I was thinking over what other readings I had done in other classes and besides stuff in our textbooks, I really hadn't at all this semester! At least not any that you could think very critically about.
However, I actually ended up reading one today for my British Literature class. We got done reading 'Twelfth Night' and I had chosen to do my final paper on the play. If you aren't familiar with it, the play is basically about a bunch of people running around and getting all confused with gender and sexuality because one woman dresses up like a man and fools a whole bunch of people. You may have seen the movie 'She's the Man' with Amanda Bynes, which is basicallly a modern version of this play.
So I did some research into gender and sexuality in 'Twelfth Night' to help support my paper. One of the sources I found ended up just restating what I had already figured out and helped me add to my paper. Overall, the play messes around with people's perceptions of gender and sexuality and although the ending is a bit ridiculous and doesn't actually address any of the issues brought up in the play, it leaves plenty open for speculation, which is what this article - and many others like it - delve into.
This was definitely an article that helped my think critically about the play. It examined the deeper issues brought up that aren't actually really discussed in detail in the play, but allows the reader to reflect on. Gender and sexuality are complex issues in themselves and it's always interesting to examine them, and having characters that are dealing with those same issues helps to do this as well.
This is one thing that I like about Shakespeare - even when he's writing what seem like silly and funny plays without much depth, he seems to inject deeper issues and topics in there that may take a little digging to get at, but can be worth hours of discussion afterwards.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thanksgiving
Yeah, I know I talked about holidays in my last post but it's what's on my mind right now so I figured I'd keep going.
While Thanksgiving is a great to spend quality time with your family and eat lots of great food, I think that most people actually don't stop to think about what they're thankful for.
Since I'll probably be so busy on the actual day, I wanted to talk about what I'm truly thankful for.
I'm thankful for my health, and the health of my family members. You have to remember that life is precious and can be gone so quickly. I love spending time with my family and appreciate that I have such an amazing support system of people who love and care about me.
I'm thankful for being able to be at college and get the education that I'm getting. I know many people don't have this opportunity and I never want to take it for granted. It's a blessing that I get to go here and even though I've complained a lot about the amount of homework I have, I know it's helpful in the long run.
I'm thankful that I live in a country where I have plenty of opportunities. In other countries I might not be able to go to college or live the life I live for either financial reasons or even because I'm female. We have so many freedoms and opportunities here and I'm definitely glad that I'm blessed with that.
I'm thankful that I have a job right now, and one that I enjoy. I know it's difficult to find one, let alone one that you like, and I know that I definitely got lucky when I was offered this one.
And lastly, I'm very thankful that there are only a few days left until break because I seriously need one right now!
While Thanksgiving is a great to spend quality time with your family and eat lots of great food, I think that most people actually don't stop to think about what they're thankful for.
Since I'll probably be so busy on the actual day, I wanted to talk about what I'm truly thankful for.
I'm thankful for my health, and the health of my family members. You have to remember that life is precious and can be gone so quickly. I love spending time with my family and appreciate that I have such an amazing support system of people who love and care about me.
I'm thankful for being able to be at college and get the education that I'm getting. I know many people don't have this opportunity and I never want to take it for granted. It's a blessing that I get to go here and even though I've complained a lot about the amount of homework I have, I know it's helpful in the long run.
I'm thankful that I live in a country where I have plenty of opportunities. In other countries I might not be able to go to college or live the life I live for either financial reasons or even because I'm female. We have so many freedoms and opportunities here and I'm definitely glad that I'm blessed with that.
I'm thankful that I have a job right now, and one that I enjoy. I know it's difficult to find one, let alone one that you like, and I know that I definitely got lucky when I was offered this one.
And lastly, I'm very thankful that there are only a few days left until break because I seriously need one right now!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Holidays are Coming
I sat and thought for about ten minutes about what I wanted to talk about in this post and ended up staring out the window at the rain and wishing it would turn into snow.
Yeah, I'm that person.
I know the holidays have become pretty commercialized and it's all about the stuff and not the actual sentiment of the holiday itself, but I still love them. Because despite how much I complain about them, I actually do love my family and holidays are always pretty fun.
