the_world_by_kenneth

Okay, so class has ended and even though it’s been less than a week, I still feel like I missing a huge part of my day. While some kids choose to completely drop any memory or lesson they’ve received from any other class at this time of year, I can’t help but remember this class. Some people may choose to say that they didn’t get anything out of a class like this, others will be glad to get rid of the weight of their netbooks, but I think our Block 3 class feels differently. I’ve learned so much these past couple of months. I’ve learned that learning can be fun and inviting. I’ve learned how to colaborate with others to get new perspectives. I’ve learned that our generation is changing and that it’s our job is to move it in the right direction. And I’ve learned that great people can learn together as a community every day. Using these computers and learning like we did felt like the most interactive learning experience I’ve had in a while. After taking hours of board notes during my first two classes, I found it a relief to make it to third period. That along with the funniest english class I’ve ever been a part of made it hard to let it go. I’m going to miss walking up those mountains of stairs, to open my netbook and find that I didn’t charge it last night. I’m going to miss seeing the Word of Day always ready to go. I’m going to miss the times our class got off topic to debate about things like dogs and cats. I’m going to miss changing seats everyday and meeting new people with each change. I’m going to miss the jokes, the laughs, and the learning. I hope other teachers will be able to see how great classes like ours can affect its students so that others will be able to have just as much of a chance at a better way to learn.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, and at a time like this, I feel like it’s necessary.  I’m partly using this post to relieve stress, partly to take a break from my homework, and partly to vent my emotions. Right now, it’s 12:07 am on a Tuesday. Currently I’m trying to finish an English Essay, work on a Driver’s Education project due yesterday, study for a Chapter Spanish Exam, and teach myself all about coordinate geometry before the sun comes up. I’ve been working non-stop since I got home, which is the ironic part. I only fell alseep halfway through, because of my sleep deprivation over the weekend due to more homework. Right now, I’m getting pressure from my parents to keep working harder, so I can supposedly “pass the SATs and get into college and become a Doctor”. Sometimes I feel like they just don’t understand how much stress I go through. Sometimes I feel like they didn’t go through the same things teens today go through.

Older generations say we (teens) have it easy and I totally agree. But when it comes to school it’s completely opposite. As ironic and selfish as this sounds, I think that with so many opportunities and technologies at our disposal, teachers and parents expect us to do more than is currently possible. I meanWe have to take DOZENS of state exams, learn to drive, pass honors classes, Take the SATs(twice), the PSATs  (twice), SAT IIs, HSPAs, Finals, Midterms, write essays, go to tutorials, play sports, go to music lessons, attend mandatory club meetings, go to rehearsals and so much more all in less than a year…Adults think using the Internet and Cellphones makes that easier.  I mean whether it’s bad Karma, or just a bad week, I can’t help but think that my teachers and parents and clubs planned to dump this heavy load of academic work along with a family trip, and a mandatory ‘Secret Santas’ all on the Weekend before Christmas. When I was little, believe it or not, I was actually happy at this time of year.

Do we base our values on things we see in the Media, or does it merely mimics what we find value in? I’m a big critic when it comes to tracking the media. Being a fan of theater and TV has made me observant of the trends in the media. Recently after reading  Laura’s Blog, I was inspired by how she described the heavy influence the media has on our actions. It made me think how A LOT of our trends, values, ideas, and styles are influenced by the things we see on TV, read on the news, or hear from the gossip of others. 

I watch the show InfoMania on the Current TV channel and it is one of my all time favorite shows. It uses a satire sense of humor to gather trends in the Media and break them down. One of the segments, Target Women , hosted by Sarah Haskins (which literally left me laughing on the floor of my living room) follows the latest trends in commercials directed toward a certain ‘type’ of female each week. This has included everything from Hannah Montanna themed clothing, to gimmicky cleaning commercials,  to Brooke Shields endorsed products, to fiber pills and everything in between.

I started to think about all the ‘stereotypes’ we see in  the media and thought about how we identify ourselves, as well as others, with them.
Referring back to Laura’s blog, she said that, “I think that as we watch our shows like Gossip Girl we have to remember that it [is] not real. You have to be able to take what you watch and think about it but not accept it as true. By thinking about things and making your own opinions you can learn about the world around you instead of accepting things as the truth because someone told you to.”

