In class, we had a visit from Melissa. She shared with us her take on parenting and what she has been doing for the last couple years. Like any other parent, she mentioned how she enjoys being around her kids, and watching them grow. She has two kids, a boy and a girl. Her son is the oldest, and she believes that her son being born first before her daughter was a good thing, this way her daughter can grow to be more mature and well-behaved. She also mentioned how during their youth they will "meet: at a certain point. Like any other parent, she defended her parenting skills and her own children when criticized. Worse of all, and probably the most common critical, was her parents (the kids grandparents). She even mentioned how there was a huge fight once with all the adults once within the household when those comments were mentioned. Eventually we moved off that topic, and she mentioned how no matter the situation, that 'unconditional love' will always be there. When discussing her parenting habits, she said she doesnt want her kids to ever have television in their room. They are limited of there television time and also video-gaming hours or computer usage. A student in the class then asked, well what if they reach a certain age, where it'll seem odd for them not to have a TV in their room, will you still not provide them one? She responded saying, well at that point it will probably be most fair to give them one because they are now older, and her whole perspective on parenting revolves around being "fair". She reads to her kids. She also mentioned how she feel into those Society Ritual Timeline, such as dating a man, falling in love, first getting a dog, realizing maybe they should shoot for a kid.
I think Melissa is a very nice woman in general, and often honest. So to not believe her or how she says she parents her children would be ridiculous. However, i feel still that when in front of an audience, such as she was, only the positive aspects of her relationship with her children come out, never the negatives. Punishments or abusing children are never mentioned by them first. Also, how she mentions how she limits the kids activity hours, she doesnt mention whether it actually works, or if it prevails. I think that for her to react the way she did with her parents when hearing criticizing comments from them, based on her parenting skills, was only natural. No one likes to hear that. And shouldnt either. Unless they were literally the worse parents ever, but shes obviously far from that category.
I think this last unit on parenting that we are focusing on is similar to how we ended our Units last year, except that was with Midwifery. This is similar, just the step AFTER you have the kids, its like, Now what? This will help us to target ourselves in a certain direction. Although, unless i plan on being a teenage parent anytime soon i probably wont look to these rituals and ideas. At a certain age i plan to have kids, preferably 30 if life was GREAT but i doubt that late, with my luck ill end up around 25 with kids. But hopefully by then i have a great job or am leaning towards one. When it comes to kids, they say we have them to reflect our needs for affirmation. But if we dont have them, people feel pity on us or think we are either crazy, lowest of the low attractiveness-wise, or just have something wrong with our baby-making machines. Those who actually do have something wrong with their ovaries/sperm-count are the ones who pursue alternatives such as adoption or fertilization etc. The truth of the matter is, we need kids in order to keep this system alive. The world needs them.
In the movie "Demolition Man" the cop (Sylvester Stallone) is awakened from his frozen chambers and cuts his prison-sentence short as they need him to catch a criminal that is running loose in the future, the same criminal he has stopped in his own century. When he has the opportunity to have sex with a woman (Sandra Bullock) he is anxious because it has been so long, but in that time the thought of kissing and having physical relations means to swap fluids and risk high chance of illness. So she gives him this machine that virtually has sex with the other person. o_O
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
HW 57 - Parenting 101
I think there are several parenting skills. Parents are always labeled in two ways, either bad or good. Parenting skills are usually picked up from their own parents. Its not a stereotype thing tying into ethnicity. Some parents choose to hit their kids, but look down on those who put their own on leashes. Then those who put their kids on leashes frown upon those who physically abuse them. In my eyes, i think the leash is more morally wrong. It resembles dogs. I think kids are hit less often when their is two parent figures in their lives. And a "loving home" to come home to each night. If ever it were a single parent struggling not just financially, but by a way of connecting with their kids, they have to act as both parent figures, the mom/dad. They have to resort to violence or even threats to keep a superior stature alive in their household. In my personal life, i guess the best parenting i was exposed to with my own parents were whenever i was rewarded. Thats always good for a kid. But its not good to reward them when obviously they deserve the opposite. I think its important for kids to be surrounded by grandparents. That is because grandparents care for their grandchildren much differently then they did their own children. It is they're one chance to spoil them evenly. Even though my grandmother was different from what im imagining. Im pretty sure she hated visits from us. At least, until my grandfather passed away. THen it was just her. Obviously its wrong to abuse your children in public. So if ever i were put in that position, id wait until we got home and punish them. i would hit my own kids. But i wouldnt beat them to a pulp! thats morally wrong in so many ways. But getting the message out definately helps too. No books were read in my family. Truthfully, thats for first time parents that concern way too many things that shouldnt be stressed. Parents pretty much just read previous family's parenting skills and steal that with some tweeks of their own. Its funny how every generation of parents always say "you got it good" or "back then it was worse". Naybe thats because over time the parents are getting lighter on enforcement. Or maybe the tantrums and acting up that kids then went through, we have way more electronics to distract us from that.
"I simply had to present my child with endless choices throughout the day- choices I was comfortable with (red sippy cup or yellow? Story first or bath first? Bedtime now or in 5 minutes?). This would help them feel in control and empowered, and when it was time for Mommy to take charge and make a decision, they would go along, because of all the choices they already had."
A little quote i found from the article bashing the "Love and Logic" book. Based on the advice given from L&L, it sounds pretty fair and maybe even do-able. Unfortunately, the woman fortunate enough to try and respond to its tactics have a few words of advice for skeptical parents.
"The problem is that my children must not have read the book. They do not respond the way the book says they will. Giving them endless choices has made my life much, much harder."
That sounds even more believeable. Those authors who write these novels trying to help "underachiever" parents are the same ones who magically wound up with the most innocent child ever. Also, they probably only have ONE child of their own. SO to win the battle of parenting against just one child, the odds are pretty even. What about those who have to fight against two or even three each morning/afternoon/night?
"I simply had to present my child with endless choices throughout the day- choices I was comfortable with (red sippy cup or yellow? Story first or bath first? Bedtime now or in 5 minutes?). This would help them feel in control and empowered, and when it was time for Mommy to take charge and make a decision, they would go along, because of all the choices they already had."
A little quote i found from the article bashing the "Love and Logic" book. Based on the advice given from L&L, it sounds pretty fair and maybe even do-able. Unfortunately, the woman fortunate enough to try and respond to its tactics have a few words of advice for skeptical parents.
"The problem is that my children must not have read the book. They do not respond the way the book says they will. Giving them endless choices has made my life much, much harder."
That sounds even more believeable. Those authors who write these novels trying to help "underachiever" parents are the same ones who magically wound up with the most innocent child ever. Also, they probably only have ONE child of their own. SO to win the battle of parenting against just one child, the odds are pretty even. What about those who have to fight against two or even three each morning/afternoon/night?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
HW 56 - Survey questions
questions to ask:
1. If you are now, or were in a relationship, do you consider yourself to be the one "wearing the pants"?
2. Do you think a relationship is based on a superior/inferior script?
3. Is having dominant control over your companion healthy?
Jasper:
Uhhhhhhhh well yeah because that's how people think it's supposed to be in society the boy is supposed to "wear the pants" , I don't really understand the second one but I don't think that's what a relationship is based on it might be part of it, nd i think it's unhealthy you and your companion should have equal control over each other that's the only way it could be fair
Sam:
From previous relationships i think i wear the pants but its in certain situations not all. Not necessarily dominant control is healthy i think having a healthy relationship is what you put in and give or and should be split between the two.
After asking two separate people these questions, i got similar responses. Getting the same response from two different perspectives, a boy and girl, led me to the idea that perhaps everyone responds to this topic a certain way, the way it should be. But just because it should be this way doesnt necessarilly mean they are living to their own beliefs. If asked this, id probably respond the same way. But one umentioned factor is how when the time comes that you have the decision to make that overrules your companion, one will take it. I think that "equality" within the relationship rule goes out the window. No one wants to be the woman in the relationship, not the man, not even the woman! If everything was equal and smooth sailing no couples would be breaking up or becoming bored of each other than. No one likes boring.
follow up question (soon to be revised):
Can couples commit to an equal say on all behalfs?
1. If you are now, or were in a relationship, do you consider yourself to be the one "wearing the pants"?
2. Do you think a relationship is based on a superior/inferior script?
3. Is having dominant control over your companion healthy?
Jasper:
Uhhhhhhhh well yeah because that's how people think it's supposed to be in society the boy is supposed to "wear the pants" , I don't really understand the second one but I don't think that's what a relationship is based on it might be part of it, nd i think it's unhealthy you and your companion should have equal control over each other that's the only way it could be fair
Sam:
From previous relationships i think i wear the pants but its in certain situations not all. Not necessarily dominant control is healthy i think having a healthy relationship is what you put in and give or and should be split between the two.
After asking two separate people these questions, i got similar responses. Getting the same response from two different perspectives, a boy and girl, led me to the idea that perhaps everyone responds to this topic a certain way, the way it should be. But just because it should be this way doesnt necessarilly mean they are living to their own beliefs. If asked this, id probably respond the same way. But one umentioned factor is how when the time comes that you have the decision to make that overrules your companion, one will take it. I think that "equality" within the relationship rule goes out the window. No one wants to be the woman in the relationship, not the man, not even the woman! If everything was equal and smooth sailing no couples would be breaking up or becoming bored of each other than. No one likes boring.
follow up question (soon to be revised):
Can couples commit to an equal say on all behalfs?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
HW 55 - Question/Topic research
1- "Why do interpersonal-relationships set by first name basis create for itself more importance than those relationships not based on first-names?"
"Why do male and females feel overwhelmed by their companions when seen as inferior to the other?"
2- Juliette: I think your question will be a tough one to answer. And female marriage counsellors exploring the reasons as to why MEN cheat seems a little one-sided. Its an interesting topic however. But i think only two main points doesn't open a window to the reasoning of why men cheat, there is probably millions of reasons and even ones us including the therapist have never considered. Try revising your topic question to make it even better.
Yurelis: I think your topic question is simple. Sometimes the simpler the better. But maybe to get yourself started you should label some interesting facts/opinions or research as to what really does make a good friend. Also, another suggestion is whether you wanna dedicate your topic to the word "good". Explore different meanings such as great, best, or even plain friend.
bibliography: COMING SOON
"Why do male and females feel overwhelmed by their companions when seen as inferior to the other?"
2- Juliette: I think your question will be a tough one to answer. And female marriage counsellors exploring the reasons as to why MEN cheat seems a little one-sided. Its an interesting topic however. But i think only two main points doesn't open a window to the reasoning of why men cheat, there is probably millions of reasons and even ones us including the therapist have never considered. Try revising your topic question to make it even better.
Yurelis: I think your topic question is simple. Sometimes the simpler the better. But maybe to get yourself started you should label some interesting facts/opinions or research as to what really does make a good friend. Also, another suggestion is whether you wanna dedicate your topic to the word "good". Explore different meanings such as great, best, or even plain friend.
bibliography: COMING SOON
HW 54 - Similar Minds Thinking Test analysis
| ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population. |
This test is supposed to define a person for the personality they portray. Out of 48 questions, maybe 20+ i answered the 50% mark. So that answer right there can go both ways, whether i slant more towards very much disagree or very much agree with. The results could lead to any direction if thats so. It even states that in order to see your alternative personality results, to simply refresh the page. That's just dumb to me. One final result would have made me feel more comfortable than two.
For 48 questions i sort of breezed through answering them. They were pretty simple. But i dont know if 48 simple questions can help define a person better than 48 hard questions. Truthfully, i dont think these results were so accurate. Because one time i took a free presonality test from Chase Bank, and they used the same rubric, only they're questions were compiled of only 5. After five questions, it labeled me as a "ENTP." the results explained alot more on that one. Coincidentally, i also received a ENTP on this one, but as my first results, the ones posted show the 'alternative'. I dont think this was useful because if a test with only five questions can give me the same results, is it worth it taking 43 extra questions? the answers no.
I think this test is more to infer you on what kind of career you should look into. Naturally, adults never love their job. But they have to do it day in and day out. Im guessing this test is just to help someone pursue their dream-job. In class we been discussing alot about interpersonal relationships. Any relationship you can think of. But we been discussing the outer shell of it, like how we interact with our everyday mailmen or MTA workers or teachers or sanitation workers. The difference from how we act with teachers to mailmen is very different because for starters, teachers know us by a first-name basis. Mailmen only deliver their mail, to several people in an apartment building, this isnt the movies where the mailman is very friendly and knows everyone that is on their route. For us to not speak to them means we will be less open and share alot less than with teachers/friends/families. Also it all depends on your social level etc. i guess thats where this "personality test" comes in.
Monday, May 3, 2010
HW 53 - Survey Analysis
After taking the survey, i realized that during there were so many questons that i began to answer as though my answer were mild. For example, ones i didnt feel like answering i answered with "idk" or "n/a". Some of the questions were able to make me think are these really anonymous? because they better be. They were some pretty private questions, or at least the way to look at them were they were questions that no one has bothered to ask me in person. Some on school, family, friendship, suicide, future, depression, disorders, etc. I dont suffer from none of those, but something made me wonder who would be answering them yes.
