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.

   

2/15/12 The film compared to the book

    
     After watching the movie I thought that I understood Chris McCandless’ ideas and thoughts better than in the book. The movie showed Chris as this young, nice, intelligent, adventurous, and kind spoken person. He was nice and friendly to everyone he met. The movie showed his parents as cold and strict people. I thought the parents were scary because they were so cold toward Chris and his ideals. I did not think that the parents understood Chris at all.

     The music was pleasant and fit the spirit well. The music lightened the mood when we saw Chris and darkened the mood when we saw Chris' family. I did not really like Chris' character in the book, but I liked his character better in the movie, because he seemed more caring and light spirited. By watching the film I think I started to understand why Chris wanted to be free from society. I saw his life with my own eyes and understood his pains. The movie definitely helped Chris' case. Chris also had a dark side though. He did not fully listen to or try to understand his family’s values and problems. He was cold at the dinner table with his parents after his graduation.

     I think films do romanticize and improve life stories more than the life stories actually were. Movies have music, scenery, and nice camera shots in order to show the situation at hand as ideal or horrible. The director shows the movie the way he sees it in his eyes and not in the eyes of everyone else important.  Most aspects in movies are usually too good to be true or too extreme to actually happen. The movie showed Chris as this great guy, but in reality he left many broken hearted people behind. The views and opinions of the people affected by Chris are shown better in Krakauer's book.  Krakauer shows every characters point of view of Chris. 

    

2/12/12 My final thoughts on Chris

        I still think Chris was inconsiderate of his family and their feelings when he decided to just drop everything and leave them. He was not thinking about his family when he left. He was just thinking about his own goals and feelings. I wish he would of been more thoughtful of his family and friends because they were very hurt by his disappearance. The book stated how his father, mother, sister, and other siblings greatly suffered by his leaving and death. His mother and sister cried a lot and were very sad. The family said it was hard sometimes to get through the day because they thought about how Chris was dead.

        I do understand though that Chris did it to find himself and understand his thoughts. Chris was very happy in the end. He died, but proved to himself that he could survive by himself in the wild. When Chris' family came to visit the bus where he died they found some peace of mind. They said that they understood why Chris went out here to live. In Chris' writings he wrote, that he was happy with his life and did not have regrets. So at least his family can know that he thought his life was a good one.

2/4/12 Outcasts with similar thoughts

        I think that Krakauer included chapters 8 and 9 because all of those people had very similar ideals and thoughts. All of those men truly enjoyed the beauty of nature and liked the thrill of being outside. They enjoyed being by themselves so that they could connect with nature and not be distracted by modern human problems. Adventure and risk were very important aspects in their lives. I think Krakauer was trying to show that McCandless was not the only person who thought this way.  Because of their similar ways of thinking and acting these men are considered outcasts from society.  They do not fit in and because of not fitting in they are judged by the rest of society.   

        Names were of little importance to them. These men thought that names were not important and did not tell anything about a person. Some of the men like Chris and Everett changed their names in order to show that they were a new person and that the people they were when they were younger were gone. They picked a name that they liked and one that they thought suited them. Chris and Everett would be reminded of their old lives if they kept their old names. Chris was reminded of his family, his school years, and his years living in one spot. Chris and Everett just wanted to forget their old selves and create a new self that takes joy in the wonder of the world.

1/31/12 Reflection on the two epigraphs in chapter 3

        
         I think both of these passages are very strong and meaningful. The first passage by Leo Tolstoy talks about how routine life is considered the "quiet life". In life people are stuck doing the same old obligations every day. People get up go to work, manage money, take care of the house, and see the same people every day. This at times can get very tiring every day. The passage says that some people need more than just the quiet and routine life. Some people have to go on new adventures and explore.

        The second passage talks about how people have this feeling inside that makes them want to go out into the world or try new activities. People want to escape the normal life with rules, laws, and judgements. People need an outlet to let their stress out. The passage talks about how that freedom is found to the west. Like in early American history the colonists traveled west to find themselves a new life.

        Chris McCandless found both of these passages to be very important and special. He longed to leave his "quiet life" and find himself a new life and new adventure outside with nature. He did not want to follow laws of society and often in his travels he did break the law. He wanted to be like the people in the past who lived and survived outside. I think he traveled west because the American colonists traveled west and found lots of land, riches, beauty, and happiness. He did not want the riches though.  He wanted to use nature riches. Chris McCandless had an urge to seek out more in life and that is what he did.

1/31/12 - Reinventing Myself

         If I had the chance to reinvent myself I don't think I would change my name or how I look or how I act. I actually like the way I am. I think I am a good and nice person who gets along well with others.  I used to hate my name because it was so common, but now I cannot imagine being called anything else.  I would like to try new things and go on adventures. In high school I started playing the viola because I heard a girl from my church play the viola and I thought it was so beautiful. After I heard her play I instantly wanted to learn how to play. Just like McCandless liked nature and spiritually connecting with the outdoors I always thought string instruments were pretty sounding and I felt connected to their sound. That is one way how I reinvented myself. I became a viola player.

