Initially in this class the topics were about destinations and facts about areas in California, and sometimes outside of California. The further into the course we got the topics became more reflective. I need to try to relate to the readings in order to write my posts. The first part of class seemed to composed of research projects, and the text readings were more about information retention and how to explain the stories in a way that others would understand without having to read the story themselves.
In regards to the book Train Go Sorry, I did not find to much variation in the opinions. We all read the same story, and other than choosing a line from the book to include in our post, much of the essays were similar. The My California readings were intersting because not everyone read the same stories. Again, there was not much exchange of opinions here, but seemed to be more about people's story telling capabilities. I think the first half of class showed more variation of topics because we could choose our places to post about. Those topics were often different then the topics that I choose for most of the assignments.
I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to write in a way that would help another person, or peer rather, understand the story as if they hadn't read it themselves. That is a relatively new way of writing for me. I am not much of a writer to begin with, so that was the most challenging thing for me. I think that writing this way encompasses Freire's way of teaching. To write as if you are teaching others.
I had a great time with this class and with these topics. It was interesting to do research on places in California that I had heard of before but didn't know much about. I am a California native and with each assignment I learned more and more about my state. I enjoyed the text part of class as well. Each story was a story that I would not have choosen on my own. I knew very little about Deaf Culture before this class, and I walk away knowing much more.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
5b Lori, Ly, Frank
REFLECTION
Choose any 3 classmates of project 5a. Read each of these 3 essays.
Create a blog post with the classmates names as references. Tell us one thing you learned from each classmate.
I chose Lori, Ly, and Frank to write about for this component. I found all of their essays to be interesting to read, and learned something new from each of them. Finding new information was somewhat difficult as we all read the same story for this project. I found for each of the essays that my learned information came from the last section, five facts about Deaf culture or American Sign Language.
While reading Lori's essay I learned that she is a hearing student. I read in Lori's essay that while there are over 2 million hearing impaired individuals in the United States, only about two hundred thousand people are culturally deaf. I love the quote that was included in her essay about ASL, "Its very existence is a testament to people's will to communicate. It pays tribute to our determination to make connections in the face of incredible odds" (page 274).
Ly is also a hearing student in our class. I know from her essay that she had a cousin named Quang, means the Sun. When he was three years old his dad changed his name to Xau, which means Ugly. In old Vietnamese culture, it is believed that if the children’s names are not nice in meaning, the evil spirit wouldn’t want to take them away. Even after Xau had his name changed, the bad spirit did not go away, and Xau was gone shortly after that. The hospital had advised treatment, but the child was taken to a village medicine man for treatment. He died of malaria when he was 3. I did not know that in Vietnamese culture changing a name to a not so nice meaning is believed to keep an evil spirit away.
Frank is a hearing student in our class as well. He had many interesting facts about Deaf culture and ASL. The fact that stood out to me the most is that bacterial meningitis is a major cause of deafness in children.
Monday, April 27, 2009
5a Train Go Sorry
Questions:
1. What does Train Go Sorry mean (who in the book is this referring to; there is a specific person, include his name and his outcome. Remember that good college writing assumes no one has read the information and you must present it or 'teach' it by giving us details.)?
2. What pair of 'shoes' do you think the main person in the book is walking in and what did she learn? In other words, who or what culture does she want to belong to and why?
3. What is one image you won't ever forget? Draw us a picture in words to explain this. What chapter is it in?
4. What are 5 facts about ASL or Deaf culture you think everyone should know after your reading of this book?
I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions.
The term Train Go Sorry means that one has missed the boat, or missed an opportunity. James uses the term train go sorry when he goes to visit his younger brother Joseph at Rikers, which is a prison. He gets there to visit and after checking in and waiting for hours to see his brother he is told that Joseph is in court. James thinks to himself that he has "missed the boat." James returns to the prison the following day only to be told the same thing, that Joseph is in court. On his third try he finally gets to see Joseph. As James is at Rikers visiting his brother that day, he realizes that he is not the only one that missed the boat, Joseph missed the boat on life. James has become a model student, made it onto the honor roll, and is seen as showing "promise." Joseph is a rough and tough boy in prison, a criminal.
Leah is a hearing person who lives at the Lexington school for the death in New York. She has grandparents who are deaf, and her parents and siblings are hearing. Her father works at Lexington and the family lives there at the school. There are dormitories for the students that attend the school and so Leah is brought up in a world of non-hearing people. Aside from her immediate family of her mom, dad, adopted brother, and sister, all of students are deaf. She is surrounded by a culture different than what she would belong if she were to walk out onto the street. If she were to walk on the street she would be able to converse with others using their voice. Inside Lexington she watches everyone use his or her own language, American Sign Language. She watches the students struggle with their English classes where they are trying to learn to speak. She watches their frustration as they attempt to speak just as she can. She feels the frustration of not being a part of their culture. Leah longs to be a part of the deaf community.
In Chapter 12 as James is at the Honors Breakfast he realizes that if he were not deaf he probably would have ended up the same way as his brother Joseph, in prison. He remembers those times in his past when he was Joseph's partner in crime. They once set a car on fire. Joseph is the one who got caught. James was a faster runner and did not. As he comes to realize how far he has come in life he comes to terms with the fact that he is no longer that person who caused trouble and broke the law. He is a good student and believes that he can be something better than what his brother and some of his closest friends have become.
After reading this book I think that it is important for other's to know that being deaf, or have a hearing impairment does not affect a person's intelligence level. Deaf students can excel in school just as hearing students can. It is important to realize that American Sign Language is the third most used language in the United States. Sweden is the only nation that officially recognizes two languages, a spoken language and a visual language. I didn't realize before reading this book that there is such debate about cochlear implants. I understand the debate now having thought about it after reading this book. To the Deaf culture, there is nothing that needs to be repaired. There is no reason for an implant. To people outside of their culture, one may think, "Why would they not want to hear?", but that would be assuming that a deaf person believes that there is something wrong with their way of life.
1. What does Train Go Sorry mean (who in the book is this referring to; there is a specific person, include his name and his outcome. Remember that good college writing assumes no one has read the information and you must present it or 'teach' it by giving us details.)?
2. What pair of 'shoes' do you think the main person in the book is walking in and what did she learn? In other words, who or what culture does she want to belong to and why?
