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Thursday, March 11, 2010
English Journey Reflections
Hi everybody and welcome to my e-portfolio! My name is Kathi Crow. I have spent the last twelve years as the single parent of three sons now aged 25, 20 and 16. I work full time as a medical assistant. I am fortunate to have a job I love and am taking classes in order to further my career in the healthcare field. The ability to take online classes has been tremendously beneficial for me. It’s true, the responsibility of having to work full time, go to school, and take care of family responsibilities has been challenging; but, being part of an online learning community has made it possible.
I have found English 101D to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I have always wanted to try writing and have found it to be very difficult. Being able to think about things and analyze them is easy. Trying to put the thoughts on paper is a very different story. During the course of the class, we have examined identities, communities and traditions.
The identity unit made me realize that many things affect the way we form our identities. Something as simple as which lunch we end up in can contribute to the way we identify with who we are. As described in the essay “High School’s Secret life” by Emily White, “devastation comes when a kid draws the wrong lunch” (16). We start forming our identities at birth and our upbringing play a large part of our identity. Community and tradition play a part as well.
The community unit changed my perspective of what a community is. Before taking the class, I never gave a thought to what a community is. I probably would have described it as the place in which we live. Through reading the essays in “Remix” and further discussion with the group, I now realize a community is much more than that. A community is a place of like-minded people. As demonstrated in the essay “A Secret Society of the starving”, communities are not always good for us. The essay discusses online sites that promote anorexia. Mim Udovich describes this online community as “a close community, close in the manner of close friendships of girls and young women”. As described in the essay, we do not even have to leave our homes in order to be part of a community.
In the tradition unit, we were challenged to examine the way traditions are being affected by pop-culture. Steven Johnson defines this best in his essay “Everything Bad is Good for You: Games” when he states, “the media ecosystem has been churning out popular culture that has grown steadily more complex over time” (416). The readings and discussions from the tradition unit readings made me step back and examine how some traditions are disappearing.
For my E-portfolio, I have chosen the following pieces: Critical Thinking Piece, Timed Write 2-Crossing Boundaries: I chose this piece because, the activities from this unit were my favorite and I feel the resulting paper shows my best analytical skills. Revision Piece, Time Write 1-Outside, Looking in: I could have chosen any number of pieces for this because I think they all need a revision. I chose this piece because it was the farthest one off the mark. Awareness of Audience and Voice, Tradition DB 2-Pushing Buttons: This was my favorite post. The resulting discussion and questions from classmates gave me the opportunity to ponder what life would be like without the invention of the microwave and other modern day conveniences. Writer’s Choice, Unit 2 Blog-Community Involvement. I chose this piece because I really had a lot of fun writing it. The identity unit really helped me to analyze what it means to be a community and I feel this paper does a good job of reflecting that analysis.
My statement in the very first discussion board “I have spent the last 20 some odd years alternating between Washington and Montana, spending an almost equal amount of time in each state. The difference between the two cultures makes it hard to believe that only 1000 miles separates them!” shows that I had a clear understanding of cultural difference from the start of the class. I had no idea in that initial post however, just how much I would come to learn about how cultures play a part in the way we form identities, communities, and traditions. While I started out with the attitude that I would get an A in this class, I had no idea of how much of a course load it would be. At times, I felt overwhelmed with the shear amount of work in this class. A few times, I even doubted my ability to pass the class. However, I stuck with it, and it was incredibly challenging and I did it! Although I was not able to achieve the A that I strived for, I am incredibly proud of the fact that I have grown academically, professionally and personally.
I have found English 101D to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I have always wanted to try writing and have found it to be very difficult. Being able to think about things and analyze them is easy. Trying to put the thoughts on paper is a very different story. During the course of the class, we have examined identities, communities and traditions.
The identity unit made me realize that many things affect the way we form our identities. Something as simple as which lunch we end up in can contribute to the way we identify with who we are. As described in the essay “High School’s Secret life” by Emily White, “devastation comes when a kid draws the wrong lunch” (16). We start forming our identities at birth and our upbringing play a large part of our identity. Community and tradition play a part as well.
