I believe that our group for the Jane Eyre script writing assignment (Anna, Meghana, and I) worked very well together in order to complete the assignment. We met on Friday and attempted to complete the whole thing. This of course didn't work. Three friends+ Friday night+ MANY distractions= getting about one and a half pages of the script done with topic changes about every five seconds. We found that starting the project was much harder than it seemed, especially without having a direct end goal; we were just letting the discussion flow and hoped it would end up in the right place. However, though it didn't work out the way we wanted (we hoped to get everything done and out of the way besides edits), it sure did help. We were much more relaxed throughout the process and it gave time to let the ideas sink in.
What I was shocked about was how much I learned from my group. In the script, when I was reading through it, I found myself having many thoughts to add in and piggy-backing off of ideas. This worked out much better than our original intention of us each covering a character. Every time, there was something new and intriguing, and I found that what another person said caused me to have cool ideas as well. This shows the balance in our group, where we tried to cover as much ground as possible by editing several times.
Another thing I liked about the way our group worked was that we let the ideas flow into the basis of the script, then afterwords we tried to find text evidence. This is because we knew it was all there, so we'd much rather get out what we thought and wanted to say, then we'd go back and cite things.
Sure there was some last minute going over, but that's expected. There was some shouting during the editing process, but honestly I preferred that because it meant our group put in the effort to get together and work face-to-face rather than through a computer screen. And I believe this in part is what brought success to our group. In the end, it turned out just the way I'd expected from a group assignment and I was proud of the work we'd done.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Metacognition: Jane Eyre
While reading Jane Eyre, I saw a slight change in my reading habits and began to understand more of how I work as a reader. There were some parts that would just be descriptions for a full page. For these, sometimes I would read enough to capture the essence and then would skim the rest of the paragraph or page until something 'interesting' came up. I've always been the type of person who has read novels where something is always happening. I need something in there to keep me wondering and pulled towards the novel. I wish that with this book, I would've taken more time to read these slower passages and see the beauty that came from the writing. To be quite honest, I feel that at times I would read just so I knew would be prepared for a reading quiz. Yes, at times they could be obnoxious or what I found annoying, but in the future, I'd like to not be so quick to dismiss such passages from the start. Though I tried to become more aware as the novel went on, I hope that in the future, I would be more careful with parts like these and take them slowly rather then just try getting past them.
However, as the novel progressed, I began trying to read these more and paying attention to these details. As hard as it was at times, I attempted taking breathers and reading slower to take it all in. I know in class we talked about Jane's submission to others and looking for something to admire in other people, while putting herself down. Then I realized that this occurs in our society as well. We sometimes look to others whom we perceive to be better off in some way or another. We see people bashing on themselves because they don't think they are good enough. Over the reading of this novel, I began to make deeper connections between our society and Victorian society. I began to see the importance of Jane's story and how it might've impacted female readers of that time period.
This really shocked me about my thinking, because without really noticing it, I was able to make valid connections within and outside of the text and this illustrates an improvement I've made over the reading and year as well. This book may not have been my favorite this year, but I learned that I can bear with it and learn something from it. Yes, it might've been much too slow for my taste, but that shows how our society differs from Jane's and we can then compare fast and slow cultures as well as how the culture impacts the speeds of life. After reading Jane Eyre and thinking about my thinking while I read it, I was able to not only pinpoint what I've liked about my reading and learning habits, but what I would like to improve as well.
However, as the novel progressed, I began trying to read these more and paying attention to these details. As hard as it was at times, I attempted taking breathers and reading slower to take it all in. I know in class we talked about Jane's submission to others and looking for something to admire in other people, while putting herself down. Then I realized that this occurs in our society as well. We sometimes look to others whom we perceive to be better off in some way or another. We see people bashing on themselves because they don't think they are good enough. Over the reading of this novel, I began to make deeper connections between our society and Victorian society. I began to see the importance of Jane's story and how it might've impacted female readers of that time period.
