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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Let us reflect
My name is Nichole Woods, I am a wife and mother of three kids. It has been quite a few years since I attended Everett Community College, and it has always bothered me that I did not finish. However, it has always been my goal to someday return to college and finish what I started, so here I am.
I’ve never done online courses before, and I have to admit, it was very intimidating at first. In the beginning, this made me question my ability to be successful in my quest for continuing my education, but as soon as I got the hang of things I couldn’t get enough! This quarter has been very challenging, which has been good for me, the challenges only pushed me to want to learn even more. My confidence in myself has grown tremendously, and I‘ve learned to take constructive criticism as a learning tool instead of something negative. Although it has been hard work, and a big adjustment, I am determined now more than ever to obtain a college degree.
English 101D has been an eye opening experience. It has forced me to expand my thoughts on our diverse society, and the influences that challenge and affect our relationships with others. We focused this quarter on three units: identity, community, and the influences of popular culture on tradition. I have always thought of myself as an open minded person, but the readings, writings, discussions, and movie viewings have allowed me to “look further than the tip of my nose” on all of these subjects.
The unit on identity taught me that who I am, is more than just the identity I was born with. I learned that culture and personal choices also play a big role in shaping our identities, and how others perceive us. One assigned reading that I identified with was an essay by Emily White, “High School‘s Secret Life” (15), in it White writes about peer groups in high school and describes these groups as “tribes”. White also writes about conformity among the popular groups as, "a way of broadcasting that you are not a weirdo, you are speaking in the signs of the chosen one"(16). Having kids in high school myself, I was able to get a better perspective on the changes my kids are going through at this stage in their lives, and the pressures they are struggling with to fit in or belong.
In the community unit, I learned communities are much more than where we live. A community can be pretty much anything that people identify with, or have in common. We learned what draws people to them, as well as what holds a community together, like common beliefs and values. One assigned reading in this unit was David Brooks essay, "Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia" (184), in which Brooks writes about Americans and their tendency to move from place to place in search of the right community for themselves. Brooks states, "Millions of people every year leap out into the void, heading out to communities that don't exist….to places where everything is new" (189). This statement made me think about my childhood and how resentful I was at my parents for moving us around so much. It was not until my Freshman year of high school that my family finally settled in one place permanently. My parents were an interracial couple, and as I look back now, I realize my early childhood was during a time where interracial family’s were rare and not as accepted as they are today. I can see now that my parents were only seeking to find a community where their children could grow up feeling safe, comfortable, and accepted by others.
My favorite unit was on tradition, which actually tied in with identity and community because it is another way of learning about who we are, our connections to others, and the beliefs and values we pass on from one generation to the next. I really enjoyed the Tradition DB1 assignment; “Traditions: Embrace them or attack them?” One assigned reading was Garrison Keillor's humorous essay, "A Wobegon Holiday Dinner" (112). This essay was about a particular traditional Thanksgiving Keillor has with his family that doesn’t quite turn out as expected. Keillor states; "Life is good. Even when it is lousy, it is still good, and thank God for it" (116).’ I get what Keillor means by this statement, and can relate to it because even though family traditions don't always live up to the expectations we place on them, we need traditions because they bond and connect us to our families. Through the discussion boards and writing assignments, I learned so much more about the different roles traditions play in our lives, what makes them important to us, and how modern pop culture has challenged and changed some of our long-held traditions.
My portfolio will include, a collection of four works which reflect where I started, and how far I‘ve come over the course of this class. I feel the pieces I have chosen demonstrate my critical thinking skills, revision skills, my ability to illustrate my awareness of audience and voice, and lastly my “Writer’s Choice” selection that represents my writing abilities and accomplishments this quarter. Through my portfolio, I hope to show others that no matter how challenging English 101D is, with continued hard work, embracing constructive criticism, and participating in dialogue with your instructors and peers, you can grow and flourish in ways you never thought possible.
Works Cited
Brooks, David."Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia." Remix Reading + Composing Culture. Second Edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009:184-92.