3. What is one image you won't ever forget? Draw us a picture in words to explain this. What chapter is it in?
4. What are 5 facts about ASL or Deaf culture you think everyone should know after your reading of this book?
I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions.
The term Train Go Sorry means that one has missed the boat, or missed an opportunity. James uses the term train go sorry when he goes to visit his younger brother Joseph at Rikers, which is a prison. He gets there to visit and after checking in and waiting for hours to see his brother he is told that Joseph is in court. James thinks to himself that he has "missed the boat." James returns to the prison the following day only to be told the same thing, that Joseph is in court. On his third try he finally gets to see Joseph. As James is at Rikers visiting his brother that day, he realizes that he is not the only one that missed the boat, Joseph missed the boat on life. James has become a model student, made it onto the honor roll, and is seen as showing "promise." Joseph is a rough and tough boy in prison, a criminal.
Leah is a hearing person who lives at the Lexington school for the death in New York. She has grandparents who are deaf, and her parents and siblings are hearing. Her father works at Lexington and the family lives there at the school. There are dormitories for the students that attend the school and so Leah is brought up in a world of non-hearing people. Aside from her immediate family of her mom, dad, adopted brother, and sister, all of students are deaf. She is surrounded by a culture different than what she would belong if she were to walk out onto the street. If she were to walk on the street she would be able to converse with others using their voice. Inside Lexington she watches everyone use his or her own language, American Sign Language. She watches the students struggle with their English classes where they are trying to learn to speak. She watches their frustration as they attempt to speak just as she can. She feels the frustration of not being a part of their culture. Leah longs to be a part of the deaf community.
In Chapter 12 as James is at the Honors Breakfast he realizes that if he were not deaf he probably would have ended up the same way as his brother Joseph, in prison. He remembers those times in his past when he was Joseph's partner in crime. They once set a car on fire. Joseph is the one who got caught. James was a faster runner and did not. As he comes to realize how far he has come in life he comes to terms with the fact that he is no longer that person who caused trouble and broke the law. He is a good student and believes that he can be something better than what his brother and some of his closest friends have become.
After reading this book I think that it is important for other's to know that being deaf, or have a hearing impairment does not affect a person's intelligence level. Deaf students can excel in school just as hearing students can. It is important to realize that American Sign Language is the third most used language in the United States. Sweden is the only nation that officially recognizes two languages, a spoken language and a visual language. I didn't realize before reading this book that there is such debate about cochlear implants. I understand the debate now having thought about it after reading this book. To the Deaf culture, there is nothing that needs to be repaired. There is no reason for an implant. To people outside of their culture, one may think, "Why would they not want to hear?", but that would be assuming that a deaf person believes that there is something wrong with their way of life.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
4c INLAND AREAS COMPONENT, KENDRA & ALFREDO
1. Who is your classmate, what is the component category, what is the name of the choice?
Classmate Alfredo, inland areas component, Sacramento and San Jose
2. What is something similar this classmate said about the choice?
Alfredo and I both wrote about Sacramento as one of our inland area's for project 3, component c. We both chose to include information about Sacramento's climate in our post.
3. What is something different this classmate said about the choice?
Alfredo and I focused on different aspects of Sacramento. I focused on the fact that Sacramento has its own NBA team, The Kings, and that there are a few very popular CSU's and UC's in and around the city. Alfredo focused more on the history and activities of Sacramento and that it is the state capital.
4. How would you relate this to Freire's ideas regarding dialogue? For example, you went in thinking one idea, your classmate had a different idea. What new idea emerged from this process?
I think that I wrote about Sacramento from the prospective of a visitor or a non California native. I focused on obvious things about Sacramento, such as the fact that there is an NBA team, and the well known colleges in and around the city. For me, Alfredo's writing about Sacramento seemed as if it were written as a California native, with knowledge and facts about the city itself. He mentioned things in his blog about the crime in Sacramento and I find that interesting because I am a native of the state, yet when reading his post and mine, I feel like mine could be considered to be the view of a non-native.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
4b Reflection Assignment of My California
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT OF My California
1. Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about your same essays and briefly compare/contrast their choices and ideas versus what you said (eg "In my readings of these same authors I found that BLANK and my classmate also thought BLANK. An interesting point of view I didn't think of that my classmate said is BLANK")
2. Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about a different set of essays and tell us one thing you learned per author presented.
3. Like number 2, choose any 1 classmate that wrote about a set of essays that you didn't read.
5% of total grade
Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about your same essays
ODE TO CALTRANS BY HECTOR TOBAR
Liz also wrote about group 2 essays. In Ode To Caltrans by Hector Tobar, I was reminded of the convenience aspect of the highways, Liz was reminded of the dangers of the highways. I had made a trip to Los Angeles just before our essay readings and I felt the same as the author did initially, that the highways are a great source of transportation. Liz had a friend who was dangerously close to having a highway car accident, so for Liz the essay was a reminder of how dangerous they can be. We both agree that while the highways are a great source of transportation they are also very dangerous as one slip up can cause a huge accident affecting many people.
MONTALVO, MYTHS, AND DREAMS BY THOMAS STEINBECK
I am a California native and I think that I take our mild climate for granted. While we both acknowledge that the climate in our area isn't exactly endless summers and warm beaches it is mild in comparison to many other states. Liz is not a California native and previously dreamed of California as a place of endless summers and mile long beaches.
THE LAST LITTLE BEACH TOWN BY EDWARD HUMES
Both Liz and I found the idea of living or visiting a quaint little beach town to be a novel idea and praised the thought of Seal Beach maintaining its small town feeling. However, it seems that Seal Beach may be losing that feeling.
SURFACING BY MATT WARSHAW
My classmate that I have contrasting ideas all-around on this essay. While I also didn't know that Santa Cruz was the first surfing locale, that was not what I wrote, so I don't know that counts as like ideas for this assignments purpose. I did see many contrasting ideas however. Liz was reminded of surfing itself. She has tried surfing before and so the story reminded her of her personal experience with surfing. The essay reminded me of all of the news stories I have heard throughout the years about the Maverick's Surfing Contest.
2. GROUP 1 ESSAYS
From Sierra in the group 1 essays I learned about The Big Valley by Mark Arax, Transients in Paradise by Aimee Liu, Showing Off the Owens by T. Jefferson Parker, and The distant cataract about which we do not speak by Mary Mackey.