This really shocked me about my thinking, because without really noticing it, I was able to make valid connections within and outside of the text and this illustrates an improvement I've made over the reading and year as well. This book may not have been my favorite this year, but I learned that I can bear with it and learn something from it. Yes, it might've been much too slow for my taste, but that shows how our society differs from Jane's and we can then compare fast and slow cultures as well as how the culture impacts the speeds of life. After reading Jane Eyre and thinking about my thinking while I read it, I was able to not only pinpoint what I've liked about my reading and learning habits, but what I would like to improve as well.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
360 Degrees: Our Future
The end of our sophomore year is nearing. And with each day, we come closer and closer to our future: college and beyond. And this is something my parents are taking advantage of. Recently, they've been trying to have college talks and talks about possible majors. Well this really doesn't work for me. Why? Because I have no idea; I'm still just a sophomore!
Sure it's good to have plans for the future and have goals, but there are definitely positives and negatives to this.
Positives:
1) Having planned out what you want for the future makes you more motivated to try and reach those goals. If you know what type of school you want to go to, then you will work accordingly in high school to have the necessary means to (hopefully) get into that school. Also, when the time comes and you do have to make decisions, you'll have a general idea of what you do want to be doing and will feel accomplished being ahead of the rest of us.
Negatives:
1) It's good to have an open mind. Sometimes with these goals and plans, you forget that you can in fact change them. It's really about what you want to do, not what you wanted to do when you were five (yes, I suppose that's an exaggeration). If you don't keep an open mind then you won't be able to end up doing what you truly love or discover something that in the end will be what you want to do for the rest of your life.
2) Living in the Now. We're told to live in the moment and have fun while it lasts. So why doesn't this apply now? We should be having fun in our youth. I'd like to think life isn't there for you to waste your time while you're young to plan for when you're old, then do things while you're old, and then sit around while you're even older (at least I hope that's not the case). So how can we live in the moment if all we do is plan for the future?
Sure it's good to have plans-as a matter of fact my schedule for the next two years is planned out, and when I tell people, they laugh. But in a way, it feels good to know what I hope to be doing. But remember not to get bogged down in these plans; there's room for adjustments. We should have goals, but they can change to meet our needs. I guess what I'm saying is, planning can be good, as long as you don't get tied down to the point where you can't budge no matter how hard you try.
Personally, I'm going to enjoy the rest of this year while it lasts and try not to worry about colleges at the moment. But let's face it, I do think about them. And while I can't even get myself to think about what I want to do in the long term, I should realize that within the next two years, I should hope to figure it out. Maybe I won't be so quick to shut down these conversations over time, but maybe at the moment it's because I don't want to be stuck to one decision I make without know what else is out there. Because in the end, I don't want to be jumping around everywhere at the age of 24 still figuring out what I should do, yet I don't want to be close-minded about what's out there right now.
Sure it's good to have plans for the future and have goals, but there are definitely positives and negatives to this.
Positives:
1) Having planned out what you want for the future makes you more motivated to try and reach those goals. If you know what type of school you want to go to, then you will work accordingly in high school to have the necessary means to (hopefully) get into that school. Also, when the time comes and you do have to make decisions, you'll have a general idea of what you do want to be doing and will feel accomplished being ahead of the rest of us.
Negatives:
1) It's good to have an open mind. Sometimes with these goals and plans, you forget that you can in fact change them. It's really about what you want to do, not what you wanted to do when you were five (yes, I suppose that's an exaggeration). If you don't keep an open mind then you won't be able to end up doing what you truly love or discover something that in the end will be what you want to do for the rest of your life.
2) Living in the Now. We're told to live in the moment and have fun while it lasts. So why doesn't this apply now? We should be having fun in our youth. I'd like to think life isn't there for you to waste your time while you're young to plan for when you're old, then do things while you're old, and then sit around while you're even older (at least I hope that's not the case). So how can we live in the moment if all we do is plan for the future?
Sure it's good to have plans-as a matter of fact my schedule for the next two years is planned out, and when I tell people, they laugh. But in a way, it feels good to know what I hope to be doing. But remember not to get bogged down in these plans; there's room for adjustments. We should have goals, but they can change to meet our needs. I guess what I'm saying is, planning can be good, as long as you don't get tied down to the point where you can't budge no matter how hard you try.
