Networks and New Media

I thought that the article about Middlebury banning Wikipedia for student sources was rather interesting. I wasn’t really sure what the big deal was. As far as I know, all the information I’ve gotten from Wikipedia has been accurate. I was always fairly sure that it’d be a reliable source for finding information. At the same time though, I don’t think I’d ever use it for scholarly purposes. Just knowing that other people write it is scary by itself. I do think it might be a good place to start. One may be able to find a general overview of their subject, and find some good links to credible sources.
I had a bit of trouble with the reading, “What Should College English Be?” I thought there was far too much jargon, and too many big words for me to really concentrate on it. I found this rather ironic since I as the subject of the piece couldn’t even follow it. I did grasp onto the idea that our network culture is all around us and constantly affecting us. We are surrounded by the internet, Facebook, cell phones, TV, and movies everyday. Whether we like it or not, these things affect the way we perceive the world, and in turn how we’ll write about it. I found this very interesting and agree with the idea that college English should be about the network. If something has this large of an impact on us, it should be the center of study.
We also watched a short internet video for this week. It was about a teacher who wanted to expose his students to new media. He had them make videos about our new media situation and how it affects our lives. I think the main thing I got out of this piece was the fact that producing anything allows us to better understand it. If we create something, we can be fully aware of what was put into it, and what other people might get out of it. I know this to be true for me. I've made a few lame videos in the past, and they've definitely helped me better understand the creative process. The teacher wanted his students to understand new media, so he had them create new media. I think the hands-on approach is a very valuable learning resource, and a good way for anyone to learn about a subject.