Like many people... A post about Friday's class.

Despite the fact that some people really didn’t enjoy class on Friday, I thought it was pretty fucking amazing. I think that it might have been better for people if having class on plurk had been a pre decided idea so that students could either bring their laptops or go to the computer lab. Regardless of how ‘substantial’ the discussion was on plurk, I think that just the idea of plurking as a class in itself was thought provoking enough. I especially thought it was quite wonderful that even though Hollyann was absent in class on Friday she was just as able to partake in class discussion as everyone else was. Nanotext’s comment of “it is good to have you here” and low’s comment “wow you’re here more than I am” really embodies my entire opinion of plurk. Nanotext’s and low’s use of the word ‘here’ is indicating space and close proximity, and yet Hollyann could have been on the complete opposite end of the planet from Bellingham. And low’s comment that even though he is physically in the classroom, in close proximity of us, Hollyann is capable of being more ‘here’ than he is. So where exactly is here? Where exactly is this class being held?

The ability of a class to have the choice to communicate through simple voice or through technology is quite amazing. That we can all be together in a room yet not have a single sound uttered, and continue to communicate through other means. This is not something out of the ordinary, hell you see it everywhere you look, with friends hanging out with each other yet all texting other people, but to incorporate that in the classroom, to create a bridge between our education and the technological addictions that have consumed most people, is an entire matter all together.

Just the other day I was sitting outside enjoying the quiet night when I heard two people talking behind me, in what seemed to be a conversation with each other. As they passed, I noticed that not only were they walking five feet apart from each other, but they were both talking to other people on their phones. And yet each of their sides of the conversations seemed to fit together. Without looking at them I thought I was listening to two friends talking, and yet the reality of it was that two complete strangers just happened to be in the same vicinity of each other while having separate conversations. Just the idea of that intrigued me and got me thinking on the way the methods of communication have changed in my lifetime alone. In some ways, the ability to text someone at anytime has greatly increased communication between people (seeing as I talk to my father much more now that we both text then I ever would if I actually had to call him all the time to catch up). On the other hand, how much has texting/twittering/plurking depersonalized and almost restricted ourselves from basic verbal communication? I find that when I’m in a crowd of people and by myself that I will usually start texting a friend opposed to meeting and starting a conversation with someone, which I used to do before I got my cell phone.

In terms of depersonalizing our classroom alone, it’s strange that I’ve had conversations on plurk with probably every single student in the class and yet I have no idea who they are. I would never recognize them outside of class. I didn’t even know the name of one of the girl’s in my book group and only referred to her as kc mea for over a week even though we’d sent over 50 plurks back and forth to each other. In every English class that I have ever had, the constant class discussions led to the formation of acquaintances or friendships pretty quickly, but even after three weeks in this class I don’t even know people’s names. (Though I can more often than not be able to refer to them as their plurk name. Even though low’s name seems to really be Cody, in my mind he is and will always be low). Does that help or hinder our class? Is it good that I’ve related to people in ways that I most likely wouldn’t have if not for plurk? Are the things I know and perceive about the students in the class at all similar to what they would be if plurk was not involved? Does plurk add or take away the personal touch to our classroom?