Since I assume that the film Babies was produced by Americans, It makes the child from San Francisco seem to be raised the best although I personally enjoyed watching the child from Tokyo. The film is incredible in that the people are living in completely different parts of the world with different circumstances in different environments but all have similar methods in which they raise there children. I personally think that if any of the children were transferred to a different environment they would be affected by it at first. At year 1 you are sort of getting used to your environment and can expect certain things to an extent. Another thing is at that age you start to see certain places over and over again and are familiar with them which would be a major shift if any of the children were switched, especially since each of the children were coming from such different places and lifestyles.
The interesting child to me was the one from Namibia. This child was given a lot of freedom to figure things out for itself. Ponijao, is given space to make options for herself and explore things.
The best part of this movie though is just how much people research raising children and the proper methods and in this movie it just portrays it as being so effortless and simple where in America we are often the people that go all out when it comes to how to raise children and what methods to use. That kind of makes the whole film....ironic (i know, i know irony means something else)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
EC#1
Watching YOU THE MAN was very good to watch but I think it was more a performance targeted to students in 9th and 10th grade but it still had benefits for me. A performance where there is a speaker stating facts to listeners about whatever the given topic only holds there attention for so long. The actor that did YOU THE MAN did a great job of keeping everyone interested and alert which helped get his point across to the viewers. I realized during our discussion that a lot of the younger men in our discussion group became more open and did not mind sharing things because they had just heard an actor share his stories which gave the students something to relate to. The problem with YOU THE MAN was that he did not show any aspect of the bad side of beating women. Because of the fact that he did it in such a way that he was getting props from his friends, it made it difficult to understand that in fact it was really bad to hit women and although it may have seemed obvious to others, I dont think some people understood that. I Definitely think this presentation should be done again next year not so much because of the presentation but because of the discussion groups that happened after. During the discussion, at least in my group we all shared personal issues and felt like we could trust one another to not share what was said. The members of our group were all different ages which is what made the discussion so helpful because we all had different experiences to share with the group. Having someone come in and talk to teens about this topic is a lot more effective than when parents attempts to talk to there kids about it because it makes the kids feel very uncomfortable.
One of the primary reasons for violence in the performance was the aspect of jealousy. Jealousy is something I see very very often in relationships and although the statistic said that it is primary men that beat women I do also think that many women provoke men. I am not saying that it is ok in any form to beat a woman but I think this is evident a lot. Men often get very attached to there "woman" and therefore protective. When they hear or see there girlfriend with another guy they immediately get very tense and angry which triggers violence. Another factor leads to aggression and violence is Alcohol. Many males become very aggressive when they drink too much.
After doing a little reading online I noticed that a lot of women that have actually been beaten by there husbands explain why it happens. Most often though it is because a man often feels like he is powerless in his world and thinks that beating a woman shows that he has power over other people, in this case the woman. Another reason was that when a man is beat as a kid by his father, they kid usually becomes one of two people. Either he is very compassionate and sweet or he is very angry and physical because of what happened to him as a kid.
One of the primary reasons for violence in the performance was the aspect of jealousy. Jealousy is something I see very very often in relationships and although the statistic said that it is primary men that beat women I do also think that many women provoke men. I am not saying that it is ok in any form to beat a woman but I think this is evident a lot. Men often get very attached to there "woman" and therefore protective. When they hear or see there girlfriend with another guy they immediately get very tense and angry which triggers violence. Another factor leads to aggression and violence is Alcohol. Many males become very aggressive when they drink too much.
After doing a little reading online I noticed that a lot of women that have actually been beaten by there husbands explain why it happens. Most often though it is because a man often feels like he is powerless in his world and thinks that beating a woman shows that he has power over other people, in this case the woman. Another reason was that when a man is beat as a kid by his father, they kid usually becomes one of two people. Either he is very compassionate and sweet or he is very angry and physical because of what happened to him as a kid.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
HW 58
Marguerite was the speaker that i think i shared the most similar beliefs with. Although Josh Marks had some interesting thoughts and methods he planned to use when raising his kids, Marguerite had the same core values as I do. She stressed the importance of honesty and trust and explained in a way that was not sugar coating. She admitted that of course at times her children were not going to tell her the truth and not get along with her but she did what she could to minimize them doing this as much as she could. She was fully aware that each of her three children would have very different personalities that would cause them to have different interests and passions, which she would all support equally. Regardless of there passions being different she made it important to teach them all certain qualities to guide them. She also made an interesting point about how although she taught them all the same values, she raised each child a little differently. Her first child she was very cautious with and was worried about every little detail and by her third child she let him go play alone and was less worried but still loved him equally.
Josh Marks plan had a lot more structure than that of Marguerite yet both have their advantages. His main motto seemed to be that you are not able to shape your children in the end but you are able to guide them. Josh Marks plans activities for his child so that his child is able to develop necessary skills and find hobbies. Most people would say that this method kills the imagination factor for the child but I think it is the other way around. Kids that are given the freedom to do what they what often end up sitting in front on the Television set for hours where a child like that of Josh Marks may be entered in a ceramics class where the level of imagination is a lot higher than sitting in front on a TV. I don't think there is a concrete way to raise children, do what you personally believe is right.
Parenting comes natural to a lot of people. It seems like balance is key to raising a child well. Too much playtime and he loses structure but too much structure and he loses enjoyment and freedom. Let the child explore to find his own passions but help to show him the in depth of these passions when he has found them. All too often I see parents trying to turn there kids into the people they never were. The typical stereotype is the football star that never made would have his son do anything possible to make it. Growing up around sports I always found it very sad when a child develops an interest in a sport that is not the same one as that of the parents and therefore the parent does not support as much as he would if it were his sport.
Being a parent is a full time job and without care and support I think it affects the child in the long run. When parents are not around as much to raise the child, I feel like the child is forced to grow up a lot quicker and it becomes independent faster which is often not a good thing because there are so many vital things children need to be taught by there parents and they miss out on that. During My parents divorce I was ignored a lot and put off and it made my lose trust and faith in my parents which I still have today. Although it is very sad, it is something that I wish i could change. The reverse also happens that parents are never able to let go of there children and are over strict with them. Usually around the time when college comes they have so much freedom and they are not able to handle it after all these years of being under strict order.
Josh Marks plan had a lot more structure than that of Marguerite yet both have their advantages. His main motto seemed to be that you are not able to shape your children in the end but you are able to guide them. Josh Marks plans activities for his child so that his child is able to develop necessary skills and find hobbies. Most people would say that this method kills the imagination factor for the child but I think it is the other way around. Kids that are given the freedom to do what they what often end up sitting in front on the Television set for hours where a child like that of Josh Marks may be entered in a ceramics class where the level of imagination is a lot higher than sitting in front on a TV. I don't think there is a concrete way to raise children, do what you personally believe is right.
Parenting comes natural to a lot of people. It seems like balance is key to raising a child well. Too much playtime and he loses structure but too much structure and he loses enjoyment and freedom. Let the child explore to find his own passions but help to show him the in depth of these passions when he has found them. All too often I see parents trying to turn there kids into the people they never were. The typical stereotype is the football star that never made would have his son do anything possible to make it. Growing up around sports I always found it very sad when a child develops an interest in a sport that is not the same one as that of the parents and therefore the parent does not support as much as he would if it were his sport.
Being a parent is a full time job and without care and support I think it affects the child in the long run. When parents are not around as much to raise the child, I feel like the child is forced to grow up a lot quicker and it becomes independent faster which is often not a good thing because there are so many vital things children need to be taught by there parents and they miss out on that. During My parents divorce I was ignored a lot and put off and it made my lose trust and faith in my parents which I still have today. Although it is very sad, it is something that I wish i could change. The reverse also happens that parents are never able to let go of there children and are over strict with them. Usually around the time when college comes they have so much freedom and they are not able to handle it after all these years of being under strict order.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
hw57
>Kids should be parented with as much love and touch as possible. After reading the book, Tuesdays with Morrie, this became clear to me. Deep down we all crave to be touched physically. As children we never receive it enough because we grow up so quickly. As far as teaching a child rules I think respect is the most important factor. If a child does not respect its parent it seems nearly impossible to raise the kid in a good way. Time outs are a necessary way to show boundries on what is ok and what is not ok. Co-sleeping is a very interesting topic. Let the child sleep with the parents for too long and he will have trouble being dependent. I think to a certain extent parents should let children sleep with parents. I personally slept with my parents for a very long time but still seem to be quite independent. I do not think research is necessary in order to raise children. Although it may sound dumb, I think parenting is an instinct that we are born with and it is more evident in women. Little girls always have dolls that they dress and change and that is how I think this instinct first kicks in.
Reading is critical at a young age because it broadens there vocabulary earlier because they are constantly hearing words. Although they do not fully understand them, the mind is a sponge at such a young age and picks up things very quickly.
One thing that I found dreadful was the ferber method. Although never used on me just hearing about it makes me sad. I think it makes the child feel worthless and will not be able to rely on people later in life. Although it may teach children to solve problems out on there own I think it makes them not feel appreciated enough. It seems wrong to me to have a child a such a young age figure out for himself that he is teething.
Attachment parenting is what I believe is the best way to raise kids. To an extent of course you need to let your children figure things out for themselves but they have so many years coming ahead of them to figure that out. Sleep with them, show them love and give them confidence. The children should feel comfortable and realize as soon as possible what family is for. This is one of the things we forget as we get older. Kids that are close to there parents feel like someone is always there for them, someone is always available to go to. Even if maybe leaving children alone was best for them, the children would not understand what is best for them at such a young age and can therefore not be what is best for them because it makes them lose this feeling of importance.
Reading is critical at a young age because it broadens there vocabulary earlier because they are constantly hearing words. Although they do not fully understand them, the mind is a sponge at such a young age and picks up things very quickly.
One thing that I found dreadful was the ferber method. Although never used on me just hearing about it makes me sad. I think it makes the child feel worthless and will not be able to rely on people later in life. Although it may teach children to solve problems out on there own I think it makes them not feel appreciated enough. It seems wrong to me to have a child a such a young age figure out for himself that he is teething.
Attachment parenting is what I believe is the best way to raise kids. To an extent of course you need to let your children figure things out for themselves but they have so many years coming ahead of them to figure that out. Sleep with them, show them love and give them confidence. The children should feel comfortable and realize as soon as possible what family is for. This is one of the things we forget as we get older. Kids that are close to there parents feel like someone is always there for them, someone is always available to go to. Even if maybe leaving children alone was best for them, the children would not understand what is best for them at such a young age and can therefore not be what is best for them because it makes them lose this feeling of importance.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Hw54
| INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Emotional face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population. |
I found this an interesting way of categorizing people into different groups based on a series of statements and responding to how much or little they apply to you. After doing a bit or research I found out that there was a study done on the Myers-Briggs test in order to evaluate its validity. It showed that 63%
Monday, May 17, 2010
hw56
What is it about teenagers that prevents them from having long lasting relationships?
