Robinson's Lecture

Robinson's lecture about creativity was very interesting. "Education is meant to take us into the future we can't grasp" (Robinson). He claims that creativity is needed for original ideas, in the unpredictable future. "Creativity is as important as literacy. And we should treat them with the same status" (Robinson). Children are very creative at a young age and for that, they are not afraid of being wrong. "I don't mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative. If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original" (Robinson). However, when they grow up and go through the educational system, they are taught that mistakes are something that should not be encouraged. Through this system, children grow up being afraid of making mistakes and being wrong. As a result, children growing up are stripped of their creativity. Thinking about the second paper, I ask myself, "what makes a good teacher?" Creativity is needed for teachers to respond to the student's needs. Not only do they have to be nice and encouraging, but they need to be creative and inventive. "And the teachers would have needed some inventiveness, for none of us was groomed for the classroom" (Rose - 2). What happens when a teacher does not have creativity as part of their profession? What happens when a teacher does have creativity? How will these two teachers compare? How different will the students absorb their teachings? If creativity is what the future needs, is there time to change the educational system? If creativity has already been stripped off the teachers today, how will they avoid doing the same thing to their students in the future? 

How does Lorde illustrate what the teachers she encountered were like?

 Lorde narrated the details and events that began from her love for reading. She described the strictness and order that surrounded her childhood. There was an order in everything. If the order was disrupted, there were consequences. Ever since that day Mrs. Baker taught Lorde read stories to her, Lorde was very enthusiastic to learn how to read. Her love for reading helped her to write her name and the alphabet. She was first enrolled in a kindergarten class. The teacher did not try to understand why Lorde did not want to write the letter with a crayon. The teacher kept trying to push Lorde without any sort of encouragement, while threatening to report her mother for not following directions. After Lorde's mother counseled with the school, Lorde was placed into first grade. Sister Mary, Lorde's first grade teacher, did not seem as strict as the kindergarten teacher. She rewarded and punished children based on behavior. However, she did not show any signs of encouraging or engaging with her students. Both Sister Mary and the kindergarten teacher taught by the rules. They liked things to be in order and did not appreciate anything that changed the order, making them strict teachers. Both were different compared Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker was the children's library who first exposed Lorde to stories and reading. She was a patient, encouraging and kind teacher. For this reason, Lorde was inspired to learn to read. From Lorde's narrative, it is clear to see who was a good teacher and who was not.

Final: Diving With Nemo

Kristie Bertelmann

Dr. Sonia Begert

English 101

29 January 2013

Diving with Nemo

            Scuba diving is a sensational and eye-opening experience. It allows one to see living ecological life in its own habitat without the disruption of human activities. Creatures of all sorts of variety: large and small, flamboyant and dull, swimming carefree in the open water. My first day of scuba diving opened a whole new world that I never knew existed. A world of undisturbed peace that could end in any moment.

            My first day of diving was a memorable one. It was a bright, sunny day with the leaves rustling slightly from the gentle touch of the morning breeze. I started out learning the basic hand signals and the different parts of my gear in a classroom. The session was only fifteen minutes at most. Afterwards, I was given a suit and was directed to the closest restroom. Inside, I had the hardest time putting on my wet suit. At that moment, I thought to myself that this was going to be an interesting day.

            After I somehow managed to put on my wet suit, I waited outside for the rest of my family to finish changing. We were all here together to experience scuba diving for the first time. We took turns taking pictures and waited for our instructors. There were two instructors present, a male and female, named Enrique and Josie, respectively. My mother and I went with Enrique, while my father and brother went with Josie. Our next objective was learning basic diving techniques in the swimming pool. Enrique carefully strapped on the oxygen tank to my gear and handed me a pair of goggles. When I put them on, I glanced downwards into the clear blue water and saw my instructor sitting down on the swimming pool floor, beckoning me to follow.

            I swam downwards, ignoring the popping sensation in my ears. I formed a cross-legged formation and used both my arms to push myself downwards on the swimming pool floor. Both Enrique and I waited for my mother to join us. From the pool floor, we watched my mother trying to sink down on the floor however, no matter how much she tried, the water pushed her upwards. After a couple of minutes had gone by, my instructor pulled my mother's leg down and I held her hand to keep her from floating back up. Learning the diving techniques was interesting. We had to learn how to use our diving buddy's spare regulator in case of emergencies and how to empty our goggles in case there was water inside. My favorite part about learning that technique was learning how to do it underwater. More importantly, this session was to allow us to practice breathing through our regulator, which is the piece that goes on your mouth. For some reason, some people have trouble with breathing through their mouth, instead of their nose.

