GSE

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Fun with idioms


The Garden of the gods, Illinois, 2006
What can I say about being married? Written by Angelica

Being married has pos and cons that you have to consider if you are thinking about getting married. There are several reasons why some people are afraid of being married and others think that it is the best experience in life. So far, nobody knows it. You must not rule out marriages because someone says bad things about marriages. I recommend you making your own mistakes. Because I am married, I have the authority to say that being married is seeing something in a whole new light. May be you know what I am trying to do. You are right! I am trying to make a plug for marriages. So, enjoy a happy life just being married to loved ones. No ifs, and, or bust. Then, do it and wait.

Critical Review

Written by Angelica
GES Core
04-19-06

This article entitled Benefits of a faculty writing circle--better teaching (1992) by Fassinger, & Gilliland, discussed a successful and pedagogical teaching technique based on creating writing circles to improve academic skills such as reading, writing, arguing, and analyzing discipline’s contents in college students through specific workshops. Therefore, I have to say that I agree with a writing circle has benefits because it is one way of engaging both teacher and students in creating the best atmosphere in classrooms, and avoiding traditional ways of offering simpler written comments to students by discussing why writing is an important academic skill.

Creating a faculty writing circle provides us three pedagogical benefits reached by college students, while this teaching way was implemented in mixed courses (sociology and history). First of all, authors accurately and sufficiently described the issue defining each pedagogical benefit and included an explanation of unfamiliar expressions. The first of these pedagogical benefits proposed a new teaching method called “writing groups in the sociology classroom”. According to the authors, this method creates an atmosphere composed of three characteristics -collaboration, conviction, and reciprocal supports- mostly performed by students. After authors define the terms such as peers’ work, they proceed to give us examples about minor topics and show us evidences of strategies using an understandable language. For example, they think that classmates should perform constructive criticism on someone else’s paper more than the instructors concerning evaluating ideas, rewriting summaries, and understanding how global article’s structure must be done. One example focused on using students comments was “…my reading has changed. I am much more focused on main points and logical flow of articles now. I noticed that I now read articles as if I were writing summaries- -carefully” (p. 3). Furthermore, the authors clearly suggest specific ideas of how instructors could use assignments if they want to improve writing activities in classroom such as “reading your-professor’s work as a sociology assignment”. Finally, the last section mentioned some author’s notes and cited works as well as the third pedagogical benefit based on a new perspective of understanding that students have differences in learning levels and intellectual development; therefore, the authors say teachers have to promote a friendly environment in classrooms. While students can be more exposed to good writing, they will check their own writing. That is the global goal defined by authors as “connected teaching” using an inductive process that shows students that writing is a difficult and intellectual process linked to other complex activities such as research.

In reviewing this article, I found that the explanation about reading your-professor’s work as a sociology assignment” was not enough explained as I was expecting. In my opinion, it deserved to be explained better as the newest activity in writing classes than by the small section used to explain it. In this sense, establishing how students have to recognize that some teacher preferences in writing styles as well as their authority positions tell them how much they know about their teachers’ knowledge. For example, the authors underlined this student’s comment as a proof of knowing about professors’ works is important for them: “I would like to read more work from my professors. I think it tells me a little bit more about them. It helps to show what they can actually do…” (p. 3). The second benefit in this article was related to considering the main problems faced by students in writing assignments. Because teachers have to feel that their students are writers, they have to encourage them to finish any writing tasks.

In conclusion, I want to say that I was motivated to read this article even though the authors did not conclude as strongly as I was expecting. But, their clear writing style and supporting details about pedagogical benefits was good enough to understand each strategy. Because my background in this field is good, I felt comfortable with the idea of looking at alternative ways in teaching writing classes. I definitely agree with the perspective of creating pedagogical experiences to teach something difficult as writing styles. In addition, I could not stop thinking about the fact that that engaging students in learning how to write is possible only if teachers have the enthusiasm to avoid traditional ways of teaching writing. In addition, teachers have to face with students the most common negative feelings on writing skill, and promote as much as possible encounters between students and well written texts. Moreover, I think that activities such as a faculty writing circle should be considered in teaching writing in both native and second languages.

