Course Reflection

Overall, I really enjoyed this course.  I like English classes and writing to begin with, so I wasn’t really worried about it before hand.  I think that the group of students in a classroom can make or break the class experience, and I definitely enjoyed ours.  I felt as if the students worked well together and made class interesting through participating in different discussions.  Sometimes I felt as if the readings we discussed didn’t always relate to what we were learning, but I usually enjoyed the discussions anyway. 

I really liked learning about different styles of rhetoric and ways writers make their writing interesting, unique, and effective.  I think what I most benefitted from through the course was exploring different ways of setting up an essay, other than the traditional 5 paragraph.  I really enjoyed writing in open as opposed to closed from and seeing how it can be effective in different situations.  It was initially hard to get out of the habit of writing introduction, thesis, body, conclusion, but when I did I found my writing actually flowed more and made more sense…instead of trying to fit it into an exact format all the time.

I also really liked the peer editing workshops.  Sometimes though it was hard to stay focused and care about someone else’s paper.  I think this could be done better if we had a sheet with specific things to look out for like we did for our final paper…that helped a lot because we had a specific reason to read and edit the paper.

Although other people didn’t like them, I liked writing blogs!  I thought it was a good way to stay focused in a class that we only have twice a week and to keep up with writing regularly.  I don’t mind taking time to write out a blog because I like how free the assignments were…not looking for an exact answer, just writing what you want. 

 Finally, the final paper was hard!  I didn’t think it would be as hard as it was to incorporate so much research into a paper and have it still flow and make sense.  Learning to incorporate research to defend your point rather than just plop quotes down was difficult.  Writing the paper was definitely time consuming, but I enjoyed being able to pick a topic that interested me and was relevant to my personal life.  I also enjoyed the presentations, both listening and giving them.  I incorporated questions people asked in my presentation in my paper and think that just saying my information out loud helped me organize my actual paper. 

Overall, thank you for such a great experience in the class, I really enjoyed it!!

Reflect on Presentation

I think my presentation went pretty well overall.  After watching some of the others before me, when I got up there I felt like I had way too much information!  I'm pretty sure I talked really fast because I wasn't sure how much time I had, and didn't want to be obnoxiously long.  Overall, though, I felt really prepared for the presentation and as if I had solid information to discuss.  I am a little over half way done with my paper.  What I have done so far, though, took FOREVER. Like, hours.  So I'm dreading starting back up to finish it.  I'm planning on going to the library at noon on Wednesday and just staying there until class at 4 to finish it.  That's how I started it.  I think that my presentation helped me to get back in focus on my paper and motivate me to finish it.  Additionally, some of the questions people asked afterwards will provide me with additional issues to address in my paper.  I think the topic of my paper is very relevant and significant to my future career and I am actually enjoying writing it...as much as you can to write a paper.  I am glad I chose to interview Mrs. Forsyth and am really happy with how incorporating and relating Sean's story to the topics of my paper is working out.  Furthermore, I think that this paper is really helping me get away from the 5 paragraph form!  Since my topic is so complex, a 5 paragraph format would not even fit it very well, but I probably would have used it anyway prior to this class.  Oh, further reflecting on my presentation, I wasn't really nervous at all and think that helped!  ....I CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH THIS PAPER. haha

Open Post

Phew!  Finally caught up with blogs.  Honestly, I kind of forgot about them until today!  But since I am pretty far in my paper it was easy to catch up.

It is BEAUTIFUL outside!  I absolutely love this weather and am SO SO SO excited for spring.  It is getting really hard to concentrate in classes and buckle down and do my work!  Kids on my floor and I have been watching videos from 8 fest and getting so pumped for 9 fest and fest season in general!  We are even trying to make pinnies or something for them.  Spring is my absolute favorite season...especially after a rough winter (which we didn't have this year, not complaining!).  I get so excited and want to be outside non stop.  It's going to be a completely different experience this spring than I have ever had in my life!  For the last 4 years, I have been literally swamped busy with musical around this time.  My spring was defined by racing to musical practices and working non stop.  Although chaotic, it's what I lived for and the time was my favorite of the year.  I definitely am going to miss that.  With the weather so nice, we would go through the whole town selling advertisements for our program, putting up signs, and going on picnics before or after practice!  This year is going to be wayyyy different but definitely fun!  I am so excited to experience fests and awesome parties.  I got my schedule for spring quarter and I have no classes on Friday's!  I'll definitely have to remember to keep on top of my academics and focused.  I am here first and foremost for an education and will be paying this off for the rest of my life!  I put so much into getting good grades and don't want the excitement of spring to blow that away...and my mom would kill me if I failed!

Piece of Final Essay

This is the third section of my essay.  It continues through Sean's story and explains the different extents of inclusion as well as their benefits and negative aspects.  This section shows that the issue of inclusion does not have a simple yes or no answer, but instead is very complex.