            After we practiced the diving techniques, we made our way to the beach. I was walking through the beach, dragging my oxygen tank across the hot, dry sand. I waited for my instructor and the rest of my family to make their way to the beach. I sat down and dug my foot under the wet sand. When the wave washed up on the sand, I dipped my foot into the water and felt a cool sensation throughout my body. Soon, I heard voices approaching and looked back to see the crew walking in my direction. I stood up and walked in the water, continuing to drag my oxygen tank, until I was waist-deep. My instructor helped my mother and I put on our oxygen tanks and weight belts and then motioned us to follow after putting on his own mask.

            As I dove down and swam in the open sea, I saw so much life. School of fish swimming in harmony, seaweeds dancing to the sound of peace, coral reefs standing with great pride and the ocean floor glistening from sunlight. I swam deeper, following my instructor, and began to feel my stress lifting off my shoulders like a caged bird that has been freed. The sight of this beautiful harmonic balance, made me forget about all my worries. I swam farther and farther away from the beach and saw colorful starfish and fish with vibrant colors that decorated the ocean like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I looked back from time to time, to see my mother swimming right behind me. In a distance, I saw my brother and father swimming with Josie. Occasionally, I saw my brother wave at me and I waved back, then continued to follow Enrique. We circled around and headed back towards the beach.           

            During this journey, I saw an orange clown fish with white stripes swimming with a small group. I called him Nemo and followed him. Luckily, he was swimming in the same direction towards Enrique. I tried to poke him, but he swam away instantly. Soon, he started circling around and around. Enrique saw my fascination for Nemo and formed a rendezvous point. He signaled my mother and I to the surface and told us to stay around this point for five minutes. Afterwards, I dove back down and tried to find Nemo. His vibrant orange color was easy for me to pick out. I swam down and tried to swim as close as I could without scaring him away however, he knew what I was thinking and kept his distance. I gave up trying to swim close and watched him from afar. He swam carefree back and forth as though he wanted to send me a message. I watched him from afar and saw the peace that surrounded him. Then, I watched him swim away to join a school of fish, far off in the distance. Soon, I saw him no more. It was a beautiful feeling to be a part of something bigger. I looked all around me and observed the undisturbed wild life. I felt that my presence was a part of something bigger than myself in the open sea. I felt like I had to protect this beautiful image.

            After we circled around and made our way back the beach, we all regrouped on the shore. We laughed and talked briefly about our individual experiences. We went to the showers and changed back into our clothes. While I was in the shower, I realized how much I enjoyed diving.  I was destined to dive. It felt right, since the first moment I touched the water. Ever since I was a child, I always loved the water. I swam at every opportunity I had. Perhaps there wasn't much to figure out. I loved the water, therefore it was only natural that I loved diving. When we all waited for our instructors, the family sat down at a table. I kept on glancing back at the beach, yearning to go back inside. Enrique tapped my shoulder and smiled. He talked to me about getting a diving license and a part-time job. I was very interested and overjoyed to hear. I was inspired to dive and wanted to protect the beauty of nature.

            After we got packed up, we headed back to our house. I looked outside my car window and saw the beach slowly getting farther and farther away. How can I love diving so much after one day, I will never understand. But one thing was clear. This was not going to be the last time. In all my years, I never felt so free and strong. I felt like I was able to do anything. It was quite a liberating and powerful experience that I will never forget. Now that I look back on it, this day has been many dives ago. However, each time I dive into the open sea, it is just like my first day of diving.

           Once you've experienced nature in its own domain, it opens your eyes to the beauty of the natural order. Animals and plants living in harmony, forming a delicate balance that can easily be disrupted. While scuba diving, you can see nature untainted with humanity's footsteps. How long will this peace last, I asked myself many times, dive after dive.

WS: How does this pertain to the current paper assignment?

