Blogging Around

Response to Austin’s post:

(Post was about Julian Beever’s chalk drawings and how this artist is able to transform sidewalks into wonderful pieces of artwork)

This is such an amazing piece of artwork!  I totally agree with your point that it’s important to look beyond what you can see, and find the potential in things.  I really like your idea that something like this can transport you somewhere else, without having to travel.  I think this piece of artwork is also an important lesson in perspective.  Perspective is such an important part of art.  Had this chalk drawing been made looking at the buildings on street level, rather than from above, the work would have lost much of its intrigue. Looking at this chalk drawing also makes me value the simplicity of chalk in that it isn’t usually used as a medium for fine art.  This chalk drawing, however, shows the great lengths which chalk can be utilized.

Response to Faith’s post:

(Post was about the Taj Mahal and its many meanings)

You make a great point!  It is interesting to think that one building can have so many different meanings.  It seems that these meanings are really dependent on the viewer.  I have always thought of the Taj Mahal as a beautiful building but was never aware of the other meanings behind it.  This really opened my eyes and made me realize how important it is to view things from 360 degrees.  It’s tragic that the Mughal emperor lost his wife in childbirth and as a result spent 20 years building the Taj Mahal.  I hope he was able to find peace before his own death some years later.  This really makes it clear that it is important to understand the many different meanings behind everything in life, for you might discover something which changes your life.

Metacognition: Organizing my Room

My room is one of the places which I feel most comfortable in and most inspired by.  Over time, however, even the most sacred of places needs to be tidied up. Beginning to clean and organize is always the hardest part, but once you begin it becomes a lot easier. I made this assignment a priority because I couldn’t put it off.  We had guests coming over to our house for Thanksgiving at 2:00 pm.  It was 10:00 am and I needed my room to be presentable before everyone arrived.

I closed my door, turned on some music, and dove right in to the pile of clothes I had yet to fold and put away.  This is always my least favorite task, so I thought it would be a great place to start.  As my floor began to appear beneath my feet, I knew I was taking a step in the right direction.  I then proceeded to make my bed, which I realized is really a painless task.  Next I approached my desk.  I love doing my work at my desk, but the growing clutter upon it was starting to make working there more difficult. 

I worked for about 45 minutes and the time flew by as my room started to come alive again.  It was invigorating to feel so organized and be able to know where everything in my room was.  I was really happy I undertook this task. So inspired, in fact, that I continued to clean other areas of the house until our guests arrived.  Cleaning my room, in particular, made me realize a few things about myself.  First off, I discovered that I love being organized.  When cleaning my desk, I found tons of post-its, with different things I needed to remember to do, and different events coming up, written all over them.  I also realized that a cleaner room can make a cleaner mind, as I felt more motivated in general to try new things.  I wasn’t changing my room, or changing who I am; I was just organizing my room, and in a sense organizing my life.

iMedia: Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans

Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans acts as an important vehicle in bringing about a major art movement in the United States.  Warhol’s work introduced pop art to the West Coast, which originally caused offense but eventually gained much recognition.

This piece of art also has personal significance to me, as I am really interested in pop art. I love to draw and paint and Andy Warhol has always inspired me due to the bright and bold colors he uses and the simplicity of many of his works.

Whenever I think of Andy Warhol I remember the story my mom told me when I was younger that when she was a kid, she loved this work of art and drew her own Campbell’s Soup Can.  My mom has told me that it was one of her favorite things she ever drew.  This story makes me realize how similar my mom and I are, in that we both share a love of art, and specifically love Andy Warhol’s pieces.  My mom even bought me a case for my drawing pencils with none other than the Campbell’s Soup Can pop art decorating the outside.

In addition to an emotional connection with the work of art, I am inspired by the courage behind it.  Warhol received much criticism in regard to the merit of his work and his motives as an artist, causing large public commotion.  This, in turn, helped separate him from other pop artists of the time. I am supremely impressed and motivated by his audacity and willingness to be innovative.

Connection: Disguises in King Lear and Real Life

In King Lear both Kent and Edgar disguise themselves as people they are not.  Kent pretends to be a peasant so that he can continue to serve Lear, while Edgar disguises himself as a mad beggar in order to avoid his father’s men.  In the same way that these characters cleverly disguise themselves, people in real life do the same. 

Take for example students in a typical high school.  It seems there are always those students that pretend to be something they’re not.  Although this is often more figurative than literal, these students disguise themselves in a similar way as the characters in King Lear.  Some students have strong ambitions to be “popular,” changing the way they appear to others to fit this mold.  This is not always a successful strategy. One cannot put on a costume and become “popular” as Kent can change his appearance to appear as a beggar in one of Shakespeare’s plays. 

People can, however, change their personalities or interactions with people to fit the persona they wish to embody.  Kent and Edgar must change their personalities in the same way in order to be believable as new people.  If the characters in King Lear have reasons for their disguises, this must mean that people in real life wear disguises for a purpose too, right? Although this reason may not always be well thought out or good-natured, I believe there’s always a rationale.  When someone essentially changes who they are, there is most often a reason behind it.  These reasons are clear in the case of characters like Kent and Edgar, while the motives of the disguised creatures around us are much more complex.

