Difficulties With Convergence

There was a reason why in my last blog I wrote about the importance of keeping good relations which those who you are collaborating with. It was because there have been difficulties in with convergence between my online journalism class and a web design class that was helping us out. I would like to share an email that I want many to read which is why I am posting it here.

Here go nothing:

Hello all,

I am thankful to be able to say that I did not have any big problems with my designers. I know they felt the heat with trying to make their deadline at some points but besides this we worked it out and I love my bio page and e-page. I know we would not have had any issues if it were not for me having to update content.

As I think we all know it is hard to successfully practice convergence when only one class has the knowledge of what it takes or should be about. I think that the root of the problem was having a web design class (which had some first time designers) try to perform in one assignment what perhaps an advanced design class should have been doing for an entire semester. That's right, I think that in the future there should be a convergence web design class that has the same meeting time as the online journalism class. This class should be as passionate about new media as the journalism class.

At the end of the day we all have our opinions on how this convergence could have been executed better and I think at some point all ideas should be discussed and taken into account. We cannot allow a difficult experience to scare us away from convergence. I think that would be lazy and a cop-out. Convergence is already the present and anyone who disagrees needs to do a little research and just open their eyes. If the school were to take out such a class from being offered it would be an injustice to communication students who want to be successful in the "real world."

How can we have speakers come and shed light on new media and convergence and then not allow students to take a class on it. I am hoping that here at UM I am being taught about cutting edge communications and not just following a syllabus that was written two or three years ago. I have concerns that professors are in their comfort zones and perhaps are unwilling to teach or participate on a subject or effort that they have no complete knowledge about. I would like to remind everyone that no one knows where anything is going and we are all out of our comfort zones here. This is why we must be prepared to face what ever the future is by knowing how to work together and pursue being a well-rounded communicator. I will go as far as to say that in the very near future a new program should be implemented for new media or online journalism. If the result of the difficult experience that was felt by Delboni's and Seelig's classes effects such classes from being offered in the future, then the school obviously has more to worry about and needs to check itself for poor decision making that will negatively impact students and the quality of their education. The school needs to welcome the future and try to teach students about it...period.

Sandra Hurtado

Any comments?