In the essay about The Big Valley, I learned that the author's grandfather owned a farm in California. His father attempted to open a bar. When the bar didn't take off he planted a garden as their family's "farm". He promised that subsequent years would be just as prosperous as the first, but he passed away. The author now plants a new plant every year in his father's honor.
Aimee Liu, who wrote the essay Transients In Paradise. She is writing about Beverly Hills. She thinks very little its residents according to the essay summary. There is a transient who sits in front of a deli and asks for money everyday. She also points out that Beverly Hills is a city that does not have a garbage dump, cemetery, or a hospital.
The essay Sowing Off the Owens is about a novelist from New York and a man who takes him fishing at the Owens River. They are both fishing enthusiasts. They go with a guide on their fishing trip to get away from LA and back to nature.
The distant cataract about which we do not speak by Mary Mackey is about her trips to the American River to observe the wildlife. The river is just a 5 minute drive from her and her husbands home, but they like to imagine they are far away from civilization while they are there. Mary observes the wildlife of the water at the American River. They are so close to the city that they can actually hear the sounds of the highway above them, but they imagine that they are far away from the city life. While at the river Mary and her husband see others using the river for religious ceremonies.
3. GROUP 3 ESSAYS
From Jennifer I read group 3 essays Bienvendios a Newport Beach by Firoozeh Dumas, Cotton Candy Mirrors by Devorah Major, Berkley by Micheal Chabon, and California Honky-tonk by Kathi Kamen Goldmark.
Bienvendios a Newport Beach is about a man that moves from Whittier, CA to Newport Beach, CA. People in Whittier think he must be rich if he is moving to Newport Beach. In Whittier there are yards with old cars, tires, and other such things. His rental has the view of many fast food chain restaurants. When he moves to Newport the neighborhood has a HOA. Since there is a HOA, the yards of the new neighborhood are all clean and manicured. He has a neighborhood swimming pool that they take full advantage of. His parents still live in the Newport Beach home. This author seems to like the qualities of his Newport Beach home more than he did of his Whittier home.
Devorah Major wrote the essay Cotton Candy Mirrors about summer vacation. She writes about the days when the kids summer vacation was three solid months of being out from dawn until dusk. The kids would go to Playland. A carnival type place. It cost them 35 cents. They would always end up at the Fun House. It was full of mirrors and had little lighting. A wooden slide, and the barrel. Play Land has since been torn down.
Berkley by Michael Chabon is about his view of the city of Berkely, CA. He describes his city as being a city of different people, ideas, and professions. It seems like he must use some humor in his description of the city. In the end, Michael loves his city of Berkley despite all of its craziness.
Kathi Kamen Goldmark's essay California Honky-tonk is about a band called the El Rancho Motel. The band gets a gig at a bar. When they get there they realize that it is a biker bar, not what they were expecting. The musicians and the biker bar owner swap stories about different bars that they have been to. The summary that Jennifer wrote makes them seem like an eccentric group of people.
1. Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about your same essays and briefly compare/contrast their choices and ideas versus what you said (eg "In my readings of these same authors I found that BLANK and my classmate also thought BLANK. An interesting point of view I didn't think of that my classmate said is BLANK")
2. Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about a different set of essays and tell us one thing you learned per author presented.
3. Like number 2, choose any 1 classmate that wrote about a set of essays that you didn't read.
5% of total grade
Choose any 1 classmate that wrote about your same essays
ODE TO CALTRANS BY HECTOR TOBAR
Liz also wrote about group 2 essays. In Ode To Caltrans by Hector Tobar, I was reminded of the convenience aspect of the highways, Liz was reminded of the dangers of the highways. I had made a trip to Los Angeles just before our essay readings and I felt the same as the author did initially, that the highways are a great source of transportation. Liz had a friend who was dangerously close to having a highway car accident, so for Liz the essay was a reminder of how dangerous they can be. We both agree that while the highways are a great source of transportation they are also very dangerous as one slip up can cause a huge accident affecting many people.
MONTALVO, MYTHS, AND DREAMS BY THOMAS STEINBECK
I am a California native and I think that I take our mild climate for granted. While we both acknowledge that the climate in our area isn't exactly endless summers and warm beaches it is mild in comparison to many other states. Liz is not a California native and previously dreamed of California as a place of endless summers and mile long beaches.
THE LAST LITTLE BEACH TOWN BY EDWARD HUMES
Both Liz and I found the idea of living or visiting a quaint little beach town to be a novel idea and praised the thought of Seal Beach maintaining its small town feeling. However, it seems that Seal Beach may be losing that feeling.
SURFACING BY MATT WARSHAW
My classmate that I have contrasting ideas all-around on this essay. While I also didn't know that Santa Cruz was the first surfing locale, that was not what I wrote, so I don't know that counts as like ideas for this assignments purpose. I did see many contrasting ideas however. Liz was reminded of surfing itself. She has tried surfing before and so the story reminded her of her personal experience with surfing. The essay reminded me of all of the news stories I have heard throughout the years about the Maverick's Surfing Contest.
2. GROUP 1 ESSAYS
From Sierra in the group 1 essays I learned about The Big Valley by Mark Arax, Transients in Paradise by Aimee Liu, Showing Off the Owens by T. Jefferson Parker, and The distant cataract about which we do not speak by Mary Mackey.
In the essay about The Big Valley, I learned that the author's grandfather owned a farm in California. His father attempted to open a bar. When the bar didn't take off he planted a garden as their family's "farm". He promised that subsequent years would be just as prosperous as the first, but he passed away. The author now plants a new plant every year in his father's honor.
Aimee Liu, who wrote the essay Transients In Paradise. She is writing about Beverly Hills. She thinks very little its residents according to the essay summary. There is a transient who sits in front of a deli and asks for money everyday. She also points out that Beverly Hills is a city that does not have a garbage dump, cemetery, or a hospital.
The essay Sowing Off the Owens is about a novelist from New York and a man who takes him fishing at the Owens River. They are both fishing enthusiasts. They go with a guide on their fishing trip to get away from LA and back to nature.
The distant cataract about which we do not speak by Mary Mackey is about her trips to the American River to observe the wildlife. The river is just a 5 minute drive from her and her husbands home, but they like to imagine they are far away from civilization while they are there. Mary observes the wildlife of the water at the American River. They are so close to the city that they can actually hear the sounds of the highway above them, but they imagine that they are far away from the city life. While at the river Mary and her husband see others using the river for religious ceremonies.
