This month arguably has been the most challenging so far. While I have generated a fair amount of content in the written portion of the project (I am currently on 21 pages and am in the middle of Section 2), it was a painful process just putting ink to the paper. Or in modern terminology, to park myself in front of the computer and type content that I could always edit later even if it was unorganized and sloppy. I don't know whether I necessarily hit a wall, or if I suddenly got too comfortable after a quick start to the project. I am well aware that April is fast approaching, and I am trying my hardest not to be unprepared when the deadline comes. I am that guy who waits until the eleventh hour, usually defending my "process" by saying that I needed to feel some pressure in order to be truly motivated. This project is unlike anything I have ever committed to before, so I am impressed that I have nearly hit my midpoint goal of having 30 pages typed by the end of December. I am not saying that the pages I have are of the highest quality, or that I necessarily will use all of them, but it is a strong draft, and am very happy with my organization of ideas thus far.
As for my goals this month, I have simplified them into two categories: 1) Read more. 2) Write more. The video production can hold off for a bit, as I feel like my theories must be rounded out further, and my argument against the notion that "play cannot be academic" must be iron clad. While the videos are a huge aspect of the project, in the end, they are complimentary to the essay, not the other way around. It is a multiplatform defense, but as this is an English thesis, the written component must take precedence in order to attempt persuading the Thesis Committee that video games have a place in the classroom. I have a few new books (even though I still haven't finished the last set) including Jeffrey Wilhelm's You Gotta BE the Book, which focuses on the need for engagement within the adolescent classroom setting. This will help demonstrate how antiquated teaching practices simply do not work with the modern technologically inclined student, which will help make the case that video games, a medium that is huge in today's generation, can function as a way to make the class interesting and engaging again.
There are a lot of distractions coming all at once this month-- work is currently filled with drama and frustrations, tutoring is filled with students who are pulling their hair out over their essays (it's like looking into a crystal ball and seeing my future 5 months from now), the colloquium is coming to an end and will no longer keep me focused on writing, and the holidays are almost here. I want to try and go over my 30 page goal, but I am staying realistic and positive.
In the meantime, I am trying to come up with a few creative posts for the blog that might not find their way into the final paper. Speaking of advantages of different mediums, since the videos and paper are presenting a logical argument, I can try using the blog for more personal reflections or experiments on the video games themselves. I think tonight I am going to try logging onto WoW and playing for an hour (yeah right), and then reflecting on all things literary about the experience. If it goes well, maybe I can try that for all of the games that I will be incorporating into the thesis. We'll see how it goes...
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