After finally seeing the results from all who answered these questions, i saw that each question had a separate majority answered question. Some were IDK or YES or NO. There were a small percentage and a high percentage shown for every category answered. But what i brought up in class during our whole discussion was that it said only an average of 52 respondents had answered, so if there were a whole of 19% of kids who answered YES to ever considering suicide, thats just under 10 students. thats 10/50 = 1/5 which means almost 20% of those who responded are considering or have considered suicide......
Another thing to consider was what in math terms is considered a "hidden variable" or "lurking variable". Suppose 3 kids are asked the question "Do you drink alchohol?" the results were 1/3 kids say they drink alchohol, but you add an additional 1 kid for those who did not admit truthfully to the question, and that is an approximate 2/3 kids who drink alchohol. So the suicide question could have been even higher if including a percentage of those who did not answer truthfully. Really makes you think....
After reading results from the survey DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE" i noticed that besides the ritual techniques of releasing certain results, they did something that caught even my attention, which means it must have been effective to many others as well. They mentioned how "only 8% of sexually active teens use birth control pills, the most effective means of preventing pregnancy", this is significant because they took a proactive treatment, and used its small percentage of usage by teens to represent how little the safe-sex message reaches teens ears. They were able to flip a good thing into a bad, but the 8% really was bad so maybe it isnt there fault or blaming them to be bias, they just reported it.
After finally seeing the results from all who answered these questions, i saw that each question had a separate majority answered question. Some were IDK or YES or NO. There were a small percentage and a high percentage shown for every category answered. But what i brought up in class during our whole discussion was that it said only an average of 52 respondents had answered, so if there were a whole of 19% of kids who answered YES to ever considering suicide, thats just under 10 students. thats 10/50 = 1/5 which means almost 20% of those who responded are considering or have considered suicide......
Another thing to consider was what in math terms is considered a "hidden variable" or "lurking variable". Suppose 3 kids are asked the question "Do you drink alchohol?" the results were 1/3 kids say they drink alchohol, but you add an additional 1 kid for those who did not admit truthfully to the question, and that is an approximate 2/3 kids who drink alchohol. So the suicide question could have been even higher if including a percentage of those who did not answer truthfully. Really makes you think....
After reading results from the survey DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE" i noticed that besides the ritual techniques of releasing certain results, they did something that caught even my attention, which means it must have been effective to many others as well. They mentioned how "only 8% of sexually active teens use birth control pills, the most effective means of preventing pregnancy", this is significant because they took a proactive treatment, and used its small percentage of usage by teens to represent how little the safe-sex message reaches teens ears. They were able to flip a good thing into a bad, but the 8% really was bad so maybe it isnt there fault or blaming them to be bias, they just reported it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
HW 52 - Initial theories of Human relationships
Theres too many human relationships experienced in a whole day. To name them all is impossible just as this assignment says, but i sure can think of enough to fill up an entire Homework assignment. From this morning to where i am now, the kind of different human relationships i was apart of today were with my mother, i acted as if her being up as early as i was was unnecessary since im the only one who really gets up every morning for school, no one else has any reason to. It was as much avoidance as i could.
I had a certain appearance kept in front of the other people in my train car. I remember there being a few attractive girls too so that might've messed with it too. I had a certain relationship with the security guard at the school because at the end of the day she is still someone who represents authority.
The students share a certain relationship with me, some i just keep distance from those who i dont i associate myself with them. I have a certain relationship with the teachers, especially depending on the teacher. The principal gets a more involved relationship then how the teachers interact with me.
I have a certain relationship with the cafeteria people because they are the ones who handle my food. Janitors, MTA works, store workers, my co-workers, boss, family, girls etc. It goes on. We do this because theres always a reason for everything. The cafeteria ppl because they handled your food, the principal because he handled your education, your family handles your financial needs, store workers handle your needs, friends handle your social needs, everything has a reason.
Love ties into family, friends, hobbies, and interests. No one does anything without interest involved in it. Whether you hate your job but go anyway, your interest is in the money. Family is something that i think i've learned to love. There always there for you and really arent going anywhere. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but its really the gist of it. Parents dont raise and feed and clothe a person unless there were certain interest in it. That interest MUST be love. Whether it was deep down scraped the bottle of one's emotions, nevertheless its still there. Hobbies people do because they choose to do this, the one thing that doesnt feel alienated from them. But of course, this is just what i think, what the hell do i know.
I had a certain appearance kept in front of the other people in my train car. I remember there being a few attractive girls too so that might've messed with it too. I had a certain relationship with the security guard at the school because at the end of the day she is still someone who represents authority.
The students share a certain relationship with me, some i just keep distance from those who i dont i associate myself with them. I have a certain relationship with the teachers, especially depending on the teacher. The principal gets a more involved relationship then how the teachers interact with me.
I have a certain relationship with the cafeteria people because they are the ones who handle my food. Janitors, MTA works, store workers, my co-workers, boss, family, girls etc. It goes on. We do this because theres always a reason for everything. The cafeteria ppl because they handled your food, the principal because he handled your education, your family handles your financial needs, store workers handle your needs, friends handle your social needs, everything has a reason.
Love ties into family, friends, hobbies, and interests. No one does anything without interest involved in it. Whether you hate your job but go anyway, your interest is in the money. Family is something that i think i've learned to love. There always there for you and really arent going anywhere. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but its really the gist of it. Parents dont raise and feed and clothe a person unless there were certain interest in it. That interest MUST be love. Whether it was deep down scraped the bottle of one's emotions, nevertheless its still there. Hobbies people do because they choose to do this, the one thing that doesnt feel alienated from them. But of course, this is just what i think, what the hell do i know.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
HW 51
1. School as salvation - what can schools realistically do to address the systematic problems of inequality, anti-intellectualism, and meaninglessness in our society? (Savior Teacher Films, Obama speech, Sizer, Freire, Hirsch, Delpit, interviews, own thoughts
In my opinion schools don't explore much further options for uniting educational groups within schools. There's only two kinds of everything, the smart and the dumb, the good and the bad, than the cool and the uncool. No matter the curriculum and appropriate programs that can benefit multi-groups of students, high school will always be high school. Those options that are "explored" are usually only for targeted people. Even if they go along with a plan for students and upraising their academics they still only get through to a small percentage of students.
Those savior teacher films are a little over-dramatic. Not every single student will have problems that are life-threatening. And those who even do, teachers will not address those problems as if they're separate life outside the school ill interfere with his teaching. Absences will never be solved due to one teacher, and kids will always be kids.
In my opinion schools don't explore much further options for uniting educational groups within schools. There's only two kinds of everything, the smart and the dumb, the good and the bad, than the cool and the uncool. No matter the curriculum and appropriate programs that can benefit multi-groups of students, high school will always be high school. Those options that are "explored" are usually only for targeted people. Even if they go along with a plan for students and upraising their academics they still only get through to a small percentage of students.
Those savior teacher films are a little over-dramatic. Not every single student will have problems that are life-threatening. And those who even do, teachers will not address those problems as if they're separate life outside the school ill interfere with his teaching. Absences will never be solved due to one teacher, and kids will always be kids.
Monday, April 26, 2010
HW 50 - SOF Educator
Some one i interviewed with my class as a whole was Mr. Copeland. During our interview i voice-recorded our entire conversation. We asked him about how he became to teaching in the style he does, while teaching American History. One question asked of him was shouldnt you be fully aware of what you are teaching before having started as a teacher, and his response was "does a doctor know every single thing there is to know before going into medicine without ever having to open a medical book again? no, they continue to brush up on it and learn more just as the students as they go on." When a student asked him if he's ever come across or even already saved a student. He responded saying "saved them from what?" he believed, much like i do, that its just a stereotypical archtype that is only portrayed within movies. "Inspiring" is another road he didnt want to admit he was going down, only because he felt he had his own messes in his life to clean up. He says his style of teaching was inspired by this outrageous looking College professor who was the first person to ever be at fault for exposing him to radical teaching styles. He wanted to "emulate" his style somewhat. To see himself as any other profession would be in the music industry, although he loves to mix it up, beathoven etc. It outrages him but is expected to see that culturally we have moved in a different direction. No more classes like art or dance or music, before it was mandatory and specialized, but now it is almost complimentary.
HW 49
My "personal" contribution to our class film was helping Victor (our writer) come up with a screen-write and shooting the scenes myself. I honestly didnt trust any others to hold the camera because i felt i could do a better job, which i did. It was pretty smooth and clever the shots.
My analysis of the message found in the film was that by striving to reach out to the troubled students, using already clique savior/teacher techniques found in popularized movies, he was unsuccessful in connecting to the individuals. if only he resolved to creative ideas and never before seen moves could he have been successful in gaining their trust.
Although, compared to such movies like Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers, Andy's mediocre acting skills within the classroom didnt demonstrate a non -hostile environment. Unlike the other films, the students managed to remain unsaved, and the teacher fails and sinks even lower.
The connection between salvation and education/schooling in our culture is that the students are placed into a classroom and given this teacher who is supposed to teach them and rub knowledge and wisdom onto them. Students who do not take into their lessonplan or whatever agenda they have going on, is automatically seen as an oddball to the teacher(s) and is labeled. Even a great school full of nothing but great kids, MUST have an unsaved. There could be a student who gets good grades but not as good as the rest, he MUST be restraining from the teacher's lessonplans, a troublemaker he must be. Thats ridiculous. In our culture, we are typical loose-cannon teenagers that set fire to the next adult living under rules that walks through the door. Its the typical movie settings i blame -__-
My analysis of the message found in the film was that by striving to reach out to the troubled students, using already clique savior/teacher techniques found in popularized movies, he was unsuccessful in connecting to the individuals. if only he resolved to creative ideas and never before seen moves could he have been successful in gaining their trust.
Although, compared to such movies like Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers, Andy's mediocre acting skills within the classroom didnt demonstrate a non -hostile environment. Unlike the other films, the students managed to remain unsaved, and the teacher fails and sinks even lower.
The connection between salvation and education/schooling in our culture is that the students are placed into a classroom and given this teacher who is supposed to teach them and rub knowledge and wisdom onto them. Students who do not take into their lessonplan or whatever agenda they have going on, is automatically seen as an oddball to the teacher(s) and is labeled. Even a great school full of nothing but great kids, MUST have an unsaved. There could be a student who gets good grades but not as good as the rest, he MUST be restraining from the teacher's lessonplans, a troublemaker he must be. Thats ridiculous. In our culture, we are typical loose-cannon teenagers that set fire to the next adult living under rules that walks through the door. Its the typical movie settings i blame -__-
Thursday, April 15, 2010
EC Opportunity - "The Class"
Discussing Souleymane and the road he went on in school, i feel it was inevitable for him to be expelled from his school. Nonetheless, he was a good kid, just compared to the others he seemed to be the most highly troubled. When he presented the self-portrait to his teacher, he hanged it up for the entire class to see and allowed his work to be praised by all. In that brief moment, you can see how his eyes lit up and accepted the praise. I dont hold the teacher responsible for what happenned, or at least i didnt want to. Even during the teacher-commitee it was two-sided, some didnt know whether to blame the teacher's remarks or just souleymane alone for igniting his actions. i couldnt blame the teacher for becoming mad at the student reps for blurting out information that is syupposed to be confidential, but to expect two girls that are more close to their classmates than their teacher is also expected for them to look out for them and deliver word on what is said about them, and might even be used to personally alter ways in order to avoid defeat by teachers. For Souleymane to be furious to hearing that he is seen as just "limited" is acceptable on his part, but still shaky as to whether it was a reason to create a scene.
Refelcting on Souleymanes actions, just as the rest of them are, they are only 14 and 15 years old. The teachers in the school expected them to be perfect angels and saw behaviorial attitudes set by them to be an increasing slump by them yearly. To hear "trouble' and "attitudes" repetitively by them was actually exxagerated to me, because compared to what i know as bad students or even a bad high school, that school seemed very good to me. If that one incident is referred to as a "carwreck" i dont know what one is than. Khoumba, as an example, had a public confrontation with the teacher over being picked on, and after admitting to not being sorry for her actions, she wrote a letter to him explaining her side and whatever discretion she felt. That alone seemed more mature and unexpected from any other regular 14 15 yr old. And for the teachers to already praise twei more than all the rest, was a little exposing as to how teachers really felt about their students, despite the sympathetic dilemmas twei's mother got herself into, the scene involved the teachers coming up with an idea for raising money for Twei's mothers lawyer, but soon after pop open a bottle of champagne. hmmm....
When discussing choices and morality created by the students within the film, i feel no one even including the teachers made unorthodox choices that could've been handled better. I thought the film was realistic in most ways, especially for a french school that i have never been exposed to but can only imagine. "Training" to become better at making idealistic choices can only go any further than within school and home, or for a workplace when discussing adults. One point made by esmeralda within the film that i did like, was that when heard by Mr. Marlin she had told Julie, another teacher, about him calling her and louise Skanks. Esmeralda, confronted by the teacher why she spoke to Julie and not him directly, said You can talk about students without them knowing it goes both ways. I think teachers sometimes forget their positioning based on their position of power, which can only go so far. They have to keep a group of students as "tamed" as possible and if ever one was to act out as strout out as possible, they are taken to their higher seened power, the principal. Everyones a pawn. Schools just a way to TRY and train us. But then by the end of the year, just as shown in the film, some dont even learn much or sometimes nothing at all. How trained can we be, mentally.