Is puberty the primary reason that teen relationships rarely work?
Do people from loving families make for better partners in teen relationships?
How does family income effect relationships with teens?
Are teens capable of loving at such a young age?
Interview with dad.
What is it about teenagers that prevents them from having long lasting relationships?
Well first off, I dont think it is one single thing that allows teens to have long lasting relationships. One of the major issues that is overlooked is time management. Teenagers have so many things going on at the same time that it becomes hard to be able to show affection and commit to someone. It is just an overwhelming time period is everyones life.
Is puberty the primary reason that teen relationships rarely work?
Puberty definitely plays a role in teen relationships. Hormones and being uncomfortable with your body. With that said though I think puberty also has a positive side in its role with teen relationships. During puberty your body is undergoing so many physical changes that you often become unhappy with your appearance. Relationships can make you feel loved, important and good about yourself and make puberty a bit easier.
Interview with coffee shop owner near house
Do people from loving families make for better partners in teen relationships?
That is a good question. Personally coming from a family with problems I think it has actually made me a better partner because I know what to avoid and what not to do. I think that people from loving families actually may have a harder time because they will often trust someone too easily. The other side of it is that they coming from a loving background and are bound to show more love and care to there partner.
How does family income effect relationships with teens?
This relates to the previous question in a way. Family income often has the negative affect of causing people to be greedy. Using people for what they have and not for their personality. People from more wealthy families generally seem to be more prude and have less sex where lower income families seem to have sex at a younger age. I am not really sure what the reason for that is though.
Interview with friend from soccer
Are teens capable of loving at such a young age?
haha well as a teen myself I like to think i am able to love. The word love is thrown around very often now that it has lost some meaning. To really love someone is not easy and of course you will have your disagreements. I think teens have trouble loving someone because of the pressure they receive to have sex. They feel the need to find someone regardless of personality that they can have sex with just to gain respect from friends. This to me is the main problem with teen relationships, they are all sex driven.
Response.
Surprisingly I found that my friend from soccer had the most interesting response although I expected my dad to have some interesting thoughts. I was let down by my dads response because it was just so predictable and cliche. The coffee shop guy had some interesting thoughts although I think he was offended that I asked him questions about income. It is an interesting point that sex ruins teen relationships because I remember how much respect friends of mine were given when they shared with us that they had done sex.
Do you feel like teen relationships are going anywhere?
Is puberty the primary reason that teen relationships rarely work?
Do people from loving families make for better partners in teen relationships?
How does family income effect relationships with teens?
Are teens capable of loving at such a young age?
Interview with dad.
What is it about teenagers that prevents them from having long lasting relationships?
Well first off, I dont think it is one single thing that allows teens to have long lasting relationships. One of the major issues that is overlooked is time management. Teenagers have so many things going on at the same time that it becomes hard to be able to show affection and commit to someone. It is just an overwhelming time period is everyones life.
Is puberty the primary reason that teen relationships rarely work?
Puberty definitely plays a role in teen relationships. Hormones and being uncomfortable with your body. With that said though I think puberty also has a positive side in its role with teen relationships. During puberty your body is undergoing so many physical changes that you often become unhappy with your appearance. Relationships can make you feel loved, important and good about yourself and make puberty a bit easier.
Interview with coffee shop owner near house
Do people from loving families make for better partners in teen relationships?
That is a good question. Personally coming from a family with problems I think it has actually made me a better partner because I know what to avoid and what not to do. I think that people from loving families actually may have a harder time because they will often trust someone too easily. The other side of it is that they coming from a loving background and are bound to show more love and care to there partner.
How does family income effect relationships with teens?
This relates to the previous question in a way. Family income often has the negative affect of causing people to be greedy. Using people for what they have and not for their personality. People from more wealthy families generally seem to be more prude and have less sex where lower income families seem to have sex at a younger age. I am not really sure what the reason for that is though.
Interview with friend from soccer
Are teens capable of loving at such a young age?
haha well as a teen myself I like to think i am able to love. The word love is thrown around very often now that it has lost some meaning. To really love someone is not easy and of course you will have your disagreements. I think teens have trouble loving someone because of the pressure they receive to have sex. They feel the need to find someone regardless of personality that they can have sex with just to gain respect from friends. This to me is the main problem with teen relationships, they are all sex driven.
Response.
Surprisingly I found that my friend from soccer had the most interesting response although I expected my dad to have some interesting thoughts. I was let down by my dads response because it was just so predictable and cliche. The coffee shop guy had some interesting thoughts although I think he was offended that I asked him questions about income. It is an interesting point that sex ruins teen relationships because I remember how much respect friends of mine were given when they shared with us that they had done sex.
Do you feel like teen relationships are going anywhere?
homework 53
I found this survey to be quite interesting because it was so personal. It felt like I was in denial of a lot of the topics being asked and it was weird answering them. A lot of the topics caused me to lose focus on the survey and think about the given question in regards to my family and other peoples families. Regardless of it being anonymous I still felt very exposed answering these questions. It caused me too think about uncomfortable topics that were personal. Some of the questions were interesting though and I am curious to see what the results were. Most of the questions are not about ourselves, they are about how we think and perceive ourselves. Even the family and friend related questions are merely about how we see them.
As the results came out I was not in for any big surprises, for the most part I was in the mainstream group, I was usually in the most popular category or the second most for the majority of the questions and occasionally I would be in the smallest category. I was surprised how honest people were about certain topics. For example questions about drinking alcohol were very honest probably because the survey was anonymous. I also think that the neutral answer was selected a lot. The reason for this is because if you look at the questions, they are mostly ones where it is a awkward topic and people do not feel comfortable answering them or even thinking about them because it makes them uncomfortable.
I took a look at the second survey and was amazed to see how many angry people there were. A lot of them carried guns and had been in fights and this is the main difference in our survey. Our survey was more about how we personally see ourselves where the other survey was more about what we have been through and experienced. I think that the surveys were different in that the one we took was not taken to prove a specific point whereas the other ones had more to do with violence.
As the results came out I was not in for any big surprises, for the most part I was in the mainstream group, I was usually in the most popular category or the second most for the majority of the questions and occasionally I would be in the smallest category. I was surprised how honest people were about certain topics. For example questions about drinking alcohol were very honest probably because the survey was anonymous. I also think that the neutral answer was selected a lot. The reason for this is because if you look at the questions, they are mostly ones where it is a awkward topic and people do not feel comfortable answering them or even thinking about them because it makes them uncomfortable.
I took a look at the second survey and was amazed to see how many angry people there were. A lot of them carried guns and had been in fights and this is the main difference in our survey. Our survey was more about how we personally see ourselves where the other survey was more about what we have been through and experienced. I think that the surveys were different in that the one we took was not taken to prove a specific point whereas the other ones had more to do with violence.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
hw 55
What are the primary reasons that teen relations usually fail?
Sam: I think you have a solid start but should work on expanding the question so that the question itself is not so generic. The question itself is a bit too self explanatory because we all know that friends have an affect on the decisions that we make but I think it is to what extent they have input on our decisions to the point where they are almost making the decisions for there friends. The success part is very good and interesting I am just not sure were to go from here. I say this because I think it may be hard to write a full essay on this and find in depth research on it.
Omar: Omar, good interesting question. The vital parts of it are that it is easy to understand and think you will not have trouble writing about this. I think the question itself could be improved because it is a bit broad. Relationships as a word is broad. I think you should do friendships instead of relationships because it is more straightforward and easy to relate to. Other than that I think you could keep the rest of your question. Good luck on your paper!
Kirberger, Kimberly. Teen Love: on Relationships : a Book for Teenagers. Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, 1999. Print.
Nobody ever takes teenagers seriously, especially when it comes to love. Thanks to the author for not only taking "teen love" SERIOUSLY BUT GIVING US GOOD ADVICE ALSO. i LOVED THE STORIES. There was one that I felt like I could have written it myself and that is the other thing I like about this book. Almost everything in it is something that I have gone through or at least could understand. They have girl's questions and feelings in there too which I really enjoyed. I always wondered what girls were thinking and if they cared.
Taylor, Julie. The Girls' Guide to Guys: Straight Talk on Flirting, Dating, Breaking Up, Making Up, and Finding True Love. New York: Three Rivers, 2000. Print.
Julie Taylor has a very interesting perspective and I enjoyed reading her book. Girls like to pretend they know everything about guys, but really, the truth is, we don't. But with this book, you'll definitely be clued in on basic topics involving guys and girls.
Mastromarino, Diane. Being a Teen: Words of Advice from Someone Who's Been There. Boulder, Colo.: Blue Mountain, 2002. Print.
Everyone has their own experiences, but we eventually share one common bond -- we all make it through these restless teenage years, and somehow, we all survive. We all walk that thin line between adult and child trying to steady ourselves on our own two feet. We all have bad-hair days and broken-heart days and I-wish-I-were-somebody-else days. We all stress out over school and work and learning to drive and looking good and fitting in. We all learn the hard way that people and moments don't last forever and that pimples are just a part of life.
Sam: I think you have a solid start but should work on expanding the question so that the question itself is not so generic. The question itself is a bit too self explanatory because we all know that friends have an affect on the decisions that we make but I think it is to what extent they have input on our decisions to the point where they are almost making the decisions for there friends. The success part is very good and interesting I am just not sure were to go from here. I say this because I think it may be hard to write a full essay on this and find in depth research on it.
Omar: Omar, good interesting question. The vital parts of it are that it is easy to understand and think you will not have trouble writing about this. I think the question itself could be improved because it is a bit broad. Relationships as a word is broad. I think you should do friendships instead of relationships because it is more straightforward and easy to relate to. Other than that I think you could keep the rest of your question. Good luck on your paper!
Kirberger, Kimberly. Teen Love: on Relationships : a Book for Teenagers. Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, 1999. Print.
Nobody ever takes teenagers seriously, especially when it comes to love. Thanks to the author for not only taking "teen love" SERIOUSLY BUT GIVING US GOOD ADVICE ALSO. i LOVED THE STORIES. There was one that I felt like I could have written it myself and that is the other thing I like about this book. Almost everything in it is something that I have gone through or at least could understand. They have girl's questions and feelings in there too which I really enjoyed. I always wondered what girls were thinking and if they cared.
Taylor, Julie. The Girls' Guide to Guys: Straight Talk on Flirting, Dating, Breaking Up, Making Up, and Finding True Love. New York: Three Rivers, 2000. Print.
Julie Taylor has a very interesting perspective and I enjoyed reading her book. Girls like to pretend they know everything about guys, but really, the truth is, we don't. But with this book, you'll definitely be clued in on basic topics involving guys and girls.
Mastromarino, Diane. Being a Teen: Words of Advice from Someone Who's Been There. Boulder, Colo.: Blue Mountain, 2002. Print.