This reading pertains to the second paper assignment by discussing the standard format and purpose of an essay. It offers tips that may be helpful during the planning and writing process. For the second paper assignment, we are transitioning from a narrative to a compare and contrast essay. The narrative essay was somewhat informal with personal details that emphasized a story. This essay is a fairly formal write-up with the purpose of informing the target audience on what makes a good teacher. The reading discussed the different parts of an essay. Generally, there is a minimum of five paragraphs: an introduction, conclusion and three body paragraphs. What is very important to remember for this assignment is the thesis. A thesis is required in most essays. Everything in the paragraph is supposed to link back up to the thesis. It is almost like a guideline, making sure that writers do not lose focus on the main idea. This is not only for writers but for readers as well. A thesis would allow the reader to see the flow of ideas and how it relates back to the main idea. For this kind of writing, some form of pre-writing could be beneficial. For this paper assignment, we are given the opportunity to compare and contrast two different teachers, fictional or not. A good paper will include plenty of details on both characters while relating back to the thesis. Being sure to keep the purpose and target audience in mind, surely, an organized, well-structured, persuasive paper will emerge.

What Makes a Good Teacher?

When I think about what makes a good teacher, I start mentally listing off what good teachers shouldn't do. This is a good start, however I feel like I'm not truly answering the question. What makes a good teacher? I believe good teachers are teachers who choose to understand their students. Not someone who flies through lessons, disregarding the situation of their students. A good teacher is someone who engages themselves in the lesson, teaching with enthusiasm and encouragement. Teaching is a mutual relationship. I believe the students have just as much influence on the teacher as teachers have on students. Teachers learn from students and vice-versa. A great example of this relationship is the movie Stand and Deliver. The students were rebellious and had no respect for authority. The newly appointed math teacher, Mr. Escalante, had problems with handling his students in the very beginning. However, he understood his students and engaged with his students as he taught basic math. He continued to believe in his students despite the fact that the rest of the school faculty had doubts. The students and Mr. Escalante's mutual relationship overcame the issues that unfolded during the movie.

In Class Writing

Main Idea for my Educational Narrative:

My educational narrative's main idea was how much I enjoyed scuba diving. Through this experience, I saw the beauty of nature and felt the need to protect it.

Best/Worst Teacher:

Throughout my K-12 education, my favorite teacher was my English teacher during junior year. He was an old man named David Layton, who everyone referred to as Layton. I know many students who disliked him and decided to transfer to another class, however I enjoyed his teaching style. He was like a college professor. He taught only concepts that he thought were important but left us to figure out the rest. I personally enjoyed this kind of teaching style. I like being able to think on my own and explore these concepts. My worst teacher was my seventh grade Art teacher. She was not much of a teacher at all. She teached as though she did not care for her students. She did not engage herself with her students. She taught as though she wanted us out of the room as fast as possible. Good thing the sessions were short, but I hardly enjoyed the class.

Stand and Deliver

Students were rebellious and showed no respect for authority. The school does not reinforce authority over its students. Examples: Students rigged the bell timing and stole the teacher's radio. Second and third day, students seemed a little more engaged in class. The teacher started using humor and interactive dialogues to engage with his students. He understands that his students can achieve goals if given the right push. He believes in his students even when other faculty don't believe they can't acheive it. After a hard push, the teacher goes beyond and suggest summer school and schooling during the holiday. Some of the faculty did not agree with his belief because of the current situation. They believed that trying and failing the test would shatter their only self confidence they had. After continuous pressure and hard work, the students managed to pass the the exam. However, all the students happened to have the same average amount of multiple choices which forced an investigation over the matter to proceed. Most of the people assume that they did. I had mixed feelings about this part of the movie. During this investigation, I began to ask myself, "Did they really cheat?" I did not believe this to be true because I believe that hard work delivers results. If you stand, you deliver.     

Rough Draft: Diving with Nemo

       To me, scuba diving is like camping in the great outdoors. Once you've experienced nature in its own domain, it opens your eyes to the beauty of natural order. Animals and plants living in harmony, forming a delicate balance that can easily be disrupted. In both scuba diving and camping, you can see nature untainted with humanity's footsteps.