3. GROUP 3 ESSAYS
From Jennifer I read group 3 essays Bienvendios a Newport Beach by Firoozeh Dumas, Cotton Candy Mirrors by Devorah Major, Berkley by Micheal Chabon, and California Honky-tonk by Kathi Kamen Goldmark.
Bienvendios a Newport Beach is about a man that moves from Whittier, CA to Newport Beach, CA. People in Whittier think he must be rich if he is moving to Newport Beach. In Whittier there are yards with old cars, tires, and other such things. His rental has the view of many fast food chain restaurants. When he moves to Newport the neighborhood has a HOA. Since there is a HOA, the yards of the new neighborhood are all clean and manicured. He has a neighborhood swimming pool that they take full advantage of. His parents still live in the Newport Beach home. This author seems to like the qualities of his Newport Beach home more than he did of his Whittier home.
Devorah Major wrote the essay Cotton Candy Mirrors about summer vacation. She writes about the days when the kids summer vacation was three solid months of being out from dawn until dusk. The kids would go to Playland. A carnival type place. It cost them 35 cents. They would always end up at the Fun House. It was full of mirrors and had little lighting. A wooden slide, and the barrel. Play Land has since been torn down.
Berkley by Michael Chabon is about his view of the city of Berkely, CA. He describes his city as being a city of different people, ideas, and professions. It seems like he must use some humor in his description of the city. In the end, Michael loves his city of Berkley despite all of its craziness.
Kathi Kamen Goldmark's essay California Honky-tonk is about a band called the El Rancho Motel. The band gets a gig at a bar. When they get there they realize that it is a biker bar, not what they were expecting. The musicians and the biker bar owner swap stories about different bars that they have been to. The summary that Jennifer wrote makes them seem like an eccentric group of people.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
4a Group #2
Group 2 If your last name starts with letters G-O, READ the following author stories in MY CALIFORNIA: Tobar, Steinbeck, Humes, Warshaw
Ode to CalTrans by Hector Tobar
The essay, Ode to Caltrans by Hector Tobar is about his memories of the Los Angeles freeway's and how they have changed, for the better and for worse. As a child growing up in Los Angeles he remembers the freeway's being clean, and just a daily part of life. Whenever his famiy traveled they traveled on the freeway. As he gets older he realizes that those same freeways are part of air pollution, horrid car accidents, and the deaths of many Caltrans workers.
"Perhaps that was the first time I thought of the freeway as a place of pollution and peril. Up to then, it was just the byway of our family wanderings, the Sunset and Hollywood Boulevard onramps, the beginning of most of our visits to relatives and friends. To sit my father's Volkswagen with my nose pressed to the rear window, watching the traffic flow along with us at fifty miles per hour was as natural to me as walking along the fence posts of a country road would be to a boy from Nebraska." pg. 57
This reading made me think of the trip that I made to Los Angeles just last week. We traveled on all of the freeways that are mentioned in this reading. I viewed quite the same as the author did as a child. It is just the byway of our family wanderings, and natural it is more me to travel on freeways so often without even thinking of it as a convenience, only as a necessity.
I did not before this reading that CalTrans used to place a picture of a white helmet where ever a CalTrans worker died while on the job until there were so many signs that CalTrans took them down because, "a highway shouldn't look like cemetery."
Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home by Thomas Steinbeck
Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home is an essay about the myths of California. Montalvo writes a story about mythical California, a utopian island in the western sea. For many people California is utopia. Many can find just what they are looking for in California. The essay focuses in on The Big Sur, and how this is Thomas Steinbeck's utopia within California. In his youth he rode horses and mules, and camped my the mountains streams. He depicts the sunsets off of the cliffs of The Big Sur with the Pacific ocean just below him. The writer explains the myths of unexplained humanoids that live in the mountains. They are smaller than humans and never are seen in daylight. His grandmother atests to leaving little gift baskets with fruit and homeade candy for them, and in exchange they would always leave a seashell or a feather in the gifts place. According to the myth they were never harmful, they only watched silently over their territory.
"Even though I cannot now call those secluded canyons and cliffs home, my abiding memories of this lonely span of California coastline holds my soul in thrall and delights the imagination beyond all else I know." pg. 67
The reading by Thomas Steinbeck about The Big Sur made me think of how much there is around me in this state that I take for granted, and how one area may be treasured by one and not thought of at all by another.
The Last Little Beach Town by Edward Humes
The Last Little Beach Town is Seal Beach in Orange County California. Despite being in "the OC", Seal Beach has managed to maintain its small town feel. The cities housing is a pleasant mix of orignal beach bungalows along with million dollar mansions. Its Old Town is hidden from view when driving down the freeway, helping to maintain its small beach town feel. The city council decided in the past to forbid duplexes and apartment buildings for the most part. At one time (1913) the idea was for Seal Beach to be a tourist destination. It briefly became one and then failed. It is starting to become a tourist destination once again. The city is in need of the cash and there is a push to let go one of the last undeveloped piece of land. It is now being prepared for housing contruction.
"Confustion about Seal Beach's identity and location is key to its survivial" pg. 71
The writer's description of Seal Beach, the last little beach town, sounds like every little beach town that I have imagined going to.
Before this essay I did not know where Seal Beach was. I knew that it was in Southern California somewhere, but like the description given by the writer, many people who live down there drive by that area all the time and couldn't tell you where Seal Beach is located.
Surfacing by Matt Warshaw
Surfacing is about a small group of dedicated surfers the surf Pillar's Point, or Maverick's, in Half Moon Bay, California. Maverick's has long been known for the greatest waves outside of Hawaii. Jay Moriarity, a 16 year old surfer tells the story of his close call while surfing Maverick's. While surfing he is pulled under a wave and his board snaps in half. He goes back to the boat, grabs another board and goes back out there. As the story goes the name Maverick comes from a dog who shares an experience similar to Jay Moriarity, and so the story goes, the surfer that Maverick was with started to call that surfing spot after the dog.
"And as the untroubled imagination reduces fear and anxiety beforehand, it may also smooth things out afterward." pg. 87
I have heard of Maverick's, or Pillars Point, and Maverick's surfing contest every year on the radio. It reminded me of all of the people I have met that go out there and camp to watch the surfer's every year.