1. Section 3: Different extents of inclusion
   Continually, just as laws regarding inclusion prove complex and not easily defined, so does the exact definition of the term inclusion itself.  Although inclusion is practiced in many schools, it varies on the extent.  Sean Forsyth’s Asperger’s Syndrome is a mild intellectual disability (MID).  For students such as Sean, to benefit most from their education they must learn in the least restrictive environment possible and participate in regular classrooms.  Students with MID have many options and levels of inclusion they may participate in.
1. Full inclusion defines the situation where “the student with special needs is provided with all of his or her special education services within the general education classroom” (CITE SROUCE 4).  In a full inclusion setting, students with special needs are completely immersed in the standard classroom, expected to both behave and perform up to par with the other students.  A full inclusion setting has both positive and negative aspects to it.
1. To begin with, a full inclusion environment provides “opportunities for the student with MID to learn appropriate social skills.”  Additionally, a study performed on students in Australia showed that 89% of students made with mild intellectual disabilities made their friends in schools (CITE SOURCE 4).  Essentially, a full inclusive learning environment benefits the student as they learn to interact with other peers as well as make friends.
2. On the other hand, full inclusion poses many challenges for the students as well as the teachers.  Some teachers, specifically in rural settings, “feel unprepared to cope with a much larger range of learner needs within the regular classroom for longer periods of time” (CITE SOURCE 4).  Evidentially, if a teacher feels uncomfortable and unprepared to teach students with MID, the student will not receive an equal education as other students and may even suffer neglect in the classroom.
3. To fully include students with MID into regular classrooms, teachers must be trained not only in general education, but also in areas regarding special education and possible disabilities a student may have.  When a teacher cannot accomplish this, partial inclusion may become a second option for a student with a disability.
2. Partial inclusion involves a student spending some of their learning time in a general education classroom and some in a special education classroom or other services.  This form of inclusion allows a student to both interact with students in general education classes as well as receive individualized attention and teachings accommodating their personal disability.  
3. Continually, another form of inclusion exists called mainstreaming.  In the practice of mainstreaming, students in strict special education classes have the opportunity to participate alongside with students in general education classes in courses such as music and physical education classes.
1. Unfortunately, the common practice of mainstreaming has negative effects on the students with special needs.  Other students often see these students as different and lack the understanding and acceptance students with disabilities deserve.  When a special needs student is only presented to others in classes such as these, they often receive discrimination, bullying, and judgment.  Derk Stephens, a writer for an education magazine, says that “emotional difficulties and interpersonal difficulties (of students with special needs) affect others perception of them, as well as the child’s own self-perception” (CITE SOURCE 5).
4. All together, the different levels and extents of possible inclusion further complicate the issue regarding the integration of special needs students into regular track classrooms.  What one may observe, however, from the results of each of these extents of conclusion, is that the special needs child definitely requires interaction with other children and greatly benefits from this interaction.

Argument Outline

So...I did my argument outline wrong and ended up basically writing my paper, in an outlined form.  I posted my introduction section in the last post so for this one I'll post the next section.  To reflect upon this, it was really hard!  It took a ton of time and a lot of thought to how to incorporate my research into my argument and how to format it.  Although I did the outline wrong, putting it in outline form actually did help me organize my thoughts and the structure of each paragraph/section.  Here is my second section!

1. Section 1: Laws regarding inclusion and special needs students
   While continually attempting to provide the best education for their son, the Forsyth’s faced difficulties obtaining an Individualized Education Program for Sean in his first school.  Unfortunately, the school district was in total right with the law to deny the IEP for Sean under their own qualifications to grant this to a student.  Laws regarding inclusion do “not represent a defined legal requirement.”  Instead, the word inclusion in a legal sense serves as a representative word containing notions of equality rather than strict guidelines (CITE SOURCE 2).  While the government acknowledges students with disabilities should have equal rights and opportunities to education, they do not go to the lengths needed to insure this happen.  Two federal laws prohibiting discrimination against special needs students exist, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  Essentially, IDEA lays out specific requirements for schools while Section 504 allows more flexibility.
1. Writer Kelley Taylor, a former NASSP general counsel, states, “IDEA and its amendments are designed to ensure that students with disabilities have maximum access to the educational benefits of the public school system” (CITE SOURCE 2).  With this said, the act embodies two fundamental principles: a free and appropriate public education (commonly referred to as FAPE) and the provision of a least restrictive environment.
1. IDEA exists to protect students with disabilities and is founded off of the belief that every student, regardless of disabilities, deserves a free and appropriate public education.
2. Additionally, IDEA stretches further to provide an education for students with special needs as it requires schools to provide services in the least restrictive environment possible.  To provide the least restrictive environment for special needs students, schools are required to include these students at all times, with the only exception is “when the nature of severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be attained satisfactorily” (CITE SOURCE 1).
3. With such federal criteria for schools to practice inclusion and provide students with the best possible educational settings, it seems puzzling as to why Sean Forsyth was not able to obtain an IEP.  Although IDEA goes to great lengths to insure equality of special needs student’s education, it also states strict qualifications for a student to be eligible for the protection stated in the law.  While Sean suffers autism, he falls at the higher functioning end of the spectrum, and did not qualify for protection granted under IDEA.  
4. At this point, Section 504 comes into play.  “Section 504 also prevents programs that receive federal financial assistance from excluding individuals with disabilities” as it continues to promote equality in the schooling system (CITE SOURCE 2).  As opposed to IDEA, Section 504 allows students with minor disabilities, such as hearing and speaking disabilities, to qualify for its regulations.  Sean’s Asperger’s Syndrome falls under the qualifications and eligibility of Section 504, not IDEA.  
5. The issue came into play, however, in Sean’s situation, when the school acknowledged Sean’s autism, yet denied him access to an IEP.  Where IDEA requires an IEP for those students who qualify under its criteria, Section 504 “only recommends that a written plan be established for a protected student” (CITE SOURCE 2).  Through this part of Section 504, the school district lawfully denied Sean an Individualized Education Program.
2. Although federal laws provide adequate protection for highly disabled students, they lack the necessary accommodation for students on a high functioning level yet still disabled, such as Sean.  With the belief that all students deserve an equal education in this country, regardless of disabilities, these laws have provided great challenges and obstacles for students like Sean to actually obtain this.