Reference:
Fassinger, P. & Gilliland. (1992). Benefits of a faculty writing circle--better teaching. College Teaching, 40 (2), 53-56

What is it so important to talk about faith?

Written by Angelica
Discussion topic -Journal reaction

As a final article discussed in class about religious issues, I have to say that both the Islam article and its oral presentation were my favorites for several reasons. First of all, I felt comfortable with my listening and speaking skills during this discussion. If I have to give an explanation why I was feeling that, I think that my feelings related to the Islam faith has a direct relationship between the goodwill that implies to me talking about Islam and Christianity as two of the mainstreams religions worldwide. Furthermore, knowing that this is a faith followed by good friends makes me feel well, and it inspires such a nice respect for them. In addition, I could see in general some similarities between the Islam faith and Christian faith such as believing primary in one God, believing in Angels, testifying teaching of God through a holy book whether it was the Holy Bible or the Holy Koran, and believing in prophets including Jesus Christ.

Second of all, I would like to say that something different in my mind happened while I made comparison between the Islam faith and my own ones, the Catholic faith. Also, I want to say that I could not feel this connection before learning on other presentations even though there is a very big different between Muslim and Christians such as they do not believe in Jesus as God’ son. When I was typing this journal, I realized what happened. I respect the personal decision of anyone of choosing any kind of faith, and I felt that those (the Mormon faith and the Vineyard movement) do not say anything to me at all so far. Having religion movements is the most logical explanation of something in the world has drastically changed. And we have to keep in mind that religion is a controversial topic because there is not one better than other.

Finally, I want to say that I was so happy to understand that though someone has a religious preference different to us, we need to check every day our feelings, values, religious beliefs, and any kind of principles that regulate our behavior because it means being part of a modern society understanding and showing respect each others as a big family which are, human beings.

Arguing about body building, doping, and beauty

Written by Angelica
Discussion topic -Journal reaction

Putting together body building, doping, and beauty as topic in the same conversation could be the beginning of a long discussion based on our stereotypes about them. First of all, I want to say that evaluating new things such as body building in women through our stereotypes about beauty, womanly, and sexiness is a limited viewpoint. I agree with everyone who exercises with a purpose of searching more energy and vitality. However, I disagree with using artificial aids (e.g. steroids) in order to get bigger muscles in biceps or calfes only as a reason for building bodies. So far, I can see differences between searching a body building by a natural way, and searching abnormal bodies by taking steroids. My concern related to this topic is not linked to what I think beauty on men or women is. Because that really does not matter to body builders, some of them enjoy their hobby because it is part of their lives. But the media has an important role by making money through body builders who have to do something wrong such as using steroids for gaining competitions. Because mostly this world is all about money, we have to deal with wrong messages reached form the media. It is a fact that from the media we can see figure competition of women where they do not look as athletes anymore. Furthermore, my concern to this topic is directly connected to what a body builder either women or men used to gain definition, vascularity, and symmetry. Finally, nowadays, body building is a hobby, but we can expect someday that more and more people enjoy looking and practicing body building. Therefore, I have to say that after many of our discussion classes as usual, we must respect personal decisions of everyone choosing whatever thing in its life only if that decision does not involve children and young adults in having risks for using steroids.