Personally, I'm going to enjoy the rest of this year while it lasts and try not to worry about colleges at the moment. But let's face it, I do think about them. And while I can't even get myself to think about what I want to do in the long term, I should realize that within the next two years, I should hope to figure it out. Maybe I won't be so quick to shut down these conversations over time, but maybe at the moment it's because I don't want to be stuck to one decision I make without know what else is out there. Because in the end, I don't want to be jumping around everywhere at the age of 24 still figuring out what I should do, yet I don't want to be close-minded about what's out there right now.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
An Inconvenient Truth: Technology is Good
Yes, this blog entry is probably way overdone, but I'm going to go ahead and do it anyway. Everyone goes on about how great technology is-we can connect with others, get things done more efficiently, etc, etc. And yes, I use technology a lot, trust me. Don't get me wrong-I do appreciate it and value its many uses, however, after a recent class discussion, I began to see many more drawbacks beyond the obvious, for those who aren't on equal footing. As much as I love surfing the web and getting carried away when I am bored, sometimes I question how beneficial technology really is for everyone.
Recently in Oracle, we were discussing editorial topics and came across poverty levels and then shifted more towards technology. We started talking about how 90% (or was it 95%?) of students in our school have access to computers at home. This blew my mind-how do students without computers they do their homework?
Every class of mine besides social studies and math are heavily computer based in terms of getting homework done. How do these kids succeed in school if they can't get their work done? I'd like to think that these students have special accommodations so that they can, but let's face it, people won't necessarily be vocal to teachers about not owning a computer, when most people around them have completely different financial situations.
Even if they do own one computer, what about their siblings who need to do just as much work on the same computer? We check the web for homework in many classes or in others find out what's due just the day before, so it's hard to plan ahead and decide who gets computer time. And many of us take for granted internet-just because you have a computer doesn't mean you have internet. And this doesn't solve many problems-you can't do online homework (so rather, after typing up your essay, you sit there and play solitaire).
And even with labs in school you can use, it can be hard to get rides home if your family struggles financially. When we talked about this in class, all the dots just kept connecting. There were so many layers to this problem. It makes me think now, are these students going to fall behind because of what they don't have access to?
What we accomplish with technology is great (and I'm sure it makes teacher's lives easier). We can have ease of access to numerous resources and links. However, if you're easily distracted when it comes to the internet like I am, you'll waste a couple hours without even realizing it and procrastinate and then get all stressed out. If we just did more work without computers (sorry trees, but everyone prints anyway) we might accomplish more. It'll give us ample opportunity to do more with our time and hopefully it can be ensured that everyone has the same resources at the least. So, while you read this from your computer, next time while you try to think of something to do while you're bored, instead of surfing the web pointlessly, read a book. Paint a picture. Chill outside. Ponder away.
Recently in Oracle, we were discussing editorial topics and came across poverty levels and then shifted more towards technology. We started talking about how 90% (or was it 95%?) of students in our school have access to computers at home. This blew my mind-how do students without computers they do their homework?
Every class of mine besides social studies and math are heavily computer based in terms of getting homework done. How do these kids succeed in school if they can't get their work done? I'd like to think that these students have special accommodations so that they can, but let's face it, people won't necessarily be vocal to teachers about not owning a computer, when most people around them have completely different financial situations.
Even if they do own one computer, what about their siblings who need to do just as much work on the same computer? We check the web for homework in many classes or in others find out what's due just the day before, so it's hard to plan ahead and decide who gets computer time. And many of us take for granted internet-just because you have a computer doesn't mean you have internet. And this doesn't solve many problems-you can't do online homework (so rather, after typing up your essay, you sit there and play solitaire).
And even with labs in school you can use, it can be hard to get rides home if your family struggles financially. When we talked about this in class, all the dots just kept connecting. There were so many layers to this problem. It makes me think now, are these students going to fall behind because of what they don't have access to?
