Syllabus Blog

Many morose hours deliberating how to begin an assignment, incalculable effortless hours of writing, and eons spent editing; this is what comes to mind when I think about my Composition II course. When I skimmed over the class syllabus for the first time I realized that all of my pre-conceived notions about the course had been right on target. “ This is going to be a lot like Kat’s class”, I said to myself as I peered harder into the monitor in front of me.

After taking a much closer look at the class syllabus, I realized that the course is definitely going to be worth my time, energy, and money. There are many assignments, and quite frankly, the list does not frighten me at all. I am actually looking forward to a couple of the assignments, including the I-Search project dealing with the Presidential Debate. I am proud to say that this time around I am able to vote for the candidate that will make the most beneficial decisions for this nation. In order to do so, I must be aware of all the pros and cons for each and every candidate running for President. This assignment will be a perfect opportunity to learn about the candidates and be one step closer to making the most logical decision for myself and for the country I call home.

Falling behind in a college course is much easier to do than most people might think. Missing one day of class will cost you 50 points before you even consider any missed in-class assignments. Late work is not accepted, and to be quite honest, it will only end up being beneficiary to every student in the class. If students were given the chance to turn in late work, the majority of them would. Assignments would be completed later and later and at the end of the semester, people would scramble to regurgitate some ridiculous jargon in order to get the assignments “turned in.”

If there is less incentive to skip the class, then there is less of a chance that anyone, especially myself, will fall behind. I feel that the attendance policy is much too stringent, but hey, if I didn’t feel that way about it, I probably wouldn’t come to class nearly as much.

I hope to make writing more of a natural task for me. I want to be able to sit down with a thought and write about it until I run out of material to write on!

If I had to name one thing on that syllabus that scares me the most it would probably have to be the course portfolio. The portfolio is fifty percent of my final grade and it consists of the main projects that are given throughout the course. The course portfolio is the most daunting of the tasks before me because it is all new material. The daily writings, logs, homework, etc. that make up the participation portfolio are quite familiar to me, thanks to the Composition class I was part of over the summer.

Even with the thorough syllabus at my fingertips, I still have a few questions in mind. First of all, I was wondering if there is any extra credit work that will be made available for us. Secondly, how many sources will I need for my I-Search project?

8/1 READING

         I found the “youtube.com” video to be very interesting. It brought up many facts that are worthy of note. The video is geared towards teachers and their methods of teaching. If the world around us is making advances in technology, shouldn’t education be one of the things making advancements? Almost every aspect of our lives involves technology. Our morning routines, places of employment/careers; basically we are surrounded by technology. Technology is artificial; we created it and continue to improve our way of life through the use and fine-tuning of our technological resources. If it is so important to our evolution, why isn’t education evolving along with everything else? The most effective way to teach in this day and age is by using technology. Technology is the key to a proper education.

         The last reading, “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower”, perfectly describes the way an average college student not only thinks, but also applies himself/herself. In the beginning of the semester, everything is dandy and everyone is filled with positive energy. From the midway point to the end, however, everyone’s positive energy has dissipated and been replaced by the “Fuck Its”.

 

1.   How accurate do you think “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” depicts college students and teachers?

2.   Do you feel technology needs to have a place in education? Why or why not?

3.   What ways can technology benefit not only students, but teachers as well?

Letter To The Editor

To whom this may concern,

When I read your article I found it very easy for me to connect to it. As a musician, I know exactly what it is like to have music in your life and to be so greatly affected by it. Music education has been viewed to be incompetent compared to the standard academic courses, which is not fair to our youth. Many people are, like you said, “musically illiterate,” which makes them naïve to many of the things that different cultures have to offer.

            Music education needs to stay away from the mundane; the monotonous “drills” that are supposed to help us feel and learn music. I also agree that music education in schools needs to be greatly improved. The material covered needs to be broadened so that there is a “universal” understanding of music. The methods of instruction also need to more finely tuned in order to thoroughly cover broadened material.

Extra Credit =]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMk-Fzvn4Ng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFQ81poqb2Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA6p1I9GkX0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOM8Z2UQKR4&feature=related

In-Class Writing

College Algebra is very hard for me because I haven't had a math class in two years. I suppose that I am responsible and the grade i get is the grade that I earned. I can improve my grade by sleeping better, studying harder, and going to more tutoring.

            In Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig Anderson’s “Media and Risky Behaviors”, two dangerous and very important trends are discussed. First of all, they state that United States adolescence spends more and more time with media; the average U.S. teen spends one-third of his or her day in front of some form of electronic media. Secondly, They state that American youth are doing very unhealthy things such as drinking, violence, smoking, obesity, and even sexual risk taking. They use statistics like, “More than 20 percent of American high school students have sexual intercourse for the first time before they reach the age of fourteen.”, to point out that the media is causing a majority of these problems. When and adolescent person is presented with information, that information will make an impact on his or her life. In the teen years people are most succeptable to outside influence.

            Henry Lowood, on the other hand, has very different views on electronic media than those of Liliana Escobar-Chaves and Craig Anderson. He spends his time restoring video game artifacts and video games. Lowood believes that video games have a history worth preserving and a culture worth examining.

