Reflection and Response on Reading Assignments and Your Learning Style

I have personally liked having independent work time in class to work on our reading and other book assignments that we have. Normally, I would like hard deadlines and structured time, being a concrete-sequential learner. In this case however, I like being able to have work time to work on other class's assignments so I can read at home, where I am a for more productive reader. I am not a productive reader when reading in class. I also like the way our discussions have been set up as smaller groups where more people can get to say something and the online quizzes that we can take as we finish the reading.

Slaughterhouse-5 Movie Response

I thought the actual movie did a poor job of portraying the themes and even events in Slaughterhouse 5. I though they did a terrible job of casting and the actors weren't very good at acting. Valencia was way more obnoxious and annoying than I imagined her in the book. Billy was also way more awkward and creepy than he should've been. Also, the scenes and backgrounds in the movie didn't look like I imagined. Overall, the movie lacked the satirical element that Kurt Vonnegut emphasized in his book. I was really amazed at some of the ideas and visuals that people came up with in their presentations. Emma Westbrook's drawings were really cool and interesting that were in her group's project. It was obvious that a lot of time and effort went into making them. I liked how they took the approach of making their adaptation of Slaughterhouse 5 into black and white movie. Also, the only color they used was the red for the blood of the horse in Dresden. They clearly put a lot of thought into their project. I think that this group's project would've been way better than the actual movie. Going back to the actual movie we just watched, I didn't like that they left out the scene of him actually going to New York and especially the book store scene. I think this scene is crucial to setting the viewer up to see how Billy was imagining the Tralfamadorians by using elements he had come across in his life. For example, one of the books he picked up had a story about a man and a woman being abducted and taken to a far away planet, similar to the story that Billy claimed to be true. Also, he saw a magazine that claimed that Montana Wildhack was dead, the same person that Billy claimed to be in the Tralfamadorian zoo with him. Overall, I thought the producers of the movie could've done a far better job representing the Slaughterhouse 5 book.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas Response

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was a movie that deeply affected me. I think that it gives a very concrete image to the Holocaust that people don't always have when they view the numbers and statistics. It's good to put visuals to such a horrific event. I think that it is interesting how the movie works as a text of witness. You have this kid that is naive to the fact that his father is murdering Jews not far away from his house. It's interesting how the author/director uses Bruno to view the holocaust from an innocent lense. I think this view of the holocaust is very intertwined with the theme. One of the things that the movie might be trying to say in terms of a theme is that innocence can hurt people close to you or that people can get hurt if you shield them from the truth. For example, Bruno is hid from the truth of how they are killing Jews and because of this, he is hurt in a very literal sense. Another theme may be that the things you try to hide from people can end up hurting you the most. This applies to a lot of things in life and I think it could be something that the director is trying to convey. For example, Bruno is shielded from the fact that his father is murdering Jews and so he doesn't resist in exploring and developing a friendship with Shmuel. This friendship leads to Bruno going over to the camp and dying. Obviously, another message that the director is trying to convey is that the Holocaust was a terrible time in history in which horrific crimes were committed towards Jews. I think that this is the common message or theme that the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Night, and Maus texts share.

Witness Reading Exercise Response

This is my poem response for exercise #6.

Ashes, Ashes
Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down

I arrive at school and greet the other young kids
We are in kindergarten.
Ignorant bliss.
Commotion at school, but not because of school.
Planes, hijackers, twin towers.
These words swirl around the room, closing us in.
When I get home, the image of a collapsing building burns in my mind.
Ash fills the TV screen.

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down.

Explanation:
In this poem, I wrote about 9/11 and how I remember it as a child in kindergarten. At the time, I didn't fully understand what had happened, but I certainly felt that something was wrong that day. I included the "Ring Around the Rosy" nursery rhyme because it has a double meaning in the two different spots I included it. The first emphasizes my age and how I am a kid. The second symbolizes the twin towers and how they fell down and there were ashes from the buildings. In this way, I tried to draw a parallel from my life to the incident.