Refelcting on Souleymanes actions, just as the rest of them are, they are only 14 and 15 years old. The teachers in the school expected them to be perfect angels and saw behaviorial attitudes set by them to be an increasing slump by them yearly. To hear "trouble' and "attitudes" repetitively by them was actually exxagerated to me, because compared to what i know as bad students or even a bad high school, that school seemed very good to me. If that one incident is referred to as a "carwreck" i dont know what one is than. Khoumba, as an example, had a public confrontation with the teacher over being picked on, and after admitting to not being sorry for her actions, she wrote a letter to him explaining her side and whatever discretion she felt. That alone seemed more mature and unexpected from any other regular 14 15 yr old. And for the teachers to already praise twei more than all the rest, was a little exposing as to how teachers really felt about their students, despite the sympathetic dilemmas twei's mother got herself into, the scene involved the teachers coming up with an idea for raising money for Twei's mothers lawyer, but soon after pop open a bottle of champagne. hmmm....
When discussing choices and morality created by the students within the film, i feel no one even including the teachers made unorthodox choices that could've been handled better. I thought the film was realistic in most ways, especially for a french school that i have never been exposed to but can only imagine. "Training" to become better at making idealistic choices can only go any further than within school and home, or for a workplace when discussing adults. One point made by esmeralda within the film that i did like, was that when heard by Mr. Marlin she had told Julie, another teacher, about him calling her and louise Skanks. Esmeralda, confronted by the teacher why she spoke to Julie and not him directly, said You can talk about students without them knowing it goes both ways. I think teachers sometimes forget their positioning based on their position of power, which can only go so far. They have to keep a group of students as "tamed" as possible and if ever one was to act out as strout out as possible, they are taken to their higher seened power, the principal. Everyones a pawn. Schools just a way to TRY and train us. But then by the end of the year, just as shown in the film, some dont even learn much or sometimes nothing at all. How trained can we be, mentally.
Monday, April 12, 2010
HW 48 - Treatment for savior/treatment
possible title: "credentials"
introduction: The newest teacher tries to engage doubted students to higher levels of curriculum in order to prove other teachers wrong, including the students themselves. After what seemed to be an impossible gesture of reaching out to the kids, only until the teacher's unanticipated move of not giving the students up for something they did, do they come to the realization that he is someone worth trusting.
Jason Scheffer, a middle-aged man with a passion for teaching, enrolls himself into one of the not-so finest schools of New York. With his first day there consisting of hateful remarks made by the teachers about the kids, his first day meeting the students ended exactly how the other teachers painted it for him. With a class full of smart-mouthed kids with no respect or expectations for themselves, his approach to reaching them became, while being rejected from the start, bleaker and bleaker. Only until a conflict between the students and Mr. Scheffer arise where they are caught with drugs and the actions set by Scheffer of not turning them in do they see a glimmer of trustworthyness within him.
Seeing a single chance at grabbing the kids attention, while still having earned an ounce of their trust, was snatched by him instantly, where a discussion with the kids in the class (mostly adressing the boys) about gang-violence and tough-guy personas leads to him throwing out a random quote in hopes of catching the students attention. "You can take the dog out of the fight, but you cant take the fight out of the dog." After liking what is heard the group of students ask who said this, and after responding to them Mark Twain, does he decide to continue speaking of Mark Twain and other words of wisdom shared by him. Taking a higher interest in the author and his writing the teacher decides to move onto actual literature, exposing to them the story of Huckleberry Finn. While reading on the students use Mark Twains writing to connect to their own lives of Huckleberry Finn, where they see him only as a troublemaker with higher hopes for himself, just like themselves seen by the teacher.
Being surrounded by a few kids of the whole slowly expose to him the highly troubled lives they lead. A boy with the conflict of having to choose between money and his pregnant girlfriend or a H.S. diploma, and a girl who's mother's repetitive drunken state pushes her to where she must replace the single-mother duties that are not fullfilled for her two younger sisters in need of a decent home environment, thus leading to a slip in her attendance.
After a huge after-school conflict between the teacher and the pregnant boy, Mr. Scheffer confronts the boy's implyment of him not needing school anymore. In doing so, the teacher calls his bluff by simply giving him 65's for the rest of the year, so that he passes without even having earned it and so it can be a win-win. To the teacher's surprise, the boy shows back up to school a few days later even with the already passing grade to show that he wants more out of this. Showing his change to the teacher, leaving him with the thought that he has offcially reached out to these kids and also changed their ways.
After everything seemed to be perfect for Mr. Scheffer, and the kids as well, Mr. Scheffer is stripped of his teaching title over at the high school because of a late dicovery by the board of ed that Mr. Scheffer is an ex-convict. After being fired embarrassingly in front of all of his students, the kids end back in square one as their minds drift to the thought that Mr. Scheffer was only filling their minds with lies, how they can graduate become successful and get good jobs with their lives. With only a month and a half away from graduation, some on thin lines to graduating, meet a slump in which they end back at their original state not caring about their own education and such. Mr. Scheffer confronts the students in the streets one night, (partial amount of the kids, not entire class) about the fact that he was a convicted felon, but because he severely hurt an off-duty policeman for having found out he was sexually harassing one of his students. In an unfortunate timeline of events for Mr. Scheffer the policeman's higher power and word over his led to him being thrown in jail for a sentence of 2 years. While reaching out for forgiveness from his students, Mr. Scheffer wins back the hearts of his students. Still not allowed to teach them within the high school walls, does he begin to tutor them outside the school in order to complete their remaining High School time.
introduction: The newest teacher tries to engage doubted students to higher levels of curriculum in order to prove other teachers wrong, including the students themselves. After what seemed to be an impossible gesture of reaching out to the kids, only until the teacher's unanticipated move of not giving the students up for something they did, do they come to the realization that he is someone worth trusting.
Jason Scheffer, a middle-aged man with a passion for teaching, enrolls himself into one of the not-so finest schools of New York. With his first day there consisting of hateful remarks made by the teachers about the kids, his first day meeting the students ended exactly how the other teachers painted it for him. With a class full of smart-mouthed kids with no respect or expectations for themselves, his approach to reaching them became, while being rejected from the start, bleaker and bleaker. Only until a conflict between the students and Mr. Scheffer arise where they are caught with drugs and the actions set by Scheffer of not turning them in do they see a glimmer of trustworthyness within him.
Seeing a single chance at grabbing the kids attention, while still having earned an ounce of their trust, was snatched by him instantly, where a discussion with the kids in the class (mostly adressing the boys) about gang-violence and tough-guy personas leads to him throwing out a random quote in hopes of catching the students attention. "You can take the dog out of the fight, but you cant take the fight out of the dog." After liking what is heard the group of students ask who said this, and after responding to them Mark Twain, does he decide to continue speaking of Mark Twain and other words of wisdom shared by him. Taking a higher interest in the author and his writing the teacher decides to move onto actual literature, exposing to them the story of Huckleberry Finn. While reading on the students use Mark Twains writing to connect to their own lives of Huckleberry Finn, where they see him only as a troublemaker with higher hopes for himself, just like themselves seen by the teacher.
Being surrounded by a few kids of the whole slowly expose to him the highly troubled lives they lead. A boy with the conflict of having to choose between money and his pregnant girlfriend or a H.S. diploma, and a girl who's mother's repetitive drunken state pushes her to where she must replace the single-mother duties that are not fullfilled for her two younger sisters in need of a decent home environment, thus leading to a slip in her attendance.
After a huge after-school conflict between the teacher and the pregnant boy, Mr. Scheffer confronts the boy's implyment of him not needing school anymore. In doing so, the teacher calls his bluff by simply giving him 65's for the rest of the year, so that he passes without even having earned it and so it can be a win-win. To the teacher's surprise, the boy shows back up to school a few days later even with the already passing grade to show that he wants more out of this. Showing his change to the teacher, leaving him with the thought that he has offcially reached out to these kids and also changed their ways.
After everything seemed to be perfect for Mr. Scheffer, and the kids as well, Mr. Scheffer is stripped of his teaching title over at the high school because of a late dicovery by the board of ed that Mr. Scheffer is an ex-convict. After being fired embarrassingly in front of all of his students, the kids end back in square one as their minds drift to the thought that Mr. Scheffer was only filling their minds with lies, how they can graduate become successful and get good jobs with their lives. With only a month and a half away from graduation, some on thin lines to graduating, meet a slump in which they end back at their original state not caring about their own education and such. Mr. Scheffer confronts the students in the streets one night, (partial amount of the kids, not entire class) about the fact that he was a convicted felon, but because he severely hurt an off-duty policeman for having found out he was sexually harassing one of his students. In an unfortunate timeline of events for Mr. Scheffer the policeman's higher power and word over his led to him being thrown in jail for a sentence of 2 years. While reaching out for forgiveness from his students, Mr. Scheffer wins back the hearts of his students. Still not allowed to teach them within the high school walls, does he begin to tutor them outside the school in order to complete their remaining High School time.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
HW 47 - Class Film Preparation 1
After reading another students blog to get an idea of what my classmates are thinking for this film, ive come to only one conclusion. It it that based on film reviews made by us on the films watched in class, only one element is used, role switching. Someone HAS to be saved, that is the idea, whether its from teacher to student or student to teacher. Why cant both parties be saved? Through the students change overcoming whatever oppressive scene we shoot, the teacher, after being seen as a well respected man who gains their trust, is realized to have his own problems just outside these school walls. Through ONE student's hopes to return what he has given him, they help the teacher to realize his own potential and give up whatever issues he has restraining him within to outstanding heights he can easily get to. (e.t. cheating husband, or dead son, hidden criminal record, or preaching to students that they can have it all but he lives in a dump on a measly salary, contradicting self)
but while writing this i have come up with a new idea, thats sort of how my brain works. As the students are exposed to this entirely new teacher, afar from the one of two they meet which are 1) either care too much 2) or doesnt care enough meets one who is in between. Only there for the paycheck, doesnt teach if they dont wanna learn, etc. In hopes of proving the teacher wrong that they arent entirely hopeless and have more potential than realized, they begin to show sparks of interest into the curriculum and shape up without him having to show pursuasion (secretely does). So as the students shape up the teacher begins to shape up and begins to appreciate his job, (possibly going to work drunk, begins to sober up)--last idea can be used for the first idea movie too!))
but while writing this i have come up with a new idea, thats sort of how my brain works. As the students are exposed to this entirely new teacher, afar from the one of two they meet which are 1) either care too much 2) or doesnt care enough meets one who is in between. Only there for the paycheck, doesnt teach if they dont wanna learn, etc. In hopes of proving the teacher wrong that they arent entirely hopeless and have more potential than realized, they begin to show sparks of interest into the curriculum and shape up without him having to show pursuasion (secretely does). So as the students shape up the teacher begins to shape up and begins to appreciate his job, (possibly going to work drunk, begins to sober up)--last idea can be used for the first idea movie too!))
Monday, March 22, 2010
HW 45 - More Big Thoughts on Schools
Please examine some of the following texts. Create a one paragraph summary of the main argument of each of the two thinkers. Using quotes from the text make arguments of your own that address (in a paragraph or two each) one or more of the following angles:
(Notes)
"Cultural Literacy:What every American needs to know"
This best-selling, ground-breaking work spells out the theory behind the Core Knowledge® movement. To be able to function and prosper in society, one must possess the background knowledge that literate writers and speakers assume their audiences already share. Those who know it are culturally literate; the opportunities of a free society are open to them. Schools that neglect to impart this core knowledge leave their students seriously deprived and our democracy weakened.
E.D. Hirsch
>father of the "core knowledge" movement
>"It has no scientific foundation and is used to hold kids back,"
>he explained, that "not every child is learning about James Monroe in the first grade."
>Hirsch worries mostly about elementary schools
>believed, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade"
debate with Ted Sizer over education standards.....
Ted Sizer
>founded the Coalition of Essential Schools
>insisted that coherent standards are needed but must grow from the values of teachers and parents within a school.
>"when smart, devoted peple are given running room to shape standards, students succeed"
>Sizer worries mostly about high schools
>believed "Students should leave school as well-informed skeptics, able to ask good questions as a matter of habit,"
>said, "They correlate with rich parents and not much else. We have to stop equating serious education with test scores."
same.....
>Both agreed that testing results reflect reading levels in elementary grades
3. What additional points does reading these theorists make you think of, about your own education and philosophy?
After reading over certain main ideas and arguments shared by the two theorists, what it instantly made me think of was my own education here in High School. But not just the High School curriculum, my whole life time spent in school. Whether it be elementary school or midddle school or even High School, their beliefs make sense in any tutorial. Although, from what i read about both Hirsch and Sizer, was that the two mainly spent their time arguing over the traditional education in middle school and High School. It makes sense to dangle over the two because Middle school comes right before High School, and a student's freshman year always reflects upon the students education level and the school in which he received it. This can connect to my own life because my freshman year consisted of good grades, especially in Math. Except what we were learning there i already covered in my 8th grade class. The significance of that is because i went to a Catholic School in Manhattan up until 8th where i did not cover things such as this, but once i went to a public school for only one year i covered all the essential curriculum it seemed.