Continued research writing

1. Introduction: Sean’s Story
   As a Special Education major, I have always loved working with students who face mental disabilities and special needs.  Throughout my life, I have felt the calling to reach out to those with disabilities and share my own personal gifts and talents with them to further develop their own.  The education system in America has recently begun to address an extremely significant issue: the mainstreaming of students with special needs.  While I continue to progress in my own education, I also personally face this dilemma as I develop my own opinion and take a stance on this issue.  Should special needs students be integrated into regular-track academic classrooms?
1. Sean Forsyth, the son of one of my mother’s close friends, is an 8-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder with autism-like characteristics.  Essentially, Sean faces many challenges that autism entitles on a daily basis that effect his behavior, attitude, attention span, learning, and many other aspects of his life.  His parents currently face the challenges that come along with providing the best possible education for a child with a mental disability.  
1. Born in 2003, Sean struggled for many years as he developed.  At the age of 2-years-old, Sean displayed the typical “terrible-two” symptoms of tantrums and misbehavior.  However, unlike most children, Sean continued his “terrible-two” behaviors and never outgrew them.  
2. In 2008, Sean entered Pre-K at the age of 5, where he proceeded to misbehave in the classroom, not sitting still, listening or cooperating.  Diagnosed with ADHD in 2009, Sean’s parents asked their school district about obtaining an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for their child.  The school district, however, refused to comply with the Forsyth’s wish saying they did not provide Individualized Education Programs for those with ADHD, and that they would just wait to see how Sean performed in kindergarten.
3. Not even a month into Sean’s kindergarten education, the Forsyth’s began receiving phone calls on a regular basis regarding Sean’s misbehavior.  Continuing to deeply love and care for their child, the Forsyth’s proceeded to strive for a better education for Sean.  Unfortunately, Sean received harsh bullying throughout school and began to make himself throw-up during class just to come home.  
4. Feeling lost and confused, wanting the best for their child and continuing to see the love and good qualities in his heart, the Forsyth’s called the Alliance Health Wraparound.  Meeting with the principal of Sean’s school, the director for Alliance Health demanded Sean to undergo tests for Asperger’s Syndrome, which he was diagnosed with in April 2010.
5. With this newfound information, the Forsyth’s faced extreme distraught, however, became even more motivated to obtain an effective, accommodating learning environment for Sean.  Surely, the Forsyth’s thought, the school district will provide an IEP for Sean with his new diagnosis.  Unfortunately, however, this did not happen.  The school district refused to give Sean an IEP as they claimed he was too high-functioning to qualify under their standards.  Within 24 hours of this news, the Forsyth’s put their house on the market to sell and registered their child in a new school district. 
6. In this new school district, Sean had an IEP as well as a behavior plan in place within a month and also had access to a sensory room and worked closely with a special education teacher.
7. Sean’s parents refuse to place him in a strictly special needs classroom as they believe Sean greatly benefits from interaction with the other students.  “With the right support,” Jen Forsyth says, “Sean is able to learn and complete his work just like a normal child.”  On the other hand, however, they do still worry if Sean will face a future of bullying again.  For now, Sean happily attends his school, receiving accommodating attention, yet still interacts with the other children.
2. I found Sean’s story interesting as it addresses multiple areas regarding the integration of children with special needs.  The obstacles the school district gave the Forsyth’s to accommodate Sean seem unjust and unfair.  Regardless of disabilities Sean, or any other students, for that matter, face, he deserves an education equal to every other student, even if this requires accommodations and extra efforts.  Sean’s parents continue to fight for their child to have a bright future.  As one can see through Sean’s story, the answer to the previously prosed question is not a simple yes or no.  It depends on multiple factors such as current laws, severity of disabilities, and effects integration will have on other students as well as teachers (CITE SOURCE 3).