It's the coziness of everyone sitting around at Thanksgiving and just talking and eating together. (The food's not too bad either). It's putting up the Christmas decorations and tree (a task which I have designated myself as the leader of). It's going Christmas shopping for other people and I'm finally at the age where it's more fun to give than it is to get. It's listening to Christmas music while making and decorating cookies (and maybe I've been listening to Christmas music since October but I regret nothing). It's waiting for the first snowfall, which I sincerely hope happens soon. And it's our annual family Christmas party which usually culminates in an epic wrapping paper fight which is lead by my uncles who are twice as old as us kids.
I actually think that I like the time before the holidays better than the actual day itself. I mean, after you open the presents on Christmas morning, there's not much else to do. Maybe we'll pop in 'It's A Wonderful Life' but there's always that feeling of sadness that it's all over.
That's why I love the anticipation of the event better. It's spending time with family, preparing for the big day, and enjoying the fact that I have a month off of school. This year will be a little bit more difficult since it's the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death (around Thanksgiving time) but I'll just appreciate the fact that I'm able to be with my family and loved ones so much more.
(Also McDonald's comes out with their eggnog shakes which are right below Pumpkin Spice Lattes on the delicious scale).
Yeah, I'm that person.
I know the holidays have become pretty commercialized and it's all about the stuff and not the actual sentiment of the holiday itself, but I still love them. Because despite how much I complain about them, I actually do love my family and holidays are always pretty fun.
It's the coziness of everyone sitting around at Thanksgiving and just talking and eating together. (The food's not too bad either). It's putting up the Christmas decorations and tree (a task which I have designated myself as the leader of). It's going Christmas shopping for other people and I'm finally at the age where it's more fun to give than it is to get. It's listening to Christmas music while making and decorating cookies (and maybe I've been listening to Christmas music since October but I regret nothing). It's waiting for the first snowfall, which I sincerely hope happens soon. And it's our annual family Christmas party which usually culminates in an epic wrapping paper fight which is lead by my uncles who are twice as old as us kids.
I actually think that I like the time before the holidays better than the actual day itself. I mean, after you open the presents on Christmas morning, there's not much else to do. Maybe we'll pop in 'It's A Wonderful Life' but there's always that feeling of sadness that it's all over.
That's why I love the anticipation of the event better. It's spending time with family, preparing for the big day, and enjoying the fact that I have a month off of school. This year will be a little bit more difficult since it's the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death (around Thanksgiving time) but I'll just appreciate the fact that I'm able to be with my family and loved ones so much more.
(Also McDonald's comes out with their eggnog shakes which are right below Pumpkin Spice Lattes on the delicious scale).
Friday, November 2, 2012
Controversy
I know we spent a lot of time talking about shooting incidents and gun control in class and this is kind of similar to that topic.
The topic that I want to talk about is bomb threats in schools. Just like school shootings, it's becoming an increasingly large issue in our society. While there aren't many cases of bombs being actually found, the threats keep adding up and it's gotten a bit ridiculous.
I was at my field experience earlier in October over at Fond lu Lac High School when the principal came over the loudspeaker to let everyone know that they had found a note in one of the bathrooms. Later that same week, there was a bomb threat at my old high school. The year before I started high school and the year after I left there were additional threats at my old school.
After getting back from Fondy High, I checked Twitter just to see if anyone had mentioned it (as is a common thing to do nowadays). Not only were there some tweets from people at Fondy, but multiple other schools from all over the country.
The fact that there were so many in just one day was beyond ridiculous. When did it become the cool thing to threaten to blow up the school? Is it our generation's equivalent of setting off the fire alarm? I know that the threat that happened the year before I started high school was just some kids who wanted a day off of classes. They're now serving in jail for a very long time.
It's a pretty serious issue; I could possibly understand somebody wanting to go to that extreme if they had been bullied very badly and had reason to not like the people in the school. But people seem to be doing it just for fun; not realizing the amount of time and money lost and the amount of stress and worry that is caused by this stunt. We have to come up with something to get through to kids that this isn't a joke or a lighthearted matter.
