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        Upon entering this class, I did not know what to expect. I thought it might be about how gender has been portrayed through the media, or how technology has formed a specific idea of gender through film and the internet. But this past semester was much richer of a class than I anticipated.

           Personally, I like asking questions. I often think it’s more important to ask the right question than to find a right answer. GIST has provided a forum in which to do that, both in and out of class. I have found both elements very beneficial. This structure usually does not work very well (such as when professors use blackboard’s “discussion board” for assignments), but in ours it fits perfectly with our subject matter. I have enjoyed being able to read other people’s responses to our class discussions, and I have found that posting weekly has kept me focused on the material outside of the classroom.

               I’m also glad to have such an interesting group of peers in the class. This past semester I have continued to be amazed at how diverse our perspectives are. The exercises in which we went around the room saying how we each perceive something were really interesting—it was like getting a glimpse of each person’s unique impression of the world.

          One of the major ideas of our course is the integration and disintegration of boundaries. We have learned how to examine categories more critically, and analyze aspects of our world we often take for granted. I personally have come to see my phone as a tool of extended cognition, and while using the computer (like right now) the word “cyborg” now comes to mind. I suppose I would credit this course for changing my perception of my daily life, and I think it has had a similar effect on my classmates.

           I am interested to see what books or films my peers suggest for our class. I was thinking maybe a book like Brave New World or a film like The Matrix, but I don’t feel very original with those….