This made me think how the Media affects our learning and understanding of the world if we accept it all as true. One event came to mind. Facebook hosted an unofficial ‘Hug-an-Asian’ day. I know what you’re thinking and I have to admit that at first, I thought it was a humorous event. After a while, however, I began to feel showcased and segregated even if it was in good nature. I also feel like many people believe me to share the same culture as a typical Chinese or Japanese person, when my Filipino culture is almost completely different as it’s based on old Spanish influences. Like when people expect me to use chopsticks or read Chinese characters. Sometimes, I feel like I blame the Media for its portrayal of different groups of people or different ethnic groups. I mean, the commercials in which I saw an Asian/pacific island person on popular TV recently was a McDonald’s commercial, something about Jon and Kate, an interview with “that Asian guy from the Hangover!”, or an advertisement promoting so called “Asian infused” foods (which usually means it contains soy sauce or a mandarin flavor). Are these really the type of things you would want to be compared to whenever you meet someone?

I believe these examples are reason enough to form our opinions on our own. While we need substance to form an opinion, we cannot always assume that what we see is the only truth. What I want to see in the Media is a subtle change in the way it mirrors real life. I want to see realistic looking people leading normal lives. I want to see a cleaning ad that doesn’t include a middle-aged, suburban house wife wearing a cardigan  as its spokesperson. I want to see teenagers as something other than spoiled, ignorant, or depressed. I want to see commercials that don’t sell masculinity in a beverage, or offer a trend to follow.

I understand that that is how companies sell their products/shows to their target audiences, but I also believe that because of that, our society is losing its ability to decide for itself and create a self-image on its own. In the end, we’re the target audience and we’re suffering because of it.

I’ve recently decided to direct my posts about the things that affect the way we receive knowledge and learn in the first place. This includes learning styles, teaching styles, and day to day things that affect students in school.

One thing that really caught my mind was how interaction affects the way we learn. Recently, my Spanish class decided to rearrange ourselves into groups rather than the standard row by row seating. Doing so, opened  up the classroom and because we were grouped, talking during class and interacting with others also became easier. This gave the classroom a lighter atmosphere and actually made the class something to look forward to. At the same time, the ability to focus on the notes and lesson was hindered. What we gained was the ability to work in groups, ask questions, and help each other, and not feel bad about messing up.

Of course, after about a week, the new group I was in had to split up because of our awkward position next to the A/C. This left me alone at a table of four. I found out that I depend heavily on the support of my peers. When I was  working, I was constantly looking up to see if what I was feeling or doing was matching the looks on the people around me, but no one was there. Social interaction is also what keeps me awake in first block. This might sound weird, but it was almost like trying to learn without a pencil to take notes with. I knew something was missing. This new kind of seating can also be seen in our English class. New seats everyday exposes us to new interactions and creates a flow in the classroom. I just wonder whether or not social learning is preferable to me because of my personal learning style, or because it is a positive idea overall. I googled ‘social learning’ and found this interesting article about it that I think you should check out. http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbott/Social.html

This is another reason why math class seems so difficult for me. In that specific class we are on our own and only rely on ourselves. What eventually happens is a kind of platforming of students ranging from those who easily excel to those who just can’t apply themselves to that certain teaching style or lesson. In my 8th grade Algebra class we were always put in groups and on occasion had Group Tests! I thought this was a very successful process for me as I could collaborate with my peers and work socially at the same time. For me, the pressure of taking a major math test was relieved and my confidence was boosted knowing others agreed with my answers.  I feel that if more of my classes were like this I could do better. I want know if the same can be said about those other students who work better on their own and work better in those circumstances.

I personally think that it’s great that these netbooks are allowing us to learn in different ways and find new options for research. I just want to know why we have to deal with so many PASSWORDS AND LOGINS. Right now, I am kind of ticked off. For one thing, my PE class is also part of the one and one program. We’re not even in drivers ed. yet and our class is trying to incorporate these computers into the curriculum. Sometimes, I just want to run. Or play volleyball. Or MOVE. The one problem that really bugs me is the fact that we are being introduced to so many sites and things that we need to sign up for. Right now, I have a login and password for…

• School Email
• Gmail (personal email)
• Facebook
• Edublogs
• Netvibes
• Oovoo (video calling)
• Wiki spaces
• Youtube
• Mindmap (P.E.)
• Moodle/Portal
• Stone Ware (netbooks)
• My shared family desktop (Windows Vista Account)

I mean,  I understand half of those things are for my own personal use (7  of them are for school) but I’m just really mad that after I worked on an assignment for P.E. on this ‘mindmap’ site, I completely forgot my login AND password…I try to use similar names or passwords in these accounts I sign up for but seriously?! I’m just tired of having to remember all of these codes and passwords, and having to put in my name into these internet sign-up forms. None of them are working. Does anyone out there understand what this is like?