I didn't know previously that Half Moon Bay is the oldest city in San Mateo County. I also didn't know that Maverick's got the name Maverick from a dog!
Ode to CalTrans by Hector Tobar
The essay, Ode to Caltrans by Hector Tobar is about his memories of the Los Angeles freeway's and how they have changed, for the better and for worse. As a child growing up in Los Angeles he remembers the freeway's being clean, and just a daily part of life. Whenever his famiy traveled they traveled on the freeway. As he gets older he realizes that those same freeways are part of air pollution, horrid car accidents, and the deaths of many Caltrans workers.
"Perhaps that was the first time I thought of the freeway as a place of pollution and peril. Up to then, it was just the byway of our family wanderings, the Sunset and Hollywood Boulevard onramps, the beginning of most of our visits to relatives and friends. To sit my father's Volkswagen with my nose pressed to the rear window, watching the traffic flow along with us at fifty miles per hour was as natural to me as walking along the fence posts of a country road would be to a boy from Nebraska." pg. 57
This reading made me think of the trip that I made to Los Angeles just last week. We traveled on all of the freeways that are mentioned in this reading. I viewed quite the same as the author did as a child. It is just the byway of our family wanderings, and natural it is more me to travel on freeways so often without even thinking of it as a convenience, only as a necessity.
I did not before this reading that CalTrans used to place a picture of a white helmet where ever a CalTrans worker died while on the job until there were so many signs that CalTrans took them down because, "a highway shouldn't look like cemetery."
Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home by Thomas Steinbeck
Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home is an essay about the myths of California. Montalvo writes a story about mythical California, a utopian island in the western sea. For many people California is utopia. Many can find just what they are looking for in California. The essay focuses in on The Big Sur, and how this is Thomas Steinbeck's utopia within California. In his youth he rode horses and mules, and camped my the mountains streams. He depicts the sunsets off of the cliffs of The Big Sur with the Pacific ocean just below him. The writer explains the myths of unexplained humanoids that live in the mountains. They are smaller than humans and never are seen in daylight. His grandmother atests to leaving little gift baskets with fruit and homeade candy for them, and in exchange they would always leave a seashell or a feather in the gifts place. According to the myth they were never harmful, they only watched silently over their territory.
"Even though I cannot now call those secluded canyons and cliffs home, my abiding memories of this lonely span of California coastline holds my soul in thrall and delights the imagination beyond all else I know." pg. 67
The reading by Thomas Steinbeck about The Big Sur made me think of how much there is around me in this state that I take for granted, and how one area may be treasured by one and not thought of at all by another.
The Last Little Beach Town by Edward Humes
The Last Little Beach Town is Seal Beach in Orange County California. Despite being in "the OC", Seal Beach has managed to maintain its small town feel. The cities housing is a pleasant mix of orignal beach bungalows along with million dollar mansions. Its Old Town is hidden from view when driving down the freeway, helping to maintain its small beach town feel. The city council decided in the past to forbid duplexes and apartment buildings for the most part. At one time (1913) the idea was for Seal Beach to be a tourist destination. It briefly became one and then failed. It is starting to become a tourist destination once again. The city is in need of the cash and there is a push to let go one of the last undeveloped piece of land. It is now being prepared for housing contruction.
"Confustion about Seal Beach's identity and location is key to its survivial" pg. 71
The writer's description of Seal Beach, the last little beach town, sounds like every little beach town that I have imagined going to.
Before this essay I did not know where Seal Beach was. I knew that it was in Southern California somewhere, but like the description given by the writer, many people who live down there drive by that area all the time and couldn't tell you where Seal Beach is located.
Surfacing by Matt Warshaw
Surfacing is about a small group of dedicated surfers the surf Pillar's Point, or Maverick's, in Half Moon Bay, California. Maverick's has long been known for the greatest waves outside of Hawaii. Jay Moriarity, a 16 year old surfer tells the story of his close call while surfing Maverick's. While surfing he is pulled under a wave and his board snaps in half. He goes back to the boat, grabs another board and goes back out there. As the story goes the name Maverick comes from a dog who shares an experience similar to Jay Moriarity, and so the story goes, the surfer that Maverick was with started to call that surfing spot after the dog.
"And as the untroubled imagination reduces fear and anxiety beforehand, it may also smooth things out afterward." pg. 87
I have heard of Maverick's, or Pillars Point, and Maverick's surfing contest every year on the radio. It reminded me of all of the people I have met that go out there and camp to watch the surfer's every year.
I didn't know previously that Half Moon Bay is the oldest city in San Mateo County. I also didn't know that Maverick's got the name Maverick from a dog!
Friday, March 27, 2009
3C Inland Areas Sacramento CA vs. Riverside CA
1.Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
2.Contains a web link to your locations. (eg you can use the tools in your blog where you paste your work; there is a little icon that looks like a link) .25 points
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside,_California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento,_California
http://media.point2.com/p2a/htmltext/20e0/89a7/7653/28f4b307c2152c98ecc6/original.jpg
http://www.businessfacilities.com/images/bfsep06p16b.jpg
3.Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities. .25 point
This component connects to our study of humanities by exploring areas and learning about areas that we may not know about already. I am from California and it is always interesting to me learn new things about my state. Even though I have lived here all of my life, I find I am learning about new places and new facts every week with our projects.
4.Contains the following elements that will be used in upcoming projects for analytical purposes:
a.What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
People often think of the Riverside area to be a "party" area because it is has a university and is very close to several other universities. Sacramento shares similar stereotypes in regards to being a "party" town due to the university. Sacramento is also suggested to be cheap.
b.List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
1.Both cities have universities in their city, and others in the surrounding area.
2.These cities have very similar climate in the late spring and summer.
3.In each city @ 15% of family's incomes are below the poverty line.
c.List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point.
1.The cities are on opposite ends of the state with Sacramento being in the northern inland region and Riverside being in the southern region of the state.
2.Sacramento has an NBA team, the Sacramento Kings, and Riverside does not have any NBA teams.
3.Sacramento is the capital of California.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. .5 point
Each city is well known for their universities, what population of each city are college students?