What we accomplish with technology is great (and I'm sure it makes teacher's lives easier). We can have ease of access to numerous resources and links. However, if you're easily distracted when it comes to the internet like I am, you'll waste a couple hours without even realizing it and procrastinate and then get all stressed out. If we just did more work without computers (sorry trees, but everyone prints anyway) we might accomplish more. It'll give us ample opportunity to do more with our time and hopefully it can be ensured that everyone has the same resources at the least. So, while you read this from your computer, next time while you try to think of something to do while you're bored, instead of surfing the web pointlessly, read a book. Paint a picture. Chill outside. Ponder away.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dialectics: Selflessness and Love
While watching the film Once in class, we discussed much about the selflessness and caring that the guy had for the girl. So much so that he took it beyond your typical love story: he let her go. Some people may think that to love someone you must always be attached to them, etc, etc. But one thing we focused a lot on was loving someone was doing the best for their needs. It's realizing that it's not just about you; it's what's best for the other person too. We talked a lot about this while discussing what the film taught us about love. The girl put her family first and did what was best for her daughter, not for her. In turn, the guy did this for the girl by letting her go and do what was right for her. Also, he did so especially through the piano. He met her needs and gave her a piece of him and their memories.
So, while we may watch many sappy love movies where everyone must pursue every means possible to be together in the end and whatnot, those don't get at the other side of love, selflessness. By doing what's best for someone else, you are showing that you understand them and care for their happiness more. And as people realize this, this idea can be reciprocated. So, perhaps if you do something better for someone, another person may come along and do something for you. In the girl's case, because she gave up her wantings for her daughter, the guy, who realized this aspect, had done something for her too, because he loved her. It's important to see the dialectic between love and selflessness so that every relationship isn't forced with someone pushing their way through to get what they want, but to compromise and want to see the other happy.
So, while we may watch many sappy love movies where everyone must pursue every means possible to be together in the end and whatnot, those don't get at the other side of love, selflessness. By doing what's best for someone else, you are showing that you understand them and care for their happiness more. And as people realize this, this idea can be reciprocated. So, perhaps if you do something better for someone, another person may come along and do something for you. In the girl's case, because she gave up her wantings for her daughter, the guy, who realized this aspect, had done something for her too, because he loved her. It's important to see the dialectic between love and selflessness so that every relationship isn't forced with someone pushing their way through to get what they want, but to compromise and want to see the other happy.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Blogging Around: Mary and Darrell
Mary's Best of Week: Side Conversations
Mary's post was about listening to side conversations around her and realizing that many of them aren't just about clothes, TV shows, or other classes, but many were deep, insightful, and relevant to the class discussion.
Mary, this is a well written post, and you made many good insights. I for one, talk so much, even though it's not always intentional, and completely agree that it's easier to listen when I'm not talking. But in a classroom full of 28 genius children, it's hard to always get to say what you want, because even when you think of something great, there are so many others who are the same. So, what do I do? Turn to someone next to me and tell them or just save it for break. Sure, my side conversations aren't always about a book we are reading, but when they are, I think it's quite acceptable to be having them.
Another aspect of your post that I really enjoyed is the hope that other people can do the same. I know I've done a post and even seen a few saying, 'What will come of our society?' but I like the optimism that comes out of your post because there are people who think out there.
Darrell's Captured Thought: A Life Without Opposites
This post was about the importance of opposites and how cannot fully experience things or understand them without hearing out both sides.
Darrell, this is such a cool insight! And I completely agree with it, because I've seen resonating instances too. How do we realize what success is without failure? How can we appreciate joy without having felt sadness? We can't fully experience things we take for granted all the time without understanding the opposite side. It's like an argument too: you shouldn't shut down the other side without hearing them out at least and then making a decision. We'd be ignorant without opposites, which is a great point you bring up. Nothing would be worth enjoying without seeing what else is out there. We'd be missing so much without opposites and you made a deep connection with this. And don't apologize for thinking of something that's so interesting!
Mary's post was about listening to side conversations around her and realizing that many of them aren't just about clothes, TV shows, or other classes, but many were deep, insightful, and relevant to the class discussion.