The other question I had was whether or not this would become a big problem in learning about learning or if it would remain a minor issue.

On Wedenesdays my school day never stops. From School I have to start my homework, study for my classes, practice violin, and go to my music lesson (which is a million miles away). But on the way home while reading Grendel in the car, I started thinking about all the things that happened at school that day. I thought about how I learn in an academically strict classes like Hon. Geometry where i’m bombarded with facts, definitions, postulates, and equations versus how I learn in English and Music where the lesson is very free flowing and open.  Then I started to think how I always have to switch my style of learning everday with each lesson. Do these styles of learning contradict each other?

After my hectic math class I’m very tense and anxious to answer questions with a solid fact or answer. Luckily lunch comes between math and English but what would happen if my ‘math mode’ carried over into english? Would it make grasping the text and opening discussions harder? Or vice-versa? Would free flowing thought get rid of too many constrictions needed to solve equations? Is one learning style better overall than the other, or does it just depend on the situation?

Oh, and I took this picture of this giraffe at the zoo. It really has nothing to do with this post, I just really liked the photo. You’ll notice how a lot my pictures are angled upward. That’s because I like to present things from a person’s perspective while using the sky as a natural back drop.

I found out today that i’m a visual learner! I’m mean, that’s cool I guess….

Before reading the learning style guidelines from Moodle I half expected to be an audio learner. In fact I kind of Wanted to be one because I love music and instruments and rhythm and beat. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized I was a little of a visual learner. When I watch TV I can immediately  pick up where actors are from or what other productions they’ve been apart of. But at the same time when I hear a person’s voice (like in animated movies/cartoons) I can recall the characters they’ve voiced before. I like music, and it’s my favorite class, but I also like art,design, and even clothing because of the colors, patterns and symmetry involved. Photography and movies are also a huge part of my interests which adds to a ‘visual learning’ style.

In school or while reading, I have to visually picture what I’m absorbing. This became evident in my Geometry class when I found my self plotting points in mid-air to solve a problem or in English where I have to visualize a ‘movie’ while reading. This whole process is pretty cool and I can’t wait to see how others perceive and learn things in different ways.

What do the men learn about Grendel? How do they learn about him?

I actually thought that that part of the book was a little unclear, but from what I understood, the men learn about Grendel through word by mouth. They learn of him from legend and rumors. They learn that Grendel is some sort of mishapen man/monster who prowls at night and whose ancestry is unknown and disturbing. One part of the following passage says Grendel had an ‘unnatural birth’ and that he is a fatherless creature. The passage also mentions that people are aware of TWO ‘otherworldly creatures’ and their whereabouts.

p.95 “I have heard it said by my people in the hall, counsellors who live in the upland country, that they have seen two such creatures prowling the moors, huge marauders from some other world. One of these things, as far as anyone ever can discern, looks like a woman; the other, warped in the shape of a man, moves beyond the pale bigger than any man, an unnatural birth called “Grendel by country people in former days. They are fatherless creatures, and their whole ancestry is hidden in a past of demons and ghosts. They dwell apart among wolves on the hills, on windswept crags and treacherous keshes, where cold streams pour down the mountain and disappear under mist and moorland”

Hey guys! This is a product of my photography hobby. Hope you like it. -Kenneth

Okay, so this experience is really confusing…I mean who would have thought ‘blogging’ would be a part of english class curriculum? But using these netbooks is a little tough. Luckily my netbook is solid and hasn’t broken or anything. Sometimes I wish we had some sort of manual to tell us how to do all of these things. The funny thing is, with my sisters at college, no one ever checks the mail so I had no idea this class would be part of the ‘one on one’ program so imaging my surprise when I found out I’d be blogging for class. And imagine my parents surprise when I brought home the netbook on the first day. Yikes.