Everyone has their own experiences, but we eventually share one common bond -- we all make it through these restless teenage years, and somehow, we all survive. We all walk that thin line between adult and child trying to steady ourselves on our own two feet. We all have bad-hair days and broken-heart days and I-wish-I-were-somebody-else days. We all stress out over school and work and learning to drive and looking good and fitting in. We all learn the hard way that people and moments don't last forever and that pimples are just a part of life.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
homework 52
The way humans react with one another in such mysterious ways. Many people do all they can to avoid being lonely even if that can result in poor quality friendships but more of them. Quantity over quality. Friendships can take years to form and often moments to end. We often claim we look for friends that are similar to us so we have stuff in common and can relate with another but at the same time we want them to be different so things are kept interesting. love and status seems to be very common among women where lust and power seems to be priority for men. Luckily these four categories seem to come together. While men seem more interested in short term relationships, women often face the fear of growing old alone. Love has evolved into such a common word that people are very often convinced that they are in love when in reality they are not. In order to love someone I think you have to view looks with less importance although I think it still should play an important factor but not a primary one. Lets face it, the brain is likely attracted to a certain category of looks and features and when that is paired with a fitting personality to the counterpart, then I think the word love can come into question.
In teenage years, friendships are a lot more vulnerable to breaking. I think the main cause of this is the fact that we are changing so much in these years it is hard to predict what we will be like next. Another factor is that we constantly are moving away and changing schools that it is hard to keep in touch. I think that close friendships are vital because they can serve as a go to person. A lot of people go to there parents for advice but often that advice is very bias or uncomfortable to share with them. Close knit friends eliminate that and are easy to share things with. I could not imagine my life without my best friend as I share everything with him and vice versa.
In teenage years, friendships are a lot more vulnerable to breaking. I think the main cause of this is the fact that we are changing so much in these years it is hard to predict what we will be like next. Another factor is that we constantly are moving away and changing schools that it is hard to keep in touch. I think that close friendships are vital because they can serve as a go to person. A lot of people go to there parents for advice but often that advice is very bias or uncomfortable to share with them. Close knit friends eliminate that and are easy to share things with. I could not imagine my life without my best friend as I share everything with him and vice versa.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Homework 51
I have based my paper on two texts that I have read on the British school system. I will refer to them as text 1a and text 1b.
Firstly I am going to discuss the purpose for which these two texts were written. being a newspaper article from The Guardian is clearly meant to be an informative text with a purpose of showing people how bad behavior in British schools are and the viewpoints of teachers on the subject. The way in which the article is written, with many facts and statistics with quotations clearly shows that it is written to raise awareness of the problem and add an emotional side to the article. In the article, the writer states that 80% of the professionals describe bad behavior as ‘a daily occurrence’ and that ‘only 7% said that poor pupil behavior was rare.’ Text 1b, being a novel its main purpose would be to entertain its reader as opposed to informing people about a real life issue. This text is also using similar points to the first text, but it is meant to create an emotional connection with the reader.
There is a direct correlation between the purposes of these two texts and the audiences which they are meant for. Text 1a, having a purpose to inform about the problems in behavior in British schools is therefore meant for audiences who are interested in the British education systems such as students, teachers, parents etc. Text 1b coming from a 19th century novel with a purpose to entertain is meant for more or less any audience.
Text 1b is written in the first person narrative and it builds tension as it goes on. The extract is written in a way to get the audience to feel sorry for the protagonist in a way but it is not totally obvious what Charlotte Bronte’s point of view on the subject is. She describes a “poor friendless teacher rebelled against and persecuted” but at the same time Bronte states also that it is the fault of the ‘weak and wavering’ teachers. Text 1a is written with many statistics and it is just stating facts about the system obviously suggesting reform starting with the government.
Overall, the two texts I read share similar viewpoints on the subject of student discipline and its affect on teachers in the UK. Text 1a is a formal factual account on the issue while text 1b tries to put the reader in the situation of the issue. The two texts are linked in the sense that they share the theme of challenges in the education system in the UK, but they are written for very different reasons as text 1a is meant to argue the issue and suggest reform whereas text 1b is meant to create a connection with the reader and the situation.
Firstly I am going to discuss the purpose for which these two texts were written. being a newspaper article from The Guardian is clearly meant to be an informative text with a purpose of showing people how bad behavior in British schools are and the viewpoints of teachers on the subject. The way in which the article is written, with many facts and statistics with quotations clearly shows that it is written to raise awareness of the problem and add an emotional side to the article. In the article, the writer states that 80% of the professionals describe bad behavior as ‘a daily occurrence’ and that ‘only 7% said that poor pupil behavior was rare.’ Text 1b, being a novel its main purpose would be to entertain its reader as opposed to informing people about a real life issue. This text is also using similar points to the first text, but it is meant to create an emotional connection with the reader.
There is a direct correlation between the purposes of these two texts and the audiences which they are meant for. Text 1a, having a purpose to inform about the problems in behavior in British schools is therefore meant for audiences who are interested in the British education systems such as students, teachers, parents etc. Text 1b coming from a 19th century novel with a purpose to entertain is meant for more or less any audience.
Text 1b is written in the first person narrative and it builds tension as it goes on. The extract is written in a way to get the audience to feel sorry for the protagonist in a way but it is not totally obvious what Charlotte Bronte’s point of view on the subject is. She describes a “poor friendless teacher rebelled against and persecuted” but at the same time Bronte states also that it is the fault of the ‘weak and wavering’ teachers. Text 1a is written with many statistics and it is just stating facts about the system obviously suggesting reform starting with the government.
Overall, the two texts I read share similar viewpoints on the subject of student discipline and its affect on teachers in the UK. Text 1a is a formal factual account on the issue while text 1b tries to put the reader in the situation of the issue. The two texts are linked in the sense that they share the theme of challenges in the education system in the UK, but they are written for very different reasons as text 1a is meant to argue the issue and suggest reform whereas text 1b is meant to create a connection with the reader and the situation.
Homework 50
Freire - Second chapter of pedagogy of the oppressed
IU
This text is about the banking model of education and the oppression it causes. Friere tells us how the banking model is a type or form of education where students are simply memorizing facts and not really understanding or appreciating concepts. The banking system is the common system used at schools in the United States. He moves on to tell us that this system keeps us oppressed intentionally. He then talks about a type of education that would be more beneficial which is more similar to the SOF education. In this system equality seems to be the center point. Teachers can also learn from there students and class becomes more of a conversation on a given topic than just pure text book work.
I thought this text was quite boring. The part that i found interesting was when he talked about how the system keeps us oppressed intentionally. This was very interesting but other than that I found the majority of the ideas in his text to be stuff that I have already heard before and seemed to be nothing very new. I like the school system of equality and I always found a very important factor in that is calling teachers by their first names as opposed to their last. I find that it provides a more relaxed feeling for the students than giving teachers a sense of entitlement. On the other hand calling teachers by their last name may also be so they are respected or feel more respected.
Gatto Six lessons
Gatto explains what is expected of him as a teacher by authorities. He breaks down the role of a typical teacher into six different things. He explains them as six different lessons that his students are supposed to learn. All the lessons have to do with discipline, sorting, and lack of individuality. He shows how the system of teaching in which the student controls all of the students education and basically speaks to the students while they sit there and listen doesn't educate students it turns them into robots or puppets to fit in to society later on with out causing a problem.
Gatto starts off by talking about his expectations as a teacher by authorities. He looks at the role of teachers and categorizes it into six different things. He goes on to explain them as six different lessons that students should learn. Every one of the lessons have something to do with sorting out, lack of individuality and discipline.
Lisa Delpit
Lisa Delpit gives reason why she personally believes that minority students do not get a proper education is through that they do not belong to the culture of power. She claims that in order to be educated in our education system you need to have a basic understand of the culture of power. According to Lisa Delpit it is not so much being part of it but it is more vital to understand it.
IU
This text is about the banking model of education and the oppression it causes. Friere tells us how the banking model is a type or form of education where students are simply memorizing facts and not really understanding or appreciating concepts. The banking system is the common system used at schools in the United States. He moves on to tell us that this system keeps us oppressed intentionally. He then talks about a type of education that would be more beneficial which is more similar to the SOF education. In this system equality seems to be the center point. Teachers can also learn from there students and class becomes more of a conversation on a given topic than just pure text book work.
I thought this text was quite boring. The part that i found interesting was when he talked about how the system keeps us oppressed intentionally. This was very interesting but other than that I found the majority of the ideas in his text to be stuff that I have already heard before and seemed to be nothing very new. I like the school system of equality and I always found a very important factor in that is calling teachers by their first names as opposed to their last. I find that it provides a more relaxed feeling for the students than giving teachers a sense of entitlement. On the other hand calling teachers by their last name may also be so they are respected or feel more respected.
Gatto Six lessons
Gatto explains what is expected of him as a teacher by authorities. He breaks down the role of a typical teacher into six different things. He explains them as six different lessons that his students are supposed to learn. All the lessons have to do with discipline, sorting, and lack of individuality. He shows how the system of teaching in which the student controls all of the students education and basically speaks to the students while they sit there and listen doesn't educate students it turns them into robots or puppets to fit in to society later on with out causing a problem.
Gatto starts off by talking about his expectations as a teacher by authorities. He looks at the role of teachers and categorizes it into six different things. He goes on to explain them as six different lessons that students should learn. Every one of the lessons have something to do with sorting out, lack of individuality and discipline.
Lisa Delpit
Lisa Delpit gives reason why she personally believes that minority students do not get a proper education is through that they do not belong to the culture of power. She claims that in order to be educated in our education system you need to have a basic understand of the culture of power. According to Lisa Delpit it is not so much being part of it but it is more vital to understand it.
I sort of disagree wit what she is saying. Her idea seems to make all minorities become conformists do the so called culture of power. Now I think it is pretty obvious that the culture of power in this case is the white culture. I think it is wrong completely to teach people to live another culture. It is one thing to experience other cultures and to understand how they work but I feel like she is stressing that people would need to abandon there roots in order for her system to work and I dont think this is right nor would it work.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
HW 47
1. A teacher uses his classroom as a "support group" to his problems by basing the curriculum around them. Students gradually realize.
2. Teacher has a bad class and surprises them by breaking pencils and ripping tests to indicate that they will "learn" in his class about life. Corny, i know.
3. Class is made up of really rich and also arrogant students that think they sit on top of the world and teachers makes it his job to humble them.
4. Teacher is given a group of students that are not violent or loud yet they want to learn. The problem is they have fallen so far behind that what is being taught is overwhelming to them.
5. A teacher is fired but students boycott by cutting class and meeting teacher at his house until school is forced to consider rehiring the teacher.
6. Students all finally respect teacher a decent amount accept one student who eventually tries to attack the teacher
7. Teacher from upper class private school is forced to relocate and teach at Juve.
2. Teacher has a bad class and surprises them by breaking pencils and ripping tests to indicate that they will "learn" in his class about life. Corny, i know.
3. Class is made up of really rich and also arrogant students that think they sit on top of the world and teachers makes it his job to humble them.
4. Teacher is given a group of students that are not violent or loud yet they want to learn. The problem is they have fallen so far behind that what is being taught is overwhelming to them.
