very interesting. Gina seems like a very nice girl who like me is not as familiar with gaming as Leslie, but she puts a new spin on things in the gaming world which always makes it a good read. We have shared many of the same ideas about the gaming world which maked me feel more comfortable about taking this class. Evan definitely knows his games! I find his comments very helpful and informative when I have difficulty understanding certain concepts such as IFs. And last but definitely not least Stephan! What can I say about Puff...he has made my Video Gaming experience entertaining. I love reading his blogs because he makes very vaild points but he does it with humor. We have exchanged emails quite a few times during this course and every email always has something in it to make me laugh.
Like I said in my blog portfolio 2 I have become the game nerd that I never thought I would be. When I play games, any game, I think to myself "what is the importance behind this game? What is it teaching? How does it fit in with Dr. Jerz's class?" To be honest I love being able to ask and answer those question on my own and understand what I am talking about.
Taking this class is one of the best things I could have done for myself because it has helped me transition easier to the new semester. Since Jan. 2 I have been working my tail off in this class trying to keep up with the amount of material that we are required to do. Even though I have procrastinated a bit (see the late work box on J-Web) I have been able to keep up and do a decent job at it. So in the end I have found this class to be very useful in the area of NMJ and in my life and for that I am greatful.
Posted by Kayla Lukacs at January 18, 2006 11:20 PM | TrackBackA great, candid, reflective post, Kayla. I'm glad that you got the chance to apply what you learned in Seminar in Thinking and Writing.
STW is a jam-packed course, because it involves both learning about cultural identities AND how to write at the college level.
FYI, this fall instead of a two-semester STW class, the introduction to college writing at SHU will be changing. There will be one semester of basic college writing, which people can test out of or repeat as necesary, followed by a one-semester course that involves writing a research paper about cultural identities.
I think the new design will make STW less overwhelming, since both students and teachers will be able to focus on one thing at a time. I will miss getting to know students over the course of two semesters, though.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at January 20, 2006 03:55 PM