But, who really knows who is wearing a disguise?  Perhaps we all are, in our own unique ways.  Maybe none of us are entirely able and willing to show everyone who we truly are.  It’s possible we’re all so comfortable in our masks that we don’t even realize we are wearing them. 

360 Degrees: Salem, Massachusetts

To tourists, Salem is a spooky town with several fascinating Halloween-themed attractions.  A tourist is most often excited to visit this town because of its almost unbelievable history of witch trials.  For some, the witch trials sound so inconceivable, that many, well, can’t believe such atrocities occurred.  It’s easy to overlook the countless deaths which took place during this time for this exact reason.  One might see the town as an interesting place to visit for a change of pace and some unique entertainment.

Others, who are fully aware of the town’s violent past, might be fearful to go there.  Some may not want to be in a place with such a gruesome past. In contrast, a historian’s primary thoughts about the town may include the fact that Salem was one of the most important seaports in early America. Such a person may be more concerned with the town’s historic waterfront than the Wiccan boutiques which serve as reminders of Salem’s past.  And still yet there are those that understand the tragedies which occurred and still find the town a cool place to visit because of its year round Halloween theme.

How can views of the same place vary so much from person to person? Perhaps one’s age makes a difference.  If one has more knowledge of the Salem witch trials, this person may be more inclined to view the town as unpleasant.  One who is unaware of the town’s past may be drawn to the witch-themed attractions of the town. 

This also begs the question, if everyone were to know the true happenings of Salem’s past, would people retain their current views of the town? How can those who understand its past still want to spend time in town?  I believe these questions can only be answered by the individual.  Some things are only explained based on someone’s personal experiences, so it is important to keep in mind that we cannot judge another unless we understand his or her experience.

Just one last question for the individual: Does a town deserve to be marked forever, even though those currently living in the town had nothing to do with its past? 

Metacognition: Kite Runner Essay

As I thought about the contents of The Kite Runner before beginning my essay, I realized that the main characters were some of the most important elements in the shaping of a story.  The most glaring difference between these characters was clearly given in the first couple chapters of the novel.  This was that Amir was more educated than Hassan, which made him superior by social standards.  Then I thought about what I felt was the main difference between the two characters, outside of what the novel told me. I felt that Hassan acted as the teacher or mentor to Amir in many situations and proved to be a role model throughout the story.  I realized that although Amir was more educated than Hassan, Hassan proves to be wiser, more knowledgeable, and more mature than Amir in many scenes throughout the novel.  Thus my thesis was born.

In terms of the forming of my thesis for this essay, I feel my thinking was effective.  I was able to see past the given facts of the story to think of the underlying message being portrayed.  I found this message through the actions of the main characters in the various scenes throughout the novel.  I am surprised by the thesis statement I created, because, when looking back, it seems quite obvious.  It’s strange to think that it took a web of thoughts to discover something which seems so clear now.  I think that that is an important part of critical thinking; making one realize what is obvious and expounding upon it.

I like that my thinking brought me to the thesis I based my essay off of, and I would like if my mind could come across other paradoxes within the novel.  Discovering these might take more analysis, but I think it would be worth further exploring the reading.  

Blogging Around

Response to MollycAcademy's post:

(Post discussed writing and how using one's own voice can make a profound difference.  Simply writing with certain words and with a certain structure because "it sounds better" is a good technique when trying to convey your ideas.)

I really like the idea that some classes encourage writing with one’s own voice, rather than using the generic “student voice.”  It’s good to see that you earned a better grade when writing how you really felt and with the voice you would really use if talking to the reader.  This makes me think that I don’t have to satisfy every essay to a rubric, but rather to my own satisfaction, in terms of content and tone. 

I see this as a new approach many of us can try to take when writing, to not attempt to fit in any sort of mold, but be willing to take risks with sentence structure and word choice and see how it pays off in the end.  With these ideas in mind, I find myself more willing to write like I speak, while also writing sentences with pauses that mean something.  I’m excited to continue writing the way I think by documenting my thought process on paper.

Response to ryanbacademy's post:

(Post discussed the flaws of standardized testing, saying they are not an accurate method for getting into college or determining "intelligence.")

I agree that one test cannot determine who you are as a student and essentially how “smart” you are.  I think it is a shame that students are taught to be very concerned about their SAT and ACT scores, because the knowledge in these tests cannot possibly show everything a student has learned throughout their four years of high school.  The many influential books you have read or the captivating science papers you have written will most likely not be represented in the scores that are sent to colleges, but are important factors which shaped your high school learning.

I agree that standardized tests can be an unfair determinant of one’s intelligence, as someone may be sick or upset during the test.  Because it is an option to take the test again, I don’t think this is a major flaw of standardized tests.  One can feel sick or upset during any type of evaluation, so this flaw is not specific to standardized tests.