Meter and Rhyme Witness Poem

Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and I feel so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Rhyme: ABCCA, ABAACDCC

Sometimes family can push you to the limit

Like when they ask too many questions at one time

You imagine you could live in peace

If you could just collect your things and leave

But that is really just a dream that's just you kidding 

But it wouldn't ever be the same

Without family you'd never 'mount to nothing

Oh yea I wouldn't trade a thing

For the family from which I came

No you don't know what it's like to be

'Lone and trying not to end up in the jail or worse

With your parents you will see

In their thoughts you will forever be.

Explanation:

In this poem, I wanted to express the importance of a family as a strong base that you can build your life on, even though they can be hard to live with at times. The song that I scanned had an ABCCA rhyming pattern for the verse and an ABAACDCC pattern for the chorus. I used this to place important words such as peace and leave in rhyming positions and also so these ideas could be connected. My volta in the poem occurs at the beginning of the chorus because the poem changes from seeing the negatives of a family to seeing the many positives of having a good family.

Maus/Night Reflection Poem

I can see the gates
"ARBEIT MACHT FREI"
It is adorned over the entrance to the death camps
like a sorry excuse for a welcome mat
Work sets you free

THE JEWS LIKE TRAPPED MICE
THEY PILE OUT OF THE BOXCARS
Freed from the cramped space
Only to be bound once again to the death camps

FIRE FROM THE CREMATORIUMS LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT SKY
AS THE "DEFECTS" ARE PUSHED TOWARD THEIR DEATHS
FAMILIES ARE SLASHED APART WITH THE QUICKNESS OF A CAT'S SWIPE
AND SENT OFF INTO DIFFERENT PATHS
Never to see each other again

And yet, there are bonds
SUCH AS THOSE BETWEEN FATHER AND SON
That are too strong to be broken
AND THAT REMAIN DUE TO THE FIGHT OF THE OPPRESSED.

Explanation:
I used many references to the Maus books such as lines 6 and 12. I did this by comparing the Jews to mice and the Germans to cats, as it was done in Maus. I also made allusions to the book, Night, by including details that were described such as how "Arbeit Macht Frei" was the sign above the gates to Auschwitz (line 2) and how the Jews were transported in cramped boxcars (line7). Also, I described how there was the image of fire (line 10) and how people considered unable to work were sent immediately to them upon arrival (line 11). Also I alluded to the fact that Elie Wiesel's family was split apart in line 13. At the end, I made references to how Elie and his father managed to stay together and how they had to fight to keep it this way (lines 16 and 18). In my poem, the volta occurs at the start of the third stanza and changes from a totally dark and depressing attitude to a somewhat hopeful attitude because the father and son are able to stay together in the middle of this struggle.

Found Poem - Possible Hate Crimes

The article my found poem is based off of is 3 killed, 2 injured in Oklahoma shootings from CNN.

(CNN) -- Three people were killed and two were injured Friday in four shootings in north Tulsa, Oklahoma and police are searching for a lone suspected gunman, they said.

Tulsa police spokesman Capt. Jonathan Brooks said investigators were looking into whether the shootings may have been possible hate crimes.

"We're not absolutely certain, but a hate crime is a possibility. And we'll go with where the investigation leads us," he said.

All of the victims are black. The suspected shooter is a white male and is believed to be traveling in a white truck, said Brooks.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the victims knew each other, he said.

They range in age from 31 to 54. They were shot over the course of seven hours at four different street locations in the early morning, Brooks said.

Tulsa police formed a joint task force with the local FBI office as well as the U.S. Marshals Service. In the event the shootings turn out to be hate crimes, "they can help us pursue it," he said.

"This is not your standard homicide," said Brooks.

Possible Hate Crimes
Three people were killed and two were injured.
Friday, in four shootings
All of the victims are black
and the suspected shooter is a white male
"We're not absolutely certain"
Possible hate crimes.

They range in age from 31 to 54.
Four different street locations
Early morning.
"This is not your standard homicide."

Explanation:
In this poem, I tried to stress the details of the article to create emotions to make it real for the reader. For example, I used an end stop after "early morning" so that this would resonate with the reader. Also, I emphasized the detail of the shootings being on Friday by using a caesura in the middle of line 2. I used an enjambment in lines 3 and 4 so that they would be read quickly and together, which I thought was important. I also split up the poem into 2 stanzas to give the reader a chance to reflect on the "Possible hate crimes" line before jumping into the second stanza. I included a volta which happens in line 6 because it changes from a normal shooting to a possible hate crime. I emphasized this by using an end stop at the end of line 6.

