Photography in the Art World

So for my photo-journalism class we got this article "A Quarter Century of Photography" by Vicki Goldberg. To sum it up very quickly it is about photography in the art world and everywhere else. The state of photography you might say. I feel this is something we covered in Andy Grundberg's class, "The Photo in Contemporary Art." Not to insult Andy, but I had a very hard time staying awake in that class when Mike Corcoran wasn't there.
I know I go to an art school and I should probably know a few things about fine art photo, but to be honest with you, I could care less. I used to be into it, but once something becomes an assignment and you wind up over analyzing it, you get bored with it.
Not only that, but for the most part I don't really study other photographers. There are a couple that I really admire, like Irving Penn for example. His photographs don't just look pretty, they effect something within you that you didn't know existed. Every time I view his work, it has a different effect on me. It is like I am seeing something new. I can't explain it. All I can say is that I collect his books and his photographs from Vogue. If I had serious cash, instead of buying a Mercedes, I'd buy one of his photos. Then I would take a couple days off of work just to stare at the photo. I remember reading this article on him in Vogue a few years back. He said that he refused to use the word shoot or shooting when it comes to photography, because those words were harsh. For him photography is a love affair. I feel the same way.
Like I mentioned before I honestly could care less about the art world. Creators interest me, but the art world in general doesn't. If I want attitude and trends, I look at fashion. To me they are basically the same thing, except fashion changes quicker and I can wear it (though affording it I can't do).
I really feel that the rest of the semester should be focused on photographing. Building up or solidifying our portfolio. Working on slideshows or web sites, not just listening to lecturers but doing what they talk about. I want to learn how to use the software and the tools were given or supposed to buy. That is what I am paying for in my education. This is photo-journalism class. Discussing on what photography is, the state of it, or what we feel about our photography, yadda yadda yadda is what we have been doing for the past two years. We have 2 months left of school, and those two months are almost gone.