Mary, this is a well written post, and you made many good insights. I for one, talk so much, even though it's not always intentional, and completely agree that it's easier to listen when I'm not talking. But in a classroom full of 28 genius children, it's hard to always get to say what you want, because even when you think of something great, there are so many others who are the same. So, what do I do? Turn to someone next to me and tell them or just save it for break. Sure, my side conversations aren't always about a book we are reading, but when they are, I think it's quite acceptable to be having them.
Another aspect of your post that I really enjoyed is the hope that other people can do the same. I know I've done a post and even seen a few saying, 'What will come of our society?' but I like the optimism that comes out of your post because there are people who think out there.
Darrell's Captured Thought: A Life Without Opposites
This post was about the importance of opposites and how cannot fully experience things or understand them without hearing out both sides.
Darrell, this is such a cool insight! And I completely agree with it, because I've seen resonating instances too. How do we realize what success is without failure? How can we appreciate joy without having felt sadness? We can't fully experience things we take for granted all the time without understanding the opposite side. It's like an argument too: you shouldn't shut down the other side without hearing them out at least and then making a decision. We'd be ignorant without opposites, which is a great point you bring up. Nothing would be worth enjoying without seeing what else is out there. We'd be missing so much without opposites and you made a deep connection with this. And don't apologize for thinking of something that's so interesting!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Best of Week: Views in Heart of Darkness
One of the best discussions we had this week occurred after we listened to Achebe's opinions and began talking about an African's point of view in Heart of Darkness. We noticed how it isn't brought up, because in 1899, this wouldn't have been 'acceptable,' or rather, it would've been perceived as revolutionary and a huge shift. All because of the portrayal of Africans during this time period. Would we even be studying this book had it an African's view? Like Vicki had mentioned, the entire essence of the book would be changed because it wouldn't have the harsh reality and treatment illustrated in such manners. I completely agree that the entire novel would be different. However, would it be for the worst? Perhaps, but this thought sparked my mind into thinking what effects having an African's view would have on the novel.
After brainstorming possibilities-introduce a close slave, make the narrator black, make the harlequin black- it seemed that the most feasible was to make the narrator black. But wouldn't this change how we as readers perceive Marlow? We'd see him as immoral and cruel, while really, he's the character struggling to find the balance of morality in a world of immorality, whether he succeeds or not. This would change the entire meaning behind the novel in terms of this major theme. I believe that this wouldn't get across the reality from the time period. When we brought up how South African students would feel reading this book now compared to us, this would be flipped 180 degrees had the narrator been black. It would make us hate everything about Marlow while he is just on a journey trying to find his way. So did Conrad make the right decision? I would say yes, because that's what makes me feel these strong emotions while reading Heart of Darkness. It allows readers to envision the horror more so by seeing how the Africans' voices were unimportant at the time; how they were treated in terrible, terrible ways.
This discussion made me realize that there can be two rights. Yes, the essence of the novel would change, but there are possibilities to introduce an African's POV whether it be for better or worse. It made me see how multiple sides played out and in the end how my judgment ruled based on the ideas of both sides.
After brainstorming possibilities-introduce a close slave, make the narrator black, make the harlequin black- it seemed that the most feasible was to make the narrator black. But wouldn't this change how we as readers perceive Marlow? We'd see him as immoral and cruel, while really, he's the character struggling to find the balance of morality in a world of immorality, whether he succeeds or not. This would change the entire meaning behind the novel in terms of this major theme. I believe that this wouldn't get across the reality from the time period. When we brought up how South African students would feel reading this book now compared to us, this would be flipped 180 degrees had the narrator been black. It would make us hate everything about Marlow while he is just on a journey trying to find his way. So did Conrad make the right decision? I would say yes, because that's what makes me feel these strong emotions while reading Heart of Darkness. It allows readers to envision the horror more so by seeing how the Africans' voices were unimportant at the time; how they were treated in terrible, terrible ways.
This discussion made me realize that there can be two rights. Yes, the essence of the novel would change, but there are possibilities to introduce an African's POV whether it be for better or worse. It made me see how multiple sides played out and in the end how my judgment ruled based on the ideas of both sides.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