5. A teacher is fired but students boycott by cutting class and meeting teacher at his house until school is forced to consider rehiring the teacher.
6. Students all finally respect teacher a decent amount accept one student who eventually tries to attack the teacher
7. Teacher from upper class private school is forced to relocate and teach at Juve.
Monday, April 5, 2010
HW 46
2. The text that I chose to read is called The Blind Side, By Michael Lewis. A couple of months back it was made into a movie and as usual the book was a lot better than the movie. The story however, is about a boy who grows up in Mississippi and is taken in by a rich Caucasian family. They turn this boy into a sought after college football recruit. Although he has natural talent, he has never been to school and the family winds up hiring tutors and being in close contact with teachers in order to get the boy, Michael Oher to attend Ole Miss, the mother and fathers Alma Mater. He is given the support by the school and winds up making it to college and later to the NFL.
3. This book relates to my topic because the main character, Michael Oher has never been to school and enters high school for 2 years and because he studies for a single test, he is able to go to a good university. It just portrays how rigged the American school system really is especially in places like Mississippi. He does not do well on this test because he has learned it in school, he does well because he has spent hours memorizing things that would be the test. I give it to him that it must have taken a lot of ambition and work to get where he has today and I am not saying he does not deserve a chance. I just think that testing is too easily rigged and it would be different if it was not valued so incredibly much but the fact of the matter is different.
4. Michael Oher and family go about it the right way. More often than not I hear about colleges advising basketball prospects to have someone else take the SAT for them so that they are eligible to play. Derrick Rose, now a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls took the ACT and failed it 3 times. He also took his PSAT and scored in the 10th percentile. Then Miraculously he traveled to Detroit and passed it by a long shot. And although Derrick Rose was caught and his college was penalized, think about how many times it has been carried out and not been caught by the NCAA. Even regular students. Us relying highly on a 4 hour test is asking for problems.
3. This book relates to my topic because the main character, Michael Oher has never been to school and enters high school for 2 years and because he studies for a single test, he is able to go to a good university. It just portrays how rigged the American school system really is especially in places like Mississippi. He does not do well on this test because he has learned it in school, he does well because he has spent hours memorizing things that would be the test. I give it to him that it must have taken a lot of ambition and work to get where he has today and I am not saying he does not deserve a chance. I just think that testing is too easily rigged and it would be different if it was not valued so incredibly much but the fact of the matter is different.
4. Michael Oher and family go about it the right way. More often than not I hear about colleges advising basketball prospects to have someone else take the SAT for them so that they are eligible to play. Derrick Rose, now a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls took the ACT and failed it 3 times. He also took his PSAT and scored in the 10th percentile. Then Miraculously he traveled to Detroit and passed it by a long shot. And although Derrick Rose was caught and his college was penalized, think about how many times it has been carried out and not been caught by the NCAA. Even regular students. Us relying highly on a 4 hour test is asking for problems.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
HW42-Significance
A school system based solely on testing is going to fail as most test are forms of memorization.
While high school is based over a 4 years period of learning, the SAT being one of the most important test in a students life, only is placed in a span of 4 hours. With students parents pressuring them to do well on this test, it causes many students to think it is make or break. They are pressured by society to perform well on this test or will be considered an idiot or worse, an under achiever. They think this test will be the answer to the outcome of their lives, do well and you will have a great life seems to be the motto flying around.
To me personally, testing seems a way of ranking students and while some kids have equal ambition to do well, they are simply not test takers and become anxious or blank out when taking tests. I only place so much value on testing because I do not think there is really an alternative that would be equally beneficial and how much a student knows.
This topic matters functionally because society is the majority of the pressure that is placed on doing well. Although it in turn can cause kids to perform well, the constant pressure that we face causes us to think if we make one mistake we will not be able to do quite as well in life. The whole learning from your mistakes has been out the window for a while now.
While high school is based over a 4 years period of learning, the SAT being one of the most important test in a students life, only is placed in a span of 4 hours. With students parents pressuring them to do well on this test, it causes many students to think it is make or break. They are pressured by society to perform well on this test or will be considered an idiot or worse, an under achiever. They think this test will be the answer to the outcome of their lives, do well and you will have a great life seems to be the motto flying around.
To me personally, testing seems a way of ranking students and while some kids have equal ambition to do well, they are simply not test takers and become anxious or blank out when taking tests. I only place so much value on testing because I do not think there is really an alternative that would be equally beneficial and how much a student knows.
This topic matters functionally because society is the majority of the pressure that is placed on doing well. Although it in turn can cause kids to perform well, the constant pressure that we face causes us to think if we make one mistake we will not be able to do quite as well in life. The whole learning from your mistakes has been out the window for a while now.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
HW41
Ravitch, Diane. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. New York, NY: Basic, 2010. Print.
Divided into chapters on how each specific aspect in undermining American education. Talks in depth about testing and includes benefits and problems with it. Deals mainly with the school reform debate. Also talks about faults in the "No child left behind" project.
Very interesting book, Interesting how it gives the reason on why we rely on standardized testing so much more than other countries. Numbers are easier to compare than personalities. Diane Ravitich shows why our present day education does more harm than good based on what is actually being taught in the classroom. I like how it talks about more than just curriculum and breaks down how different children learn.
Johnson, Dale D., and Bonnie Johnson. High Stakes: Poverty, Testing, and Failure in American Schools. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Print.
Written in story form on how a very impoverished elementary school was affected through standardized testing through having less "common knowledge" Touches on how instead of learning from the basics and moving up gradually, the school was given the same curriculum as a rich white school and was therefore unable to prepare students properly.
I found this book interesting because it explained how careless the board of education gives each school the same curriculum to every elementary school. Some children come in with certain knowledge and ability while others do not. Some parents are not able to read to there children at night and do homework with them while some are, yet still they are expected to learn the same stuff instead of splitting the class based on ability to make it more even and to group students with other children that are closer to there current level.
Lawler, Jennifer. Drug Testing in Schools: a Pro/con Issue. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2000. Print.
Discusses how the debate whether drug testing in schools should be allowed. Shows peoples reactions and thoughts on drug tests and many articles by NCAA coaches with what they think about the process of drug testing players.
I thought this book was interesting and the part I found most appealing was a coach from NCAA football team discussing drug tests and his approach towards them. They do not give his name or the institution he is coaching for but he is under the opinion that drug tests used to find marijuana, cocaine etc. should be used more and less drug tests should be used for athletic enhancers such as steroids. I found it interesting that a coach would in a sense support steroid use and as a head coach I would imagine he would know the side affects of steroids and be completely against it.
other sources researched:
Lewis, James. Implementing Total Quality in Education to Produce Great Schools: Transforming the American School System. Westbury, NY: National Center to Save Our Children, 1993. Print.
Schneider, Mark R. Disconnect: Why Americans Don't Understand the World and How We Can Learn. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2009. Print.
Homework 42 first part:
Urban, Wayne J., and Jennings L. Wagoner. American Education: a History. New York: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Goes all the way back from pre colonial education to present day education. Talks a lot about how the education in America was changed when the British came over. Brings up testing very briefly but places more focus on old education and is written as a time line.
I liked reading parts of this book because it talked about native american education methods and how they were not even looked at when European settlers came over. They were ironically quite similar to the practices that the native americans had. I also think that the changes in education made throughout history rarely had the childrens purpose in mind.
Zhao, Yong. Catching up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD, 2009. Print.
Talks about how education needs to be changed in America because of the technology and globalization our society has been faced with. Does a good job of showing what is being done right in the American school system but seems to argue that the foundation that it is based on is wrong and that we are currently at a crossroads. Often mentions how we place less emphasis on the creative part of school and more on the effectiveness of school, where other countries are heading in the other direction.
I found this book to be a bit boring because it was so similar to other books I looked at. Not much of what it said really stood out to me, very few original ideas. I certainly did not agree that the creative part of school is becoming less and less because although many schools are having there music and art programs cut out due to budget cuts, I think now more so than ever teachers are getting more creative with their assignments because it will inspire the students more and I think that often basic work from a textbook is just simply not done by the students because it is so grueling and boring to them.
Divided into chapters on how each specific aspect in undermining American education. Talks in depth about testing and includes benefits and problems with it. Deals mainly with the school reform debate. Also talks about faults in the "No child left behind" project.
Very interesting book, Interesting how it gives the reason on why we rely on standardized testing so much more than other countries. Numbers are easier to compare than personalities. Diane Ravitich shows why our present day education does more harm than good based on what is actually being taught in the classroom. I like how it talks about more than just curriculum and breaks down how different children learn.
Johnson, Dale D., and Bonnie Johnson. High Stakes: Poverty, Testing, and Failure in American Schools. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Print.
Written in story form on how a very impoverished elementary school was affected through standardized testing through having less "common knowledge" Touches on how instead of learning from the basics and moving up gradually, the school was given the same curriculum as a rich white school and was therefore unable to prepare students properly.
I found this book interesting because it explained how careless the board of education gives each school the same curriculum to every elementary school. Some children come in with certain knowledge and ability while others do not. Some parents are not able to read to there children at night and do homework with them while some are, yet still they are expected to learn the same stuff instead of splitting the class based on ability to make it more even and to group students with other children that are closer to there current level.
Lawler, Jennifer. Drug Testing in Schools: a Pro/con Issue. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2000. Print.
Discusses how the debate whether drug testing in schools should be allowed. Shows peoples reactions and thoughts on drug tests and many articles by NCAA coaches with what they think about the process of drug testing players.
I thought this book was interesting and the part I found most appealing was a coach from NCAA football team discussing drug tests and his approach towards them. They do not give his name or the institution he is coaching for but he is under the opinion that drug tests used to find marijuana, cocaine etc. should be used more and less drug tests should be used for athletic enhancers such as steroids. I found it interesting that a coach would in a sense support steroid use and as a head coach I would imagine he would know the side affects of steroids and be completely against it.
other sources researched:
Lewis, James. Implementing Total Quality in Education to Produce Great Schools: Transforming the American School System. Westbury, NY: National Center to Save Our Children, 1993. Print.
Schneider, Mark R. Disconnect: Why Americans Don't Understand the World and How We Can Learn. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2009. Print.
Homework 42 first part:
Urban, Wayne J., and Jennings L. Wagoner. American Education: a History. New York: Routledge, 2009. Print.
Goes all the way back from pre colonial education to present day education. Talks a lot about how the education in America was changed when the British came over. Brings up testing very briefly but places more focus on old education and is written as a time line.
I liked reading parts of this book because it talked about native american education methods and how they were not even looked at when European settlers came over. They were ironically quite similar to the practices that the native americans had. I also think that the changes in education made throughout history rarely had the childrens purpose in mind.
Zhao, Yong. Catching up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD, 2009. Print.