Initial Research Writing

I'm going to start all of this with picking out direct quotes from my sources that I think will be helpful or I may want to reference in my paper.  I also sent an e-mail to my mom's friend with interview questions and am waiting on that to be returned...I think that will be an excellent source for my paper.  


quotes:
---"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1997) requires that a continuum of placement options be made available to meet the needs of students with disabilities.  The law also requires that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or removal of children with disabilities from the regular environment occur only when the nature of severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be attained satisfactorily" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"The voices of those supporting inclusive education, such as Stainback and Stainback (1991), assert that inclusive education is the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving equal educational opportunities for all" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"Critics, however, argued that inclusive schools will not adequately meet the needs of the disabled and that those children with disabilities will receive more attention and therapy in segregated schools rather than inclusive schools" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"This, therefore, calls for the reason why researchers are concerned about the attitude of teachers towards the inclusion of children with special needs in the general education curriculum" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"Studies, however, assert that the inclusive schools lack adequate technological equipment and incentives needed to provide special needs education in Nigeria" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
--"In another similar judgment, a student was denied access to a school because this individual was classified as 'mentally retarded' and unable to be taught.  The Nigerian teachers of that period deemed providing schooling for this particular group of people a complete waste of time, simply because the disability made it impossible for children with special needs to fit into the standard system and learn with only the methods and supports offered to the "normal children".  Thus, a great amount of similar judgments by teachers have negatively influenced the education of students with special needs, hence, creating a problem in their academics" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"The findings indicate that of the 200 regular primary school teachers interviewed, 60% of them rejected inclusion, while 35% of them would want inclusion provided they are adequately trained; the remaining 5% were undecided on the issue" (Fakolade, and Adeniyi 60-4)
---"Administrators in those schools, which are often characterized by isolation and lower funding, have real concerns about the effectiveness of inclusion and whether or not inclusion is achieving its objectives" (Smoot 6-13)
---"Rural teachers, like their urban counterparts, feel unprepared to cope with a much larger range of learner needs within the regular classroom for longer periods of time" (Smoot 6-13)
---"Another problem for rural schools is that inclusion programs can be expensive to implement when special education support services are provided by special education teachers within the general education class; thus resulting in two teachers on the payroll" (Smoot 6-13)
---"Additional money must be spent on cross training general and special education teachers and on teaching them to work collaboratively" (Smoot 6-13)
---Full inclusion: "Defined as the situation where the student with special needs is provided with all of his or her special education services within the general education classroom"
---Partial inclusion: "Situation where some of the time, the student is removed from the general education classroom for special education or related services" (Smoot 6-13)
---Mainstreaming: "When a student in a self-contained special education setting joins a regular education class for classes with lower academic demands such as music, physical education, science, social studies, exploratory middle school classes, or vocational classes in the secondary school" (Smoot 6-13)
---"A study of the quality of life of adolescents with MID in rural Australia revealed that 89% made their friends at school" (Smoot 6-13)


OKAY. typing all of these is taking forever and may not be that useful.  so I'm going to stick to highlighting haha.  Anyway, just doing these two sources definitely helped.


Through my research, I've decided that there are definitely points I want to hit on in my paper.  Additionally, I think I am going to form a general outline before writing my formal outline, just with what each paragraph will be about and where I want to bring different research in.  I definitely want to talk about the IDEA act and will do some more research on that...I think that will be a good way to start the paper out.  Then I may do a section on different pros of inclusion then another with different cons.  I think I will include the 3 different extents of inclusion that the one source described after I state pros and cons to show that this is not a 2 sided issue but instead is very complex.  I want to explain the impact inclusion will have on teachers, on the special needs students, on the general education students, and the classroom in general.


WOW THIS PAPER IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME....i better get an A ;)

Research Proposal

Topic: Special Needs Students Integrated in Regular Academic Track Classes

Research Question: Should special needs students be integrated into regular academic classrooms?

Further Research:  To complete this paper, I must research multiple aspects of many different issues.  For example, I must find sources explaining changes that must be made in the classroom in order to accommodate special needs students and the effects those changes will have on the other students in the classroom.  Additionally, I intend to research how this change in the classrooms would effect the teacher and their teaching methods.  One of my mother's friends has a child with autism who currently is going through the process of joining regular classrooms and I would also really like to interview his parents.  An interview such as this will allow me to have research of a first hand account on what the benefits of classroom integration are as well as the challenges.  Through this interview as well as the other research I have begun to and intend on doing, I believe I will be able to have a firm understanding on both the positive and negative aspects of this debate.

Significance:  I believe this is a significant topic to research for many reasons.  First of all, this is a controversy that I will definitely face throughout my career as a special education teacher and therefore is very relevant to me personally.  Additionally, integration of special needs students in classrooms, if achieved, will significantly effect the learning environments and classrooms of children nationwide.  I also believe that this is a significant issue as it could have both positive and negative effects such as either the increase of understanding and acceptance among society or the increase of bullying in the classroom.