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
I have been to both beaches that Frank compared in his California Beach component of project 3. I learned from him that Half Moon Bay's beach has greater marine life than the Santa Monica beach.
http://humanities7fxd.blogspot.com/2009/03/half-moon-bay-state-beach-santa-monica.html
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
3B Beaches/ Ocean Beach, San Francisco Ca & Huntington Beach, Ca
1.Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
2.Contains a web link to your locations. (eg you can use the tools in your blog where you paste your work; there is a little icon that looks like a link) .25 points
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Beach,_San_Francisco,_California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington_Beach,_California
http://www.daytrippen.com/images/places/huntington-beach/huntington-beach1lg.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Oceanbeachsf.jpg
3.Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities. .25 point
This component of project 3 has taught me about other areas of California that I wouldn't otherwise make a point of researching. I now know more about California beaches, how they are similar and different regardless of where they lie geographically.
4.Contains the following elements that will be used in upcoming projects for analytical purposes:
a.What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
Some assumptions people may have about Huntington Beach is that everyone looks like a movie star because it is so close to LA and is in Orange County Ca. Orange County is always glamorized. Ocean Beach is categorized as a non-sunny beach because it is in San Francisco, but there are actually some "beach" days there also!
b.List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
1. Both beaches are on the CA coastline.
2. Surfers are drawn to each beach for their unique surfing conditions.
3. Each beach has their own surf shops.
c.List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
1. While both beaches are located along the coast of CA, the climates are very different. Huntington Beach has the typical southern California beach weather and Ocean Beach has a climate of a northern California beach, being much cooler and foggier.
2. Huntington Beach is a state beach. Ocean Beach SF is not categorized as a state beach.
3. Ocean Beach is just a name of the coastline that lies along the coast of San Francisco. Huntington Beach is actually a city as well where there are approximately 194,436 residents.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. .5 point
Huntington Beach sits on a salt dome that contains oil. I know that there are two spots where oil extraction continues, I want to know if there have ever been any oil spills on Huntington Beach?
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
From Thida's work last week on project 3a I learned that she used to live in southern California. I have always lived in the Bay Area. I am hoping to move to the southern parts of California.
http://missthaiteeveeblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/3a-world-cities.html
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
3a World Cities, San Francisco & New York City
1.Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
2.Contains a web link to your locations. (eg you can use the tools in your blog where you paste your work; there is a little icon that looks like a link) .25 points
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
3.Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities. .25 point
This component relates to my study of humanities by way of global studies. By comparing to world known cities, San Francisco and New York City, I am expanding my knowledge of other cities in the world.
4.Contains the following elements that will be used in upcoming projects for analytical purposes:
a.What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
In each city they are typically considered to by very liberal politically. For the most part that is true, but there are not only liberal citizens. New Yorkers are often said to be rude and pushy. I don't get that impression of New Yorkers.
b.List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
1. Both cities are located next to the ocean
2. Each city is divided into areas/buroughs. New York City is divided into the areas of Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island, etc. San Francisco is divided by areas such as the Sunset District, Mission District, Financial District, etc.
3. Each of these cities is rich in culture with many art galleries, museums, and parks.
c.List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
1. Each city resides on different coasts of the United States.
2. San Francisco has a Mediterranean like climate with very little seasonal temperature variation throughout the year, and dry summers. New York City has a humid subtropical climate. The summer's are hot and humid, while winters are very cold and snowy.
3. New York City is built on relatively flat land, while San Francisco is filled with streets paved on steep hills.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. .5 point
I know that many, many people visit each of these cities every year, I would like to know how many dollars are generated for each by tourism.
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
In Kayleb's post about the Santa Rosa Junior College I learned that the school is over a hundred years old and that there have been many students to move on to some very prestigious universities such as Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
2c California Redwoods
1.Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
2.Contains the sources you used with links to these sources .25 points
http://www.americansouthwest.net/california/redwood/national_park.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia
http://www.travel-destination-pictures.com/data/media/42/redwoods-state-park_321.jpg
3.Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities. 1 point
Part of my study of humanities is california culture. Part of california culture is it's history. The redwoods (sequoias) of California are part of its history. The are an amazing sight to see, and a trademark to California.
4.Contains the following "analytical elements":
a.Observation: What did you choose? What do you see or hear or feel or think of in the choice you made? What is the subject of the work? If you chose a 'thing' what is the work made of and what techniques (colors, lines, shapes, textures)does the creator use? Be specific in your description. If you chose a place, be specific in your description of what you see or hear. Talk to your reader as though they cannot see the item but somehow must draw a painting of what you see or hear. 1 point
Northwest California was once covered by two million acres of redwoods. They start around the Monterey Peninsula and go north all the way to the Oregon border. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world. Overtime the amount of Redwoods has been reduced by logging. There are several state parks to preserve the remaining trees.
The largest redwood tree is named Hyperion, it is the largest known tree in the world measuring 379.1 feet tall. The coastal redwoods forest is typically foggy with year round damp weather due to its coastal location. In the forest you may hear many little critters around as it is the habitat of many different animals. On days where the sun makes it through the fog, sun will stream down onto the forest floor between the massive trees.
b.Interpretation: What is your choice about? Give specific examples to support this statement in 2 sentences; do so in a way that teaches us something about your choice. Make Paulo Freire proud! .75 point
My choice is about the culture of California! These trees can live to be 2000 plus years old, older than California's name itself.
c.Judgment: What led you to your choice? What do you think or feel about this choice? Why do you feel this way? Support your thoughts with specific observations. .5 point
I am not much of an outdoors kind of person, and even then, I am amazed by these trees. They are just amazing. When you stand next to them and look up it is almost shocking when you realize just how small you are in the world compared to nature, yet we can so easily destroy it.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about this choice? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. Example: I learned that John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath was based on his personal experience working with farm workers. I would like to know if the characters he used in that book are fictitious or are they people he met? .5 point
I know that there are many areas along California's coast all the way to Oregon that house these trees, where else in the world are the prevalent?
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
In Mayra's post about The San Francisco Exploratorium I learned that the brother of the founder of the museum, J. Robert Oppenhiemer was the "Father" of the atom bomb. I agree with her that the creation of the exploratorium allows for people to explore and learn the basic concepts of very difficult subjects.
http://miloshumanside.blogspot.com/2009/02/2b-san-francisco-exploratorium.html
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
2b The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
1.Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
2.Contains the sources you used with links to these sources .25 points
http://www.nhm.org/
http://museum-of-natural-history.visit-los-angeles.com/
3.Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities. 1 point
The Museum of Natural History connects to my study of humanities because it teaches about our world and our culture. The museum is full of fossils that date back billions of years. Each of them are a piece that represents humans today and all of the organisms around them.