Imagine Witness Poem

Imagine if people weren't so self-centered
And people started to ask questions of others
Imagine if people weren't always fighting
Trying to talk over someone else
When someone tried to state an opinion
The other wouldn't shoot them down
They wouldn't just get louder
Trying to shut them out
Imagine life without politics
A view wasn't a wrong or right
People weren't always trying to push their agenda
Screaming at you that their side's right
Imagine simply less judgement
In a more peaceful world

Discussion #2 Reflection

Since I missed today because I was sick, I read over the Cyber Team's chat and so my reflection is based on their discussion.
I agree with Syver that fitting in is a really important theme in Animal Dreams. I'm not quite sure yet how this actually fits into a thematic statement but I feel that the author is trying to say something about it. Maybe, Kingsolver is saying that to find yourself, you have to find how you fit in with your community. Actually, this could work. For example, Codi has all of these dysfunctional relationships with her father, Grace community members, and others. But when she is able to find her place with others, like how she helps the Bitch and Stitch Club and she allows herself to love Loyd, she ends up becoming more at peace with herself and come to terms with who she is. Another example of her finding out how she fits in with her community is how she discovers her relation to the Gracella sisters and that her mother and father were actually from Grace. I think that you could also use Hallie as an example of someone who has found how she fits in and so she has found herself and is happy. For example, she fits into society as an activist and so she knows who she is and how to make herself happy. Her happiness is shown in many of the letters she sends Codi. If I use this, I'll need to cite Syver.

Animal Dreams Group Discussion #1 Reflection

During the discussion today with the Dream Team, I found that many other people were finding the same things and connections that I was finding in Animal Dreams. They also had some of the same confusions about the book. It was good to get clarification from both Mr. Cheng and the other members of the discussion group. It’s useful to do this because the book and Barbara Kingsolver’s writing are filled with symbolism, motifs, and because Doc Homer’s chapters are written so that he jumps back and forth between different scenes or moments. One of the things I got cleared up today is that I was confused on Doc Homer’s chapter in which he is developing a photograph of the river and the cactuses I think and he said something about how “the truth can’t be corrected in the photograph.” I was confused because I wasn’t sure what the picture was of at what time he was developing the photograph, more specifically if it was a flashback or the present. At this point in my reading, I don’t really enjoy the book that much. This is mostly for the reason that I dislike the main character, Codi. To me, she seems really sarcastic, especially toward the people that are just trying to help her or be nice. I find this a really annoying quality in people and so this translates over to the book and how I dislike Codi. Another reason why I dislike Codi is that she is very rude to her father, even though her father is losing his mind with his mental illness. Maybe she is rude because that is just how their dysfunctional, uncommunicative relationship has always been. However, I feel like she should be kinder to her father and be understanding of his illness. Having said that, I do think that Barbara Kingsolver is a good author and is skilled at implanting motifs and symbolism throughout the book. We have discussed some of these things in the discussion group.

Education Presentations Wrap-Up/Animal Dreams Intro Reflection

After finishing the Education Innovation presentations, I realize now that my group should’ve been better at organizing our thoughts at the beginning of the project. This is because I felt like we got somewhat lost and weren’t exactly sure of how we wanted to present our information. Also, since we were confused, we kind of just threw visual aids in there. I thought that the project and the Google document that explained it was a little confusing which might have led to the underdeveloped outline or proposal. Overall though, I thought our group ended up with a quality end product. For the most part, I enjoyed seeing the presentations that everyone did. I especially enjoyed the “Mozart Effect” group that presented first. They played instrumental music throughout their presentation which made the presentation more interesting. I don’t know if this is because it kind of filled in the empty spots of their project or if it actually helped me focus in or something else. It might just be a little of both. Either way, it left me with a positive memory of their presentation. I hope that we can implement this education innovation into our class. I have many initial thoughts about the content and the structure and methodology of the next unit we are going to do in which we read Animal Dreams. One of the things I worry about is that I am not going to like the book because I have heard from other students in other classes who have finished the book that it is all about feminism. This might make it harder to connect and identify with the content of the book. Another one of my initial thoughts is about the structure and methodology of the unit. I get that Mr. Cheng is using an incentive for the essay in that if everyone gets an A or A-, then we just have creative projects for the rest of the quarter. Personally, as a concrete sequential, I don’t really want creative projects either. I don’t mind writing essays because I like how essays have a format and a traditional layout. So, I’m not really responding to the incentive in this case. Also, I think that it’s very hard for everyone in the class to get an A. By the way, I’m not going to try and get a B so I don’t have to do creative projects. I’ll do my best to get an A. Also what’s confusing is which essay this deal is for. Is it the timed essay or the second one? I hope that it’s the second one because I think it will be especially hard for everyone to get an A on the timed test. Then we all wouldn’t have to do the second essay. This is another way that I was confused. There are so many overlapping, dependent grading structures in this unit. I left class today confused because the power point was like an hour long which made it hard to stay focused and the unit seems huge and has a lot of tiny projects/parts to it. Hopefully I will enjoy it though.