Sizer believed that a school's given education to be placed upon their students was chosen based on the test scores received, placing them in certain learning brackets. What was conclusive to me about their whole debate was that both were preaching about two separate matters. Hirsch saying, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade", believed that whatever problems that lye were merely placed blamed onto early grade level's and their chosen curriculum. In my opinion, not all students can be reached the same progressively, especially when there must only be one curriculum and an outnumbered amount of students to the teacher. but i also do understand the worries that the two gentleman share for students and whether they are being "taught" by the teacher or by the curriculum she places in front of them.
Strog efforts for reaching out to students can only go so far. Especially when the discussion of certain topics approach. you can maybe drive over practiced curriculum and just go for it with students, when being taught English, but to look pass practiced curriculum with Math and assume students can catch up is just an impractical thought.
(Notes)
"Cultural Literacy:What every American needs to know"
This best-selling, ground-breaking work spells out the theory behind the Core Knowledge® movement. To be able to function and prosper in society, one must possess the background knowledge that literate writers and speakers assume their audiences already share. Those who know it are culturally literate; the opportunities of a free society are open to them. Schools that neglect to impart this core knowledge leave their students seriously deprived and our democracy weakened.
E.D. Hirsch
>father of the "core knowledge" movement
>"It has no scientific foundation and is used to hold kids back,"
>he explained, that "not every child is learning about James Monroe in the first grade."
>Hirsch worries mostly about elementary schools
>believed, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade"
debate with Ted Sizer over education standards.....
Ted Sizer
>founded the Coalition of Essential Schools
>insisted that coherent standards are needed but must grow from the values of teachers and parents within a school.
>"when smart, devoted peple are given running room to shape standards, students succeed"
>Sizer worries mostly about high schools
>believed "Students should leave school as well-informed skeptics, able to ask good questions as a matter of habit,"
>said, "They correlate with rich parents and not much else. We have to stop equating serious education with test scores."
same.....
>Both agreed that testing results reflect reading levels in elementary grades
3. What additional points does reading these theorists make you think of, about your own education and philosophy?
After reading over certain main ideas and arguments shared by the two theorists, what it instantly made me think of was my own education here in High School. But not just the High School curriculum, my whole life time spent in school. Whether it be elementary school or midddle school or even High School, their beliefs make sense in any tutorial. Although, from what i read about both Hirsch and Sizer, was that the two mainly spent their time arguing over the traditional education in middle school and High School. It makes sense to dangle over the two because Middle school comes right before High School, and a student's freshman year always reflects upon the students education level and the school in which he received it. This can connect to my own life because my freshman year consisted of good grades, especially in Math. Except what we were learning there i already covered in my 8th grade class. The significance of that is because i went to a Catholic School in Manhattan up until 8th where i did not cover things such as this, but once i went to a public school for only one year i covered all the essential curriculum it seemed.
Sizer believed that a school's given education to be placed upon their students was chosen based on the test scores received, placing them in certain learning brackets. What was conclusive to me about their whole debate was that both were preaching about two separate matters. Hirsch saying, "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade", believed that whatever problems that lye were merely placed blamed onto early grade level's and their chosen curriculum. In my opinion, not all students can be reached the same progressively, especially when there must only be one curriculum and an outnumbered amount of students to the teacher. but i also do understand the worries that the two gentleman share for students and whether they are being "taught" by the teacher or by the curriculum she places in front of them.
Strog efforts for reaching out to students can only go so far. Especially when the discussion of certain topics approach. you can maybe drive over practiced curriculum and just go for it with students, when being taught English, but to look pass practiced curriculum with Math and assume students can catch up is just an impractical thought.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
HW 40 - School Interviews and Analysis
Based on what was discussed in class, a connection between both school and motivation, whether it be made through the school's students or teachers, the following question was generated. "When the principal walks into students classrooms for those few minutes to evaluate things, is the principal evaluating the teachers or the students? And despite who is being evaluated, during the principal's presence, if a teacher or student begins to act or behave their most best for those few minutes, jumping into roles, How can actual headwork be made by the principal to improve?
responses:
myself: i believe the principal is evaluating the teachers through us. Evaluating students means to find out how they are taking to a teacher's unit and also class behavior. If one's behavior is not as expected for a classroom enviroment, it is also the teachers job to control them. I also think that no real headwork can be made, because it is based on what is seen or heard through the students mouths to their principal. Changes would be made, but none that would genuinelly benefit.
my brother: He said he thought the principal is evaluating the teachers more than the students as students and their work reflects upon the job that is being done by the teacher. He also thought that if the principal tried the surpise pop-in more then he could get a better idea of how the students act or the interactions made between them (students and teachers).
my friend: He said he thought the Principal was more likely taking notes on the students actions. He also thought that the principal should try the technique of sneaking up on students more.
my teacher: He said he thought that my question was an excellent one, and that its true the Principal does have a hard time making headwork on beneficial changes. Although, he said the teacher was the one being more evaluated, he felt that if students didn't change their way of acting when the principal walks in he would get a better understanding. he also stated that in the presence of the principal, teachers dont change their ways, only the students do, a habit in which they have to get out of.
my principal:He is evaluating both teachers and students, looking for different things each times. he thought that for headwork to be made kids would have to step up and stop reenacting. He said one good thing about a small school is you learn to understand most of the kids, and in situations like those you can analyze them for whether they are acting as theirselves or not.
Please synthesize insights from your interviews (that you figured out or that someone said) to write a paragraph or two about a particular aspect of school that you find important and interesting.
I always looked at High School as "the greatest four years of your life". It became totally the opposite. Maybe its the urban to suburban rule that i overlooked, nevertheless, i experienced nothing i imagined i would the day before my very first day. For starters, i always thought id be having gym at least once a day, visualizing an entire track and field with matching uniforms. Even though there are more important matters overlooked within school hours, like foreign language and Art. Except.... in my School those two aspects are too valued lesser than imagined. One year of French and One year spanish, with the school knowing that one year of Basic french and spanish wont really advance my expertise in them anymore. Art, was a freshmen course, where we didn't even look into famous art or art that inspired past centurions. The truth is, Schools are only worried about credentials, and not the ones earned by students. Like any other business, the school is one filled with employees and an employer, who conclusively have to meet certain quotas. No more credit recovery, because the Superintendent is visiting sooner or later, and hopes for certain students (myself included ESPECIALLY) are no longer benefitted in a year that is most drastic to them, senior year. And the random need to change our image to a more "spiritual" one as a whole has another whole hidden agenda behind it, one yet explored. Im talking about the need for these pep rallies. idk man....
From my responses in part A, including my own, i think that in the presence of the principal, students and even sometimes teachers will change roles. Their original state of being more wilder than expected in a classroom is turned into the perfect student-teacher relationship once they enter the room. But once the principal sees only what the students want him/her to see, the changes he makes that are to "benefit" us are made only based on the flaws he sees within a classroom. But if we expose him to none how is actual headwork supposed to be made within a classroom?
responses:
myself: i believe the principal is evaluating the teachers through us. Evaluating students means to find out how they are taking to a teacher's unit and also class behavior. If one's behavior is not as expected for a classroom enviroment, it is also the teachers job to control them. I also think that no real headwork can be made, because it is based on what is seen or heard through the students mouths to their principal. Changes would be made, but none that would genuinelly benefit.
my brother: He said he thought the principal is evaluating the teachers more than the students as students and their work reflects upon the job that is being done by the teacher. He also thought that if the principal tried the surpise pop-in more then he could get a better idea of how the students act or the interactions made between them (students and teachers).
my friend: He said he thought the Principal was more likely taking notes on the students actions. He also thought that the principal should try the technique of sneaking up on students more.
my teacher: He said he thought that my question was an excellent one, and that its true the Principal does have a hard time making headwork on beneficial changes. Although, he said the teacher was the one being more evaluated, he felt that if students didn't change their way of acting when the principal walks in he would get a better understanding. he also stated that in the presence of the principal, teachers dont change their ways, only the students do, a habit in which they have to get out of.
my principal:He is evaluating both teachers and students, looking for different things each times. he thought that for headwork to be made kids would have to step up and stop reenacting. He said one good thing about a small school is you learn to understand most of the kids, and in situations like those you can analyze them for whether they are acting as theirselves or not.
Please synthesize insights from your interviews (that you figured out or that someone said) to write a paragraph or two about a particular aspect of school that you find important and interesting.
I always looked at High School as "the greatest four years of your life". It became totally the opposite. Maybe its the urban to suburban rule that i overlooked, nevertheless, i experienced nothing i imagined i would the day before my very first day. For starters, i always thought id be having gym at least once a day, visualizing an entire track and field with matching uniforms. Even though there are more important matters overlooked within school hours, like foreign language and Art. Except.... in my School those two aspects are too valued lesser than imagined. One year of French and One year spanish, with the school knowing that one year of Basic french and spanish wont really advance my expertise in them anymore. Art, was a freshmen course, where we didn't even look into famous art or art that inspired past centurions. The truth is, Schools are only worried about credentials, and not the ones earned by students. Like any other business, the school is one filled with employees and an employer, who conclusively have to meet certain quotas. No more credit recovery, because the Superintendent is visiting sooner or later, and hopes for certain students (myself included ESPECIALLY) are no longer benefitted in a year that is most drastic to them, senior year. And the random need to change our image to a more "spiritual" one as a whole has another whole hidden agenda behind it, one yet explored. Im talking about the need for these pep rallies. idk man....
From my responses in part A, including my own, i think that in the presence of the principal, students and even sometimes teachers will change roles. Their original state of being more wilder than expected in a classroom is turned into the perfect student-teacher relationship once they enter the room. But once the principal sees only what the students want him/her to see, the changes he makes that are to "benefit" us are made only based on the flaws he sees within a classroom. But if we expose him to none how is actual headwork supposed to be made within a classroom?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
HW 39 - First school Assignment
Part A:
Three of the most interesting, fascinating, and powerful questions to come across my mind, lets see... i dont know if they will be powerful let alone interesting but they are the ones that some people might ponder upon just as much as i did. "What is the meaning of substitute teachers if they arent replacing the lessonplan for the day?" "Why are classes like music/drama and others are not mandatory but Physical education is?" "Shouldn't there be more classes that teach kids things they will need to know for jobs in the future? i.e. how to use programs on a computer rather then how to use a scientific calculator? Instead of learning truth/tables or probability, why not further explore revenue and learn how to take inventory.
Part B:
For my brother's graduation, his graduating class wore the traditional cap/gown with a colored tassel and colored stole. Only the colors were all different, categorized, based on the major they finished with. I thought it was pretty cool that they could not only choose their classes but the major they wanted to finish with. That could easily reflect onto a college they would choose and what road or path they would follow soon after. In SOF, we not only dont have the priviledge of choosing our classes, but are forced to interact and do classroom activities/projects with the same students for an entire year. Only times are you able to mingle with different students are in different grade levels, if you are lucky. Also, i dont even know what kind of major i will be graduating with, my brother graduated as a business major in his High School, some math and some art, and another major i cannot remember. But what will i graduate as? and if it comes out to be the same major as every other single kid in my graduating class, is it fair for everyone to be that one major, if everyone has different plans and pursuits after High School?
Three of the most interesting, fascinating, and powerful questions to come across my mind, lets see... i dont know if they will be powerful let alone interesting but they are the ones that some people might ponder upon just as much as i did. "What is the meaning of substitute teachers if they arent replacing the lessonplan for the day?" "Why are classes like music/drama and others are not mandatory but Physical education is?" "Shouldn't there be more classes that teach kids things they will need to know for jobs in the future? i.e. how to use programs on a computer rather then how to use a scientific calculator? Instead of learning truth/tables or probability, why not further explore revenue and learn how to take inventory.
Part B:
For my brother's graduation, his graduating class wore the traditional cap/gown with a colored tassel and colored stole. Only the colors were all different, categorized, based on the major they finished with. I thought it was pretty cool that they could not only choose their classes but the major they wanted to finish with. That could easily reflect onto a college they would choose and what road or path they would follow soon after. In SOF, we not only dont have the priviledge of choosing our classes, but are forced to interact and do classroom activities/projects with the same students for an entire year. Only times are you able to mingle with different students are in different grade levels, if you are lucky. Also, i dont even know what kind of major i will be graduating with, my brother graduated as a business major in his High School, some math and some art, and another major i cannot remember. But what will i graduate as? and if it comes out to be the same major as every other single kid in my graduating class, is it fair for everyone to be that one major, if everyone has different plans and pursuits after High School?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
HW 38 - Art Project Cool
Untitled from Stephanie Adames on Vimeo.
1.) The message that my group and i tried portraying here was a person who is seen by everyone else as "cool" but the way he approaches cool is by being a jerk to all who surround him. Also, he maintains this role within school, classrooms, hallways, but given the opportunity, such as seen in the "student council meeting" held in the auditorium, he shows a bright side to himself that demonstrates him stepping out of his playted role for one second and showing another side to himself.
2.) We literally winged each step. Group members all shared ideas of what we could do that would be something a jerk during school hours would actually do, while shooting. All our takes were done within one History period. Every idea was either added onto or changes were suggested upon, leading to what we had conclusively. I played the role of the "insightful jerk" and helped come up with how to direct/setup each scene.