The topic that I want to talk about is bomb threats in schools. Just like school shootings, it's becoming an increasingly large issue in our society. While there aren't many cases of bombs being actually found, the threats keep adding up and it's gotten a bit ridiculous.
I was at my field experience earlier in October over at Fond lu Lac High School when the principal came over the loudspeaker to let everyone know that they had found a note in one of the bathrooms. Later that same week, there was a bomb threat at my old high school. The year before I started high school and the year after I left there were additional threats at my old school.
After getting back from Fondy High, I checked Twitter just to see if anyone had mentioned it (as is a common thing to do nowadays). Not only were there some tweets from people at Fondy, but multiple other schools from all over the country.
The fact that there were so many in just one day was beyond ridiculous. When did it become the cool thing to threaten to blow up the school? Is it our generation's equivalent of setting off the fire alarm? I know that the threat that happened the year before I started high school was just some kids who wanted a day off of classes. They're now serving in jail for a very long time.
It's a pretty serious issue; I could possibly understand somebody wanting to go to that extreme if they had been bullied very badly and had reason to not like the people in the school. But people seem to be doing it just for fun; not realizing the amount of time and money lost and the amount of stress and worry that is caused by this stunt. We have to come up with something to get through to kids that this isn't a joke or a lighthearted matter.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Politics
...a word that I'm sure most of the country is sick of right now. I know I am, which just goes to show. This is the first year I ever get to vote in a presidential election, which is pretty exciting. To be honest, I wasn't really interested in politics until a couple years ago. Even though I now have opinions on the issues that affect us and the country, I'm easily reminded why I didn't pay attention to politics in the past.
It's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering tossing the television out the window because I'm sick of hearing all the political ads every other commercial. Apparently, 90% of the ads put on in this election have been negative ones - bashing the other guy and not actually stating what they are going to do if they are elected. And to be honest, a large part of the time, running the ads is just a big waste of time and money since people are going to vote for their party, no matter what.
That's one thing that I never understood about politics. We get two people to choose from; one of them is on this side of the issues while the other is on the complete opposite side. There's no in-between and no room for compromise. People also tend to vote blindly; they don't consider the other side because they're from "that other party." There's no way they could possibly be right.
I will vote for one of the major candidates, because unfortunately giving my vote to someone else won't change anything. I'll vote for whoever I believe will do the best for the country. However, I don't think I'll ever subscribe to a particular political party because frankly there isn't one that's in the right while the other is in the wrong. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that I can't wait for November 6th to come so that we can, if anything, get rid of all the annoying commercials.
It's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering tossing the television out the window because I'm sick of hearing all the political ads every other commercial. Apparently, 90% of the ads put on in this election have been negative ones - bashing the other guy and not actually stating what they are going to do if they are elected. And to be honest, a large part of the time, running the ads is just a big waste of time and money since people are going to vote for their party, no matter what.
That's one thing that I never understood about politics. We get two people to choose from; one of them is on this side of the issues while the other is on the complete opposite side. There's no in-between and no room for compromise. People also tend to vote blindly; they don't consider the other side because they're from "that other party." There's no way they could possibly be right.
I will vote for one of the major candidates, because unfortunately giving my vote to someone else won't change anything. I'll vote for whoever I believe will do the best for the country. However, I don't think I'll ever subscribe to a particular political party because frankly there isn't one that's in the right while the other is in the wrong. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that I can't wait for November 6th to come so that we can, if anything, get rid of all the annoying commercials.
Monday, October 15, 2012
FRIENDS
When it comes to TV, I tend to gravitate toward plot-heavy shows, rather than sitcoms or comedies. However, one of my all-time favorite shows is definitely FRIENDS.
For those unfamiliar with it, the show follows the lives of six friends living in New York. There's nothing particularly special or important about them - they're just normal people who have jobs, relationships, families, friends, and all the normal issues that come with those things.
However, it's the cast that really makes this show so great. They fully embrace their characters and flesh them out into real people, not just shallow stereotypes. You want them to succeed, you want to find out what's going to happen in their lives next, and you laugh and cry alongside them. My favorite character is definitely Chandler. For one reason, I have a rather sarcastic sense of humor, so he always makes me laugh. He just seems like someone you would know in real life and would get along with.