Talks about how education needs to be changed in America because of the technology and globalization our society has been faced with. Does a good job of showing what is being done right in the American school system but seems to argue that the foundation that it is based on is wrong and that we are currently at a crossroads. Often mentions how we place less emphasis on the creative part of school and more on the effectiveness of school, where other countries are heading in the other direction.
I found this book to be a bit boring because it was so similar to other books I looked at. Not much of what it said really stood out to me, very few original ideas. I certainly did not agree that the creative part of school is becoming less and less because although many schools are having there music and art programs cut out due to budget cuts, I think now more so than ever teachers are getting more creative with their assignments because it will inspire the students more and I think that often basic work from a textbook is just simply not done by the students because it is so grueling and boring to them.
Friday, February 19, 2010
HW40
Interview #1:
I asked my father what his experience in high school was like and although not a word for word response, this was his general feeling:
High school for me was a time to figure shit out, you come out of middle school thinking you run the place and get humbled by the seniors of high school. High school served as a period for me to learn about myself. My parents getting divorced did not help the situation out. I don't like to share it but I dropped out midway through my sophmore year. At the time it seemed like the best thing to do. I had a car and was in a band so it felt right leaving school. My parents were not for it but at this point they had little hope left in me. Schools seemed too repetitive. Everyday I would come in and do the same thing over and over, and if that wasn't repetitive enough, I had to repeat 9th grade and learn the material over. I wish I could say more about my high school experience, but I just wasn't there long enough to have the full experience. Oh, and I definitely was not a jock.
Interview with Soccer coach on what it takes to be successful in school:
You have to understand that school in about earning things. You have to see school as a chance and privilege rather than something you are forced to do. School is an opportunity to make something great out of your life. To have the things you want. No school can force you to want it. It is mostly internal. Now of course the school you are at can help you but you need to have the drive and ambition. My father used to always tell me " if ambition could be forced on someone, you would be the smartest kid in the world" It means that I was very smart but I was lazy and did not really want it. You look back the rest of your life with regret on not working hard enough in school. It is the most straightforward way or path to have a good life. You need to put in your share of work. It is not the teachers job to be on your back, you have to get your shit done.
Interview with out of school friend on testing
I dont think its right at all. You work and work through high school with hopes of making it into the best possible college and the majority of it is a make or break test they call the SAT. It comes down to 4 hours of testing that will be the biggest factor in a lot of schools admission. You fuck up here, and you can kiss your parents ivy league goodbye. Two words loom in your head. Safety School. How does the college know that my school is harder to get an A+ than at another. I work to get A's in Sociology where other kids merely sit in English class and text there way through the week. The process is so completely rigged.
Asking sister in Germany why she thinks school started:
This is a stupid question yet it is kind of interesting. School was probably started to teach people skills they need for life. Which is ironic because that is what we should be learning today. I think school now is just too norm for people to not send there kids there. Without it parents dont see a solid second option. Homeschooling seems like too much "effort" on the parents part. School is ruined by movies. Movies about high school put too much emphasis on there being cliques. Teens are then relating to the movies in high school causing cliques to be more important throughout high schools.
Interview with school friend on school as an escape latter
School takes you places, even if you start out low school can get you up. You do well in school and you set yourself up for life. The work you put in can make you rich and wealthy. The problem is the reverse is not true. Well I dont know if its true completely but often rich kids who have more privileges in life but do not necessarily put in the work will still be able to go to a good colleges because of the connections they have and the money there parents have made. But still, at some point the work was put in. In that situation it is the father who worked hard in order to allow his son to have more opportunities in life. It boils down to the amount of input.
B:
All my interviews were extremely predictable which was the thing i was trying to avoid. I assume it is the questions that I asked the interviewers that caused them to turn out like this but still i expected the answers they gave me to be a little more original and well thought. The insight I had was that we all say school as a big equal sign to success and fulfilling dreams. I found one of the more interesting points written was that between school and movies. How cliques in movies cause us to put more emphasis on the group we spend our times with. This causes us to make different decisions than we would if we were not so stuck with a certain circle of friends.
I asked my father what his experience in high school was like and although not a word for word response, this was his general feeling:
High school for me was a time to figure shit out, you come out of middle school thinking you run the place and get humbled by the seniors of high school. High school served as a period for me to learn about myself. My parents getting divorced did not help the situation out. I don't like to share it but I dropped out midway through my sophmore year. At the time it seemed like the best thing to do. I had a car and was in a band so it felt right leaving school. My parents were not for it but at this point they had little hope left in me. Schools seemed too repetitive. Everyday I would come in and do the same thing over and over, and if that wasn't repetitive enough, I had to repeat 9th grade and learn the material over. I wish I could say more about my high school experience, but I just wasn't there long enough to have the full experience. Oh, and I definitely was not a jock.
Interview with Soccer coach on what it takes to be successful in school:
You have to understand that school in about earning things. You have to see school as a chance and privilege rather than something you are forced to do. School is an opportunity to make something great out of your life. To have the things you want. No school can force you to want it. It is mostly internal. Now of course the school you are at can help you but you need to have the drive and ambition. My father used to always tell me " if ambition could be forced on someone, you would be the smartest kid in the world" It means that I was very smart but I was lazy and did not really want it. You look back the rest of your life with regret on not working hard enough in school. It is the most straightforward way or path to have a good life. You need to put in your share of work. It is not the teachers job to be on your back, you have to get your shit done.
Interview with out of school friend on testing
I dont think its right at all. You work and work through high school with hopes of making it into the best possible college and the majority of it is a make or break test they call the SAT. It comes down to 4 hours of testing that will be the biggest factor in a lot of schools admission. You fuck up here, and you can kiss your parents ivy league goodbye. Two words loom in your head. Safety School. How does the college know that my school is harder to get an A+ than at another. I work to get A's in Sociology where other kids merely sit in English class and text there way through the week. The process is so completely rigged.
Asking sister in Germany why she thinks school started:
This is a stupid question yet it is kind of interesting. School was probably started to teach people skills they need for life. Which is ironic because that is what we should be learning today. I think school now is just too norm for people to not send there kids there. Without it parents dont see a solid second option. Homeschooling seems like too much "effort" on the parents part. School is ruined by movies. Movies about high school put too much emphasis on there being cliques. Teens are then relating to the movies in high school causing cliques to be more important throughout high schools.
Interview with school friend on school as an escape latter
School takes you places, even if you start out low school can get you up. You do well in school and you set yourself up for life. The work you put in can make you rich and wealthy. The problem is the reverse is not true. Well I dont know if its true completely but often rich kids who have more privileges in life but do not necessarily put in the work will still be able to go to a good colleges because of the connections they have and the money there parents have made. But still, at some point the work was put in. In that situation it is the father who worked hard in order to allow his son to have more opportunities in life. It boils down to the amount of input.
B:
All my interviews were extremely predictable which was the thing i was trying to avoid. I assume it is the questions that I asked the interviewers that caused them to turn out like this but still i expected the answers they gave me to be a little more original and well thought. The insight I had was that we all say school as a big equal sign to success and fulfilling dreams. I found one of the more interesting points written was that between school and movies. How cliques in movies cause us to put more emphasis on the group we spend our times with. This causes us to make different decisions than we would if we were not so stuck with a certain circle of friends.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
New post #39
questions, ideas, and experiences
Questions:
Although the curriculum learned in school is often considered worthless in life, is it just used to teach us how to learn, placing more emphasis on having the ability to learn than the actual curriculum.
Will an Ivy league education prepare you better for life or is it merely the reputation the specific Ivy has in the job market?
If SAT is used to even the playing field, then what role do expensive 1 on 1 tutors play on helping to even the playing field?
Ideas:
An Idea I think would make sense would be to mix high schools with colleges. Sort of how Baruch high school and college have it. Only I would make the bond between stronger. I think the gap between middle school and high school is so big that they should be separated.
A school that strictly prepared kids for life and not college but still had the option of it. I think it would be a good solution for kids that do not aspire to go to college to get a leg up in the job market by doing internships and preparing resumes.
The idea to eliminate private schools would be interesting too. Who knows, maybe it would make the students that typically get into less prestigious schools more confident because of the students they are learning with...or they would just give up.
Experiences:
I remember way back when my parents were concerned about me because I was the only kid in first grade who was not able to tie my shoes, I had to wear Velcro shoes everyday and was embarrassed by it, it just became a matter of fitting in with the norm.
A school experience that I once was switching schools from private to public. It shocked me at first how different it was. The main difference to me was the fact that a public schools, the teacher is not going to care whether you fail or not because you really have to put in your share of work where at private school they will just push and be on your back to get your work done.
An experience that is always interesting is the first day back to school after the summer. It seems overwhelming because everyone has changed so much. Mixed emotions float through the air as everyone wears there new outfits. But you also realize how much people have changed from last summer.
B:
For the majority of the time we are in school, we are learning material that will rarely ever be used again in our lives. We learn about graphing limits and identifying parent functions when some of us aspire to be artists or own restaurants. I think Math as a subject is still critical for schools but I think it should be geared more towards preparing for life. Basic math should still be a necessity and can be taught in grade school and reviewed in the later years of high schools. Why not teach us how to do our taxes, or work out how credit cards work. Even in science we learn about moles and chemical bonding when it would be much more beneficial to learn about animals and survival of the fittest.
Most of what we learn is taught in elementary school. Learning how to read and write, understanding how to add and subtract. English and history continue in the later years to go in depth on what we learn in grade school. But still by high school many of us are unable to interpret advanced texts. Now regardless of whether a mother reads to her child at night, understanding text is taught in grade school but after that it is never really stressed. Through middle school and high school it drops off and goes down on the list of importance. Similar to proper grammar use.
Questions:
Although the curriculum learned in school is often considered worthless in life, is it just used to teach us how to learn, placing more emphasis on having the ability to learn than the actual curriculum.
Will an Ivy league education prepare you better for life or is it merely the reputation the specific Ivy has in the job market?
If SAT is used to even the playing field, then what role do expensive 1 on 1 tutors play on helping to even the playing field?
Ideas:
An Idea I think would make sense would be to mix high schools with colleges. Sort of how Baruch high school and college have it. Only I would make the bond between stronger. I think the gap between middle school and high school is so big that they should be separated.
A school that strictly prepared kids for life and not college but still had the option of it. I think it would be a good solution for kids that do not aspire to go to college to get a leg up in the job market by doing internships and preparing resumes.
The idea to eliminate private schools would be interesting too. Who knows, maybe it would make the students that typically get into less prestigious schools more confident because of the students they are learning with...or they would just give up.
Experiences:
I remember way back when my parents were concerned about me because I was the only kid in first grade who was not able to tie my shoes, I had to wear Velcro shoes everyday and was embarrassed by it, it just became a matter of fitting in with the norm.
A school experience that I once was switching schools from private to public. It shocked me at first how different it was. The main difference to me was the fact that a public schools, the teacher is not going to care whether you fail or not because you really have to put in your share of work where at private school they will just push and be on your back to get your work done.
An experience that is always interesting is the first day back to school after the summer. It seems overwhelming because everyone has changed so much. Mixed emotions float through the air as everyone wears there new outfits. But you also realize how much people have changed from last summer.