            My first day of scuba diving was a sensational and eye-opening experience. It was a bright, sunny day with the leaves rustling slightly from the gentle touch of the morning breeze. I started out learning the basic hand signals and the different parts of my gear in a classroom. The session was only fifteen minutes at most. Afterwards, I was given a suit and was directed to the closest restroom. Inside, I had the hardest time putting on my wet suit. At that moment, I thought to myself that this was going to be an interesting day.

            After I somehow managed to put on my wet suit, I waited outside for the rest of my family to finish changing. We were all here together to experience scuba diving for the first time. We took turns taking pictures and waited for our instructors. There were two instructors present, a male and female, named Enrique and Josie respectively. My mother and I went with Enrique, while my father and brother went with Josie. Our next objective was learning basic diving techniques in the swimming pool. Enrique carefully strapped on the oxygen tank to my gear and handed me a pair of goggles. When I put them on, I glanced downwards into the clear blue water and saw my instructor sitting down on the swimming pool floor, beckoning me to follow.

            I swam downwards, ignoring the popping sensation in my ears. I formed a cross-legged formation and used both my arms to push myself downwards on the swimming pool floor. Both Enrique and I waited for my mother to join us. From the pool floor, we watched my mother trying to sink down on the floor however, no matter how much she tried, the water pushed her upwards. After a couple of minutes have gone by, my instructor pulled my mother's leg down and I held her hand to keep her from floating back up. Learning the diving techniques were interesting. We had to learn how to use our diving buddy's spare regulator in case of emergencies and how to empty our goggles in case there was water inside. My favorite part about learning that technique was learning how to do it underwater. By in large, this session was to allow us to practice breathing through our regulator, which is the piece that goes on your mouth. For some reason, some people have trouble with breathing through their mouth, instead of their nose.

            After we practiced the diving techniques, we made our way to the beach. I was walking through the beach, dragging my oxygen tank across the hot, dry sand. I waited for my instructor and the rest of my family to make their way to the beach. I sat down and dug my foot under the wet sand. When the wave washed up on the sand, I dipped my foot into the water and felt a cool sensation throughout my body. Soon, I heard voices approaching and looked back to see the crew walking to my direction. I stood up and walked in the water, continuing to drag my oxygen tank, until I was waist-deep. My instructor helped my mother and I put on our oxygen tanks and weight belts and then motioned us to follow after putting on his own mask.

            As I dove down and swam in the open sea, I saw so much life. School of fish swimming in harmony, seaweeds dancing to the sound of peace, coral reefs standing with great pride and the ocean floor glistening from sunlight. I swam deeper, following my instructor, and began to feel my stress lifting off my shoulders like a caged bird that has been freed. The sight of this beautiful harmonic balance, made me forget about all my worries.

            I swam farther and farther away from the beach and saw colorful starfish and fish with vibrant colors that decorated the ocean like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I looked back from time to time, to see my mother swimming right behind me. In a distance, I saw my brother and father swimming with Josie. Occasionally, I saw my brother wave at me and I waved back, then continued to follow Enrique. We circled around and headed back towards the beach.     

            During this journey, I saw an orange clown fish with white stripes swimming with a small group. I called him Nemo and followed him. Luckily, he was swimming in the same direction towards Enrique. I tried to poke him, but he swam away instantly. Soon, he started circling around and around. Enrique saw my fascination for Nemo and formed a rendezvous point. He signaled my mother and I to the surface and told us to stay around this point for five minutes. Afterwards, I dove back down and tried to find Nemo. His vibrant orange color was easy for me to pick out. I swam down and tried to swim as close as I could without scaring him away however, he knew what I was thinking and kept his distance. I gave up trying to swim close and watched him from afar.

            He swam carefree back and forth as though he wanted to send me a message. I watched him from afar and saw the peace that surrounded him. Then, I watched him swim away to join a school of fish, far off in the distance. Soon, I saw him no more. It was a beautiful feeling to be a part of something bigger. I looked all around me and observed the undisturbed wild life. I felt my presence was a part of something bigger than myself in the open sea. I felt like I can do anything.

