I can do it!

I had heard the term blog before I started Transitions but didn’t really know what it was. It has turned out to be a fun tool for learning. As we progressed through the semester, creating our blog and posting regularly, I learned that I had new skills to develop. The greatest thing I learned was how to write a short paragraph and yet relay a full message about a topic. This was important because in each of our essays, I approached each paragraph as a mini blog. Because I am at the beginning of my academic journey at Ursuline, this skill will come in handy for the plethora of papers I’m sure I’ll have to write.

As for my favorite blog posting, the “Motherhood Paradox” on October 25 was my favorite but not for the reason one might think. I liked this one because it was the first blog we were assigned where we had to incorporate the work cited. Because Blogger is limited in some features, I found it a challenge to find the correct HTML code. Once I did, I was able to enter my work cited in MLA format. Cool!

One last thought about my blog posts – I really liked some of the ideas I came up with for these assignments. Who knows? Maybe I will become the next blog phenom!

Parting Thoughts

As we wrap up the end of the semester, and the end of the year, I wanted to say what a pleasure it has been being in class with everyone. This class was a great way to begin my reentry into college life, and you all made it a positive experience. Either directly or indirectly you have inspired me, made me think more critically about certain things or look at something from a different angle. For instance, I loved Constance’s story about the princess earlier this semester and Sarah’s perspective on Crooked River Burning this past week. I hope to be able to incorporate some creative storytelling to my future projects and to not be so rigid in how I think a story should be written. We will all be in flux as life is a great learning process, and I wish you all many blessings throughout all of your transitions.

I D-ecisions

Considering the overall story of Anne and David in Crooked River Burning, I think my second essay will be on how our decisions (good or bad) help to form our identity. Think about it, most of how we come to know ourselves is through choices. Do we go to church on Sunday? We’re a good Christian. Do we blow off friends to hang out with some boy? We’re a bad friend. Do we steal a piece of candy from the corner store and feel guilty or not? We’re a thief or repentant in the making. Life is full of choices. (Wait! Is that a cliché?) If we play close attention to the choices we make and look for patterns, we can start to make the decisions we want to get us where we’re going.

Just as Crooked River Burning is a complicated story, so is my life. It has been very hectic over the last month. As I was playing catch up with my schoolwork, I realized that I have to find a way to get organized and use the resources available. Hence, I limited my search for a print source to the library catalog. There were only a couple of options for me regarding my topic, so I used one of the two books that showed up in my initial search. I chose the book because it contained actual stories from the author. This helped me get to know the author Dawn Powell through her writing and not just from biographical data or reviews. Considering that the book is a compilation of four of her stories, I considered it to be a worthy source.
Work Cited
Powell, Dawn. Novels, 1944-1962. New York, N.Y.: Library of America, 2001. Print.

Drown Me in the Crooked River!

Drown me in the Crooked River, please! I am having the hardest time following this story. It seems that the writer jumps around too much, not only in the thoughts but in the points of view as well. However, when he first starts to describe David’s and Anne’s first meeting at Kelly’s Island, he does seem to be taking his ADD meds. That’s really the first part of the book where I was able to read more than four pages at a time. My guess is that I shouldn’t have read the plethora of reviews at the beginning of the book before I started reading. The hype set me up for a letdown. Fortunately, I see a good story under the bad writing and think I can cross this river without the drowning. (Let’s hope!)

National Treasure - NOT!

“I.O.U.S.A.” is a video that discusses the credit crisis in the United States and addresses some of the causes as well as possible solutions. To help viewers understand the seriousness of the crisis and how it affects the national debt, the creators break the crisis up into four areas of deficit - budget deficit, savings deficit, trade deficit and leadership deficit. To make their argument experts such as Alan Greenspan and Warren Buffet were interviewed, a historical analysis of the debt was provided and an overview of how the government works financially was provided.

I enjoyed this movie for many reasons. First of all, I think that the creators made a good argument using aspects of egos, pathos and logos. They did this through the use of expert interviews with people like Alan Greenspan and Warren Buffet, by providing historical charts and future projections, and by playing on the viewers’ sense of patriotism in wanting America to succeed. Second, I liked the way that the movie was organized. They didn’t just state the problem and focus on pathos to call the audience into action. By providing background and breaking the argument into sections, they were able to teach viewers about each aspect so that an understanding of the whole problem could be understood. Finally, by providing the education on the different areas of the problem, they were able to guide viewers to the outcome they wanted, which was their final call to action. Now, do I just view this as an assignment? Or do I answer the call?

Motherhood Paradox

Out of strength comes weakness and from weakness comes strength. It’s an amazing paradox that can be seen in the relationship between Lydia and Treasure. Lydia would do anything to help provide Treasure with a better life. Treasure is her strength to stay away from Lloyd. In addition, she is Lydia’s driving force to complete a college degree. However, when it comes to trying to provide Treasure with strength, it is here that Lydia shows her weakness. Lydia wants Treasure to have a father who will be there for her and give Treasure the love only a father can share. Because of this, Lydia allows Lloyd into their lives. She sees Lloyd’s temperament reflected in Treasure’s behavior and eventually pays the price for giving in when “Treasure jump[s] up and lunge[s] at her mother” (355). It is in this brutal scene that we see the deep-seated hatred that is brewing inside of Treasure. Lydia must make a choice. She is weak and broken-hearted and decides to let Treasure go. Lydia realizes that “Treasure [needs] to taste the ripeness of life; she need[s] to learn life’s lessons, even if it [leaves] a dent in her” (363). After tasting another lifestyle with her father, Treasure does learn these lessons and returns to Lydia. In the end, this period of weakness allowed them both to make decisions that helped return them both back to a state of strength.