B:
For the majority of the time we are in school, we are learning material that will rarely ever be used again in our lives. We learn about graphing limits and identifying parent functions when some of us aspire to be artists or own restaurants. I think Math as a subject is still critical for schools but I think it should be geared more towards preparing for life. Basic math should still be a necessity and can be taught in grade school and reviewed in the later years of high schools. Why not teach us how to do our taxes, or work out how credit cards work. Even in science we learn about moles and chemical bonding when it would be much more beneficial to learn about animals and survival of the fittest.
Most of what we learn is taught in elementary school. Learning how to read and write, understanding how to add and subtract. English and history continue in the later years to go in depth on what we learn in grade school. But still by high school many of us are unable to interpret advanced texts. Now regardless of whether a mother reads to her child at night, understanding text is taught in grade school but after that it is never really stressed. Through middle school and high school it drops off and goes down on the list of importance. Similar to proper grammar use.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
HW #38
http://www.toondoo.com/View.toon?param=1391542
3. Does making art seem cool to you? Why or why not?
1. I think my comic shows the value we place on material items and the affect they can potentially have on our lives, although my cartoon is very straight forward, the situation itself is very common in school. A students social life is can be changed completely because of materials such as clothing. It makes it revolve more around money and less around personality.
To be honest my project was pretty straight forward. After a good amount of searching google I found a program that allows you to create cartoons using different backgrounds and characters. Ideally I wanted to find a program where I could add sound but seemed to be out of luck. Recently, art adds to being part of the cool image especially in NYC. Artists used to make up what is now Soho and people respect that style of life and think it is new and original which goes hand and hand with cool.
1. What insights about cool does the art integrate? What do you hope people will realize or question from their encounter with your art?
2. Describe the process of making the project - how'd you do each step? If it was a group project, what did you contribute?3. Does making art seem cool to you? Why or why not?
1. I think my comic shows the value we place on material items and the affect they can potentially have on our lives, although my cartoon is very straight forward, the situation itself is very common in school. A students social life is can be changed completely because of materials such as clothing. It makes it revolve more around money and less around personality.
To be honest my project was pretty straight forward. After a good amount of searching google I found a program that allows you to create cartoons using different backgrounds and characters. Ideally I wanted to find a program where I could add sound but seemed to be out of luck. Recently, art adds to being part of the cool image especially in NYC. Artists used to make up what is now Soho and people respect that style of life and think it is new and original which goes hand and hand with cool.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
History Essay final
Being cool and hip has become the most natural way for teens in America to mask and cover up there insecurities, it is rarely the case that we face our character flaws.
The majority of kids spend countless hours in stores carefully picking out clothing that will give them an image of cool. The area in which the clothing they choose is acceptable is such a thin line. If they dress too flamboyant, they will be looked at as a person that is trying too hard and going overboard. Dress with too little flare though and the person will be too boring and average. The style and mode of the current time changes so frequently making it extremely difficult to keep up with every move. Putting these two together makes it near impossible to truly stay in style and cool while also remaining good in school. Plus you have to find your image for personality. You need to have this role or image you relate and compare to but at the same time you have to take that image and make it seem original and effortless. The problem many teens face with school relating to cool is that working hard to do well in school is lame. But if you can some how manage to pass with little effort and work ethic than you remain cool because of the fact that you are relying on natural smartness and do not really care about it. Being cool in high school alone is a basically a full time job. You cant be seen wearing the same clothes often and you be seen working and studying hard. Slacking yet passing is one of the important factors. The interesting part of being cool in high school is that unlike many other things, you financial background is not the most critical aspect of being cool. In other words, you don't need to rely on money to be extremely cool. Of course having money will make the cause easier for you but you can get buy with spending the money you have and depending on a "careless" attitude while still being genuine and original.
The crazy part is that although the majority of people use cool to cover up character flaws by being cool, the people in our society that are at the peak of the cool mountain are not typically using it as a cover up for insecurity. This small group is the one that predicts the fads before they come. There are in a image of ahead of the game and are respected for this. There personalities do not count so much because there style of hipness can cover up for that. It is not usually purposely done so and can therefore not be referred to as insecurity. The majority of us conform to the styles of these people in some way. The style part of cool becomes so vital because it is the first thing you see when you meet someone. You first impression is always a lasting one because it is what you refer back to. For instance if are interviewing for a job and you dress extremely well and then follow up by dressing poorly you will be viewed as a well dressed person who has been dressing poorly lately as opposed to a poorly dressed person that dressed well once. The image you remember of the person is often the first one. Its sort of like a name. If you meet someone with the name Jane and your ex girlfriend happened to have the same name, you automatically relate them. First impression is vital.
In conclusion, It seems like although not all of use cool as way to cover our insecurity, the majority of us feel the need to because we are in deep denial of our character flaws. Cool is merely an opinion and image of someone that you would like to see yourself as. Everyone wants to be someone else. We constantly strive to be someone we are not and can never be truly satisfied with who we are. Although some people claim to be themselves and respectively, some people get quite close. No one is completely satisfied with themselves. There would be little point to living to we were completely happy. We have ambition to make money and be successful. Some have it more than others but to an extent we are born with this idea of "get rich and famous" we set our standards of cool too high.
The majority of kids spend countless hours in stores carefully picking out clothing that will give them an image of cool. The area in which the clothing they choose is acceptable is such a thin line. If they dress too flamboyant, they will be looked at as a person that is trying too hard and going overboard. Dress with too little flare though and the person will be too boring and average. The style and mode of the current time changes so frequently making it extremely difficult to keep up with every move. Putting these two together makes it near impossible to truly stay in style and cool while also remaining good in school. Plus you have to find your image for personality. You need to have this role or image you relate and compare to but at the same time you have to take that image and make it seem original and effortless. The problem many teens face with school relating to cool is that working hard to do well in school is lame. But if you can some how manage to pass with little effort and work ethic than you remain cool because of the fact that you are relying on natural smartness and do not really care about it. Being cool in high school alone is a basically a full time job. You cant be seen wearing the same clothes often and you be seen working and studying hard. Slacking yet passing is one of the important factors. The interesting part of being cool in high school is that unlike many other things, you financial background is not the most critical aspect of being cool. In other words, you don't need to rely on money to be extremely cool. Of course having money will make the cause easier for you but you can get buy with spending the money you have and depending on a "careless" attitude while still being genuine and original.
The crazy part is that although the majority of people use cool to cover up character flaws by being cool, the people in our society that are at the peak of the cool mountain are not typically using it as a cover up for insecurity. This small group is the one that predicts the fads before they come. There are in a image of ahead of the game and are respected for this. There personalities do not count so much because there style of hipness can cover up for that. It is not usually purposely done so and can therefore not be referred to as insecurity. The majority of us conform to the styles of these people in some way. The style part of cool becomes so vital because it is the first thing you see when you meet someone. You first impression is always a lasting one because it is what you refer back to. For instance if are interviewing for a job and you dress extremely well and then follow up by dressing poorly you will be viewed as a well dressed person who has been dressing poorly lately as opposed to a poorly dressed person that dressed well once. The image you remember of the person is often the first one. Its sort of like a name. If you meet someone with the name Jane and your ex girlfriend happened to have the same name, you automatically relate them. First impression is vital.
A persons image and how it is perceived by others also plays a major role. Once an image of a person is determined, he constantly relates to it. For instance the jock may be naturally good at sports but equally good at school but decides to pursue his athletic talents because of his parents role. And although he could go through high school being a good student and athlete, his role of the jock allows him to rely to heavily on sports and his education to be squandered.
A ruined image causes a person "true colors" come out. Tiger Woods for instance played the role of the focused and extremely talented golfer that truly enjoyed the game. His passion and dedication seemed unreal. Little was known about his social life and people assumed it was average and he remained loyal to his family. His impressive golfing career was enough for people to respect him. But now with all these women admitting that they had affairs with him, his character and image come into question. Although his golf talents likely remain exactly as they were before, companies such as gatorade, nike and bing no longer want to sponsor him. Technically they were sponsoring him for his golf abilities and not his social life. It is interesting how in some cultures, including men in college are respected for how many women they are able to do sex with but when a professional athlete does it, it is considered a bad image for children and people who look up to him. I am not defending what Tiger Woods did in any way it is just interesting.In conclusion, It seems like although not all of use cool as way to cover our insecurity, the majority of us feel the need to because we are in deep denial of our character flaws. Cool is merely an opinion and image of someone that you would like to see yourself as. Everyone wants to be someone else. We constantly strive to be someone we are not and can never be truly satisfied with who we are. Although some people claim to be themselves and respectively, some people get quite close. No one is completely satisfied with themselves. There would be little point to living to we were completely happy. We have ambition to make money and be successful. Some have it more than others but to an extent we are born with this idea of "get rich and famous" we set our standards of cool too high.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
History Homework #36 Triangle Comments
Arden,
I enjoyed reading your essay as it was very in depth. I think the foundation of it is very strong and with some solid editing you would have a great paper. The fact that you used examples and direct quotes from some of your interviews is helpful in portraying direct examples of what some people are like as opposed to just speaking from opinion of what and how you think people would respond. My favorite section that you wrote in your essay was the rules of cool. It was written in a very honest and straight forward with an alternative approach. As far as improvement goes on what you already have. I think by labeling your draft ideas in a mess, you already sort of know that organization of your essay is going to be vital for it. What is very good though is the fact that you use many hard facts including numbers which add strength to your essay as a whole. I think you should definitely expand on your ideas of the rules it takes to be successful at cool and hip. Some of your other arguments are not as relevant to your thesis which I think you could drop and therefore make fewer arguments but stronger ones. Its often quality not quantity. I do look forward to reading your final draft and think you have the potential to make a good draft an excellent final.
Omar,
Although you are not technically not in my triangle partner group. One of my partners failed to submit there rough draft essay so i figured i would read your essay. For starters, great essay with solid points all around. At this point I think the points you have are strong enough to squeeze out 1000 words for your essay. I dont think you need to add any more arguments, i just think that you should expand on the current ones and provide more supporting arguments for them.
The most interesting point and argument that you provide in your rough draft is the one about how important connection and touch is in our lives. It immediately reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie. In the book one of the characters talks about how important touch and connection is in our lives. We are never touched and held enough as children. Although we are held a lot, the connection cannot be used enough. No amount of phone calls and emails can substitute for physically seeing and connecting with them. When you write that we are helplessly slaves of cool you immediately move on to another topic. I think this is a shame because that phrase really catches the reader and think you could expand on how and why we are slaves of cool because that phrase is so interesting but is not quite straight forward enough to be not supported with any arguments.