3.) I wouldnt consider this to be art. Art is something that everyone can create a connection to, whether it be personally or an outside-connection to the world. Our video remains strictly within a school environment. And for every HW assignment to be an art project, and for students always choosing the option of a video to demoinstrate art, i believe is to be the easy way out rather than taking the time to do something special and meaningful, including myself.
Friday, December 18, 2009
HW 31 - Exploring methods/Aggrandizing the self
I had remembered once that a friend of mine, this girl from school, had mentioned she didnt really take an interest in another girl. Basically, she disliked her. And it wasnt just anyone. It was a girl that was my friend too, one who i never really thought had problems with the other girls. I asked why, and she responded with, "just look at her! dont you think she is fake?" and when she said that, i thought about it for a second. Not thinking about whether she was fake or not, but just that the reality of it was, I was probably closer to the other girl and responded to her better and could relate more to the other one, with some things in common. So if me and the other girl were more alike than the other one, did that make me fake to her as well? of course i didnt bring this up to her. She was slandering another girl who wasnt cool to her, in her eyes, while remaining in the role in which she already started playing as a mean person, which was what seemed cool in her eyes. Obviously, in my eyes, i didnt think that was cool and that the exact opposite (if i had to choose) was cooler then the other. It also could have been that i felt sorry for her and she seemed to be cooler at that very moment.
Sometimes i can be the same way i realized. Ill jokingly put others down, in hopes of being viewed as cooler then the one being slammed. And whether i am jokingly the one being out down, by a friend lets say, ill strike back in order to bring up my chances of competing for the "whos cooler" competition. Without even realizing this can all happen. I can robotically makje actions, based on what i have been doing for years. Another thing about myself, pertaining to the same scenario, is when a group of people are ganging up on one person, who is obviously viewed as uncool, but the group, as a whole, may seem cool for the moment due to their actions, are seen to everyone as hilarious and momentarily cool. When i witness things like that, i jump into a role where i am the only one who doesnt find this cool, and will speak against those who are, because ill find myself (in my head) to be socially acceptable as a coolperson, whos opinion is respected. What i didnt realize from the beginning, is that i too can easily become the jerk on the other side, and when i choose to not be it is what i believe to be the cool thing to do at the moment. Jumping roles.
Sometimes i can be the same way i realized. Ill jokingly put others down, in hopes of being viewed as cooler then the one being slammed. And whether i am jokingly the one being out down, by a friend lets say, ill strike back in order to bring up my chances of competing for the "whos cooler" competition. Without even realizing this can all happen. I can robotically makje actions, based on what i have been doing for years. Another thing about myself, pertaining to the same scenario, is when a group of people are ganging up on one person, who is obviously viewed as uncool, but the group, as a whole, may seem cool for the moment due to their actions, are seen to everyone as hilarious and momentarily cool. When i witness things like that, i jump into a role where i am the only one who doesnt find this cool, and will speak against those who are, because ill find myself (in my head) to be socially acceptable as a coolperson, whos opinion is respected. What i didnt realize from the beginning, is that i too can easily become the jerk on the other side, and when i choose to not be it is what i believe to be the cool thing to do at the moment. Jumping roles.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
hw 30 - Psychological and Phylosophical Theorizing of cool
“Cool can be viewed as a major attempt to fill the emptiness inside of us with an internal heroic mission and external validation.” For Dr. Milo Wolff, his sense of purpose was just trying to understand what he was being taught in college all those years, Quantum-Mechanics. Not until a much older age did he extract his learning’s from both physics and philosophy. Now having a published book, and an entirely world-studied discovery, he seems to feel he has found that new sense of purpose for himself. For both the philosophical world and the science world, this discovery is one of the latest and most generated sources of “cool” findings.
In Dr. Wolff’s case, his emptiness within has finally had some light shed upon, opening up for him a brighter tomorrow, as he celebrates today. In the article provided by SpaceandMotion.com, it elaborates his findings and digs deeper into the philosophy side. The purpose of this small post is not to investigate the findings of Dr. Wolf and his discovery, but to magnify the words of brilliant minds of our past that helped make that discovery possible whatsoever. Not to forget that his discovery was created on instinct in hopes of filling whatever void was left in him, whether it was in his mind, heart, or soul.
I believe emptiness is something found in someone, after damage is caused. It’s not something that was always there, but something that shows up out of nowhere with no explanation of its being there, and forced to be treated. Of course, this damage, is not something physical and real, but something invisible and only spoken of. Being cool is not something peopling are, but something they only aspire to become. It is the representation of something that you crave to have in your life. It is commonly mistaken for fashion, or an essential to the fashion-world. Cool can be something as easy as learning how to be a great cook, or going from an average reader to an outspoken intellectual, all due to reading more. It’s what you want in your life, what you’re dying to have.
“When the mind's eye rests on objects illuminated by truth and reality, it understands and comprehends them, and functions intelligently; but when it turns to the twilight world of change and decay, it can only form opinions, its vision is confused and its beliefs shifting, and it seems to lack intelligence (Plato, Republic).”
Today’s world of collecting only what we feel is necessary to obtain “coolness” is probably what Albert Einstein was referring to mentioning what is needed for society in order to “overcome the modernist's snobbishness,” something relatable still to this day. After all, the word “cool” probably holds as much meaning to a famished homeless man when shown a picture of food, to a drowning man shown to him a picture of oxygen. Nothing less than desirable.
CITED SOURCE
http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Greek-Philosophy-Philosophers.htm
Sunday, December 13, 2009
HW 29 - Merchants of Cool
Is it evil to help the corporations to manipulate the minds of young people for the sake of profit?
The word "evil' shouldnt be used for neither the kids helping corporations reach out to audiences or the corporations themselves. They run focus groups only to reach out. Teenagers happen to be the most popular and highest rated group of consumers to them. it seems reasonable for them to use teenagers as they're no.1 marketed research, as Adults have gotten too old or less "cool" to know whats in or out, and children are too young to understand most of these discussions or less mature than teens.
Then again, corporations also mention that teens are the hardest group to reach out to, as they seem in-cooperative and are hardest to analyze, digging into they're minds. Based on what teens like, its hard getting whats cool or uncool. When corporations actually find out what it is that most kids think is cool and others have yet to realize, it is publicized for the entire teenager audience to see, revealing its secrecy and its sense of coolness is no longer.
In the end, what seems like corporations going out of they're way(s) to make life more appreciative for teens through possessions, is nothing more then them only creating things for us to consume so that they can have us in they're pockets while we give them what is in ours. How evil can corporations be when we are aware of what they are giving us, and yet we complain while handing over our wallets. Selling our souls to the devil, that saying sounds familiar. We call them evil for brainwashing us, even though we gave them the information to start them off with, or for just taking our money.?
The word "evil' shouldnt be used for neither the kids helping corporations reach out to audiences or the corporations themselves. They run focus groups only to reach out. Teenagers happen to be the most popular and highest rated group of consumers to them. it seems reasonable for them to use teenagers as they're no.1 marketed research, as Adults have gotten too old or less "cool" to know whats in or out, and children are too young to understand most of these discussions or less mature than teens.
Then again, corporations also mention that teens are the hardest group to reach out to, as they seem in-cooperative and are hardest to analyze, digging into they're minds. Based on what teens like, its hard getting whats cool or uncool. When corporations actually find out what it is that most kids think is cool and others have yet to realize, it is publicized for the entire teenager audience to see, revealing its secrecy and its sense of coolness is no longer.
In the end, what seems like corporations going out of they're way(s) to make life more appreciative for teens through possessions, is nothing more then them only creating things for us to consume so that they can have us in they're pockets while we give them what is in ours. How evil can corporations be when we are aware of what they are giving us, and yet we complain while handing over our wallets. Selling our souls to the devil, that saying sounds familiar. We call them evil for brainwashing us, even though we gave them the information to start them off with, or for just taking our money.?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
HW 28 - Informal research
The "coolhunter" is a website that itterates what is seen as "cool" throughout the entire globe. They do not consider themselves trend-seters, not do they detect "trend probability", or is to become the next cool. The about us section explains what the websites mission is briefly, what is cool is not only what they see in the U.S., but what similarities and relevance they find in any setting between the states and other countries. They are considered to be "a leading authority on all things creative and a truly global hub for what's cool, thoughtful, innovative and original. We value global relevance, not trends, channeling our discoveries to our worldwide audience."
CNN.com's business section explores through several articles what's cool and latest in the businessworld. They define some things like newest social networks accessed during business flights, or business tools, and latest ways to get rich on the web. All the latest functions and business related things are seen as "cool".
Vice-Magazine, a well read source in L.A., explores the concept of cool through their two teen interns that were allowed to write an entire web-based article on whats cool. "Saying you’re cool isn’t cool. That just shits on your whole image or look or whatever. Right now, carelessness is cool. This may include not bathing, not washing your clothes, buying pre-fucked up clothing, and wearing things until they are completely destroyed. Personal hygiene is no longer a factor. Busted Levi’s and vintage clunky boots are where it’s at. This feeling of whatever is cool." The two investigated whats seen as cool, like which cameras or transportation devices, providing pictures and writing the entire article with a douche-bag attitude throughout.
Cool Hunting is a website that updates itself daily on the latest. Whether it be ideas, products, all tying into art, culture, technology, or design. ALthough they choose not to preview objects that are liked through a wide-audience, but rather what they like. They must like popular things because they attract at least 400,000 readers yearly. "Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you coverage on Cool Hunting", their motto.
"How to be cool" article on wikihow.com A website that answers "how-to" questions, how to be cool being one of them. Includes 16 steps, and instructions per step. Says in the article that those who are cool have something in common with each other, "they're all confident, unique, and on friendly terms with everyone." The article has been read (since my visit)541,397 times. A poll is taken at the bottom of the website asking whether the site has been accurate or not, with yes or no buttons to be selected.
Citations
Tikos, Bill. "Thecoolhunter.net." http://www.thecoolhunter.net/sc/detail/6 Webdesigned:2004
Ford,Eliel and Kennedy,Chandler. "http://vice.typepad.com/vice_magazine/2009/04/teen-week-whats-cool.html" ViceMagazine.com 10/04/2009.
Rubin, Josh. "www.coolhunting.com" http://www.coolhunting.com/.
Copyrighted: 2003
CNN.com's business section explores through several articles what's cool and latest in the businessworld. They define some things like newest social networks accessed during business flights, or business tools, and latest ways to get rich on the web. All the latest functions and business related things are seen as "cool".
Vice-Magazine, a well read source in L.A., explores the concept of cool through their two teen interns that were allowed to write an entire web-based article on whats cool. "Saying you’re cool isn’t cool. That just shits on your whole image or look or whatever. Right now, carelessness is cool. This may include not bathing, not washing your clothes, buying pre-fucked up clothing, and wearing things until they are completely destroyed. Personal hygiene is no longer a factor. Busted Levi’s and vintage clunky boots are where it’s at. This feeling of whatever is cool." The two investigated whats seen as cool, like which cameras or transportation devices, providing pictures and writing the entire article with a douche-bag attitude throughout.
Cool Hunting is a website that updates itself daily on the latest. Whether it be ideas, products, all tying into art, culture, technology, or design. ALthough they choose not to preview objects that are liked through a wide-audience, but rather what they like. They must like popular things because they attract at least 400,000 readers yearly. "Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you coverage on Cool Hunting", their motto.
"How to be cool" article on wikihow.com A website that answers "how-to" questions, how to be cool being one of them. Includes 16 steps, and instructions per step. Says in the article that those who are cool have something in common with each other, "they're all confident, unique, and on friendly terms with everyone." The article has been read (since my visit)541,397 times. A poll is taken at the bottom of the website asking whether the site has been accurate or not, with yes or no buttons to be selected.
Citations
Tikos, Bill. "Thecoolhunter.net." http://www.thecoolhunter.net/sc/detail/6 Webdesigned:2004
Ford,Eliel and Kennedy,Chandler. "http://vice.typepad.com/vice_magazine/2009/04/teen-week-whats-cool.html" ViceMagazine.com 10/04/2009.
Rubin, Josh. "www.coolhunting.com" http://www.coolhunting.com/.
Copyrighted: 2003
Friday, December 4, 2009
HW 27 -Informal Research
I spoke to a friend of mine, and i asked her only a few simple questions pertaining the word "cool". Some easy ones were What do you think is cool? What is your definition of it? and Do you think you are cool? Like others, if asked are they cool, she tried answered in the most humbling answer. She didn't think she was cool, she thought she was just average and no one special only that she is very like able to people and fits in, but wouldn't call it "cool". She believed that others would find her to be cool because of the way she was and her personality, even though she was just being herself always, whether it be polite calm or annoyed. My opinion of her answer though... because i know her and we've often spoken about ourselves, i am aware of her social-life within school, and her social-life outside of it, such as where she lives (Glendale, Queens). She loves her school, Talent Unlimited, a school for those who choose to pursue acting, singing, dancing etc. So odds are applicants in that school are kids of similar goals and needs who will have less differences than anything else between them. And in Glendale, "Gaydale" is what she'll refer to it as, is a place she terribly hates to live in. Supposedly she has only one friend out there, or maybe that is because she only tolerates one teen in that area instead of giving any others a chance. To explain her situation as easy as possible, she is cool in her High School but not so cool in her neighborhood.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
HW 26 - photos and questions
Elaine
q) what is your idea of the word cool?
a) cool, calm, relaxed individual. chilly .... depends what you mean by cool.
q)so theres different meanings?
a)yeah i suppose so
q) how does one's appearance affect how someone is cool?
a)it can define them. people dont wake up in the morning thinking they will look cool or uncool, they're worried whether they look nice or not. And the rest of the world will label them by the end of the day.
q) do you think you dress "cool"?
a) nah, i can dress, but i could care less at the end of the day. I could just go out with ripped jeans and a t-shirt and thats fine with me.
q) a homeless person could have just ripped jeans and a t-shirt. so you guys are same equivalence of cool?
a) **laughing out loud**
Elias
q) so whats your idea of cool?
a) ME!!
q) sir, can u keep this interview professional please? thank you
a) i mean... some one who gets a lot of looks as they walk past
q) why do you think they're getting those looks?
a)idk. if its a girl odds are they just look good. a guy i guess they got style or money or whatever girls like so much.
q)money? so money can make a person cool, whether they are a jerk or not?
a) hey... money talks.