            After we circled around and made our way back the beach, we all regrouped on the shore. We laughed and talked briefly about our individual experiences. We went to the showers and changed back into our clothes. While I was in the shower, I realized how much I enjoyed diving. When a person tells someone that they were destined to do something, diving was what I was destined to do. It felt right, since the first moment I touched the water. Ever since I was a child, I always loved the water. I swam at every opportunity I had. Perhaps there wasn't much to figure out. I loved the water, therefore it was only natural that I loved diving. When we all waited for our instructors, the family sat down at a table. I kept on glancing back at the beach, yearning to go back inside. Enrique tapped my shoulder and smiled. He talked to me about getting a diving license and part-time job offers. I was very interested and overjoyed to hear. I was inspired to dive to observe nature on its own course.

            After we got packed up, we headed back to our house. I looked outside my car window and saw the beach slowly getting farther and farther away. How can I love diving so much after one day, I will never understand. But one thing was clear. This was not going to be the last time. In all my years, I never felt so free and strong. I felt like I was able to do anything. It was a liberating and powerful experience that I will never forget.

WS: Exploring/Examining

The first day I went scuba diving is a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was a day of discovery and liberation. An eye-opening experience that one can never forget.

It was a bright, sunny day with the leaves rustling slightly from the gentle touch of the morning breeze. I was on a beach, dragging my oxygen tank across the hot, dry sand. I dipped my foot into the water and felt a cool sensation throughout my body. I walked in the water, continuing to drag my oxygen tank, until I was waist-deep. My instructor helped me put on my oxygen tank and weight belt. Then beckoned me to follow after putting on his own mask. As I dove down in the open sea, I saw so much life. School of fish swimming in harmony, seaweeds dancing to the sound of peace, coral reefs standing with great pride and the ocean floor glistening from sunlight. As I swam deeper, following my instructor, I began to feel my stress lifting off my shoulders. The sight of a beautiful harmonic balance, made me forget all my worries. I felt like a bird that finally broke free from its cage. I swam farther and farther away from the beach and saw colorful starfish and fish with vibrant colors that decorated the ocean like ornaments on a Christmas tree. It was a beautiful feeling to be a part of something greater than myself. In all my years, I never felt so free and strong. I felt like I was able to do anything. It was a liberating and powerful experience that I will never forget.

Which essay did I like the most?

The essay I enjoyed reading the most was Malcolm X's "Learning to Read." Ever since I first heard his name in middle school, I was interested in learning more about him. Malcolm X was an activist who understood the horrors of this world. His beginning goes back to his time in prison, where he learned how to read. Through his efforts of copying and reading a dictionary, he improved his penmanship and vocabulary. His motivation for reading morphed into passion, where he would spend days and nights reading in his cell. "...months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life" (Malcolm X - pg. 2). Slowly, his passion focused on the teachings of Mr. Muhammad, where he learned of the atrocities and horrors performed by evil white men. Further reading fueled his motivation for wanting to be a change in this never-ending torture of continuous exploitation. "My homemade education gave me more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America" (Malcolm X - pg. 3). Details of his motivation and passion for reading was truly inspiring. I enjoyed reading this essay because of the powerful impression it left on me, from the time I began reading until the last period on the story. His efforts of copying and writing a dictionary showed his great determination. This showed me that anyone who has the determination to do something have the ability to do it. We all have the necessary tools to learn or do something. All that is needed is the effort and determination because nothing comes for free. So the question to be asking ourselves is," how far are you willing to go to make a difference?"

How do Malcolm X's, Franklin's and Rose's essays differ?

All three essays were educational narratives however, all three essays came from different angles. Malcolm X learned how to read in prison by reading and writing the dictionary. His motivation for learning how to read turned to passion with long days and nights of him reading in his cell, lost in his delight. "...months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life" (Malcolm X - pg. 2). Malcolm's passion for reading transformed him into someone who wanted to make a difference in this world. Franklin was a man who loved to read, enough to a point where it influenced his interest and decisions on occupations. He mentioned that he could not remember a time when he could not read. From the time he was a child, he enjoyed reading. "...all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out on books" (Franklin - pg. 2). Growing up, his father had him try different ranges of occupations. At each occupation, Franklin had access to books which motivated him to try different jobs. Through this process, Franklin was motivated to become a good writer. "...I had been lucky enough to improve the method of the language, and this encouraged me to think I might possibly in time come to be a tolerable English writer" (Franklin - pg. 4). Mike Rose's essay described his time in vocational education and how the program affected himself and the people around him. In his experience, vocational education was "...a place for those who are just not making it, a dumping ground for the disaffected" (Rose - pg. 2). The teachers in the program lacked the inventiveness and creativity required to teach the students the basic skills necessary for life. As a result, the students lacked the motivation to learn. "I did what I had to do to get by, and I did it with half a mind" (Rose - pg. 2). Malcolm X's learning experience formed him into a man who enjoyed reading and in turn, became a man who stood up for what he believed in. Franklin's learning experience of wanting to become a good writer came from his love for reading. Rose's learning experience in vocational school opened his eyes to see the effects of a dysfunctional program to its students. These three narratives had similar topics surrounding education. However, each writer came from a different angle.