I enjoyed reading your essay as it was very in depth. I think the foundation of it is very strong and with some solid editing you would have a great paper. The fact that you used examples and direct quotes from some of your interviews is helpful in portraying direct examples of what some people are like as opposed to just speaking from opinion of what and how you think people would respond. My favorite section that you wrote in your essay was the rules of cool. It was written in a very honest and straight forward with an alternative approach. As far as improvement goes on what you already have. I think by labeling your draft ideas in a mess, you already sort of know that organization of your essay is going to be vital for it. What is very good though is the fact that you use many hard facts including numbers which add strength to your essay as a whole. I think you should definitely expand on your ideas of the rules it takes to be successful at cool and hip. Some of your other arguments are not as relevant to your thesis which I think you could drop and therefore make fewer arguments but stronger ones. Its often quality not quantity. I do look forward to reading your final draft and think you have the potential to make a good draft an excellent final.
Omar,
Although you are not technically not in my triangle partner group. One of my partners failed to submit there rough draft essay so i figured i would read your essay. For starters, great essay with solid points all around. At this point I think the points you have are strong enough to squeeze out 1000 words for your essay. I dont think you need to add any more arguments, i just think that you should expand on the current ones and provide more supporting arguments for them.
The most interesting point and argument that you provide in your rough draft is the one about how important connection and touch is in our lives. It immediately reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie. In the book one of the characters talks about how important touch and connection is in our lives. We are never touched and held enough as children. Although we are held a lot, the connection cannot be used enough. No amount of phone calls and emails can substitute for physically seeing and connecting with them. When you write that we are helplessly slaves of cool you immediately move on to another topic. I think this is a shame because that phrase really catches the reader and think you could expand on how and why we are slaves of cool because that phrase is so interesting but is not quite straight forward enough to be not supported with any arguments.
Monday, January 18, 2010
History Essay Draft
Being cool and hip has become the most natural way for teens in America to mask and cover up there insecurities.
Many kids spend countless hours in stores carefully picking out clothing that will give them an image of cool. The area in which the clothing they choose is acceptable is such a thin line. If they dress too flamboyant, they will be looked at as a person that is trying too hard and going overboard. Dress with too little flare though and the person will be too boring and average. The style and mode of the current time changes so frequently making it extremely difficult to keep up with every move. Putting these two together makes it near impossible to truly stay in style and cool while also remaining good in school. Plus you have to find your image for personality. You need to have this role or image you relate and compare to but at the same time you have to take that image and make it seem original and effortless. The problem many teens face with school relating to cool is that working hard to do well in school is lame. But if you can some how manage to pass with little effort and work ethic than you remain cool because of the fact that you are relying on natural smartness and do not really care about it. Being cool in high school alone is a basically a full time job. You cant be seen wearing the same clothes often and you be seen working and studying hard. Slacking yet passing is one of the important factors. The interesting part of being cool in high school is that unlike many other things, you financial background is not the most critical aspect of being cool. In other words, you don't need to rely on money to be extremely cool. Of course having money will make the cause easier for you but you can get buy with spending the money you have and depending on a "careless" attitude while still being genuine and original.
The crazy part is that although the majority of people use cool to cover up character flaws by being cool, the people in our society that are at the peak of the cool mountain are not typically using it as a cover up for insecurity. This small group is the one that predicts the fads before they come. There are in a image of ahead of the game and are respected for this. There personalities do not count so much because there style of hipness can cover up for that. It is not usually purposely done so and can therefore not be referred to as insecurity. The majority of us conform to the styles of these people in some way. The style part of cool becomes so vital because it is the first thing you see when you meet someone. You first impression is always a lasting one because it is what you refer back to. For instance if are interviewing for a job and you dress extremely well and then follow up by dressing poorly you will be viewed as a well dressed person who has been dressing poorly lately as opposed to a poorly dressed person that dressed well once. The image you remember of the person is often the first one. Its sort of like a name. If you meet someone with the name Jane and your ex girlfriend happened to have the same name, you automatically relate them. First impression is vital.
Many kids spend countless hours in stores carefully picking out clothing that will give them an image of cool. The area in which the clothing they choose is acceptable is such a thin line. If they dress too flamboyant, they will be looked at as a person that is trying too hard and going overboard. Dress with too little flare though and the person will be too boring and average. The style and mode of the current time changes so frequently making it extremely difficult to keep up with every move. Putting these two together makes it near impossible to truly stay in style and cool while also remaining good in school. Plus you have to find your image for personality. You need to have this role or image you relate and compare to but at the same time you have to take that image and make it seem original and effortless. The problem many teens face with school relating to cool is that working hard to do well in school is lame. But if you can some how manage to pass with little effort and work ethic than you remain cool because of the fact that you are relying on natural smartness and do not really care about it. Being cool in high school alone is a basically a full time job. You cant be seen wearing the same clothes often and you be seen working and studying hard. Slacking yet passing is one of the important factors. The interesting part of being cool in high school is that unlike many other things, you financial background is not the most critical aspect of being cool. In other words, you don't need to rely on money to be extremely cool. Of course having money will make the cause easier for you but you can get buy with spending the money you have and depending on a "careless" attitude while still being genuine and original.
The crazy part is that although the majority of people use cool to cover up character flaws by being cool, the people in our society that are at the peak of the cool mountain are not typically using it as a cover up for insecurity. This small group is the one that predicts the fads before they come. There are in a image of ahead of the game and are respected for this. There personalities do not count so much because there style of hipness can cover up for that. It is not usually purposely done so and can therefore not be referred to as insecurity. The majority of us conform to the styles of these people in some way. The style part of cool becomes so vital because it is the first thing you see when you meet someone. You first impression is always a lasting one because it is what you refer back to. For instance if are interviewing for a job and you dress extremely well and then follow up by dressing poorly you will be viewed as a well dressed person who has been dressing poorly lately as opposed to a poorly dressed person that dressed well once. The image you remember of the person is often the first one. Its sort of like a name. If you meet someone with the name Jane and your ex girlfriend happened to have the same name, you automatically relate them. First impression is vital.
A persons image and how it is perceived by others also plays a major role. Once an image of a person is determined, he constantly relates to it. For instance the jock may be naturally good at sports but equally good at school but decides to pursue his athletic talents because of his parents role. And although he could go through high school being a good student and athlete, his role of the jock allows him to rely to heavily on sports and his education to be squandered.
A ruined image causes a person "true colors" come out. Tiger Woods for instance played the role of the focused and extremely talented golfer that truly enjoyed the game. His passion and dedication seemed unreal. Little was known about his social life and people assumed it was average and he remained loyal to his family. His impressive golfing career was enough for people to respect him. But now with all these women admitting that they had affairs with him, his character and image come into question. Although his golf talents likely remain exactly as they were before, companies such as gatorade, nike and bing no longer want to sponsor him. Technically they were sponsoring him for his golf abilities and not his social life. It is interesting how in some cultures, including men in college are respected for how many women they are able to do sex with but when a professional athlete does it, it is considered a bad image for children and people who look up to him. I am not defending what Tiger Woods did in any way it is just interesting.
To Conclude my thoughts, I feel like although not all of use cool as way to cover our insecurity, the majority of us feel the need to because we are in deep denial of our character flaws. Cool is merely an opinion and image of someone that you would like to see yourself as. Everyone wants to be someone else. We constantly strive to be someone we are not and can never be truly satisfied with who we are.
To Conclude my thoughts, I feel like although not all of use cool as way to cover our insecurity, the majority of us feel the need to because we are in deep denial of our character flaws. Cool is merely an opinion and image of someone that you would like to see yourself as. Everyone wants to be someone else. We constantly strive to be someone we are not and can never be truly satisfied with who we are.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Homework #34 Cool Pose
Society provides us with different options of which cool role we want to fill. The main ones include the jock, the cheerleader, the nerd, the hipster kid, the bully, the drama queen. These are found usually in the stereotypical white high school. But even in more diverse places this often occurs. The real question is that where do the people get grouped in that don't fit in any of these roles. Sure, some of them slip through the cracks and become misfits but still that is categorizing. That is still a group and role. But those of us who don't fit into these roles are left without anything to relate too. We all try and find a role because it serves as a way to guide us. We have something or someone to relate to.
Cool is a risk and often a bad choice. Only in rare cases do the cool kids of high school stay cool throughout their life. Friday Night Lights, a book by H.G Bissinger really portrays this. The book is about a high school football team and how they are completely worshiped by the entire town. Everyone in school knows them and looks up to them. They are never expected to do their homework and are given free meals all over town. The interesting part is after they graduate their senior year. Out of a roster count of 78, only 4 members of the team go on to a full 4 year college, the rest of them go on to work low income jobs and support the next class of high school football stars. It is interesting how one week they are the heroes of their town and riding the top of the world and then suddenly they have to settle for this low class meaningless life and have trouble adjusting to it.
The fact that many ghetto black kids spend so much money on shoes instead of saving it for college makes sense to me. They are grown up in an environment where very few people of their own race end up attending college and therefore have a tough time having these aspirations. Where poverty is so crucial people want to show so badly that they have overcome it. Attending college just does not have the same immediate affect. Wearing flamboyant expensive clothing shows that poverty has no affect on this person. It remains ironic to me that they are able to afford all these expensive clothing but always complain that they barely even have the money to put food on the table. We are way too shortsighted to notice what would be best for us in the long run.
Cool is a risk and often a bad choice. Only in rare cases do the cool kids of high school stay cool throughout their life. Friday Night Lights, a book by H.G Bissinger really portrays this. The book is about a high school football team and how they are completely worshiped by the entire town. Everyone in school knows them and looks up to them. They are never expected to do their homework and are given free meals all over town. The interesting part is after they graduate their senior year. Out of a roster count of 78, only 4 members of the team go on to a full 4 year college, the rest of them go on to work low income jobs and support the next class of high school football stars. It is interesting how one week they are the heroes of their town and riding the top of the world and then suddenly they have to settle for this low class meaningless life and have trouble adjusting to it.
The fact that many ghetto black kids spend so much money on shoes instead of saving it for college makes sense to me. They are grown up in an environment where very few people of their own race end up attending college and therefore have a tough time having these aspirations. Where poverty is so crucial people want to show so badly that they have overcome it. Attending college just does not have the same immediate affect. Wearing flamboyant expensive clothing shows that poverty has no affect on this person. It remains ironic to me that they are able to afford all these expensive clothing but always complain that they barely even have the money to put food on the table. We are way too shortsighted to notice what would be best for us in the long run.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Hw #33 Outline for big paper
Thesis: Being cool has become the natural way in our current society to mask and cover up our insecurities.
Main idea
Cool is an endless cycle of change that is kept up with by only a small part of our population. The cool ones can see whats in style before it is in style to the masses. They predict the trends and start the fads. Does this mean that they are the most insecure of us? Certainly not. But they definitely use there style to cover up some of there weak spots and personality flaws. Take tiger woods for example, his image of face was busted when we found out about his affairs with all these women. Suddenly his character came into question. Nike and Gatorade no longer wanted to sponsor him and he began to be doubted. He used to have the image of the focused golfer that was just too good for his competition. His character was firm. But now that he has been shifted out of his comfort zone, his true colors seem to come out.