Ultimate Goal:  Through researching and analyzing the positive and negative effects of special education and secondary education integration, I intend to learn more about the subject as well as personally form an opinion on the issue.  Readers of my paper will also be able to view a factual based paper showing the pros and cons of this subject.

Questions:  Will this hold back other students?  Will other students be distracted?  What are the benefits to the special needs student?  What are the benefits to the other students?  How will the teachers accommodate special needs students in their classrooms and in their teaching methods, plans, and styles?  Will special needs students excel in this setting more so than in a special education classroom?   Will this integration become the way of the future?

Shit Nobody Says

The recent hit "Shit Girls Say" YouTube videos have provoked multiple different parodies and other versions of videos with this same concept.  With over 6 million views, the Shit Nobody Says video has definitely become a hit across the web and pop culture.  Perhaps the lack of credibility and facts and instead the immense amount of opinionated, mocking jokes serves as the most appealing and entertaining part of this video.  Simply summarized in the caption, the video rapidly fire out "phrases you will often never hear" to the viewer.  Essentially, this video appeals to viewers due to it's simplicity and humor.  As each "phrase" continues right after the other, the man in the video's tone of voice and facial expressions ceaselessly shoot out at the viewer with multiple different emotions.  None of the phrases have any specific justifications, but instead just state an opinion.  These opinions, such as, "I miss my dial-up," for example, appeal to people who stand up-to-date in the technological world and also hold an awareness of the progressions it has made.  Additionally, the video appeals to those familiar with current pop-culture, as it references bands, movies, and actors and actresses.  Most appealing, in my opinion, however, is the assumed, ironic logic behind each of these statements.  Creators of the video made the assumption viewers would understand why each of these phrases often go unsaid; they imply assumed and inferred logic to their video.  For a simple example, the man in the video shouts in an overly-excited manner, "AIDS!" as if it were the most exciting, pleasant, and happy topic anyone could ever discuss.  Ironically, however, society commonly knows that AIDS kills innumerable amount of people each year around the world and, furthermore, does not qualify as a topic to celebrate or shout out excitedly as he does.  One may then ask the question, why does this video come off as so funny to viewers?  Including both significant and insignificant struggles of life, the video makes a mockery of many situations we worry ourselves over daily.  Often, I personally want to throw my computer at the wall when it takes forever to buffer videos, regret and feel like puking after eating excessive amounts of fast food, and yearn to punch the gum out of the mouth of people who annoyingly smack and chew their gum while I attempt to focus and concentrate on something.  Mocking serious and not so serious topics in this manner, however, comically appeals to the viewer, for whatever reason.  All in all, the video Shit Nobody Says will most likely continue to spread through the internet as people find laugh through each ironic phrase.

Free Post

Going through looking at all of the different blogs from each week, I guess I missed an open topic post some week (I think it was the week our rough drafts were do...oops!  Got too busy!)  Anyway, here I am writing it now!

I thought I'd write about the book I'm currently reading, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  Although I have not finished it yet, I can already say I would definitely recommend this book.  The cover has a review from NPR.org saying "This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill A Mockingbird...If you read only one book...let this be it."  WOW!  That is a really strong review!  If you read only one book, let this be it.  I don't know if I would go that far...I have a ton of other favorite books that definitely have powerful stories and messages behind them (my favorite book of all time being Of Mice and Men) but then again, who knows what was in the ... of that quote.

Anyway, after judging the book by it's cover, which I guilty usually do, I sat down and began to read the book.  Kathryn Stockett takes an interesting approach while writing this book, switching the narrator every couple chapters.  Although the narrator switches, the story still continues chronologically; some situations the reader sees from one character's point of view and others from another point of view.  The story is set in the 1980s in Jackson, Mississippi, during a time of immense racial discrimination as well as the beginning of the civil rights movement.  "The Help" refers to the colored maids who work for white families, cleaning their houses, preparing their meals, and even raising their children.

So far, one of the biggest things that has stood out to me while reading this book, is the genuine love and kindness "the help" show the white children they raise.  In some situations in the book, the white mothers completely neglect their children leaving them for the help to take care of.  Aibileen, one of the main characters (a maid), raises her boss's daughter, Mae Mobley, fondly calling her "Baby Girl" and taking care of her.  Mae Mobley loves Aibileen because of the true affection and kindness she receives from her.  This particularly stood out to me because of something Aibileen says in the book.  Essentially, the help raise these children, love them as if they were their own, even though they eventually grow up to disrespect and hate them just as much as their parents do.