Doping in sports

Written by Angelica
Discussion topic -Journal reaction

First of all, I have to say that I disagree with doping in sports. So far, I can see differences between sports considered as entertainment such as baseball, and sports that are not such as Olympic Games where baseball is out for several reasons. If I have to give an explanation why I have strong feelings about avoiding any drug issues in human beings, I want to say that my concern related to this topic is linked what I think an athlete is. My ideal concept of an athlete is a player who everyday tries to do the best without using artificial aids (e.g. steroids) when either training or competing. Athletes know the difference between being a commercial player who wants to play any sports just for money and having fun. Even tough money is always important in daily life, I know that athletes are different from super sport stars because athletes try to win for a competitive spirit. Second of all, knowing that baseball is a sport followed by fans including children and young athletes, I can stop thinking how some baseball players are sending them the wrong message about using steroids as a way of earning astronomical quantities of money, and getting extra abilities that they never could reach by using traditional ways of training.

Finally, I realized after many of our discussion classes that we have to respect personal decisions of everyone choosing whatever thing in its life. However, I must raise my voice and say that using steroids is illegal. I am worried about a super sport player can influence children and young athletes. Using steroids is right now illegal in our society; therefore, I cannot believe that sport players have to use them as a contribution of keeping the sport business. In this sense, as my final thought, I want to give everybody an advice: discussing with young people about avoiding drugs is important and being alert who a sport hero is not anymore.

My favorite character in the miracle worker

In my novel and film class, I am reading the miracle worker (2002) by William Gibson. In this play, there are many interesting characters, but my favorite is Helen for several reasons. First of all, I want to say that I like her because she has an important role who teaches anyone that there is no limit to get anything if you want it, and if you are ready to take it. In the play, she is described as a six-seven years old child whose handicap has pushed her to be unkempt, imperious, obstinate, resolute, and undisciplined. Even though she born well, she suffered from a disease which gave her a special condition of being blind, deaf, and mute. For this reason, she is introduced in the Act 1 as a little girl trapped in a vivacious body.

Second of all, I have to say that we can see other important Helen’s characteristics, which in my opinion are the best. The narrator, who explains us important details in the play, offers a lot of emotional characteristics of Helen such as her necessity of being like “a normal person”, her sharpness, and sensitive spirit although her handicap. In this sense, Helen has shown us a child who always tries to communicate with other relatives, but nobody can help her due to the inarticulate sounds that she made in order to reach anything. However, the only ones who can see the determination of Helen are Kate Keller (Helen’s mother) and Annie Sullivan (Helen’s teacher). At the first time when she met Ms. Annie Sullivan there was a magic connection because she knew what a handicap implies. Also, she was blind after getting nine operations. Helen demonstrated to Annie that she deserved to be taught. One example of this important discovery was when everybody looked the Annie’s key because Helen there was locked Annie’s door. While everybody at Ivy Green (Keller’s home in Alabama) tried to find the key, Helen who was in her refuge at home dropping the key into the well as a signal of she liked her. Another important example is point out in the play when Helen repeated the finger movement’s Annie as a way to get back her doll using the alphabet for deaf people to communicate with speakers.

Finally, I like Helen and she is my favorite character in the play because as a teacher what I am, I believe in the decision of being a teacher involves too many difficult times. But it also means that you do not give up because you love what you have decided to be and your students deserve respect as well. Therefore, I will keep going reading the miracle worker because I feel that something good is coming soon.

By Angelica

Abstract- Assessing new literacy perspectives in education

Even though education has mainly more emphasized skills than wisdom at the current time, many examples of this education point out a lack either in reading and writing skills in young students or arguing or analyzing a discipline’s contents in college ones. This paper discusses three solutions for assessing new literacy perspectives in general by considering teaching techniques based on creating writing circles to improve academic skills in the classroom, promoting reading and writing for critical thinking projects, and, learning critical literacy techniques. First, creating faculty writing circles to improve academic skills in classroom is one way to seek for three specifics pedagogical benefits. As a second solution, promoting reading and writing by developing critical thinking projects must work on engaging readers to consider that cultural perspectives of reading influence our understanding and global thinking. Finally, learning critical literacy techniques is another way of helping students to develop useful reading comprehension strategies through establishing connections between reading and writing as a process.

Written by Angelica

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Thanks for free gifts, Mr.X