The community unit changed my perspective of what a community is. Before taking the class, I never gave a thought to what a community is. I probably would have described it as the place in which we live. Through reading the essays in “Remix” and further discussion with the group, I now realize a community is much more than that. A community is a place of like-minded people. As demonstrated in the essay “A Secret Society of the starving”, communities are not always good for us. The essay discusses online sites that promote anorexia. Mim Udovich describes this online community as “a close community, close in the manner of close friendships of girls and young women”. As described in the essay, we do not even have to leave our homes in order to be part of a community.
In the tradition unit, we were challenged to examine the way traditions are being affected by pop-culture. Steven Johnson defines this best in his essay “Everything Bad is Good for You: Games” when he states, “the media ecosystem has been churning out popular culture that has grown steadily more complex over time” (416). The readings and discussions from the tradition unit readings made me step back and examine how some traditions are disappearing.
For my E-portfolio, I have chosen the following pieces: Critical Thinking Piece, Timed Write 2-Crossing Boundaries: I chose this piece because, the activities from this unit were my favorite and I feel the resulting paper shows my best analytical skills. Revision Piece, Time Write 1-Outside, Looking in: I could have chosen any number of pieces for this because I think they all need a revision. I chose this piece because it was the farthest one off the mark. Awareness of Audience and Voice, Tradition DB 2-Pushing Buttons: This was my favorite post. The resulting discussion and questions from classmates gave me the opportunity to ponder what life would be like without the invention of the microwave and other modern day conveniences. Writer’s Choice, Unit 2 Blog-Community Involvement. I chose this piece because I really had a lot of fun writing it. The identity unit really helped me to analyze what it means to be a community and I feel this paper does a good job of reflecting that analysis.
My statement in the very first discussion board “I have spent the last 20 some odd years alternating between Washington and Montana, spending an almost equal amount of time in each state. The difference between the two cultures makes it hard to believe that only 1000 miles separates them!” shows that I had a clear understanding of cultural difference from the start of the class. I had no idea in that initial post however, just how much I would come to learn about how cultures play a part in the way we form identities, communities, and traditions. While I started out with the attitude that I would get an A in this class, I had no idea of how much of a course load it would be. At times, I felt overwhelmed with the shear amount of work in this class. A few times, I even doubted my ability to pass the class. However, I stuck with it, and it was incredibly challenging and I did it! Although I was not able to achieve the A that I strived for, I am incredibly proud of the fact that I have grown academically, professionally and personally.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Jumping "Over the Line"
For my reflection piece, I chose my timed write from Intermission 2. The activities of the Intermission 2 unit were my favorite of the quarter and I feel that the resulting paper best demonstrated my ability to analyze a subject. The movie Shawshank Redemption examines the difference between crossing boundaries and being “over the line”. The prompt for the assignment was “The way we determine the boundaries between conformity and non-conformity is based on cultural pressures and messages—from all the communities we consider ourselves an active and supportive part of—as well as personal perspectives drawn from our own experiences and learning. The lines between simple non-conformity and “over the line” are therefore not only cultural but also personal. This timed-write asks you to identify the ways the film and the discussion “tested” these lines.” Through watching this movie and analyzing with classmates in the discussion board, I gained a better understanding of how boundaries are tested. I feel that the final sentences of the essay show my analytical skills “Even though there were clearly boundaries crossed, they did not seem to be bad things when compared to the other things the Warden and guards were doing. To kill, and have no remorse, shows that the Warden and guards had no problem stepping "over the line." The filmmakers did a great job of contrasting the severity of the Warden's corruption and the little boundaries the prisoners crossed.”
Crossing Boundaries
The film “Shawshank Redemption” clearly illustrates the line between non-conformity and "over the line". The prisoners at Shawshank were clearly afraid to cross the line in fear of severe punishment. In the scene where it was Andy's first night at Shawshank, it was evident that the other prisoners had a sense that something bad was going to happen. When the man broke down and started crying, some of the other prisoners whispered for him to be quiet but nobody said anything aloud. The prisoners were forced to conform because of a fear of punishment. Clearly, the man could have benefited from help, but none of the prisoners was willing to risk punishment. Although boundaries should be supportive and helpful, breaking some boundaries could actually be beneficial.