This particularly stood out to me because it highlights the innocence and naiveness of children.  I personally truly believe a child is a blessing in every shape and form and a child's innocence is one of the greatest treasures in the whole world.  I believe children are born without the knowledge of or the ability to hate and see this as absolutely amazing.  Recently, I have been thinking about my childhood and how I have grown up.  Even just within the past four years, the changes that I have undergone are absolutely crazy.  I really don't know any better way to describe it.  Although I haven't really decided if every change was for the better or worse, it is undeniable to say that I, as a whole, have changed.  Change is definitely a part of growing up and life, but also hard to deal with.  Often, I long for the innocence and simplicity of childhood (especially times like this, when I have a TON of homework to do!).  One of my favorite quotes is, "Seek the wisdom of ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child"...I don't really even know who has said it, or if that is the exact quote, but I like it.

Basically, I just like to think about how the world would be different if that's what everyone did...sought wisdom and saw through the eyes of a child.  Although slightly contradicting, I guess you could say that the wisdom we long for with old age, we were actually given at birth.  The innate longing for peace, love, and kindness.  I guess at birth we long for these...we live our lives experiencing both extremes of presence and lack of these aspects...then, ultimately, learn to apply peace, love, and kindness into every aspect of our own lives, something that can only be done with experience.

Soooooo yeah, The Help is an amazing book!  Go read it!  And see the world through the eyes of a child!

Singer's argument

I am a little bit skeptical about writing this paper on Singer's piece.  It was easy to read in the beginning, but I have to admit, once it got to the WikiLeaks part, I definitely started skimming and skipping some paragraphs.  All together though, I definitely think that Singer has a good point in his paper.  Today at lunch, a couple friends and I were talking about facebook and the repercussions it can have on your future.  It's no secret that employers do background checks on applicants including searching facebook.  I personally do not have any pictures of me drinking on my facebook.  However, I do have pictures posted at parties, and when I don't have a drink in my hand, there are many in the background.  In all honestly, at some of these places I hadn't even drank, but how would a perspective employer know that?  Pictures leave everything to the viewers interpretation, which is really scary.  Someone can easily judge your whole entire character through the pictures you have on facebook, although it may not be accurate, that's what they get from them.  The topic came up about what will eventually happen to our facebooks?  I'd like to think I won't be on facebook my whole entire life, but, my mom has one at 52, maybe I will.  I don't really want to have pictures of college parties on my facebook when I am an adult with a career and family.  But how do I change that?  Sure, I could go and completely delete my facebook...but those pictures are still out there.  Half of them I didn't even put up myself and others people have copied onto their own pages.  These pictures are out there forever...regardless if I decide at one point I don't want them to be.

Basically, this whole concept of revealing yourself to the whole entire world through the internet, and never being able to take it back, is what Singer's paper is about.  Privacy has become extremely limited in modern society and this greatly affects our day to day lives.  I'm wondering if I can write my paper on something like this?  Even though it don't have to do with WikiLeaks..it has to do with the importance of reputation and how you display yourself through the internet.

Visible Man

Peter Singer opens his essay describing the "Panopticon" of 1787, a building philosopher Jeremy Bentham suggested that consisted of multiple rooms, or cells, that could be looked into at any given time unbeknownst to the people within.  Essentially, the Panopticon could potentially invade any and all privacy in places it would be applied including the following: factories, hospitals, prisons, and schools.

Singer continues to explain how the theory of the panopticon exists in our present-day technologies of cameras, internet, and other media.  Not only do these modern technological advancements exploit privacy, but also people themselves.  With social networks such as facebook, twitter, and tumblr, members voluntarily reveal their thoughts, feelings, and locations to the whole entire world.

The exploitation of privacy, says Singer, does not stop there.  In addition to private information that society puts into the public themselves, United States government organizations exist purely to spy on American citizens both at home and abroad, without consent of individuals.  Singer states, "Every day, the National Security Agency intercepts 1.7 billion emails, phone calls, instant messages, bulletin-board postings, and other communications."  Basically, in modern day, true privacy is slim to none.

Furthermore, Singer describes the use of organizations such as WikiLeaks and how they also exploit privacy as they release classified documents and basically keep an eye on the government and major corporations.  Although there have been multiple efforts to close down WikiLeaks, it is impossible as information posted to the internet spreads like wildfire and are then posted to hundreds of other sites.

At this point in his essay, Peter Singer asks the crucial question:  Has the newly possible openness of society made us better off?  Although some believe privacy as an inalienable right, it is becoming less and less possible to keep your life completely private.  Singer continues to analyze this issue while asking, "Will this technology be a form of tyranny or will it free us from tyranny?  Will it upend democracy or strengthen it?"

The extent of privacy society desires changes from situation to situation and is constantly evolving.  In American culture, privacy serves as a status symbol as each member of a family typically has their own bedroom and often own bathroom.  In other cultures, however, this is not the case and families often live all together as well as along side other families in their community.

With social media websites such as facebook, people display their opinion on the benefits and importance of "connecting with others, sharing information, networking, self-promoting, flirting, and bragging" that seem to outweigh everyday privacy once desired.