Chelsealyn
q) what do you think makes someone "cooll"?
a) hmmm... well is this personel or am i answering for everyone ?
q) why, do you think urrr cool? and be honest
a) I don't think im cool in everyones eyes some people think im really a cool person because i am an outgoing bubbly person who lives life as the day goes and for the moment and what im feeling... but other people can find that obnoxious. (these questions are hard) everyone has ...there own taste. i dont think there is a deffinition of cool .
its different for everyone.
q) and whats your definition
a) well cool people are unique different who express themselves in ways i never thought of, people who think differently than i do but also someone i have things in common with. REALLY cool people are artistic in my opinion or have something that they do that can define them as a person that being... an athlete a poet a writer etc. "cool" people to me are fun spontaneous & outgoing
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
HW 25 - Story comments & analysis
To Kiana...
I liked your story kiana. It refelcted upon alot of teenagers these days that try to stand out through possessions. Instead of the boy being himself, he tried being an image that he sees everyday, probably placed in his mind through pop culture and things of that sort. Being obsessed with "coolness" made him do all the wrong things.
To Christian...
I liked your story because it portrays the average "cool" kid being polite for one second to his friends than rude after. Sometimes kids like that will act one way in school, but act like angles or entirely different in front of theyre family or outside friends. I guess Dean is one of those, nervous about the reaction his mother will have of him acting like that in school.
To Elias...
I like your story. Its short yet it explains it all! i have a friend who is just the same way. and i know exactly what u meant by making your character walk away "shaking your head". Sounds like this Edgar guy is living a secret life, or maybe hes just bootyblind? anywhoo, its a good story. i look forward to reading your next short story.
To Anias...
Your story was very creative. The girl, although she tried her hardest for people to stop looking up to her and being idolized, she thought showing much attitude for everyone everywhere was the solution for getting her uncoolness to finally rub off, even though that was the reason she got into that predicament in the first place.
Analysis
What i noticed about the short stories was that they all included the same elements. Attitude, and style. Whether the person had attitude in general, or they had shown attitude through they're style. These were the two only patterns i saw.
The archtypes of the stories were pursuit of imagery, defiance, and proving the hypocritical lifestyles of the innocence. (if that makes any sense). Its interesting to see that everyones story all included high school life, and all different kinds of people. the most important observation was that no ones character ever noticed they're need for being cool let alone admitting it.
I liked your story kiana. It refelcted upon alot of teenagers these days that try to stand out through possessions. Instead of the boy being himself, he tried being an image that he sees everyday, probably placed in his mind through pop culture and things of that sort. Being obsessed with "coolness" made him do all the wrong things.
To Christian...
I liked your story because it portrays the average "cool" kid being polite for one second to his friends than rude after. Sometimes kids like that will act one way in school, but act like angles or entirely different in front of theyre family or outside friends. I guess Dean is one of those, nervous about the reaction his mother will have of him acting like that in school.
To Elias...
I like your story. Its short yet it explains it all! i have a friend who is just the same way. and i know exactly what u meant by making your character walk away "shaking your head". Sounds like this Edgar guy is living a secret life, or maybe hes just bootyblind? anywhoo, its a good story. i look forward to reading your next short story.
To Anias...
Your story was very creative. The girl, although she tried her hardest for people to stop looking up to her and being idolized, she thought showing much attitude for everyone everywhere was the solution for getting her uncoolness to finally rub off, even though that was the reason she got into that predicament in the first place.
Analysis
What i noticed about the short stories was that they all included the same elements. Attitude, and style. Whether the person had attitude in general, or they had shown attitude through they're style. These were the two only patterns i saw.
The archtypes of the stories were pursuit of imagery, defiance, and proving the hypocritical lifestyles of the innocence. (if that makes any sense). Its interesting to see that everyones story all included high school life, and all different kinds of people. the most important observation was that no ones character ever noticed they're need for being cool let alone admitting it.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
HW 24 - Short Story 1
That man must be exhausted. Not from sitting there on that park-bench waiting for his daughter to finish playing, but from his life in general. He works two jobs, for the Post office in the day and a dangerous track inspection job for Transit at night. Instead of using free, valuable time to sleep and re-energize himself during the day, he spends the extra time he has with his two sons and daughter out in Queens. Also in Queens, is the mother of his daughters other son, similar in age, who he still spends time with also even though he and the woman aren't together anymore, meaning that boy is no longer his step-son, yet he sticks around. His daughter, in Queens, has Soccer Practice on Saturdays, Church on Sundays, the step-son has soccer practice and needs to be taken to the library often. The other two sons, one only looking for support at his football games and the other, too old for the "quality time" spent at the park or bike-riding. Where is the mom? Probably out with her newest boyfriend again, the youngest girl complains. After a very tough breakup and permanent separation, the game of "watching your ex with new people without letting it bother you" begins. Knowing the new boyfriend comes by his children doesn't bother the man MUCH, but interestingly when they used the word "cool" and him surprisingly took him over the top. "Daddy, he has a motorcycle its so cool". "His house is huge!" "He does this trick where you take the balloon and..."
Never been called cool, and now will never get the chance to be. Using all his free time in his life to create impacts on his children's lives, only by simply being there. Not enough sleep in his life led to lack of focus in his night job, an incident is what they called it. And his son, I, now misses that "quality time" he thought he was too cool for. You think that new boyfriend will take the kids to practice in his cool motorcycle?
Never been called cool, and now will never get the chance to be. Using all his free time in his life to create impacts on his children's lives, only by simply being there. Not enough sleep in his life led to lack of focus in his night job, an incident is what they called it. And his son, I, now misses that "quality time" he thought he was too cool for. You think that new boyfriend will take the kids to practice in his cool motorcycle?
Monday, November 16, 2009
HW 23 - 1st constructive exploration of cool
For this first post of the Cool unit please explore the definition, feeling, concept, experience, pursuit of cool.
What questions do you have about being cool? About being uncool?
What insights have flashed into your mind about cool? Who is cool? What defines cool? What are different types of cool? Are you cool?
"Cool is an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist. Because of the varied and changing connotations of cool, as well its subjective nature, the word has no single meaning...."
When looking up the word cool, the results was just as i expected. No single meaning. To be cool is a word that is thrown around that doesn't have a meaning but represents one's stature. To describe literally anything you would want, you can include the word "cool" in your sentence. Cool is usually representing an entire thought, such as "Thats cool!", or "How cool!", such as cool representing the entire phrase nice to see or thats new or interesting. Things we see that we find new and entertaining is instantly referred to as cool.
The movie "Half-Baked" with Dave Chappelle, shows a scene where his friend Scarface is quitting his minimum wage job, where he confronts everyone before he acts. "Fuck you... Fuck you... your cool... and Fuck you, I'm out."- Scarface. This is where he points around the room with a microphone exposing whoever he felt was "cool" as a person that he wouldn't express vulgar words to. Only one person was worthy of that, which was ironically funny because it happened to be this old white guy with white hair who seemed anything but cool. This represents the average American mind, where all we seem to do is wrap our minds and words around "cool". We will get anything that seems cool or associate ourselves with anything or anyone cool.
I do these things myself, I'm not afraid to admit it, although i don't see any reason to be 'afraid' either. I constantly get rid of cellphones or ipods that arent the latest thing, and i myself, used to the lifestyle of switching around, can never seem satisfied with what i have anymore. The newest features always seem cool to us and anything else isnt worth buying. Things we see celebrities with, whether it be fashion or technology, the things they promote to the public has to always be seen as cool, otherwise things we find odd that we catch them doing are often placed in magazine articles or caught on video. i think this cool unit will connect to the digital unit.
What questions do you have about being cool? About being uncool?
What insights have flashed into your mind about cool? Who is cool? What defines cool? What are different types of cool? Are you cool?
"Cool is an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist. Because of the varied and changing connotations of cool, as well its subjective nature, the word has no single meaning...."
When looking up the word cool, the results was just as i expected. No single meaning. To be cool is a word that is thrown around that doesn't have a meaning but represents one's stature. To describe literally anything you would want, you can include the word "cool" in your sentence. Cool is usually representing an entire thought, such as "Thats cool!", or "How cool!", such as cool representing the entire phrase nice to see or thats new or interesting. Things we see that we find new and entertaining is instantly referred to as cool.
The movie "Half-Baked" with Dave Chappelle, shows a scene where his friend Scarface is quitting his minimum wage job, where he confronts everyone before he acts. "Fuck you... Fuck you... your cool... and Fuck you, I'm out."- Scarface. This is where he points around the room with a microphone exposing whoever he felt was "cool" as a person that he wouldn't express vulgar words to. Only one person was worthy of that, which was ironically funny because it happened to be this old white guy with white hair who seemed anything but cool. This represents the average American mind, where all we seem to do is wrap our minds and words around "cool". We will get anything that seems cool or associate ourselves with anything or anyone cool.
I do these things myself, I'm not afraid to admit it, although i don't see any reason to be 'afraid' either. I constantly get rid of cellphones or ipods that arent the latest thing, and i myself, used to the lifestyle of switching around, can never seem satisfied with what i have anymore. The newest features always seem cool to us and anything else isnt worth buying. Things we see celebrities with, whether it be fashion or technology, the things they promote to the public has to always be seen as cool, otherwise things we find odd that we catch them doing are often placed in magazine articles or caught on video. i think this cool unit will connect to the digital unit.
Friday, November 13, 2009
HW 21- art project 1
My art project is a mirror of my life, but hammers down on the nails that hold up the true meaning of "art". my video, was allowed to be created in this route based on the rules of the assignment. But my video in my opinion was nothing close to what represents art in our culture. It instead reflects onto immature-america, something that we as a whole should be used to. Trying to imitate the visuals we see everyday around us, whether it be pop culture or Jackass the show or MTV. These things are things that we pretend to view as beautiful and artsy and portrayed as something special. Nevertheless, i still had an incredible amount of fun creating it...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
HW 22 - FINAL DRAFT
Introduction:
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
Argument 1:
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
“I didn’t know which to choose, because if I got an upcar that was too small, than Link and Marty might be like, ‘We’ll take my car instead, more of us can fit in,’ and then I would have spent these hundreds of thousands of dollars for nothing. But if I bought the Swarp, it was a little more sporty, and that might be brag, because the Dodge Gryphon was maybe too family” (pg. 122).
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless, while these technological objects representing power.
Argument 2:
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less active and social. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or activities less technical, is like being re-born. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. They also show that one human who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the much simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up are seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
Argument 3:
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest. Interesting enough, he discusses the negative effects that reading has on human beings in this day and age rather than the digital devices surrounding us. His argument for reading was that it encourages the discrimination that society has against those who are dyslexic. Johnson believed that today’s games are a better use for children to practice reading skills and practice strengthening they’re attention spans. Video games today involve mappings, text, storylines, facts, etc. Even reading has become a digital thing for most readers on the go, as a wireless reading device storms through stores and makes a run for the books on people’s shelves.
(http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TCML0)
Introducing the Kindle DX, a handheld device that allows readers to read on a “newer level”. It is size of a small picture frame, that represents one page out of a novel that the text appears onto. For those who have trouble reading, such as glasses users, there are features included such as zooming and lighting for those who are trying to read in the dark. The Kindle DX allows any book to be uploaded into the frame, the touch-screen device allows a simple touch with the finger to flip to the next page. Something as easy as reading, turning pages with your fingers, holding the book with both hands, can turn into something more convenient.
Conclusion:
You can’t fight technology that works. Books and movies and messages are all over trying to mold us into boycotting machines. It takes propaganda to fight propaganda. We can see these movies over and over again, or listen to hidden messages in songs, or even realize that along with our consciousness to reality our money in our wallets is also gone. Authors like M.T. Anderson give us novel winning messages that can one day help us alter our way of thinking, and then we are introduced to authors such as Steven Johnson who support video games for the young minds. The fact of the matter is technology is growing along with our addiction to it. We cannot move past this era neither can we shrug off the need to inspect them. We will want them and most of us will get them, only question that remains is where will this lead us and when?