As a mother, these passages spoke to me because I sometimes struggle with letting my daughter figure things out for herself or deciding her every move. I related to Lydia’s desire to help Treasure be all that she was created to be and the sadness when Treasure literally “spit in her face” (355). Although my daughter and I don’t go to the extremes told in the story, we have our moments. And I pray, just like Lydia did, that our struggles will lead to a better life for my daughter.

Work Cited
Marlow, L.Y.. Color Me Butterfly. Maryland: éL publishing, 2007. Print.

Peer Reviewed

I really enjoyed our peer review session. It was a little less intimidating than a graded review by a professor. Moreover, receiving feedback from another student allowed me an even better understanding of what a student audience might pick up on that I may not have realized. Taking Sarah’s comments into consideration, I think I will be able to better craft my message to make my voice heard instead of just spewing out examples. This ties into the skill that I am continuing to learn and develop which is critical thinking. Critical thinking, in my opinion, is my weakness. Having to think carefully about what I say / write, being able to back it up with reasons, and persuade an audience will definitely be something I can use in all aspects of my life. In future courses, I will be able to engage more fully in dialogue and feel confident about my arguments. At work, I will be able to transfer this skill into drafting thorough proposals for initiatives backing up my viewpoint while taking opposition into consideration. And most importantly, as a mom of a teenager with a gift for arguing a point, I will be able to support my parental decisions with fair and considerate explanations.

"Women's Ways of Knowing"?

I accept the challenge, Dr. Wright! I'm going to use "Women's Ways of Knowing"(WWoK) to analyze Roy. Roy starts out as a subjective knower. One such example is on page 81 when he first meets Mattie. He has many feelings and thoughts locked inside, which WWoK describes as "personal, private self, unshareable". As his relationship with Mattie becomes more volatile, he still appears to be in this developmental stage. All authority comes from him and not from others. Even when Mattie is sick and needs medical attention he blows it off. “You’re probably just comin’ down with a cold or something. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with you.” (p. 127) However, a change in his development seems to come about the time he meets Miss Lola. He seems to be transitioning into a Procedural Knower. “He was spooked by [Miss Lola’s] questions and even more perplexed that she seemed to know the answers.” (p.143) Roy is recognizing that some authority (in this case insight from Miss Lola) can come from others. Once Roy grows in this relationship, he seems to stay at this level of knowing until his death.

Essay 1 Thesis in the Making

During our speeches last week, one of our classmates discussed education that happens outside of the classroom. Until then, I hadn't really thought of our course's theme in those terms. I was narrowly focused on the socially accepted definition of education in the classroom. Her ideas made me start to think of where else I've experienced an educational moment. This led me to realize that during my faith journey, I've had many learning opportunities. Although I don't have a definitive thesis yet, I'm thinking about basing it on learning about faith through a journey and all of the influences that assist with the process. If you're reading this post, I'd appreciate your thoughts about this potential thesis. Thanks!

The Sad Struggle Between Good and Evil

Sadness. When Isaac shoots Henry and his wife in "Color Me Butterfly", it's not just the sadness of someone losing their life that is at play. It is the sadness of watching another being tortured with the choice between good and bad. Even more so, seeing them choose the wrong side, a side that affects their life and diminishes a piece of their soul. This reminded me of two other literary characters Anakin Skywalker and Grima Wormtongue. It broke my heart watching Anakin struggle between his deep love for his mother and wife, and the need to control life over death. Although his intentions were good, he chose the wrong path. For Grima, he wanted to feel love and be in a place of importance. I felt his sadness when he watched the enormous army of orcs that were bread for the sole purpose of wiping out all of humanity. Sadly, his struggle for forgiveness gives way to his fear of retaliation from Sarumon. Fortunately, for Anakin, he seeks for and receives forgiveness in the end. Unfortunately, something in Isaac broke. When he "stammered for words, the fear of God rising in him" (89) that's the last bit of true humanity seen in Isaac. It quickly leaves because he chooses being right and being given what is due him. How different the story would have been if he would have stopped there, asked Henry for forgiveness, and turned himself in. Instead, Isaac turns the blame onto Henry and shoots him as well. The only reason he turns himself in at this point is out of pride, to say that no one would take advantage of the great Isaac. Sadness. For the loss of one's soul without regret is never an occasion for celebration.

Educational Perspective

Education is a powerful gift. It is a gift to both the learner and the teacher. For the learner or student, education is a means to learn about the individual, the family, and the community. Reaching out further, knowledge can be gained about city, state and country. Expanding more, one can learn about the world and the universe. Students take this knowledge and become responsible members of society. They are able to go out into the world and make a living, take care of their families and contribute to their communities. Furthermore, they can find solutions to problems such as how to cure diseases or how to build a livable environment on a faraway planet.

On the other hand, teachers experience the educational gift through the passing of knowledge. By engaging he student in the academic process, teachers can influence future generations and ensure their legacy. I know I'll never forget Mrs. Fitzpatrick and how she made learning fun through the use of stories and games. Now, when I try to teach something to my daughter, I think think of Mrs. Fitzpatrick and try to find a creative and fun way to teach Anamaria. Mrs. Fitzpatrick's style was so helpful because the hands-on learning experience is really the way I learn best. Anything that is creative works for me. It keeps my attention.

This is part of the reason why I believe that there should be an evaluation of a student's personal learning style. That way, a student can be put into the environment where they would learn the best and be like an absorbent sponge. Students would then feel more empowered and be more successful in class instead of feeling inadequate compared to their contemporary who is better suited for a particular learning style.

What greater gift could there be?