THIS MOVIE WAS FANTASTIC! As a major fan of the graphic novels, I was really pleased with the way the movie portrayed the story. I was immediately blown away by the beautiful way in which the animation feel somewhere between 2 and 3 dimensional but still kept very much to the artwork used in the graphic novels. The movie added to the novel's appeal by taking it from being a linear moving animation to one that twisted and turned. As certain parts went forward others went backward, and while some went up, others went sidways. For me, the most impressive part of the entire movie was the war scene where there were characters using gas masks as the black and white screen demonstrated explosions and public chaos.
The story itself is completely amazing that a leftist revolution was turned into one run by religious fanatics. I feel like that was the most intersting part of the story to me because it was so incredibly horrifying. Just that in the absence of government, many people with many interests will attempt to control the will of the people. This reminded me of V for Vendetta in the way the government was set up there after the fall of the British government, but it was made so much more terrifying in that this was real. I had wondered before how a group of young people who were educated students could have created such a represive regime, but after seeing this movie and reading the graphic novels, I was able to see the seperation that is often lost in Western media.
This movie's stunning visual affects combined with its heartwrenching story were more than enough to make this movie a complete success for me. Later that night I had a conversation with my boyfriend about how terrible I felt it would be to see your country come to the footsteps of freedom and see the progress you worked so hard for be stolen by someone else without the interest of the people in mind. It helped me to put into perspective the discontent I have with America and gave me a better insight into the Iranian revolution.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Group 4
Ah, Harry Nodden. Nodden really knows how to teach grammar in a way that goes through the much debated into areas that are easily taught in the classroom. I actually did a presentation before on the very chapter that the presenters did on Greek terminology in grammar. The group was very professional and the entire set up with the french theme, music, and 'wine' was a great touch that would help to get the students' attention before the lesson was started.
Although I really don't put too much stake by the test that we took, I feel like it is important to give upcoming teachers a bit of a reality check on their own grammar skills before they go into the classroom. While there are areas that future teachers will need to keep in mind that they still have work to do, I'm sure they will still have a great deal to offer to students in the way of grammar instruction.
After working at the Writing Center I've definitely come to see how 'grammar' is used as a catch-all for many students who are looking for help with much greater needs or ones that are completely different. When a student says the 'need help with grammar' they could mean many different things. For instance, in this case, a student might mean that they are struggling with specific word choice, or they might be having a hard time construcing sentences properly. Maybe they recieved a mark on their paper that said 'akward'. The fact is, many students say 'grammar' when they just don't know the terminology or exact problem they really need help working with. So, I feel like group presentations like the one from this group really help teachers to understand the variety of things a student could mean they are having issues with.
Although I really don't put too much stake by the test that we took, I feel like it is important to give upcoming teachers a bit of a reality check on their own grammar skills before they go into the classroom. While there are areas that future teachers will need to keep in mind that they still have work to do, I'm sure they will still have a great deal to offer to students in the way of grammar instruction.
After working at the Writing Center I've definitely come to see how 'grammar' is used as a catch-all for many students who are looking for help with much greater needs or ones that are completely different. When a student says the 'need help with grammar' they could mean many different things. For instance, in this case, a student might mean that they are struggling with specific word choice, or they might be having a hard time construcing sentences properly. Maybe they recieved a mark on their paper that said 'akward'. The fact is, many students say 'grammar' when they just don't know the terminology or exact problem they really need help working with. So, I feel like group presentations like the one from this group really help teachers to understand the variety of things a student could mean they are having issues with.
Group 3
Found poems are great tools for the classroom. For those students that are somewhat unsure about their abilities as poets, these poems can help them to get their feet wet. So, the use of Found poems in this group was a really great idea. I thought the use of various mediums was also a great idea as it would give students more options to get a better understanding of how they could utilize popular culture in order to get their point across.
I wonder if it would be going beyond the label of Found poem if students wanted to take some part of the speech or address a person had done and incorporate it into a poem. Perhaps if they had used a transcript in order to do this, then there would be some wiggle room provided. This could then be something really useful for making poetic reflections on things that politicians and political leaders had said in order to contrast them with the public's reactions.
I would definitely use Found poems for teaching English to students, but I would also be able to use them to help students learn more about politics. I believe that one of the greatest ways to get students involved is to give them a medium that is accessible. Found poems definitely make literature, poetry, english, and for that matter, political science more accessible and would help to keep students interested in the material that was being covered.
I wonder if it would be going beyond the label of Found poem if students wanted to take some part of the speech or address a person had done and incorporate it into a poem. Perhaps if they had used a transcript in order to do this, then there would be some wiggle room provided. This could then be something really useful for making poetic reflections on things that politicians and political leaders had said in order to contrast them with the public's reactions.
I would definitely use Found poems for teaching English to students, but I would also be able to use them to help students learn more about politics. I believe that one of the greatest ways to get students involved is to give them a medium that is accessible. Found poems definitely make literature, poetry, english, and for that matter, political science more accessible and would help to keep students interested in the material that was being covered.
Group Presentation 2
I was so impressed with this group presenations on communities! Rather than relaying tired information about how communities work, this group worked incredibly hard to set up a scenario that students would be able to really get into. This experience would help to build student empathy with those that have difficulties getting further in the cities they live in, and the resulting divisions, bitterness, and resentment that can sometimes build because of this.