Cubing - Scuba Diving

Describe:
Scuba diving is a sensational and eye-opening experience. It allows one to see living ecological life in its own habitat without the disruption of human activities. Creatures of all sorts of variety: large and small, flamboyant and dull, swimming carefree in the open water.

Compare:
Scuba diving is like camping in the great outdoors. Once you've experienced nature in its own domain, it opens your eyes to the beauty of natural order. Animals and plants living in harmony, forming a delicate balance. In both scuba diving and camping, you can see nature untainted with human's footsteps.

Apply:
Scuba diving can be used for discovering new artifacts, studying marine-life problems or diving for your own amusement. New studies and discoveries are occuring every day, requiring people to dive to record results or observe marine life. Diving also gives you first-hand experience of the current condition of ecological life in the sea, whether it is destructive or untainted.

Argue:
Just like anything, scuba diving has its pros and cons. Not only are you given the opportunity to observe the wildlife underwater, you are also given the opportunity to exercise both physically and mentally. Swimming itself is a great way to exercise your body. Diving is like swimming except it gives you more exercise because of all the gear you are required to wear. You can also exercise your mind and emotions while diving. By diving, you will learn how to effeciently relax and release your stress while swimming underwater. Scuba diving, however also has disadvantages. While scuba diving can be a leisurely sport, it also proved to be a dangerous endeavor to inexperienced divers.

Cubing

Topic: Texting (Apply)
Texting is a form of instant communication between two or more people. Texting is not language, length or time restricted. Although texting is restricted by a word count, multiple messages can be sent. Texting is not restricted by language because multiple language packs can be installed. Not only words, but pictures and videos could also be sent. Texting is not limited to topics. The message could be a casual conversation, school related or an emergency.

Topic: Duck (Associate)
Ducks are connected to parks and lakes. Although there was a time when I saw them walking through my backyard. They swim around leisurely, sometimes with ducklings. Usually there are times when ducks are easily spotted on a lake or pond in parks, however there are also times where I mistook fake ducks for real ones.  

After discussing each of our perspective, I was able to see the different angles of information from the same topic. From this, it is interesting to hear the different types of information. A single topic generated a number of information by looking at the topic from different angles.

How can you use blog posts to generate ideas and text for the first assignment?

The whole process of posting in my blog helps me generate ideas for my narrative. After reading other examples of narratives and stories, we are required to post a response on our blogs. While I am thinking of my response, I go back to the narratives and start asking questions about the structure, organization, target audience, vocabulary, and etc. As I start asking questions, I get a feel for what the story is really about. Writing blog posts enables me to practice my basic writing skills. I am given the chance to think about the structure and organization of my response.

Writing blog posts allow me to explore different possibilities and ideas of how I want to respond to the narrative. I have to think about the narrative and relate it to my own experiences while keeping the target audience and the question I have to answer in my mind. The readings I've done in class shows me examples of what my first assignment could be like. They help give me ideas of how I want to narrate my story.

"I Just Wanna Be Average"

Rose described vocational education as "...a place for those who are just not making it, a dumping ground for the disaffected" (Rose - p.2). Rose's teachers did not seem to equip the necessary "inventiveness" needed to help the students in the vocational education program. As a result, students fail to learn true job skills such as effective communication and problem-solving. This leads students to be frustrated and care less about studying and challenging themselves. "I did what I had to do to get by, and I did it with half a mind" (Rose - p. 2) Intellectually, Rose claims that in his time in Voc. Ed., he "developed further into a mediocre student and a somnambulant problem solver" (Rose - p. 2). Rose and his friends were given assignments to keep them busy, rather than help them improve.  Emotionally, I believe the students were unstable. I believe that Rose and his friends wanted to be acknowledged by their teachers however, with the passive staff, students became unresponsive. Socially, I believe this program brought the students together because they understood each other. They shared the same situation and feelings. "School can be a tremendously disorienting place" (Rose - p. 3). No matter which school we go to, we will always be surrounded with people, students or teachers, who do not agree with our opinions or beliefs. To lessen this constant blanket of pressure, some students block out all the noise and allow their minds to roam freely. However, Ken Harvey and other students "...protect themselves from such suffocating madness by taking on with a vengeance the identity implied in the vocational track" (Rose - p. 3).