There are several examples in the film where the filmmakers want us to believe that some boundaries are ok to break. The film almost makes us feel good about these boundaries. One example is when Andy plays music for the prisoners. Even though this clearly infuriates the Warden, Andy chooses to step outside of the boundaries because he felt that it was important. It did in fact seem to boost the morale of the prisoners. Another example is the scene where Andy talks the guard in to getting beer for the crew. Andy didn't even drink any of the beer yet, sat contentedly enjoying the moment. Red narrates that he did this "to feel normal, if only for a little while." Even though this was clearly against the rules, and outside the boundaries, it didn't hurt anybody. Really, it was just a reward for a hard days work and it made the prisoners respect Andy.
There are many instances in the film where the characters were clearly "over the line". The Warden hid behind his Bible to make us feel like he was a good person. The Warden crossed many moral boundaries. The saddest scene was when he killed Tommy because Tommy told him that he was willing, even eager to testify that Andy’s was innocent. The Warden clearly crossed both moral and legal boundaries. He then lied and said that Tommy had tried to commit suicide. The Warden was corrupt and so, the guards were corrupt as well. The guards too, were forced to conform or be punished. Andy was forced to keep the books for the Warden, even though he knew it was wrong. He even stated to his friends "On the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow; I had to come to prison to become a crook." The filmmakers don't make us feel so bad about Andy stepping outside moral boundaries, because Andy was simply being forced to conform to the Warden. On the other hand, the Warden having Tommy killed because Andy knew too much made us feel very bad.
Boundaries are meant to protect us. When we are children, our parents set up boundaries to keep us safe. We continue to learn these boundaries throughout our lives. As defined in the movie, crossing some boundaries is not as bad as crossing others. The film did a great job of helping us to see that the prisoners were decent people. Even though there were clearly boundaries crossed, they did not seem to be bad things when compared to the other things the Warden and guards were doing. To kill, and have no remorse, shows that the Warden and guards had no problem stepping "over the line." The filmmakers did a great job of contrasting the severity of the Warden's corruption and the little boundaries that the prisoners crossed. Some boundaries are all right to cross, if no harm is done and more people benefit.
Getting Back to the Assignment...
I could have chosen any number of pieces for this because I think they all need a revision. I chose this piece because it was the farthest one off the mark. I thought that I was prepared for the timed write. I re-read my notes and post. I had everything printed and ready for reference. I was in a positive frame of mind. I was sure I had a clear understanding of what it means to be an outsider. When I opened the assignment and read the prompt, it was as if every intelligent thought went out of my head. Since this was my first timed write, some of this was test anxiety, I’m sure. I really have no other reasonable explanation for this mess. The prompt was, “demonstrate how the film defines what it is to be an outsider (using one or two characters from the film you chose and discussed) AND how this definition upholds or challenges your own cultural understanding of what it means to be an outsider.” The only thing I could find from the essay that supports the text was “Even though Jamal clearly deserved to go to Callo Mailor, he was still treated as an outsider by both his friends from his old neighborhood and his new classmates. His Professor thought that he could not possibly be there because of his writing ability.” After finishing the rest of the units on community, tradition and Identity, I now have a better understanding of what an outsider is. I hope my revision reflects this understanding. The original is in italics, followed by the revision.
Outside, Looking In
Outside, Looking In-Nightmare
How other people perceive us helps to define our sense of belonging. The movie "Finding Forester" demonstrates this when Jamal is on the basketball court with the other black student and the student let him know that just because Jamal was black does not mean they were the same. Even though Jamal clearly deserved to be there, he still did not feel like he fit in. A few years ago, I was at work and we liked to listen to country music at work. I asked my black friend if she wanted to go to the upcoming Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert with me. Her response was "girlfriend, are you insane? I'd stick out like a sore thumb!" Even though she liked country music, she did not want to go to the concert because, she did not feel like she would fit in. It was not until a few months later, when I attended the concert with another friend when I realized, she was right; there really were not many other black people at the concert. Even though she clearly enjoyed listening to country music, she did not want to feel out of place at the concert.
