Activity on Tuesday 4/17/12

The activity we did on Tuesday was fun and interesting.  Some triumphs in the activity were that our teamwork was productive. We both worked well to write the directions. I think our directions were pretty clear except at the end the other group who made our foam animal did not understand our directions to put on the tail correctly, but they made the rest of the monkey correctly.

One difficulty we had with the activity was writing the directions. It was hard to find the right words to write clear directions so that the other group would make the monkey right. It was also hard to understand the directions that the other group gave us. We did make it correctly, except for the antenna on the body.   

Overall I think it was a productive activity and it was also fun to try and write good directions and follow other people’s directions correctly.

"Mother Tongue" Journal question # 4

          I think the teacher encouraged Amy to choose her career in math or science because she looked at her background and her family. Amy came from Asia and the teacher probably assumed that Amy would have poor English skills because English was not her first language. Also because Amy's mother spoke "broken" English the teacher might have thought that Amy had had as much trouble with English as her mother did. Math and science are solid subjects that have the same principles all around the world. The teacher probably thought that she would be better at math and science which is known worldwide.

          In her essay she is proving that anyone can work in any subject if they work hard enough. She proved that she could write good English books and essays. She is saying that a person can succeed in anything and it does not matter what or who they are. Also Amy is trying to say that she has come to respect and cherish the way she speaks to her mother and husband. She says that way of speaking is what she grew up with and she kept that way of speaking to adulthood.

My Digital Story

I am going to tell my digital story about my older brother and how he was my role model.  He helped me grow and mature.  I am going to talk about our childhood and how we grew up.

4/1/12 Digital Storytelling

         When I read the reading on digital storytelling I thought it was a very unique and interesting idea. I liked the idea that you told your own personal story to others with your own voice. When you tell the story with your own voice it gives your story power and strength to the viewer because the subject is so important to you. The reading said that the digital story makes the teller of the story realize the true meaning of their story. The teller has to dig deep inside of their memories so that they can tell a story that is strong and important in their lives. If you do have trouble finding ideas for your digital story you can ask a close friend to interview you to help you recall some memories. The reading talked about how the story could have many different meanings to different viewers. Your story could help someone else realize something about life.

         You can write about so many different personal experiences. You could write about a person you respect, an adventure you had, a lover, and a place that you love to be at. There are many possibilities for your digital story. The story shows pictures to help give the viewer a visual behind the story. The combination of your voice, the images, and some background music really help to make the digital story powerful. Digital storytelling gives you the chance to realize that your own personal history is unique and important.

3/22/12 My thoughts on "The Go-Nowhere Generation"

   
         When I read the article "The Go-Nowhere Generation" I agreed with it. I do not think that many young adults in our generation are traveling far from their birth homes. I think that this is happening because of the bad economy. Young adults are observing the economic struggles their parents are having and are learning that in order to get money they need to work hard and keep whatever job they get because there are not a lot of jobs left. I also think young adults like the security that their parents offer. Young adults may think that if they ever get in big financial trouble then they could turn to their parents for help and support. When the economy is negative, it is a very stressful time for the society because the people are having problems paying for important things like bills and their mortgage. Also because of the increase in better technology, jobs and knowledge are becoming easier to get.  

         I think it is important for young adults to travel, because that helps them learn new lessons about different lands and people. Also, by traveling, young adults spread their knowledge of the world and life. By traveling young adults get to encounter new experiences. However, I understand why young adults would stay closer to home because it offers security and a familiar atmosphere. They know where jobs are at their homes and I think they believe that it would be easier to get a job at home because they know the people and the area. Better technology offers instant knowledge to people without them having to travel or move anywhere.

    

2/22/12 "Student Metaphors of Themselves as Writers"

           The article “Student Metaphors of Themselves as Writers” is organized to show the different types of struggles students go through with their writing.  Many students who think they are poor writers are scared of writing papers and find them very unenjoyably to write.  Other students find it easier to write and think they are strong writers.  The article shows different problems that students encounter in their writing. 

           The central claim of each section in the article is that students often pick their weakest points in writing and try to identify their problems.  Many of the students wrote very strong metaphors for themselves.    The overall thesis is to show students that they can identify their own problems.  Then students can work together with other students and the teacher to try to solve their writing problems.  The idea is also to show students that they know more than they think and are creative to come up with good metaphors for their writing.      

2/20/12 My Opinion of Wikipedia - Journal entry number 3

 
       I agree with Middlebury College to ban the use of Wikipedia because Wikipedia can have information that is misleading. I was always taught in school never to use Wikipedia as a source so I just got used to not using Wikipedia as a source. When I have done research papers, I have always found other good websites to use as my sources. I do not think it is hard to find other sites with good information.

       I think Wikipedia may be a good place to start researching to get a better idea about a topic. However, I do not think students should use the information in a paper. Wikipedia just gives a definition of the topic and does not analyze the topic with other people views and other sources. I think by understanding the topic by what Wikipedia says, a student can use better key words to find a better website to use as their source. I think teachers and faculty should spend some time discussing why Wikipedia is not the best source to use in papers. They should show students examples of bad and misleading Wikipedia articles.