This narrative caught my attention from the beginning. I noticed the formality of the story, however I also noticed the informal part. I was able to see some personality in this writing. The personality in the paper did not appear too much, but in the events that added emphasis to the main purpose of Rose's narrative, it was clearly evident. I want my paper to follow the organization and structure of the previous narratives we read and insert some of my personality as well.

Comparing Malcolm X and Franklin

These two autobiographies were similar because both can be related back to our first unit, however their learning experiences lead them to different directions. Malcolm X learned how to read in prison by reading and writing the dictionary. His motivation for learning how to read by copying the dictionary front to back turned to passion with long days and nights of him reading in his cell, lost in his delight. "...months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life" (Malcolm - p. 2). Reading became a passion for Malcolm. A passion that inspired him to take a stand and make a difference in the world. Franklin mentioned that he could not remember a time when he couldn't read. His different jobs gave him access to books which increased his interest in things like poetry. His joy for reading was clearly evident because he mentioned how he would spend all of his money on volumes. "From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books" (Frankin - p. 2). When he finished reading them, he would sell it to buy another set of books. Their love for reading is evident in both writers, however their love for reading lead them to different paths.

WS: Pre-writing

I have used a number of pre-writing methods explained in the book. I use different or combinations of these methods depending on the subject matter and purpose of the assignment. For essays, I found brainstorming, listing and mapping to be the best methods for me. I can never start drafting an essay without using some sort of pre-writing method. Personally, pre-writing helps me get a better understanding on what I want to write about and helps me pick certain details that best amplify my topic or thesis. It allows me to map out my entire topic and pick specific ones I want to include in my assignment. Pre-writing is not required for writing a successful paper, however, I find this method to be helpful for me to become an improving and effective writer. 

Malcolm X's "Learning to Read"

Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" directly relates to the first unit because in the reading, he shared his significant learning experience in prison. He discussed his motivation for learning, details which amplified his motivation, and the result of his accomplishment. The long days and nights of writing and reading the dictionary enabled him to see past the "...deafness, dumbness, and blindness that afflicted the black race in America (p.3)." I believe this to be a very powerful piece. The details of his learning experience managed to capture my attention from the very beginning. After reading this, I realized that I was very engaged into his story and how his learning experience helped him become the man he was remembered for.   

First paper - Group Discussion

As a group, we understand the first assignment to be about a specific learning experience in our lives. An educational experience that was significant and memorable. The first assignment should be formal, however a clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph is not necessary. We will be required to write a narrative essay that illustrates a specific and significant learning experience. From reading the educational narratives, we were able to pull out the writer's methods of delivering a successful narrative by illustrating events that help emphasize the particular learning experience and giving background information and history for readers with no previous knowledge of the topic. For a successful paper, we have to keep our target audience, additional events and background information in minds. 

How I can use this...

After reading both sample educational articles, I found similar and different ways of how both authors shared their educational narratives. Both authors included their history in the story. The difference I noticed were the length. One was more detailed than the other, in terms of background information. However, both authors mentioned the particular reason or event that triggered the motion of the story, the following events that emphasized the story, and the experiences and lessons learned at the end. Both writers also organized their information and stories in a way that was easy to comprehend without sharing excess information.  Being a reader with no previous knowledge of either topic, I was able to read through both narratives without any confusion or complication.

Upon reading both narratives, I was able to understand the terminology, follow the events of the story, absorb the advice written by the authors, and learn more about things I had no previous knowledge of. I will use similar methods for writing my own narrative because I believe this is what is necessary to write an efficient and well-structured paper.  I want the reader to experience what I experienced after reading the two sample narratives because it is my goal for my readers to learn and experience my story.

First day of English 101.