My sons were raised by a single mother. We did not have a lot of money while they were growing up and I have never been able to afford to buy them the "in" clothing. My oldest son is half black like Damon in the movie. I was discussing this assignment with my son Anthony. I was telling him about how I can relate this assignment to his younger brother, Nelson because, Nelson is very smart, he even scored higher than anybody else at his school on his reading WASL in eight grade. Nelson has this whole hippy thing going on. For a while, he had long hair, and he really did not want to be associated as the "smart" kid. Thankfully, he is starting to apply himself more and is less worried about what his friends think and more worried about his grades. I asked Anthony about where he thought he and his brother fit at the High School. Although he has graduated, I wanted to get his take. He told me he has actually discussed this with his friend and this is how they would describe it. It's like a pie chart, and he named several different groups at the school, and they would each have a large slice of the pie, and some of the kids are trying to get into this group but they don't fit in, so they try to get into that group, and they don't fit that group either so they just form their own group. So, on the pie chart there's always a little slice of the pie and it always labeled Other. He said "we're the Other piece of the pie. We didn't fit into the mold so, we just formed our own group." I thought this was an interesting analogy. Even though my sons have a lot of friends they don't feel like they fit into the mold.
Even though Jamal clearly deserved to go to Callo Mailor, he was still treated as an outsider by both his friends from his old neighborhood and his new classmates. His Professor thought that he could not possibly be there because of his writing ability. In an attempt to fit in Jamal developed a close relationship with a gifted writer. In an attempt to fit in, we often try to change who we are. Developing different relationships and often acting differently around different groups of friends.
On the Outside, Looking in-Revision
The movie “Finding Forrester” does a good job of defining what it means to be an outsider. There are many instances in the film where Jamal is shown to be an outsider by both his friends and his classmates and teachers. Jamal Wallace is a bright young black student from the inner city who is afraid to let his friends know that he is smart. He gets by with average grades but excels in basketball at his inner city school. Jamal and his friends pass the time shooting hoops and making fun of the reclusive man watching them through the window of the apartment above the court. One day, Jamal’s friends dare him to break into the man’s apartment. Afraid of not being liked by his friends, Jamal accepts the dare. After being caught by the man, Jamal leaves the apartment, forgetting to take his backpack with him. When he goes back to retrieve the backpack, an unlikely friendship begins to form. The man, William Forrester, soon starts helping Jamal with his writing. Jamal hides this from his friends. The film demonstrates that we often change our behavior in order to try to fit in, even though the behavior might not be a bad thing.
Shortly after befriending Forrester, Jamal’s principal invites Jamal’s mother for a meeting at the school, she has no idea what to expect, fearing Jamal may be in some sort of trouble. She is surprised to learn that Jamal’s above average standardized test scores do not reflect his grades in school. When Jamal is offered a full scholarship to a prestigious high school, he is faced with the choice of leaving the school where he feels comfortable and the opportunity for a better education at the new school. Forrester helps Jamal make the decision telling him, “There is a question with your life and that is what do you want to do with your life, and that’s a question your present school can’t answer.” When Jamal chooses to attend the school, he must commute a long way to a much different neighborhood from the one he lives in. He must leave a school where he feels accepted to a much more academic atmosphere.
Upon arriving at his new school, it is evident that everyone at the school including the only other black student at the school, Damon, considers Jamal an outsider. Although Jamal is under the impression that he is there because of his test scores, it soon becomes apparent that he is there for his basketball abilities as much as anything. Professor Crawford makes it evident to Jamal that he thinks Jamal is there for his basketball abilities, noting that at his previous school, Jamal’s academic abilities were lacking. Later when Jamal relates the incident to William, he states, “It’s like he knew he was better than me.” After Jamal’s writing ability improves, Professor Crawford even goes as far as accusing Jamal of plagiarism, claiming that his writing could not have improved that much. When Crawford demands that Jamal apologize and he refuses, Crawford arranges an official meeting with the board, trying to get Jamal expelled. When Jamal intentionally misses the final free throw in the final play of the game, he lets the board know that he will not be used for his basketball talent.