1.     How do your views on electronic media compare to the two readings?

2.     Which of these two readings resembles your opinion the most?

3.     Do you think that the effects of electronic media will intensify or subside?

http://www.lexisnexis.com:80/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T4246335083&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T4246335076&cisb=22_T4246335075&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=151977&docNo=5

            Hurricane Katrina was one of the most horrifying disasters I have lived through. I still remember what it was like to see that storm bearing down on Florida. It was just like any other storm in your average Floridian hurricane season. After it passed over Florida the tension ceased to exist. We all let out a sigh of relief. Shortly after this emotional relaxation the storm strengthened once again and headed straight for New Orleans. The area that was once known for Mardi Gras is now remembered as the city that endured one of this nations worst natural disasters.

            This graphic novel is very…Well, graphic. It depicts perfectly what it would be like to be presented with an event such as Katrina. It makes you think many different things and ask yourself questions. When a father sends his family to a shelter and decides to stay at the house you think to yourself what you would do. If your father came up with this idea would you let him stay? Would you stay with him? Would you talk him into taking refuge along with the rest of the family?

            If a person had no prior knowledge of the disaster and began reading the beginning of the novel it would almost take on a comedic feel. Some of the citizens make a joke of the upcoming storm and plan parties, etc. To know what is coming makes you cringe and wish you could tell the people to take all of their personal belongings and get the hell out of there!

            Even though the illustrations resemble those seen in a comic book, it paints a perfect picture in your mind. With prior knowledge of the storm, this graphic novel shows you everything you have heard so much about.

7/11 Reading

Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” is very difficult to read. After reading it, I felt quite perplexed; I spent a great deal of my time staring at a seemingly never-ending reading and didn’t much from it. This is where Hillary Chute comes in. “The Texture of Retracing In Marjane Satrapi’s Prespolis” is essentially a review of the novel. Persepolis was a very daring narrative for a Satrapi to write at that time because graphic novels where only given recognition when written by men. Satrapi combines bleak visual aids, and the prospect of a child in a harrowing time and place. The novel tells of widespread changes and of terrifying experiences she had as a child. Occurrences of mass murdering such as bombings took place all around her. These acts of evil were also brought upon her on a personal level. She writes of her uncle being taken for execution. Before he was killed, he was permitted to see one person; he wished to speak to Marjane. At this point, the novel became personal to me as well. When reading material like this you begin to think about what you would do. How would you conduct yourself if your family were being executed? I try in any way I can to relate and to feel the anguish felt by Satrapi but most of us will never know what something that horrifying would really be like.

7/6 Reading

Every year nearly 750,000 teenagers get pregnant between the ages of 17 and 19. In Nicole Filmore’s “Knocked Up”, a seventeen year-old girl has just joined the statistics. As the months pass by the girl becomes increasingly pampered. Her sister on the other hand, the good girl she is, has stayed away from the alleged painful world of sex and gets stuck with extra chores.

In Michael Melhorn’s “The O” a young boy’s favorite place to be turns out to be full of lies and corruption. His happy place is a theme park near his house. When he finally turned 16, he hastily applied for a job there. Unfortunately, reality really is a slap in the face. The longer he works there the more he finds that the entire park is corrupt. “The hot seat” is a single seat on many of the roller coasters that is used to knock off any employee who was close to attaining the CEO position. Michael Melhorn devises a plan to expose the park and eventually becomes CEO.

Frank F. Mathias was a World War 2 veteran. He was a soldier from the frontlines, in no way special. That’s right, he was your Average Joe of the war scene. He made a comparison between a memoirist and a historian. A memoirist writes about himself, unlike the historian who writes of past events in no way related to his life. The historian’s information must be credible while a memoirist writes on past experience. The memoirist may stretch the truth to turn up the heat.

The SAC narratives are stories from the survivors of the hurricane Katrina disaster. The narrative I found to be most depressing was “Katrina Homecoming”. In the story Janay Barconey leaves a vivid image in your mind of what it would be like to live through a disaster like Katrina. The aftermath of the disaster is worse than the actual event. “At least 10,000 people are going to die.” The people are stranded.” These fragments of news reports filled the mind of the young girl as she and her family searched for her home. It is at that time that all hope seems lost. Sometimes it takes a disaster of this magnitude for people the fully comprehend the value of human life and the luxuries we are provided.

 

When I read “Knocked Up” I felt as if I was a member of the family. The situations presented in the story and the way they are presented make you subconsciously make the same decisions the family members are making.

When I read “The O” I felt pity for the narrator. To him, the theme park was a glorious and safe place. His excitement was crushed by the corrupt operations that took place in secrecy.

I agree very much with Frank Methias. I feel that a memoirist is very different from a historian. A memoirist is expected to imply his feelings when he writes. Historians blankly transfer information and to write with a lack of compassion.

The SAC narratives were very depressing to read. Because I lived through the disaster I knew of the tragic events that took place but I never came across any information that depicted an image quite as clear as the image I retained from reading “Katrina Homecoming”.