This show never fails to make me laugh, whether it's Phoebe saying something that makes everyone do a double take, Chandler and Joey getting into shenanigans in their apartment, or Janice making a guest appearance with her trademark "Oh. My. God." It was on the air for ten years, showing how beloved it was with fans. And it's definitely the only television show where the final episode had me absolutely cracking up while tears were running down my face.
For those unfamiliar with it, the show follows the lives of six friends living in New York. There's nothing particularly special or important about them - they're just normal people who have jobs, relationships, families, friends, and all the normal issues that come with those things.
However, it's the cast that really makes this show so great. They fully embrace their characters and flesh them out into real people, not just shallow stereotypes. You want them to succeed, you want to find out what's going to happen in their lives next, and you laugh and cry alongside them. My favorite character is definitely Chandler. For one reason, I have a rather sarcastic sense of humor, so he always makes me laugh. He just seems like someone you would know in real life and would get along with.
This show never fails to make me laugh, whether it's Phoebe saying something that makes everyone do a double take, Chandler and Joey getting into shenanigans in their apartment, or Janice making a guest appearance with her trademark "Oh. My. God." It was on the air for ten years, showing how beloved it was with fans. And it's definitely the only television show where the final episode had me absolutely cracking up while tears were running down my face.
Article
An interesting article that I found was talking about Web 2.0 tools in education.
The three main types of Web 2.0 that the article discusses are wikis, blogs, and podcasts. I've had experiences with all three, but not necessarily in school.
I've used wikis in classes before; in one class we had to collaborate in groups to create a wiki page on a particular subject. In another class, we created a wiki page in place of writing a paper. While wikis can definitely be useful, it's quite a bit of work to create one for just one topic. Unless it's a big project, I don't really see it being that useful in classes on a regular basis. Some teachers use it to share information with their students, which might be the most useful. While wikis are supposed to encourage collaboration, only one person can edit it at once, where something like Google Docs allows everyone to participate at once.
Blogs were the next item discussed. This is obviously relevant here since we're utilizing Blogger. I think blogs can be useful in classes, depending on a subject. For an English class, it's definitely a nice tool. Students could even post papers or writings that they had to do and get feedback from classmates. It definitely can be used in certain classes and is a nice way for students to get feedback from others.
Podcasts were the last tool talked about. I've listened to podcasts in my spare time, but they generally were about topics that weren't related to school, but some of my outside interests. I have used Grammar Girl once in a while, but it's not something I've ever subscribed to. I think that podcasts are something that might become more popular in the future, as far as education is concerned. It could essentially be a lecture from a professor or teacher in the form of an mp3 file. Possibly, this could even be used for online classes where students don't meet face to face.
The three main types of Web 2.0 that the article discusses are wikis, blogs, and podcasts. I've had experiences with all three, but not necessarily in school.
I've used wikis in classes before; in one class we had to collaborate in groups to create a wiki page on a particular subject. In another class, we created a wiki page in place of writing a paper. While wikis can definitely be useful, it's quite a bit of work to create one for just one topic. Unless it's a big project, I don't really see it being that useful in classes on a regular basis. Some teachers use it to share information with their students, which might be the most useful. While wikis are supposed to encourage collaboration, only one person can edit it at once, where something like Google Docs allows everyone to participate at once.
Blogs were the next item discussed. This is obviously relevant here since we're utilizing Blogger. I think blogs can be useful in classes, depending on a subject. For an English class, it's definitely a nice tool. Students could even post papers or writings that they had to do and get feedback from classmates. It definitely can be used in certain classes and is a nice way for students to get feedback from others.
Podcasts were the last tool talked about. I've listened to podcasts in my spare time, but they generally were about topics that weren't related to school, but some of my outside interests. I have used Grammar Girl once in a while, but it's not something I've ever subscribed to. I think that podcasts are something that might become more popular in the future, as far as education is concerned. It could essentially be a lecture from a professor or teacher in the form of an mp3 file. Possibly, this could even be used for online classes where students don't meet face to face.
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