Wow...

I actually took a lot of notes for this class, then realized that I technically don't have to. And there are probably at least 50-60% of the class that never plans to take notes. But I am deciding that I want to. I learn by motion: if I write something down, I am likely to remember it AND understand it. I think remembering is for school and textbook smarts, and understanding is so that you can succeed in what you do. It won't help a doctor if they remember what they were reading about when studying how to cut someone open, but they're pretty much screwed if they operate based on what they read in a textbook. Well, personally I wouldn't want that doctor to be operating on me. Anyways in class today we talked about media studies being like a mathematical equation. It was written down, I didn't really understand it, but the only thing I found interesting about it was the fact that I find that I am a fairly ambidextrous thinker. The theory that one thinks more with the left or right side of the brain..I don't think it really applies for myself. I find I think with the left side of my brain as well as the right side, which usually ends up in a successful collaboration of the two. I thought it was cool because media is seen as an artsy field, and math is seen as a logic-based field. I thought it was cool that Mark showed us the two combined, relating to each other immensely.

We also talked about mass communication, interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. I essentially understood it because I ran a leadership camp session about it. We also explored the theories about media's relationship with culture: the ideas that
(1) The two have no relation
(2) Culture determines media
(3) Media defines culture
(4) The two mirror each other

These were interesting to think about because I figure I'll know my stance by the time my program is over..I hope!