Although Jamal strived hard both academically and athletically, he was treated like an outsider. He did not fit in with his new classmates or his old ones. It seems like the only person he was able to fit in with was his new friend William. It was not until the end of the film when Jamal finds acceptance at his new school. After Jamal is banned from a writing completion, Jamal chooses to attend with his friend Clare even though he will not be allowed to participate. During the competition, Crawford starts to ridicule Jamal’s work. To everyone’s surprise, reclusive Forrester shows up and begins to recite an essay. Crawford is speechless listening to the beautiful work of art. Crawford tells the class that Forrester is a great writer and the class has actually read his book. Forrester in fact has a plaque on the wall right beside Crawford. When Forrester revealed to Crawford that the essay he read was Jamal’s, Jamal was finally able to fit in at his new school. The film did a great job of defining how a person can feel like an outsider even if they clearly deserve to be somewhere.
How other people perceive us helps to define our sense of belonging. The movie "Finding Forester" demonstrates this when Jamal is on the basketball court with the other black student and the student let him know that just because Jamal was black does not mean they were the same. Even though Jamal clearly deserved to be there, he still did not feel like he fit in. A few years ago, I was at work and we liked to listen to country music at work. I asked my black friend if she wanted to go to the upcoming Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert with me. Her response was "girlfriend, are you insane? I'd stick out like a sore thumb!" Even though she liked country music, she did not want to go to the concert because, she did not feel like she would fit in. It was not until a few months later, when I attended the concert with another friend when I realized, she was right; there really were not many other black people at the concert. Even though she clearly enjoyed listening to country music, she did not want to feel out of place at the concert.
My sons were raised by a single mother. We did not have a lot of money while they were growing up and I have never been able to afford to buy them the "in" clothing. My oldest son is half black like Damon in the movie. I was discussing this assignment with my son Anthony. I was telling him about how I can relate this assignment to his younger brother, Nelson because, Nelson is very smart, he even scored higher than anybody else at his school on his reading WASL in eight grade. Nelson has this whole hippy thing going on. For a while, he had long hair, and he really did not want to be associated as the "smart" kid. Thankfully, he is starting to apply himself more and is less worried about what his friends think and more worried about his grades. I asked Anthony about where he thought he and his brother fit at the High School. Although he has graduated, I wanted to get his take. He told me he has actually discussed this with his friend and this is how they would describe it. It's like a pie chart, and he named several different groups at the school, and they would each have a large slice of the pie, and some of the kids are trying to get into this group but they don't fit in, so they try to get into that group, and they don't fit that group either so they just form their own group. So, on the pie chart there's always a little slice of the pie and it always labeled Other. He said "we're the Other piece of the pie. We didn't fit into the mold so, we just formed our own group." I thought this was an interesting analogy. Even though my sons have a lot of friends they don't feel like they fit into the mold.
Even though Jamal clearly deserved to go to Callo Mailor, he was still treated as an outsider by both his friends from his old neighborhood and his new classmates. His Professor thought that he could not possibly be there because of his writing ability. In an attempt to fit in Jamal developed a close relationship with a gifted writer. In an attempt to fit in, we often try to change who we are. Developing different relationships and often acting differently around different groups of friends.
On the Outside, Looking in-Revision
The movie “Finding Forrester” does a good job of defining what it means to be an outsider. There are many instances in the film where Jamal is shown to be an outsider by both his friends and his classmates and teachers. Jamal Wallace is a bright young black student from the inner city who is afraid to let his friends know that he is smart. He gets by with average grades but excels in basketball at his inner city school. Jamal and his friends pass the time shooting hoops and making fun of the reclusive man watching them through the window of the apartment above the court. One day, Jamal’s friends dare him to break into the man’s apartment. Afraid of not being liked by his friends, Jamal accepts the dare. After being caught by the man, Jamal leaves the apartment, forgetting to take his backpack with him. When he goes back to retrieve the backpack, an unlikely friendship begins to form. The man, William Forrester, soon starts helping Jamal with his writing. Jamal hides this from his friends. The film demonstrates that we often change our behavior in order to try to fit in, even though the behavior might not be a bad thing.
