tuesdays and thursdays

tuesdays and thursdays: intro to communication in the morning and basic concepts of new media in the afternoon.

this morning was on hollywood film history -- early nickelodeons, silent movies, the studio system, and the hollywood ten. then, a group discussion about hollywood genres. for a large lecture (95 students), the students are really engaged and have a lot to share -- a ton to share. on thursday, we'll watch some films. i told the students to bring in their favorite dvd's and hopefully they will.

the afternoon class, basic concepts of new media, is a great, weird course. we've been reading popular and academic articles about cyberculture and are now beginning to transition from critiquing to creating. we're using facebook as our platform. there's a creative vibe among the 25 students that is extremely interesting and exciting.

travel --> i will be in LA this weekend, at usc. with luck, i will also be able to see my sister, brother in law, and nephews. with big luck, i'll see them all plus the ocean.