         I have always wanted to travel to many different countries and learn about their unique culture. In the future I plan to go traveling to many different places and experiencing many different customs and traditions. I get an energy boost when I see happy people and people walking around in their natural habitat. The history of the country is also very interesting to learn about. I like to know what people did in the past and how they lived in the past. One thing that I would do differently from Chris McCandless would be that I would not travel alone. I would go with at least one other person so that I would have a person around me that makes me feel safe. If I went alone I would feel scared and lonely.

         I feel that what the idea of reinvention can be a good idea. Some people reinvent themselves for the better and some reinvent themselves for the worse. I think Chris reinvented himself to make himself happy.  He was happy during his life, which is very important to find in life. I do not think I would do anything like what Chris McCandless did like walking to my destinations, leaving my family, and living in the wilderness, but I think that reinventing yourself can show yourself and other people that you have many talents and are a unique person. Some do invent themselves for the worse though. An example of reinventing yourself in a bad way is to commit crimes or abuse drugs.

1/26/12 My Opinion of Chris McCandless

 
          Chris McCandless was an person who was intelligent and had a lot of deep thoughts. I think he saw the world in different ways and was a very caring person. He had a kind soul because he helped less fortunate people and discussed problems with society and peoples relationships with eachother. He did not like people’s negativity about life. Chris was thankful for everything he had and wanted to prove that he could live happily with the bare minimum. I think he wanted to truly understand how poor, starving, and disgraced people lived. Maybe he wanted to show that he cared for them in his own way by not being greedy and negative. He did not want to waste any food because he knew that other people were starving in the world.

        I think he also wanted to show himself and others that nature was essential for life. He probably thought that the early humans lived in nature and that he also could stray from modern society and live in and with nature.  Maybe he wanted to show society that life could be lived in nature and that other people could eat, find shelter, and find water in nature.

         Chris McCandless had a strong connection with nature spiritually, because he cared about all living creatures lives and tried to make sure that no life was taken and then wasted. He was happiest when he was wandering outside.  I think he was idealist because not all people in society today are going to understand what he believed in. I think his hopes were too high for other people to understand his ideas. Maybe he just wanted to see it work for himself. 
        
        When I first read this I was angry at Chris for doing this.  He could of lived the long life that was given to him.  Not all people in the world are as lucky as him to be in good health and have food, clean water, and shelter.  He was given the gift of life and I thought he should take care of himself and his life.  However later, when I thought about this I saw it threw his eyes that he was doing was was best for himself and his happiness.   People in the world strive to reach happiness and not all make it there.  Chris McCandless found his true happiness outside with nature and himself and therefore lived a good life.   He did not try to kill himself. So he was not wasting his life. He was just trying to find himself and his part in the world.  He said he enjoyed his life and was not too upset about his death.  He truly lived his life for himself and proved that a person can be happy with the bare minimum.     

        

1/24/12 Nature

          I enjoy nature.  I love looking at it and being out in it.  I think the earth and nature are beautiful and should by admired and enjoyed.  I do take comfort in nature.  Nature offers a safe and pleasant environment.  I believe that people should return and enjoy nature like humans did in the past.  In the past people lived with, hunted in, and relied on nature.  They learned how to connect and work with nature.  Not a lot of people now a days go outside anymore to connect with nature.  Today people are so caught up with the new technology and stay inside to use that technology.  I agree that technology is very beneficial to human life, but it would be ideal for people to find a balance between technology and going outside to be with nature.  Also people keep destroying nature with new developments, buildings, and roads.  People should try to limit how much nature they destroy.  
          I want to be more connected with nature because I think going outside and observing nature is healthy, relaxing, and fun.  Most of the time though I am inside the house focused on technology like tv, computer, or video games.  When I look out the window, I see how beautiful it is outside and that makes me want to go outside.  Being outside can be annoying too, because in the summer it can be too hot and in winter it can be too cold.  Also in the summer there are a lot of pesky insects that bite and fly around people.  However even with a few negatives, nature always gave me this happy feeling and made me feel relaxed and safe. I think people do have a spirital connection to nature because it surrounds us.  We live in and with nature and it is our home.  People should protect, love, respect, and admire their home.    

1/21/12 Materialism and Greed Today?

I think that people today are always excited for the next new technology and they have to have it.  The new iphone or ipod has even more apps and giga bites.  People want the latest technology.  I agree that technology like computers, video games, and ipods do distract people and take them away from other important tasks like doing work or being with family.  Then again I also believe that new technology is beneficial for our society because advances in technology help with better mecdical care, ways to communicate, ways to find information, and many other beneficial advances.  In the story the man was getting consumed by greed and how he wanted more land.  He totally forgot about his family and friends.  Now the family will have to find out the hard way that Pahóm is dead.  He became selfish.  People need to be careful about how much time and effort they spend on material objects.   

1/19/12

Since the fall semester I have not changed too much.  I am still a kind and caring person.  I am hard working and try my best to get good grades.  I also still love caring for animals and I enjoy art.  I still play the viola.  Something that has changed about me is that I have changed my POE from art to psychology.  I enjoy psychology and am taking the class inorder to see if I really like the subject.  I have gotten used to the college and like the freedom it gives.  I have become more independent and responsible.  I also do not procrastinate as much on work.  I think I am becoming a stronger person.