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
Argument 1:
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
“I didn’t know which to choose, because if I got an upcar that was too small, than Link and Marty might be like, ‘We’ll take my car instead, more of us can fit in,’ and then I would have spent these hundreds of thousands of dollars for nothing. But if I bought the Swarp, it was a little more sporty, and that might be brag, because the Dodge Gryphon was maybe too family” (pg. 122).
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless, while these technological objects representing power.
Argument 2:
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less active and social. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or activities less technical, is like being re-born. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. They also show that one human who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the much simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up are seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
Argument 3:
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest. Interesting enough, he discusses the negative effects that reading has on human beings in this day and age rather than the digital devices surrounding us. His argument for reading was that it encourages the discrimination that society has against those who are dyslexic. Johnson believed that today’s games are a better use for children to practice reading skills and practice strengthening they’re attention spans. Video games today involve mappings, text, storylines, facts, etc. Even reading has become a digital thing for most readers on the go, as a wireless reading device storms through stores and makes a run for the books on people’s shelves.
(http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TCML0)
Introducing the Kindle DX, a handheld device that allows readers to read on a “newer level”. It is size of a small picture frame, that represents one page out of a novel that the text appears onto. For those who have trouble reading, such as glasses users, there are features included such as zooming and lighting for those who are trying to read in the dark. The Kindle DX allows any book to be uploaded into the frame, the touch-screen device allows a simple touch with the finger to flip to the next page. Something as easy as reading, turning pages with your fingers, holding the book with both hands, can turn into something more convenient.
Conclusion:
You can’t fight technology that works. Books and movies and messages are all over trying to mold us into boycotting machines. It takes propaganda to fight propaganda. We can see these movies over and over again, or listen to hidden messages in songs, or even realize that along with our consciousness to reality our money in our wallets is also gone. Authors like M.T. Anderson give us novel winning messages that can one day help us alter our way of thinking, and then we are introduced to authors such as Steven Johnson who support video games for the young minds. The fact of the matter is technology is growing along with our addiction to it. We cannot move past this era neither can we shrug off the need to inspect them. We will want them and most of us will get them, only question that remains is where will this lead us and when?
Friday, November 6, 2009
HW 20 - revised draft pt.2
(now includes 3rd argument)
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
“I didn’t know which to choose, because if I got an upcar that was too small, than Link and Marty might be like, ‘We’ll take my car instead, more of us can fit in,’ and then I would have spent these hundreds of thousands of dollars for nothing. But if I bought the Swarp, it was a little more sporty, and that might be brag, because the Dodge Gryphon was maybe too family” (pg. 122).
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless, while these technological objects representing power.
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less active and social. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or activities less technical, is like being re-born. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. They also show that one human who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the much simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up are seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest. Interesting enough, he discusses the negative effects that reading has on human beings in this day and age rather than the digital devices surrounding us. His argument for reading was that it encourages the discrimination that society has against those who are dyslexic. Johnson believed that today’s games are a better use for children to practice reading skills and practice strengthening they’re attention spans. Video games today involve mappings, text, storylines, facts, etc. Even reading has become a digital thing for most readers on the go, as a wireless reading device storms through stores and makes a run for the books on people’s shelves.
(http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TCML0)
Introducing the Kindle DX, a handheld device that allows readers to read on a “newer level”. It is size of a small picture frame, that represents one page out of a novel that the text appears onto. For those who have trouble reading, such as glasses users, there are features included such as zooming and lighting for those who are trying to read in the dark. The Kindle DX allows any book to be uploaded into the frame, the touch-screen device allows a simple touch with the finger to flip to the next page. Something as easy as reading, turning pages with your fingers, holding the book with both hands, can turn into something more convenient.
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
“I didn’t know which to choose, because if I got an upcar that was too small, than Link and Marty might be like, ‘We’ll take my car instead, more of us can fit in,’ and then I would have spent these hundreds of thousands of dollars for nothing. But if I bought the Swarp, it was a little more sporty, and that might be brag, because the Dodge Gryphon was maybe too family” (pg. 122).
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless, while these technological objects representing power.
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less active and social. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or activities less technical, is like being re-born. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. They also show that one human who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the much simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up are seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest. Interesting enough, he discusses the negative effects that reading has on human beings in this day and age rather than the digital devices surrounding us. His argument for reading was that it encourages the discrimination that society has against those who are dyslexic. Johnson believed that today’s games are a better use for children to practice reading skills and practice strengthening they’re attention spans. Video games today involve mappings, text, storylines, facts, etc. Even reading has become a digital thing for most readers on the go, as a wireless reading device storms through stores and makes a run for the books on people’s shelves.
(http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TCML0)
Introducing the Kindle DX, a handheld device that allows readers to read on a “newer level”. It is size of a small picture frame, that represents one page out of a novel that the text appears onto. For those who have trouble reading, such as glasses users, there are features included such as zooming and lighting for those who are trying to read in the dark. The Kindle DX allows any book to be uploaded into the frame, the touch-screen device allows a simple touch with the finger to flip to the next page. Something as easy as reading, turning pages with your fingers, holding the book with both hands, can turn into something more convenient.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
HW 19 - draft comments
kiana...
Your draft is very strong i can only imagine how your actual paper will turn out. you included alot of background research on your arguments, which you connected to the next. If i had to throw advice your way, id have to mention the part where you talked about your conversation with Cotto, it seemed as though you went from researched argument to a personal sided argument, it flowed almost as if you started free-writing. Other than that i enjoyed your draft very much. Keep up the good work.
Stephanie...
I like your paper. Your interpretation of what is going on in Wall-E the movie was good. The quote you chose from Feed was good because it connected to your thesis and also your other arguments including Wall-E movie and the book "everything bad is good for you". It seems as though you are on top of your game and are ready to start on the actual paper. Good work.
Your draft is very strong i can only imagine how your actual paper will turn out. you included alot of background research on your arguments, which you connected to the next. If i had to throw advice your way, id have to mention the part where you talked about your conversation with Cotto, it seemed as though you went from researched argument to a personal sided argument, it flowed almost as if you started free-writing. Other than that i enjoyed your draft very much. Keep up the good work.
Stephanie...
I like your paper. Your interpretation of what is going on in Wall-E the movie was good. The quote you chose from Feed was good because it connected to your thesis and also your other arguments including Wall-E movie and the book "everything bad is good for you". It seems as though you are on top of your game and are ready to start on the actual paper. Good work.
HW 18 – Big rough draft paper
DRAFT !!
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
(include quote)
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless. These technological objects representing power.
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less actively and less socially. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or less technical activites, was like being re-born for the humans. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. Movies like these, show the one human being who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the more simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up is seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest.
As if America doesn’t have enough problems to deal with, another small addition has been added onto our plates. Everyone loves Apple’s Macs or Microsoft’s Xbox, only we love them to the point where we are home all day playing with them until they decide to create a portable device. Video games and TV have come a long way when looking at Pac-man and Super Mario Bros. digital graphics compared to the infamous Grand-theft auto or Today’s television shows. There is no doubt that American Society has taken a rise for a newer profound take on technology, but it is too most surely that America’s technological rise will too be the reason for its fall.
M.T. Anderson, an award winning novelist for his book “Feed” too discusses the downfall that we as a society are leading too. Only he does this in a more interesting way, an allegorical sense that shows the same problems faced by us as a society only in the future. It seems no matter the day and age, from this point on, we will only live to see problems occur with us, while we continue to live superficial lifestyles and judge the next person in two ways, for looking down on those who choose to live this lifestyle and for not joining in on the superficial race to live this way. It is already proven that Human beings are shown as a much “dumber” generation compared to those hundreds of years ago. In Feed, it depicts a picture for us, an eye- opening picture at that, showing we are on a road to only becoming dumber. M.T. Anderson shows us how blind we are to the environment we have created for ourselves. Not paying mind to our problems or the next, we soon disregard the problems that we experience now. We are blinded by the exciting flashy objects things that capture our attention, technology.
(include quote)
It is a race for us to be able to claim who owns what, helping to divide us between the powerful and the powerless. These technological objects representing power.
Disney’s Motion picture “Wall-E” shows the tale of an only robot that remains on Earth 700 years later in the future, going from cleaning garbage to being aboard a spaceship vacationing all humans until Earth is cleaned. The storyline is more complex and a bit off track. But what remains to be seen in Wall-E is the problems that Humans will drastically go through if we continue to live carelessly not concerning our futures. Besides worrying about where garbage storage will lead us, Wall-E shows us the attachment and dependency we have onto technology. Technology is created to make things simpler for us, but when things get a little too simple, we tend to be less actively and less socially. Being re-exposed to simpler things in life, such as swimming pools or less technical activites, was like being re-born for the humans. Movies like these, where scenes take place in the not-so distant future where we seem to have accomplished huge outbreaks in technology. Movies like these, show the one human being who chooses not to join in on the rush for technology and chooses to live the more simpler life of easier laid back devices, making the character always seem rebellious. This connects to the real world as people constantly get swept into the rush of new technology. Those who choose not to get caught up is seen as left behind or just old-fashioned. This relates to the main idea of the powerful continuing to obtain as the powerless struggle to keep up.
“Everything bad is good for you”, a book by Steven Johnson that explains the social differences that take place between readers and video-gamest.
Monday, November 2, 2009
HW 17 - blog comments
Stephany Adames...
Sounds like you've got your head in the game. This is not only well organized but very thorough. It'll be simple to write out your arguments based on your topic starters, its obvious that it can lead to a whole paper. Only thing is i guess you can create your thesis rather than show your essential question because eventually your gonna need it and have to strengthen it further on, why not kill two birds with one stone, no? Anyways, i wanted to do wall-e- to but i thought itd have been silly (haha) no but its good that your using it because what it depicted for viewers was something very serious, and not only a future dilemma on our hands but one we have now in modern America, i guess thats where feeds "allegory" kicks in. i hope my comment was helpful. Goodluck on your paper.
Sam Cotto...
Nice outline. its very structured, sounds like you are well prepared for your big paper. Your arguments are good but i think it might be a little more complicated then you realized to connect what those interviewed and your family members think about digital media to Feed and everything bad is good for you. But your also ahead of the game it seems so odds are you'll prove me wrong. Its very creative to use your own brainstormed thoughts as evidence, because it shows your in control of your own paper as this entire paper is based on our own self control and addictions to technology. Good luck on your paper.
Sounds like you've got your head in the game. This is not only well organized but very thorough. It'll be simple to write out your arguments based on your topic starters, its obvious that it can lead to a whole paper. Only thing is i guess you can create your thesis rather than show your essential question because eventually your gonna need it and have to strengthen it further on, why not kill two birds with one stone, no? Anyways, i wanted to do wall-e- to but i thought itd have been silly (haha) no but its good that your using it because what it depicted for viewers was something very serious, and not only a future dilemma on our hands but one we have now in modern America, i guess thats where feeds "allegory" kicks in. i hope my comment was helpful. Goodluck on your paper.
Sam Cotto...
Nice outline. its very structured, sounds like you are well prepared for your big paper. Your arguments are good but i think it might be a little more complicated then you realized to connect what those interviewed and your family members think about digital media to Feed and everything bad is good for you. But your also ahead of the game it seems so odds are you'll prove me wrong. Its very creative to use your own brainstormed thoughts as evidence, because it shows your in control of your own paper as this entire paper is based on our own self control and addictions to technology. Good luck on your paper.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
HW 16 - Big paper outline
Outline:
Intro
Thesis:
(1)American Society's rise for a newer profound take on technology will too be its fall.
(2)America's society, split into two, will show the powerful obtaining new technology to add onto while the powerless strive to obtain only to catch up and fit in, seemingly straggling behind as an "average american".
arguments:
(1)(tv vs. gaming)
Newer games and devices slightly prove to help teach kids and help them focus and learn in a more modern way.
(2)(m.t. anderson - feed)
aligory's are used by famous award winning novelists predicting the fall of americans being through our own accomplishments through digital use.
(3)Americans only find happiness or satisfaction through possessions, while others who do not possess those are found feeling emptiness or seen as feeling empty without
conclusion
Intro
Thesis:
(1)American Society's rise for a newer profound take on technology will too be its fall.
(2)America's society, split into two, will show the powerful obtaining new technology to add onto while the powerless strive to obtain only to catch up and fit in, seemingly straggling behind as an "average american".
arguments:
(1)(tv vs. gaming)
Newer games and devices slightly prove to help teach kids and help them focus and learn in a more modern way.
(2)(m.t. anderson - feed)
aligory's are used by famous award winning novelists predicting the fall of americans being through our own accomplishments through digital use.
(3)Americans only find happiness or satisfaction through possessions, while others who do not possess those are found feeling emptiness or seen as feeling empty without
conclusion
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
hw 15 - triangle comments
To brianna...
I like your posts. Its clear that you read the books and thought about the author's used words. I agree with your opinion that people who read more dont necessarilly go out more and have a greater social life than those who stay home to play games. You answered questions you came up with from the readings and also asked yourself frequent questions relating to them, i find this to be a great strategy especially when preparing yourself to write an essay. You included great quotes and analyzed them carefully which was also interesting. For your essay to be completely solid, just try correcting any grammar mistakes because it is the little mistakes that hold your paper back. Your point about art being a hammer that we use to shape the world was interesting. Although i slightly agree, i dont agree that feed is a work of art, i find it to be a book full of hidden messages helping us to re-appreciate art. I dont think the book was meant to prove the authors message of kids being dumber these days correct when reading the book, but your right about parts of the book sometimes being a bit confusing. its hard to imagine a world we dont live in when in reality it is the exact same world we live in. I enjoyed reading your posts.