My Learning Style - Concrete Sequential (CS)

After doing the learning style evaluation, I found that I was a really dominate Concrete Sequential (CS) learner. This fits me exactly after I read the explanation. One of the things it said was that they are very practical and organized. This is one of the things I do best. Also, one of the things it said was that CS's hate working in groups. It sounds like a negative quality but I do really prefer knowing what I'm doing and where the project is headed, which is more easily accomplished individually. I can use this to enhance my learning by being more organized and possibly making concrete deadlines and time limits (which it says CS's do well) to manage my work. Also, I will try to work on the areas that it says CS learners aren't as strong in. For example, dealing with abstract ideas and working in groups. I feel like I now have an accurate representation of the kind of learner that I am which I think will really help in being successful in learning, both in and out of school.

How school sucks...rocks...

After going through the first semester of English 10, I have found some things that suck, and some things that rock. One of the things that rocks is Mr. Cheng and how brings a lot of energy to class every day. He makes the class very enjoyable. One thing that was bad from first semester was the jigsaw reading assignment. I feel like in theory, the idea of people in a group each reading a different article and coming together to share what they learned works. However, when it was applied to the class, people weren't sure of what information was the most important to tell the other person in the short amount of time they had to share. I think that it would be helpful for the person that is reading the article see the questions on the test that have to do with their article. This would not be so that the person could give the other group members the answers, but so that they would know what important ideas the teacher was getting at. This also might work more on paper than it does in the real world. Another thing that isn't necessarily bad, but kind of weird is that the work load in this class is inconsistent. At times, we won't be doing much and then all of a sudden we're reading a really long book in a short amount of time. This could be good, though, because it might be boring staying on one project/unit for a longer time. One last part of first semester that I didn't like is how a lot of classes are going paperless. This is a good initiative that the school is trying to do, but for some classes it just doesn't work. For example, in my Civil Engineering and Architecture class, they are having us just do the assignments in Microsoft Word. With a class like Engineering, there are a lot of calculations that you have to do which is hard to do in a Word Document. I think that in English 10, it is okay to go paperless because we don't have calculations or anything like that.

Rabbit Proof Fence Response

After reading the articles and considering the movie, I think that Phillip Noyce went too far in manipulating his audience in trying to make a strong, emotional movie. Making a movie about something about something like the "Lost Generations" is very dangerous because as a filmmaker, he has to make something interesting that people will react and respond too. This might cause him to detract from the true story and create plot points that reflect steps of the Hero's Journey. This is also dangerous because in a story with a hero, there has to be some sort of a villain, which might cause in this case Noyce to accentuate Mr. Neville's bad intentions. For example, Peter Howson and Des Moore write, "[Neville's] mother received about 500 letters from Aborigines praising his efforts on their behalf. A true story would have shown his humane actions to protect them from exploitation by whites or their own kin." Although some might disagree with the what he did and how he did it, Neville had good intentions which is shown by how many letters he received from Aborigines. This shows that his actions turned out to be successful in many cases. However, in the movie, they make him out to be "a devil" which is what they have the girls call him at Moore River.
I don't think I can totally side with Peter Howson and Des Moore on the view that Neville's actions were completely out of good intentions and that the movie is way off from the truth. However, I feel that the evidence of the 500 letters received by Neville's mother and other evidence make a case that the "Rabbit-Proof Fence" movie is somewhat exaggerated.