4.Contains the following "analytical elements":
a.Observation: What did you choose? What do you see or hear or feel or think of in the choice you made? What is the subject of the work? If you chose a 'thing' what is the work made of and what techniques (colors, lines, shapes, textures)does the creator use? Be specific in your description. If you chose a place, be specific in your description of what you see or hear. Talk to your reader as though they cannot see the item but somehow must draw a painting of what you see or hear. 1 point
I chose the Museum of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The museum of natural history is one of the most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history. It houses more than 35 million specimens and artifacts covering 4.5 billion years of history. This is the largest natural and historical museum in the Western United States. There is also and active research center. The building and rotunda date back to 1913. The rotunda's dome is stained glass.In the Visual Vault you can view artifacts from the Inca, Maya, and Aztec cultures. The dinosaur exhibit has an interactive dinosaur where the kids and the adults can pet a "real dinosaur". One could spend the whole day visiting the Gem and Mineral Hall, walk through the bird and animal habitats where there are 27 learning stations, and visit the California Waters where you can see the marine life specific to California. Another "must see" permanent exhibit the Ralph M. Parsons Discovery Center where there are "handle-able" specimens.
b.Interpretation: What is your choice about? Give specific examples to support this statement in 2 sentences; do so in a way that teaches us something about your choice. Make Paulo Freire proud! .75 point
My choice is about learning about our culture. By visiting the museum you can learn about how modern humans came to be and some of the species that we share the earth with. I think that learning about the history of humans and their different cultures help us to understand more about eachother as humans.
c.Judgment: What led you to your choice? What do you think or feel about this choice? Why do you feel this way? Support your thoughts with specific observations. .5 point
I love anthropology. I have been to natural history museums before and always learn something new. I have never been to the museum in LA County, but my next trip down there it will happen. Visiting museums is a fun and interesting way to broaden our knowledge.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about this choice? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. Example: I learned that John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath was based on his personal experience working with farm workers. I would like to know if the characters he used in that book are fictitious or are they people he met? .5 point
There are permanent exhibits in the museum, and there are some temporary. I would like to know how often the temporary exhibits come to the museum, are they on a rotation of some sort? How often does the museum get to exhibit them?
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
I learned from Cathy that when the Russian River floods it leaves behind a high deposit of minerals making the land rich in nutrients. The Dry Creek Valley vineyards in turn produce high quality grapes. I agree with Cathy that certainly, the vineyards of Sonoma County have kept Sonoma County's economy strong.
http://cathyishappy.blogspot.com/
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2a San Francisco
Contains a title using the format listed above .25 points
Contains the sources you used with links to these sources .25 points
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco
Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities. 1 point
San Francisco is a place that people from all over the world choose to visit. It has become a "melting pot" of people and cultures. It is such a historical city with many museums, parks, and has a major league ball park. I live so close to San Francisco that I don't think of it as such a tourist destination and have taken for granted having such a diverse city so close to home. I think that it connects to my study of humanities for those very reasons.
Contains the following "analytical elements":
a.Observation: What did you choose? What do you see or hear or feel or think of in the choice you made? What is the subject of the work? If you chose a 'thing' what is the work made of and what techniques (colors, lines, shapes, textures)does the creator use? Be specific in your description. If you chose a place, be specific in your description of what you see or hear. Talk to your reader as though they cannot see the item but somehow must draw a painting of what you see or hear. 1 point
San Francisco looks so different depending on what part the city you are in. On the Embarcadero you are at the edge of the bay. You can walk along the Embarcadero passing many different piers. Some of them are abandoned. Some of them serve as ports for bay cruise ships and ferries. Perhaps the most famous is Pier 39 where you can shop, dine, and get a peek of the sea lions perched on the docks. If you go all the way down you will come to the most AWESOME ball park ever!! The home of the Giants! Take a walk through Fisherman's Wharf and walk through crowded sidewalks filled with seafood carts, street performers, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, and a the Wax Museum. San Francisco is filled with people at all different socioeconomic levels. There are very low income areas filled with violence and drugs, and there are some of the most sought after neighborhoods perhaps in the state where there is mansion after mansion with ocean and bay views.
b.Interpretation: What is your choice about? Give specific examples to support this statement in 2 sentences; do so in a way that teaches us something about your choice. Make Paulo Freire proud! .75 point
My choice is about exposing yourself to different cultures. One could learn something new with every visit to San Francisco.
c.Judgment: What led you to your choice? What do you think or feel about this choice? Why do you feel this way? Support your thoughts with specific observations. .5 point
I choose San Francisco because it is such an attraction for people due to its location and again, diverse population. I grew up in Northern California frequently visiting the city. It seemed like we always had a "new" place to go to. There are the museums of art and science, aquariums, China Town, and the Japanese Tea Garden. I always felt that I learned about something new when I visited even though I been countless times.
d.Questioning: What else would you like to know about this choice? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience. Example: I learned that John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath was based on his personal experience working with farm workers. I would like to know if the characters he used in that book are fictitious or are they people he met? .5 point
I know that there have been prominent, yet controversial political leaders from San Francisco. This city has survived massive earthquakes and fires. I would like to learn more history of San Francisco, specifically it's earlier history during the times of the World Fair.
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here) . .5 point
I learned that Katy also believes that this form of blogging allows all of us students from different cultures bring something to the table during our class discussions. We can learn more in our study of humanities by sharing our ideas with each other.
http://katyhuman7.blogspot.com/2009/01/assignment-1c.html
Monday, February 2, 2009
Assignment 1c
1. Tell us their name and something about them.
a.Katherine goes by Katy. She lives 1.5 miles from campus. This is her 3rd Humanities class.
b.Rhianon lives 9.6 miles away from campus, and this class is her first blog.
2. Tell us 2 things from each person you learned regarding Paulo Freire.
a.From Katy's assignment 1b I learned that Paulo Freire's book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. I also learned that he worked with the Christian Democratic Agrarian Reform movement.
b.Rhianon's assignment 1b taught me that while Paulo was in law school he studied psychology of language. He had 5 children with first wife Elza Maria Costa de Oliveria.