While communities are usually formed to put a positive connotation on someone that has been ostracized before, I feel like they can sometimes be detrimental to unity while they are at the same time trying to help. The word 'community' tries to build a unification between people who share certain beliefs, ideals, motives, hopes, etc, but they can work to try to mold people and create division if they focus primarily on one aspect. The way we use the terms 'black' 'white' or 'hispanic' community are greate examples of this. While these groups attempt sometimes to use the word 'community' as a reaction to the negative connotations they somtimes recieve, at the same time, they can be used to exclude if someone within or outside of the group fits some of the issues held by a majority of people but wants to speak out with a different opinion or interestin mind and they are labeled as being an outisider who is not valid as a representation of that community. Oneof the greatest examples I've seen of this was when I was talking to my friend Michelle. She was talking to me about how she was basically disowned by a lot of her friends and family because she is a black American who went off to college and is percieved as trying to be something she 'is not'. She asked me once if I felt she met my definition of what a 'black person was'. I almost had a heart attack over that question, and answered that we need to not look to stereotypes to define how we think of entire people because it becomes a self-fullfilling and devisive situation.
Anyway, I would definitely use this exercise in the classroom because it would help students to get some sort of understanding as to how a group of people come together under certain shared interests to try to better their lives in regard to acquiring services needed for survival. I thought the group did a fantastic job and they gave the class a great tool to use in the future.
While communities are usually formed to put a positive connotation on someone that has been ostracized before, I feel like they can sometimes be detrimental to unity while they are at the same time trying to help. The word 'community' tries to build a unification between people who share certain beliefs, ideals, motives, hopes, etc, but they can work to try to mold people and create division if they focus primarily on one aspect. The way we use the terms 'black' 'white' or 'hispanic' community are greate examples of this. While these groups attempt sometimes to use the word 'community' as a reaction to the negative connotations they somtimes recieve, at the same time, they can be used to exclude if someone within or outside of the group fits some of the issues held by a majority of people but wants to speak out with a different opinion or interestin mind and they are labeled as being an outisider who is not valid as a representation of that community. Oneof the greatest examples I've seen of this was when I was talking to my friend Michelle. She was talking to me about how she was basically disowned by a lot of her friends and family because she is a black American who went off to college and is percieved as trying to be something she 'is not'. She asked me once if I felt she met my definition of what a 'black person was'. I almost had a heart attack over that question, and answered that we need to not look to stereotypes to define how we think of entire people because it becomes a self-fullfilling and devisive situation.
Anyway, I would definitely use this exercise in the classroom because it would help students to get some sort of understanding as to how a group of people come together under certain shared interests to try to better their lives in regard to acquiring services needed for survival. I thought the group did a fantastic job and they gave the class a great tool to use in the future.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Christensen Chapter 8
Alright, the last chapter. Quality education is one of the most important things to me as a teacher and I really strive to create a better learning environment that gives more to my students and provides them with more opportunities to learn. Christensen couldn’t have said it better. This coincides nicely with my SPED 4290 class that stresses providing the best education relative to their special needs and issues. This is critical to proving fantastic and equal education for all students.
Tracking is an interesting thing. I was certainly tracked for the higher level classes and this is something I feel really benefited me and helped to shape my learning in high school. I can't say that getting rid of tracking would be the best thing or that it would be detrimental, but I think there's definitely a middle road to be explored.
Ultimately, I feel that students need to be addressed from different levels often to help them get to one that is acceptable for their grade level, age, and place in society. Either than that, I'm still exploring this stance.
Tracking is an interesting thing. I was certainly tracked for the higher level classes and this is something I feel really benefited me and helped to shape my learning in high school. I can't say that getting rid of tracking would be the best thing or that it would be detrimental, but I think there's definitely a middle road to be explored.
Ultimately, I feel that students need to be addressed from different levels often to help them get to one that is acceptable for their grade level, age, and place in society. Either than that, I'm still exploring this stance.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Gilmore Chapter 7
Revision again. Well, it is important, and incredibly overlooked often times by yours truely dear reader. There are many ways in which revision differs from project to project and ways where the process is similar. Revision could maybe be done more if there was class time given to either doing the revision process for a piece of work or by working activities that help students to see the benefits of revision into the classroom.
Of course, this is all well and good, but revision is still something that I and I'm sure other students fail to do. The most I've been doing lately is forcing myself to do a read through which, although beneficial, is not the end all.
Of course, this is all well and good, but revision is still something that I and I'm sure other students fail to do. The most I've been doing lately is forcing myself to do a read through which, although beneficial, is not the end all.
Gilmore Chapter 6
Ah technology, the bane of my existance as I get older and older. There's so much to keep up with. I don't know how to download from itunes or use an mp3 player.
Yeah, I know this is bad, especially for someone who grew up in the technology boom. I remember when I was the go to techie for my house when I lived with my parents, and now that honor is bestowed upon my brother who knows his way around his xbox and all its various gadgets quite well. However, I realize I need to get better at this in order to help my students in their work. Sometimes technology can be great for getting a message across, and can be used as aides in the classroom. I just need to get better with technology outside of the overhead, VCR/DVD player, and powerpoint presentation. This will be esecially true if I'm teaching social studies where there are many things like podcasts that will greatly benefit classroom learning.
Sometimes technology can engulf a classroom, but I think there are ways that it can really be great for learning when it's done in moderation.
Yeah, I know this is bad, especially for someone who grew up in the technology boom. I remember when I was the go to techie for my house when I lived with my parents, and now that honor is bestowed upon my brother who knows his way around his xbox and all its various gadgets quite well. However, I realize I need to get better at this in order to help my students in their work. Sometimes technology can be great for getting a message across, and can be used as aides in the classroom. I just need to get better with technology outside of the overhead, VCR/DVD player, and powerpoint presentation. This will be esecially true if I'm teaching social studies where there are many things like podcasts that will greatly benefit classroom learning.
Sometimes technology can engulf a classroom, but I think there are ways that it can really be great for learning when it's done in moderation.
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