Examples:
Tiger Woods
Hip Hop stars
People craving attention
Include:
The definition of the word "authentic" in the context that most people use when describing how they live their lives.
The affects of masking up our insecurities in society.
How the easiest way of doing it is.
The difference between being truly cool and putting it on for friends.
Main idea
Cool is an endless cycle of change that is kept up with by only a small part of our population. The cool ones can see whats in style before it is in style to the masses. They predict the trends and start the fads. Does this mean that they are the most insecure of us? Certainly not. But they definitely use there style to cover up some of there weak spots and personality flaws. Take tiger woods for example, his image of face was busted when we found out about his affairs with all these women. Suddenly his character came into question. Nike and Gatorade no longer wanted to sponsor him and he began to be doubted. He used to have the image of the focused golfer that was just too good for his competition. His character was firm. But now that he has been shifted out of his comfort zone, his true colors seem to come out.
Examples:
Tiger Woods
Hip Hop stars
People craving attention
Include:
The definition of the word "authentic" in the context that most people use when describing how they live their lives.
The affects of masking up our insecurities in society.
How the easiest way of doing it is.
The difference between being truly cool and putting it on for friends.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
History HW #32
Tattoos have become more than a body art. When I see a tattoo on someone I only scratch the surface of the meaning of it by looking at the depiction itself. With closer friends that have tattoos, I feel more comfortable in asking what the tattoos represent and symbolize. Most of them are about a memory of something they did which is ironic because they are still so young and already they have this label on their body that reminds them and brings them back to a memory they had in the "good old days". I find it interesting how regardless of their age and hobbies, all of their tattoos are extremely different. One of them has something written in Sanskrit and the other has a picture of a Croatian flag representing his heritage.
Its interesting how our society views Henna art. Henna is a form of tattoo popular in parts of India and Sri Lanka. The reason it is interesting to me is because a friend of mine really wanted to get a tattoo but her mother would not let her. When she asked her mother for a Henna, which is equally permanent but explained that it was part of the culture in India, her mother said it was no problem. Although often less flamboyant than a tattoo. I was shocked how her mother viewed this Henna as so extremely different than a tattoo. John Fanning explained to us how tattoos used to be looked down on upon society. Still today, tattoos are looked down on a lot. At job interviews for example, people will often be canceled out of the job if they are seen with tattoos.
Tattoos are more than a image, they become a part of us. We take them with us everywhere. As Andy wrote is his post, tattoos " decompose with the rest of us" We take them with us everywhere. Many of us whether old or young see the body as being clean and natural and think that getting a tattoo is rupturing this naturalness and cleanliness where we have no problem with getting our noses redone or piercing parts of our skin. I think that the fact that tattoos were looked down on by society for such a long period of time causes people to get tattoos in places that are rarely seen. But this raises the question of why would someone get a tattoo or image on their body if they personally were embarrassed for it to be be seen by the masses.
Its interesting how our society views Henna art. Henna is a form of tattoo popular in parts of India and Sri Lanka. The reason it is interesting to me is because a friend of mine really wanted to get a tattoo but her mother would not let her. When she asked her mother for a Henna, which is equally permanent but explained that it was part of the culture in India, her mother said it was no problem. Although often less flamboyant than a tattoo. I was shocked how her mother viewed this Henna as so extremely different than a tattoo. John Fanning explained to us how tattoos used to be looked down on upon society. Still today, tattoos are looked down on a lot. At job interviews for example, people will often be canceled out of the job if they are seen with tattoos.
Tattoos are more than a image, they become a part of us. We take them with us everywhere. As Andy wrote is his post, tattoos " decompose with the rest of us" We take them with us everywhere. Many of us whether old or young see the body as being clean and natural and think that getting a tattoo is rupturing this naturalness and cleanliness where we have no problem with getting our noses redone or piercing parts of our skin. I think that the fact that tattoos were looked down on by society for such a long period of time causes people to get tattoos in places that are rarely seen. But this raises the question of why would someone get a tattoo or image on their body if they personally were embarrassed for it to be be seen by the masses.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
EC #2 History
a. How does Ivan's quest for status, advancement, prestige, and generally the approval of others endanger his chance to live a more meaningful life?
Ivan's life is spent constantly striving to move up in his social class. He starts off in Russia living growing up as I would Imagine Russian youth typically does. His quest for status, prestige and approval of other really begins to affect him when he becomes successful in life. His wife seems to demand more than Ivan is able to handle and he therefore ignores her and his family. He masks this problem he has with his ambition and work. He works hard in order to become successful and although he succeeds and moves up eventually, his family at home is suffering and he seems to be caring less and less for them.
I think his primary reasoning for this is that in a mental state, his work and life outside of his immediate family is more clear cut and in a way, it is also easier. Although in the long run he may have to work more, it is simple. Usually at work the more work he inputs, the more he will get as his output. In family, things are never this straight forward. It is hard to establish a routine with family life as it is compared to work. He is unable to realize how it is impacting not only his family but himself. He is too deep into the thought of what others thing to notice what his family thinks. This is common in todays society. People are not worried about how they treat family because often their family will come back to them and will take it where as with others, people put off an image in order to impress. It is common among teen relationships where the male will treat the female poorly in front of friends in order to impress at the cost of another sometimes without even noticing. Ivan isn't concerned with his family because he is too busy with business and class.
Ivans life can be viewed as a metaphor or representation of our lives. For the majority of Ivans life he is living and doing very little thought about whether it is wrong or right. He is only able to criticize his life when he discovers he is dying. My grandparents often question the route or path taken in their life and what is has brought them to. Many of us, when we reach the end of our path are not completely satisfied because the society we live in does not allow us for more. Ivan just wants to make something out of his life and have a sense of meaning and this is, in his opinion, a good, smart way of doing it. He only realizes later in his life how out of order his values were.
Ivan lives a life looking up to a man he wishes and thinks he could be. He wants so badly to fill the role of a strong sucessful lawyer who is popular amongst his friends. He enjoys playing cards but also uses it as a way to avoid his life at home which is not quite so stable. He in a way hides his family from the outer world because he feels like they prevent him from filling this role he wants to be. He does in the end, fill out some of the role that he wanted to complete but he becomes terminally and realizes that his sucess was really useless .
Ivan's life is spent constantly striving to move up in his social class. He starts off in Russia living growing up as I would Imagine Russian youth typically does. His quest for status, prestige and approval of other really begins to affect him when he becomes successful in life. His wife seems to demand more than Ivan is able to handle and he therefore ignores her and his family. He masks this problem he has with his ambition and work. He works hard in order to become successful and although he succeeds and moves up eventually, his family at home is suffering and he seems to be caring less and less for them.
I think his primary reasoning for this is that in a mental state, his work and life outside of his immediate family is more clear cut and in a way, it is also easier. Although in the long run he may have to work more, it is simple. Usually at work the more work he inputs, the more he will get as his output. In family, things are never this straight forward. It is hard to establish a routine with family life as it is compared to work. He is unable to realize how it is impacting not only his family but himself. He is too deep into the thought of what others thing to notice what his family thinks. This is common in todays society. People are not worried about how they treat family because often their family will come back to them and will take it where as with others, people put off an image in order to impress. It is common among teen relationships where the male will treat the female poorly in front of friends in order to impress at the cost of another sometimes without even noticing. Ivan isn't concerned with his family because he is too busy with business and class.
Ivans life can be viewed as a metaphor or representation of our lives. For the majority of Ivans life he is living and doing very little thought about whether it is wrong or right. He is only able to criticize his life when he discovers he is dying. My grandparents often question the route or path taken in their life and what is has brought them to. Many of us, when we reach the end of our path are not completely satisfied because the society we live in does not allow us for more. Ivan just wants to make something out of his life and have a sense of meaning and this is, in his opinion, a good, smart way of doing it. He only realizes later in his life how out of order his values were.
Ivan lives a life looking up to a man he wishes and thinks he could be. He wants so badly to fill the role of a strong sucessful lawyer who is popular amongst his friends. He enjoys playing cards but also uses it as a way to avoid his life at home which is not quite so stable. He in a way hides his family from the outer world because he feels like they prevent him from filling this role he wants to be. He does in the end, fill out some of the role that he wanted to complete but he becomes terminally and realizes that his sucess was really useless .
EC #1 History
f. Please discuss and analyze any other aspects of the book, of your choice, that relates to our sense of lostness, the source of our lostness, and our attempts to either cover up or fill that emptiness through heroic life and/or the approval of others.
Ivan throughout his life is masked by this artificiality. He gets brainwashed from the time where he attends the school of law. He puts into his head that he wants to be successful and approved by society. Similar to the book Tuesdays with Morrie, the thought of facing death makes Ivan realize his true values. He looks back on his life and feels the emptiness that we often feel today. Although there were points in his life where he was in fact quite successful, he realizes he was constantly masked by the artificiality of the people around him.
At the beginning of the book Ivan seems to be growing up in an average childhood. He seems quite happy and becomes more ambitious as he grows older. Once he is faced with this illness he discovers while furnishing his new house he does not immediately realize what he values in his life and that the only real joy he felt within his life was way at the beginning in his childhood. His ambition, although very important and vital to some people, ruins the joy he could have had in his life. Even during the beginning middle of the book where he is successful and has more or less what he wanted and aimed for, he does not seem satisfied as ambition constantly wants you to get more of what you already have never leaving you happy with what you currently posses.
Ivan throughout his life is masked by this artificiality. He gets brainwashed from the time where he attends the school of law. He puts into his head that he wants to be successful and approved by society. Similar to the book Tuesdays with Morrie, the thought of facing death makes Ivan realize his true values. He looks back on his life and feels the emptiness that we often feel today. Although there were points in his life where he was in fact quite successful, he realizes he was constantly masked by the artificiality of the people around him.
At the beginning of the book Ivan seems to be growing up in an average childhood. He seems quite happy and becomes more ambitious as he grows older. Once he is faced with this illness he discovers while furnishing his new house he does not immediately realize what he values in his life and that the only real joy he felt within his life was way at the beginning in his childhood. His ambition, although very important and vital to some people, ruins the joy he could have had in his life. Even during the beginning middle of the book where he is successful and has more or less what he wanted and aimed for, he does not seem satisfied as ambition constantly wants you to get more of what you already have never leaving you happy with what you currently posses.
In the book two completely different types of lives are represented. There is the lifestyle Ivan is living and the lifestyle that he wished he had been been living near his death. His way of life is represented by fake relationships with friends and materialistic surroundings. The way of life that he wished he had lived only becomes clear to him when he is nearing his death. He realizes that a large portion of the path or journey he went in his life with was done in a way that was not quite as authentic as he planned. The irony though, is that the life he did want to pursue and live was very similar to that of Gerasim. Gerasim fills the role of living the more authentic which in end is viewed as the more fullfilling lifestyle. Similiar again to Tuesdays with Morrie, Ivan learns that to start living life, one must learn to overcome the fear of death that we are all in such denial about.
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