Peter Singer continues to delve into specific situations in government and society where privacy has been exploited and invaded, some having positive and some having negative effects.  Essentially, the continuous technological growth that society experiences will correlatively lower the level of privacy the average person and society has.  This development could produce both positive and negative effects on the world.

just kidding...

i'm actually using this :)

The Value of Friendship

Having a true friend is without a doubt the most significant and essential part of life.  Without a true friend, I honestly believe life would not be worth living.  Aside from being there to have fun with, true friends are basically an extension of yourself.  Perhaps the most amazing part of a true friend is that they feel what you feel and go through what you do.  Branching from this, sometimes, we hurt our true friends the most.  The saying "we hurt the ones we love most" is definitely accurate.  The worst fights I have ever been in in my life have been with my close, true friends, because those are the relationships that are worth fighting for.  Those are the people who are worth being upset over and getting hurt over.  Knowing you have hurt a friend, however, can be the most heart breaking feeling in the world.  What I've just recently realized, though, is the reality that you CAN hurt your best, true, friends.  The point of living life is not to just be alone and handle everything on your own.  One of my best friends has been struggling with this a lot lately.  She is constantly upset that it seems as if all of her close friends end up hurt trying to help her "fight her own battles" as she calls it.  But that's what true friends do, they help.  And sometimes they do get involved and end up hurt but that is the point of having a best friend and being a best friend, helping to take some of the pain away so it is more bearable.  If we were expected to live life alone and handle every single obstacle, challenge, and pain alone life would not be worth living.  It is impossible to count how many times my absolute best friend and I have blown each other off, done something stupid, and hurt the other.  But unlike any random guy or person, I know that no matter what, in the end, we will still be best friends, because that's how we are.  Essentially, I am thankful for nothing more in my life than my close friends and family because although I have only a few close friends and a very small family, I have the best ones who will be there for me no matter what.  These are the people who make my life worth living and enjoyable.

Sirach 6:14 "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter, he who finds one finds a treasure"

Controversial Visual Texts

After a very long time of sitting in confusion trying to figure out a good topic to write this on...I finally decided on the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States...as I guiltily stuff my face with after-dinner munchies while watching tv...oops.  Here are my two visual texts to analyze!  I think they are good ones...

In the first visual text, two maps of the United States are shown.  One map is from 1998 and the other shows the United States in 2008.  The shaded maps display the prevalence of obesity in each state.  Obviously, there has been an extreme increase in obesity since the late 90's in the United States.  I personally found this extremely disturbing and very thought provoking.  To begin with, why has obesity increased so much and become such an issue?  I believe many answers to this question exist.  First of all, the fast food industry has most definitely impacted the growth of obesity in the states.  Last year, I wrote a paper for my AP Government and Politics class on the book "Fast Food Nation" ...and was extremely disturbed.  The book explained the history behind the fast food industry and how they manipulate customers (specifically children) to buy and consume their products.  The convenience of the concept of fast food, however, is too good to pass up sometimes.  This brings me to my second point.  Society is extremely fast paced.  A day rarely exists when I do not have 10 things to do in a short period of time.  We drive from home to school to work to restaurants to the store to everyyyywhere every single day.  This doesn't leave much time to sit down and fix a healthy meal!  I believe the fast paced society we live in definitely correlates with the growing issue of obesity in the United States.

The second image I chose shows a young girl suffering from childhood obesity.  Specifically, the caption underneath her caught my attention.  "It's hard to be a little girl if you're not"...ouch.  That is really blunt.  This specific visual text shows the dangers of obesity on children.  If a child grows up with unhealthy eating habits, they are likely to continue those their whole lives, and furthermore, raise their own children with unhealthy eating styles!  

It's scary to think that we could potentially face the future of a completely fat country!  Gross!  I think that these sources will be good to analyze and discuss in a paper!

Free Flow

So today we're supposed to write about anything...I feel kind of awkward.  Talking to myself?  Not exactly sure if I have anything of significance to say.  Blogs make me feel awkward...it's like a public diary.  Why would I want to share every thought of mine with the world via internet...and who cares enough to read it?  If someone did care enough to read it, I'd probably actually just feel uncomfortable and kind of creeped out.... hmm.  Moving on...I guess I'll talk about my weekend at home!

This past weekend I went home:) and was super super busy the whole entire time.  The main reason I went home was for my cousin's bridal shower.  My mom and aunt hosted it and it was a lot of fun actually.  I have family in Atlanta, Georgia, and my cousin, Amy, and her 4 year old daughter, Annika, came in for it, so it was so so nice to see them.  Annika is absolutely adorable and I wish I saw them more often!  I have such a small family and I absolutely hate the fact that we all live so far away from each other.  Growing up with my cousins as my neighbors, I have always been extremely close with my family and very family oriented.  My family means everything to me!  (Below is a picture of my aunt, mom, cousin (the bride-to-be!), cousin's wife, me, baby cousin, and other aunt at the bridal shower!)