Shortly after befriending Forrester, Jamal’s principal invites Jamal’s mother for a meeting at the school, she has no idea what to expect, fearing Jamal may be in some sort of trouble. She is surprised to learn that Jamal’s above average standardized test scores do not reflect his grades in school. When Jamal is offered a full scholarship to a prestigious high school, he is faced with the choice of leaving the school where he feels comfortable and the opportunity for a better education at the new school. Forrester helps Jamal make the decision telling him, “There is a question with your life and that is what do you want to do with your life, and that’s a question your present school can’t answer.” When Jamal chooses to attend the school, he must commute a long way to a much different neighborhood from the one he lives in. He must leave a school where he feels accepted to a much more academic atmosphere.
Upon arriving at his new school, it is evident that everyone at the school including the only other black student at the school, Damon, considers Jamal an outsider. Although Jamal is under the impression that he is there because of his test scores, it soon becomes apparent that he is there for his basketball abilities as much as anything. Professor Crawford makes it evident to Jamal that he thinks Jamal is there for his basketball abilities, noting that at his previous school, Jamal’s academic abilities were lacking. Later when Jamal relates the incident to William, he states, “It’s like he knew he was better than me.” After Jamal’s writing ability improves, Professor Crawford even goes as far as accusing Jamal of plagiarism, claiming that his writing could not have improved that much. When Crawford demands that Jamal apologize and he refuses, Crawford arranges an official meeting with the board, trying to get Jamal expelled. When Jamal intentionally misses the final free throw in the final play of the game, he lets the board know that he will not be used for his basketball talent.
Although Jamal strived hard both academically and athletically, he was treated like an outsider. He did not fit in with his new classmates or his old ones. It seems like the only person he was able to fit in with was his new friend William. It was not until the end of the film when Jamal finds acceptance at his new school. After Jamal is banned from a writing completion, Jamal chooses to attend with his friend Clare even though he will not be allowed to participate. During the competition, Crawford starts to ridicule Jamal’s work. To everyone’s surprise, reclusive Forrester shows up and begins to recite an essay. Crawford is speechless listening to the beautiful work of art. Crawford tells the class that Forrester is a great writer and the class has actually read his book. Forrester in fact has a plaque on the wall right beside Crawford. When Forrester revealed to Crawford that the essay he read was Jamal’s, Jamal was finally able to fit in at his new school. The film did a great job of defining how a person can feel like an outsider even if they clearly deserve to be somewhere.
Identifying Communities
Identifying Communities
For the Writer’s Choice piece, I chose the Unit 2 Blog assignment. I chose this piece because I really had a lot of fun writing it. For this writing assignment, we were prompted to, ““Look into the ways one of your daily activities connects you to a community of people. Examine when and how the differences among individuals test a group’s ability to stick together.” This was a fun way to look at how the place where I work is a community. Before doing the community unity, my definition of a community would have been, “the place in which we live”. The essays and discussions in the community unit, have helped me see that a community much more than the at an activity The identity unit really helped me to realize what it means to be in a community. The statement “Commitment to good patient care and the teamwork and community involvement, show there’s some real values in this community” best describes how this community works together. I enjoyed examining at my workplace as a community and I hope you enjoy my Community Involvement piece!
For the Writer’s Choice piece, I chose the Unit 2 Blog assignment. I chose this piece because I really had a lot of fun writing it. For this writing assignment, we were prompted to, ““Look into the ways one of your daily activities connects you to a community of people. Examine when and how the differences among individuals test a group’s ability to stick together.” This was a fun way to look at how the place where I work is a community. Before doing the community unity, my definition of a community would have been, “the place in which we live”. The essays and discussions in the community unit, have helped me see that a community much more than the at an activity The identity unit really helped me to realize what it means to be in a community. The statement “Commitment to good patient care and the teamwork and community involvement, show there’s some real values in this community” best describes how this community works together. I enjoyed examining at my workplace as a community and I hope you enjoy my Community Involvement piece!
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