I like your posts. Its clear that you read the books and thought about the author's used words. I agree with your opinion that people who read more dont necessarilly go out more and have a greater social life than those who stay home to play games. You answered questions you came up with from the readings and also asked yourself frequent questions relating to them, i find this to be a great strategy especially when preparing yourself to write an essay. You included great quotes and analyzed them carefully which was also interesting. For your essay to be completely solid, just try correcting any grammar mistakes because it is the little mistakes that hold your paper back. Your point about art being a hammer that we use to shape the world was interesting. Although i slightly agree, i dont agree that feed is a work of art, i find it to be a book full of hidden messages helping us to re-appreciate art. I dont think the book was meant to prove the authors message of kids being dumber these days correct when reading the book, but your right about parts of the book sometimes being a bit confusing. its hard to imagine a world we dont live in when in reality it is the exact same world we live in. I enjoyed reading your posts.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
HW 14 - Second Text
The Television text was not as interesting as the Games text to me. It spoke about the changes made in television shows over the last 20 years. The author said that TV was seen as a downfall for us as we are said to surrender our minds to television whenever tuning in. It was interesting to read that we were in a corrupt time in our lives even during the Andy Griffith and Perry Como era.
The Games text had an opposite argument than Television, supposedly being good for us rather than bad. It was bold of the author to even try comparing video-gaming to reading. Ive always noticed the outbreak in game designing but i never thought about how much reading and text is included in the game and how one video-game shares the same concept as reading, including plot, characterization, setting, repetition etc.
These books contradict feed and its messages as feed is an aligory for modern teenage lifestyle, showing the habits and addictions we have picked up from digital media representation. The books mention how the bad is actually good for us. The author also states that reading only puts down human beings suffering from dislexia. He has two interpretations of digitalization because he says television time is worthless for us, because we only feel smarter and dont actually get smarter as we watch sophisticated shows like frazier. Then video games can actually make us smarter because read-ons are now included.
The Games text had an opposite argument than Television, supposedly being good for us rather than bad. It was bold of the author to even try comparing video-gaming to reading. Ive always noticed the outbreak in game designing but i never thought about how much reading and text is included in the game and how one video-game shares the same concept as reading, including plot, characterization, setting, repetition etc.
These books contradict feed and its messages as feed is an aligory for modern teenage lifestyle, showing the habits and addictions we have picked up from digital media representation. The books mention how the bad is actually good for us. The author also states that reading only puts down human beings suffering from dislexia. He has two interpretations of digitalization because he says television time is worthless for us, because we only feel smarter and dont actually get smarter as we watch sophisticated shows like frazier. Then video games can actually make us smarter because read-ons are now included.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
HW 13 - Feed B
Feed as an allegory was something special because it illustrated the reliance onto technology that we will have along the road if we continue to distract ourselves from the real world and continue to distract ourselves with latest inventions and such.
The thirst for technology as a child to obtain a feed so that Valerie may be just like all the other kids, and her later mission to 'fight' against the feed helps to lead to her rejection of a better and newer feed, ironically killing her slowly.
Feed can be seen as a work of art, just as a painting or a picture may paint a whole new picture within the viewers mind. For art to be used as a hammer, sounds a little too much, because a hammer's dents, reshaping what needs to be shaped, can never be reversed. A mirror shows what you truly are and how you are seen by the rest of the world. you might not like what you see, but unlike the hammer, you can always shape yourself up in more ways than one.
Feed is more of a mirror than the hammer, reflectively, its just showing us that if we continue to lead our lives in this "destructive" way, things will come down onto our world, much as a hammer would.
The thirst for technology as a child to obtain a feed so that Valerie may be just like all the other kids, and her later mission to 'fight' against the feed helps to lead to her rejection of a better and newer feed, ironically killing her slowly.
Feed can be seen as a work of art, just as a painting or a picture may paint a whole new picture within the viewers mind. For art to be used as a hammer, sounds a little too much, because a hammer's dents, reshaping what needs to be shaped, can never be reversed. A mirror shows what you truly are and how you are seen by the rest of the world. you might not like what you see, but unlike the hammer, you can always shape yourself up in more ways than one.
Feed is more of a mirror than the hammer, reflectively, its just showing us that if we continue to lead our lives in this "destructive" way, things will come down onto our world, much as a hammer would.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
hw 12 - feed a
Feed is an allegory to modern teenage society. I think the authors goal of capturing modern teenage life through a futuristic lifestyle was accurate and understandable as it was easy to connect to the trends or digital media in which they go through.
The "feed" in the story is incredibly creative and moving because of Violet's taking. I think that the feed was created because the internet, chatting, and media is entirely on today's teenagers' minds. We almost have what is known to the book as the feed, only it isnt linked to our brains. We have blackberrys and Sidekicks that do almost all of those things only it isnt as high-tech as the feed is.
The feed was designed to make people smarter and have unlimited resources in they're hands. Not knowing what something was meant at that same second you could research it or define a word or find the answer to any question, ultimately something like that should make you smarter, except those kids were using they're resources for teen fads and going "mal". To be able to define words in a second made them lazier and never remembering them because they were never going anywhere, and when they're feeds were down they couldnt even carry a conversation on they're own, not being told what to say made them lost.
The "feed" in the story is incredibly creative and moving because of Violet's taking. I think that the feed was created because the internet, chatting, and media is entirely on today's teenagers' minds. We almost have what is known to the book as the feed, only it isnt linked to our brains. We have blackberrys and Sidekicks that do almost all of those things only it isnt as high-tech as the feed is.
The feed was designed to make people smarter and have unlimited resources in they're hands. Not knowing what something was meant at that same second you could research it or define a word or find the answer to any question, ultimately something like that should make you smarter, except those kids were using they're resources for teen fads and going "mal". To be able to define words in a second made them lazier and never remembering them because they were never going anywhere, and when they're feeds were down they couldnt even carry a conversation on they're own, not being told what to say made them lost.
HW 11 - Self experiment 1
For my self-experimentation i had decided to go with digital fasting, not entirely but with certain digital devices. The reason i had decided to fast was because i was sort of forced to go that route, as my cellphone was shut off for a week and my ipod the battery shorted out. I were in school not texting people or fiddling with my cellphone, actually paying attention a small percentage more than before. I started to read my "feed" book everywhere i went on the trains and i actually finished it when told to only go up to 210. i personally consider this a huge goal for myself seeing how i haven't finished a novel in probably two years. No cellphone meant i was in bed earlier not texting hours into the night. I still kept up my television habit and aiming/fb, but i 'on those sites any longer than i normally would due to me being phone less.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
HW 8 - comments
Jin's video...
good stuff. i liked how you made your video showing two different perspectives. You allowed the viewers to see both what you are seeing and how you are viewed by them while actually doing the activities. You said in your text that you thought it was creepy to see yourself speaking so you stood quiet (haha) that allowed me to check out your faciall expressions reacting to you on Facebook. It seemed to me as though only reading facebook updates and feeds was boring yet you chose to continue to do so instead of changing the website or activities all together. I like how you said you dont like how you spend your time on facebook when you can be out connecting with your "community" yet you being on facebook becoming aware of all of your friends/family's news helps you stay ahead of what is happening within your own personal community without having to leave your home. i think that it is sometimes easier to do it this way. If i wanted to connect with my own community myself without going out i guess i could turn on my television set to a decent channel and not my usual picks of sitcoms and whatnot. Or visit news-related websites like Yahoo or CNN instead of constanly on social-networking sites. Some ideas i can throw by you to help further your future blog posts are to include maybe small clips of you actually doing the activities you mentioned like playing the wii. It was a great video. the link to the website really screamed creativity.
elias's video...
Good stuff. i liked how you pretended to not be on camera the entire time (haha). I liked how you moved from activity to activity in very little time, getting everything you needed done swiftly. This shows me, through the eyes of a first-time viewer not an average friend, that you are used to being on those digital devices very much and that you spend much time on them to be able to multi-task so easily. I liked your point in your text that stated you like that school and homework keep you distracted from wasting your time from things like web-browsing. But imagine if in your video you spent the computer time actually getting school work done, Me as a viewer would never be the wiser. It was funny to see that what you were doing on Facebook was visiting MY profile (lol). Overall it was a decent film, short and expressive. Good stuff.
good stuff. i liked how you made your video showing two different perspectives. You allowed the viewers to see both what you are seeing and how you are viewed by them while actually doing the activities. You said in your text that you thought it was creepy to see yourself speaking so you stood quiet (haha) that allowed me to check out your faciall expressions reacting to you on Facebook. It seemed to me as though only reading facebook updates and feeds was boring yet you chose to continue to do so instead of changing the website or activities all together. I like how you said you dont like how you spend your time on facebook when you can be out connecting with your "community" yet you being on facebook becoming aware of all of your friends/family's news helps you stay ahead of what is happening within your own personal community without having to leave your home. i think that it is sometimes easier to do it this way. If i wanted to connect with my own community myself without going out i guess i could turn on my television set to a decent channel and not my usual picks of sitcoms and whatnot. Or visit news-related websites like Yahoo or CNN instead of constanly on social-networking sites. Some ideas i can throw by you to help further your future blog posts are to include maybe small clips of you actually doing the activities you mentioned like playing the wii. It was a great video. the link to the website really screamed creativity.
elias's video...
Good stuff. i liked how you pretended to not be on camera the entire time (haha). I liked how you moved from activity to activity in very little time, getting everything you needed done swiftly. This shows me, through the eyes of a first-time viewer not an average friend, that you are used to being on those digital devices very much and that you spend much time on them to be able to multi-task so easily. I liked your point in your text that stated you like that school and homework keep you distracted from wasting your time from things like web-browsing. But imagine if in your video you spent the computer time actually getting school work done, Me as a viewer would never be the wiser. It was funny to see that what you were doing on Facebook was visiting MY profile (lol). Overall it was a decent film, short and expressive. Good stuff.
Friday, October 2, 2009
HW 10
The first website i read on, was saying the cellphone use causes cancer, which was the links main argument. They also mentioned how it can also change your DNA physically through your body, by rearranging strands. They said that the radiation coming from cellphones are invisible and yet they are small amounts that run through signals and incoming/outcoming waves.
The second link i read about was saying that out of the entire world, approximately 6 billion people total, 4 billion human beings have personal cellphones. The U.S. seems to be one of the most concerned countries when directing safety from constant cellphone use. I guess Americans have a larger cellphone addiction than we realized.
The third website i ran into talked more about how cellphone radiation is more of a scare than anything. Cancer can literally come from anywhere so why judge cellphones. All websites agreed that radiation comes through different forms. This website was the one to mention how there is also good radiation in this world too, such as daylight. Yet there are still some that can drastically kill you, there are even science terms used for the type of exposure found, for the good and the bad.
(website 1)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/sfl-cell-phone-risks-091609,0,4780750.story
(website 2)
http://detroitnews.com/article/20090916/LIFESTYLE03/909160366/1013/Tips-to-cut-potential-cell-phone-risks
(website 3)
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/are-cell-phones-harmful-to-young-children/
The second link i read about was saying that out of the entire world, approximately 6 billion people total, 4 billion human beings have personal cellphones. The U.S. seems to be one of the most concerned countries when directing safety from constant cellphone use. I guess Americans have a larger cellphone addiction than we realized.
The third website i ran into talked more about how cellphone radiation is more of a scare than anything. Cancer can literally come from anywhere so why judge cellphones. All websites agreed that radiation comes through different forms. This website was the one to mention how there is also good radiation in this world too, such as daylight. Yet there are still some that can drastically kill you, there are even science terms used for the type of exposure found, for the good and the bad.
(website 1)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/sfl-cell-phone-risks-091609,0,4780750.story
(website 2)
http://detroitnews.com/article/20090916/LIFESTYLE03/909160366/1013/Tips-to-cut-potential-cell-phone-risks
(website 3)
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/are-cell-phones-harmful-to-young-children/
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Me in the Mornings (Sunday morning, not schooldays) from chris roldan on Vimeo.
Some thoughts and feelings i have when watching my video is that i made a pretty basic video that tells me what Digital activities can be done by myself in only a matter of four minutes. it seems to me that i work my way around a laptop and the cablebox pretty easily, which tells me im on it so much ive made my routes on the laptop a habit. and Links have been saved and information has been saved into the laptop by me. leaving a trail. My little sister is only two, but once she is at that age where she cant keep her hands off a computer herself, ill be much older and definately not living with her anymore. so yes, when she is at that age, i think i would rather her be using the computer so that i can keep in contact with her more easier. It shows that my only priorities at the moment, on a natural sunday morning for me, is to see who has commented to me or responded to me that i have missed while being asleep. Which were probably the same people who i spoke to that put me to sleep just before i went to bed. It makes me realize how dependant i am onto these electronics as a person because it has been encoded into my everyday routine. i didnt even go strait for the kitchen for a bowl of cereal, i went right towards my living room and to the living room computer. Im not so sure what the wii analogy means, but i know that as an electronic device itself, it does not make things easier because it also provides internet service, and such.
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