After the bridal shower, I went to a banquet for a performing arts group that I belonged in in high school.  It was so fun!  I loved seeing all of my friends.  The seniors in high school now just heard of the cast lists for the school musicals and it was really fun congratulating them and talking about all the "high school musical" drama.  (Basically what I thrived off of all through high school!...Musical is life consuming!)  So yeah, that was really fun catching up with everyone. (Below is a picture of my 6 best friends from our performing arts group, East End Kids...the three of us kneeling down are the graduated alumni!)

When the day was finally over, I finally had time to do my favorite thing ever, sit on the couch!  I've missed my boyfriend the most out of everyone...he's in school at home.  Having time to spend with him was probably over all the best part of the weekend.  I have two ultimate best friends and he's one of them...living 200 miles away sucks!

After such a busy weekend, I have to admit that I am glad to be back at OU and with my roommates.  Guess I should start on some homework now....

BWP p. 23

Last quarter, in my EDTE 150 Intro. to Education class, we wrote a dreaded final paper...mine ended up being about 25 pages.  I picked this paper to describe for multiple reasons.  First of all, it's recent and fresh in my mind (I don't remember many specific papers from high school!).  Additionally, as it was our final paper, in it I summed up essentially everything I had learned throughout the quarter.  This included materials and concepts directly from the textbook, as well as inferences and conclusions I came to myself throughout the course.  I thoroughly described and made conclusions as to what I personally believed characterized a teacher as "good" as well as delved deeper into the upcoming challenges and obstacles I will face while pursuing my career.  This particular paper really engaged me as I, for once, was writing about a topic that affected and related to me, something I will actually do!

As this final paper was broken up into sections, parts were completely closed form, others more on the open form end of the spectrum, and some parts in between.  For example, a section of the paper included direct research and summaries from the textbook.  I wrote this section in a standard, 5 paragraph, closed form essay.  On the other hand, the section in which I identified positive characteristics and qualities of a teacher, falls more in the middle of the spectrum.  While I had specific points I touched across, I also delved into deeper questions of what exactly was the overall personality of a good teacher which furthermore develops their qualities and characteristics.  Additionally, this section did not limit the answers to the question to simply what I put in my paper.  Finally, at the end of the paper, I wrote a self assessment of my own path towards becoming a teacher, what I prepared myself for the obstacles ahead of me, and deciding which particular branch of education I want to go into.  This final section definitely would be characterized as an open form writing style as a definite conclusion was not met, but merely discussed and questioned.

Essentially, the question mothering the whole final paper was "Am I suitable and called to become a teacher?"  While writing about multiple aspects of the teaching career, including everything from qualities of a teacher to challenges a teacher faces to different networking opportunities teachers have, each and every section had the underlying personal assessment.  All together, this paper definitely had a meaningful question behind it.

While writing this paper, I definitely kept purpose in mind.  The purpose of the paper was to summarize the past quarter and look into the future.  Additionally, I kept genre in mind as I was writing a formal assessment to be turned into a teacher.  Finally, I probably did not consider the audience as much as the other two while writing.  Only the professor read my paper, and for him, it was a tool of assessment of my own benefit from his class.  I guess, actually, that I subconsciously took the audience into consideration as I wrote to please the teacher (a skill a student develops early in school!).

Although throughout my final EDTE 150 paper I used both open and closed forms, answered a meaningful question, and kept purpose, audience, and genre in mind, I did so subconsciously.  While reading this chapter I not only learned to label the techniques I used in my paper but also the importance and significance of each.  Additionally, I realized that these aspects of writing open up multiple new doors for my future writing assignments and pieces.

Closed/Open forms of writing

While reading through the first chapter of the textbook, naturally at about 1 in the morning the night before class, I was pleasantly surprised at how, let's say, not extremely boring it is.  I might have to admit that I didn't hate it and didn't count the pages I had left every 5 seconds.  Throughout high school I was always amazed at how English books, supposedly supposed to "teach" us how to write well, were SO BORING.  I guess where I'm going with all of this is simply that I like our textbook and the way it reads.

ANYWAY.

To begin with, I would like to say that I did not pick this topic because it was the first one on the list, first in the book, and easy to do.  As I read through the sections on closed and open writing techniques, I was genuinely interested.  During our first class we read that Ashtray piece (sorry that's the only way I can think of to identify it as) and I really enjoyed it.  Much different than the "closed" form of writing I have implicated in my work for the past 4+ years, the openness, for a lack of a better word, of the Ashtray piece was really entertaining and furthermore thought provoking.  After reading chapter one of the Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, I identified that piece as an open form of writing, essentially meaning that the publication did not follow the standard, predictable, pattern of introduction, thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion.  On the contrary, the piece ebbed and flowed to its own rhythm, effectively, if I do say so myself, entrancing the reader into a deeper than surface level connection with the story.

All together, I've come to the conclusion that I would like to read some more "open form" pieces as well as try to write some as my own!  (Even though, judging by my sentence opener, "All together," it's pretty apparent I'm stuck in the closed form high school rut!... Help me get out!)