The point you brought up about how schools use class time to instruct students on how to take tests which matter for the school’s funding, but not for tests which determine a student’s future, is very interesting.  Perhaps schools really don’t care about how students are doing on tests which don’t have a direct affect on the school.  Or maybe schools hope for students to take the tests and receive a score based on what they already know, not what the school has taught them about taking such a test.

Connection: The Kite Runner and its Popularity

A good portion of the books we read in high school are by authors which most of us haven’t heard of.  Books with titles that haven’t crossed our paths.  This is precisely what makes The Kite Runner different from the majority of books found in a high school classroom.

Not only does the content differ from what most of us are used to, the way it has been received by the public is different as well.  The best way to explain this is through example.  To begin with, I found this book on one of the shelves in my house, meaning it was good enough for my mom to buy, and not rent from the library.  And let me tell you, this is a rare occurrence and it means a lot.  The Kite Runner is one of those books that a lot of people are familiar with, even if they haven’t read it.  It can start a conversation immediately, and from my experience, these conversations are whole heartedly filled with praise.  I was in the car with my friend, her sister, and her mom and we were talking about school and books.  I mentioned that we were reading The Kite Runner in English class, and this was immediately followed by sighs of “Oh what a great book,” and other forms of unanimous praise.

It’s hard to know what type of book will arouse such a reaction but I think the emotions in the story make it unforgettable.  Khaled Hosseini takes us on a journey filled with love, admiration, guilt, fear, and liberation that is unlike most other experiences I have had with books.  I think the praise and acknowledgement it repeatedly receives is completely justified.

A good book usually has great writing, but it needs more than that.  It needs an interesting and captivating plotline, and on the same level, a great setting.  The Kite Runner brings you to Afghanistan and for many people, this book is the first time their paths have crossed with such a place.  The story is a powerful way to introduce the audience to another culture and another people.    

Best of the Week: Form is Content

How can a discussion about the same topic, between the same group of people have a different outcome depending only on the way the teacher begins the discussion?  The answer: form is content.  If a teacher stands at the front of the classroom at the podium, good posture, notes in hand, the discussion will undoubtedly differ from that which would occur if the teacher were slouched in a comfy chair in the corner.  The role in which the teacher chooses to play in a classroom setting can dramatically affect the ideas which are discussed.

The first teacher situation described might make students less willing to participate, feeling more like they are being lectured.  Outspoken students may not be hindered by the teacher’s stance, but it would probably quiet most others.  An idea which may not be fully formed, but could be developed through class discussion may be passed up because a student is too nervous to share, as the teacher is in “lecture mode.”  If the teacher finds himself in the second situation, I imagine more hands in the air, feeling less pressure to say something brilliant, but rather open to sharing any thoughts that come to mind. 

This isn’t to say that a teacher should always find himself in the background of the discussion, but rather that this way of being should not be ruled out.  Sometimes a discussion where everyone is an observer is a good way to get people thinking individually before they are influenced by the opinions of those around them.  This type of form would affect the thoughts that leave the classroom with the students. 

My teacher instructed us to try to switch roles during class, meaning that the lively participators try acting more as observers, while the observers try to share their ideas more than they normally would.  This is also a form which affected the content of our discussions.  For example, I normally take an observer-like role in class, but this forced me to share the thoughts going around in my head.  It caused me to think more and ultimately brought new ideas into my head, and therefore into the classroom discussion.  It is definitely a way of acting which I will take with me and try again in the future.

Carry it Forward: The Kite Runner

It is the emotions in The Kite Runner which will always resonate with me and will influence my decisions in the future.  The image of Amir standing by while his friend Hassan is being raped is extremely emotional and will no doubt affect my future actions.  The pain this causes Amir so many years later will not be a part of my future because I am lucky enough to have been able to know what consequences such a choice can have.  Amir loses himself when watching this scene, he cannot move, he cannot do what is right.  It’s hard to say what I would have done if I were Amir because we will never know.  I don’t imagine I will ever be in his position, but I do imagine I will be faced with a similar decision; to stand up for what I believe in…or run.

Although most will never be faced with the same dilemma Amir found himself in, I think it’s fair to say that it is easy to find forms of humiliation in the hallways of our school.  Whether we mean to or not, students are made fun of everyday and experience pain similar to Hassan’s.  As much pain as the Hassan’s of the world may feel, it is nothing compared to what the Amir’s of the world should feel.  The ultimate punishment for Amir is the way his father treats him when he comes home with Hassan, having witnessed the most scarring event of his life.  This is the worst punishment which Amir could receive.  His father is proud of him, welcomes him with open arms.  His father finally has a winner for a son, and Amir digs himself deeper into a web of lies by accepting the praise.  Amir is haunted by these moments everyday in his adult life.  He can do nothing to rid himself of his guilt. 

I don’t plan to be an Amir.  If faced with a tough decision, I want to make the right choice and help the person in need, doing what is right, regardless of the consequences.  I realize this is much easier said than done and that is why it is something I will have to work for.  I see myself standing up for someone being made fun of in the classroom.  I see myself defending someone being teased in the halls.  If I can accomplish such goals which do not seem life changing now, once they carry into my future, I will know I have succeeded.