3. Tell us how this information will relate to our study of humanities
I think that Paulo Freire's ideas will relate to way that we study humanities based on his idea that students are in charge of their own learning, and are not the "bank" in which money is being deposited to. So far, I think that this first project has integrated his ideas into it. The blogs are a great way for all of the students and the instructor to learn about eachother and to share our work with oneanother.
a.Katherine goes by Katy. She lives 1.5 miles from campus. This is her 3rd Humanities class.
b.Rhianon lives 9.6 miles away from campus, and this class is her first blog.
2. Tell us 2 things from each person you learned regarding Paulo Freire.
a.From Katy's assignment 1b I learned that Paulo Freire's book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. I also learned that he worked with the Christian Democratic Agrarian Reform movement.
b.Rhianon's assignment 1b taught me that while Paulo was in law school he studied psychology of language. He had 5 children with first wife Elza Maria Costa de Oliveria.
3. Tell us how this information will relate to our study of humanities
I think that Paulo Freire's ideas will relate to way that we study humanities based on his idea that students are in charge of their own learning, and are not the "bank" in which money is being deposited to. So far, I think that this first project has integrated his ideas into it. The blogs are a great way for all of the students and the instructor to learn about eachother and to share our work with oneanother.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Assignment 1b
Paulo Freire was born and raised in Brazil. It is in Brazil where his theories were first developed. He was born to middle class parents just before The Great Depression. Due to the global impact of The Great Depression, his family learned first hand what it was like to be impoverished. His family eventually was able to recover from the depression. Paulo enrolled in law school at the University of Recife. After passing the bar and beginning a short career, he decided to quit. He wanted to be an educator. He taught Portuguese in secondary schools.
In 1961 Paulo was appointed the director of the Department of Cultural Extension of the University of Recife. Soon after, by using Paulo's theories, 300 sugarcane workers were taught to read in 45 days. After this experiment the Brazilian government approved thousands of cultural circles throughout the world. He brought literacy programs to thousands in the northeast. This new found education also brought along with it, liberation. At this time literacy was a requirement for voting in a presidential election. He was briefly exiled to Bolivia. It was during his time in exile that he started on his writings that were soon to be published. He published two books, Education as the Practice of Freedom, and Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Paulo always denied that his familiarity with Marxism distanced him from his religion, which was catholicism. "I never understood how to reconcile fellowship with Christ with the exploitation of other human beings, or to reconcile a love for Christ with racial, gender and class discrimination. By the same token, I could never reconcile the Left's liberating discourse with the Left's discriminatory practice along the lines of race, gender, and class. What a shocking contradiction: to be, at the same time, a leftist and a racist.
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire
http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Facundo/section1.html
http://dmnierweber.iweb.bsu.edu/teachingguide/Freire%20bio.html
In 1961 Paulo was appointed the director of the Department of Cultural Extension of the University of Recife. Soon after, by using Paulo's theories, 300 sugarcane workers were taught to read in 45 days. After this experiment the Brazilian government approved thousands of cultural circles throughout the world. He brought literacy programs to thousands in the northeast. This new found education also brought along with it, liberation. At this time literacy was a requirement for voting in a presidential election. He was briefly exiled to Bolivia. It was during his time in exile that he started on his writings that were soon to be published. He published two books, Education as the Practice of Freedom, and Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Paulo always denied that his familiarity with Marxism distanced him from his religion, which was catholicism. "I never understood how to reconcile fellowship with Christ with the exploitation of other human beings, or to reconcile a love for Christ with racial, gender and class discrimination. By the same token, I could never reconcile the Left's liberating discourse with the Left's discriminatory practice along the lines of race, gender, and class. What a shocking contradiction: to be, at the same time, a leftist and a racist.
http://www3.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/resources/paulofreire.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire
http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/Facundo/section1.html
http://dmnierweber.iweb.bsu.edu/teachingguide/Freire%20bio.html
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Assignment 1a
1. What is your first name only (NOT last name)
Kendra
2. Why are you taking this class and what do you hope to learn
I am taking this class because I need one more humanities class to transfer to a UC, but I do like humanities classes. In my experience they have forced me to choose books and films that I probably wouldn't choose on my own. I want to learn as much as possible from each assignment this semester.
3. How far do you live from SRJC main campus (go to google, maps to get the SPECIFIC answer; for this you type in your address and 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA to find the exact mileage. EXAMPLE: 2.6 miles from campus. The goal here is to use new tools available to us. You can always come back to edit this)
According to google maps I live 52.9 miles away from the main SRJC campus.
4. What do you think of when you think "California"? Does this differ from what non-Californians think and if so, how?
When I think of California I think of mild weather, the beach, and orchards and farmland in the central valley. I think that a lot of non-Californians think of year round warm weather, beaches, and movie stars when they think of California.
5. Have you created a blog or webpage in the past?
I have a page of facebook, that counts right?
6. Regarding computers, are you on a mac or a pc?
I am on a mac computer. I LOVE Apple products!
7. What was your January 20th, 2009 like, or what do you remember of this day?
I don't remember to many details about January 20th, 2009. I took my older kids to school. When I came home I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama on t.v. most of the morning and afternoon. I also remember that we had some beautiful winter weather! It was just over 70F at my house that day.
Kendra
2. Why are you taking this class and what do you hope to learn
I am taking this class because I need one more humanities class to transfer to a UC, but I do like humanities classes. In my experience they have forced me to choose books and films that I probably wouldn't choose on my own. I want to learn as much as possible from each assignment this semester.
3. How far do you live from SRJC main campus (go to google, maps to get the SPECIFIC answer; for this you type in your address and 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA to find the exact mileage. EXAMPLE: 2.6 miles from campus. The goal here is to use new tools available to us. You can always come back to edit this)
According to google maps I live 52.9 miles away from the main SRJC campus.
4. What do you think of when you think "California"? Does this differ from what non-Californians think and if so, how?
When I think of California I think of mild weather, the beach, and orchards and farmland in the central valley. I think that a lot of non-Californians think of year round warm weather, beaches, and movie stars when they think of California.
5. Have you created a blog or webpage in the past?
I have a page of facebook, that counts right?
6. Regarding computers, are you on a mac or a pc?
I am on a mac computer. I LOVE Apple products!
7. What was your January 20th, 2009 like, or what do you remember of this day?
I don't remember to many details about January 20th, 2009. I took my older kids to school. When I came home I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama on t.v. most of the morning and afternoon. I also remember that we had some beautiful winter weather! It was just over 70F at my house that day.
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