Print.
Keillor,Garrison.“A Wobegon Holiday Dinner.” Remix Reading + Composing Culture. Second Edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009:112-18.
Print.
White,Emily. “High School’s Secret Life.” Remix Reading + Composing Culture. Second Edition. New York: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2009: 15-16.
Print.
Critical Analysis
My critical thinking skills were demonstrated best in the blog assignment, What‘s in your wallet? This assignment was to write a one-page profile about ourselves based solely on the contents of our wallet or purse that represent our life.
Our profile had to answer the following questions:
Taken separately or together, how do the contents of your wallet construct an image of your identity?
What assumptions might someone make about your personality, values, or identity based on what you carry in your wallet?
If all they had to go on is your wallet, what would people miss or be unable to know about you?
I showed my understanding of analysis in this assignment by analyzing the contents of my wallet and being descriptive of those items. Also, I showed my understanding of synthesis by stating my opinion of what others could assume about me based on what I carry in my wallet. The following is just one example of this:
“Others might assume that I am totally unorganized, messy, and even a packrat based on my wallets contents. They may also assume that I am family oriented, and very supportive and involved in the lives of my kids.”
I have grown as an analytical writer by learning to study, examine, and break down the reading or writing materials so that I can gain a better understanding of it before making a judgment. Instead of just supporting an idea or paper put before me as is, I now take the time to evaluate it’s relevance, importance, and effectiveness.
Our profile had to answer the following questions:
Taken separately or together, how do the contents of your wallet construct an image of your identity?
What assumptions might someone make about your personality, values, or identity based on what you carry in your wallet?
If all they had to go on is your wallet, what would people miss or be unable to know about you?
I showed my understanding of analysis in this assignment by analyzing the contents of my wallet and being descriptive of those items. Also, I showed my understanding of synthesis by stating my opinion of what others could assume about me based on what I carry in my wallet. The following is just one example of this:
“Others might assume that I am totally unorganized, messy, and even a packrat based on my wallets contents. They may also assume that I am family oriented, and very supportive and involved in the lives of my kids.”
I have grown as an analytical writer by learning to study, examine, and break down the reading or writing materials so that I can gain a better understanding of it before making a judgment. Instead of just supporting an idea or paper put before me as is, I now take the time to evaluate it’s relevance, importance, and effectiveness.
What's In Your Wallet?
My wallet contains much of the usual stuff like my driver’s license, bankcards, health club membership, discount cards, and family photos. Aside from the basics, it is also stuffed with receipts, business cards, old ticket stubs to movies and my kids sporting events, and even id and health insurance cards from the job I was laid off from about a year ago.
Others might assume that I am totally unorganized, messy, and even a packrat based on my wallets contents. They may also assume that I am family oriented and very supportive and involved in the lives of my kids.
If all people had to go on is my wallet, they would be unable to know that aside from my messy wallet, I am a pretty organized person. They also would not know that many of the things I keep in my wallet are mementos of good things, or good times in my life at one time or another. For instance, my old job id reminds me that I have always been more than a mother and wife. It reminds me that I am a strong, independent woman who has worked hard to help take care of a home, as well as raise and support my family. It shows that even if i'm going through a tough time, I am strong enough, and determined enough to work hard to make my situation a better one. People would be unable to know this is what brought me back to college.
Others might assume that I am totally unorganized, messy, and even a packrat based on my wallets contents. They may also assume that I am family oriented and very supportive and involved in the lives of my kids.
If all people had to go on is my wallet, they would be unable to know that aside from my messy wallet, I am a pretty organized person. They also would not know that many of the things I keep in my wallet are mementos of good things, or good times in my life at one time or another. For instance, my old job id reminds me that I have always been more than a mother and wife. It reminds me that I am a strong, independent woman who has worked hard to help take care of a home, as well as raise and support my family. It shows that even if i'm going through a tough time, I am strong enough, and determined enough to work hard to make my situation a better one. People would be unable to know this is what brought me back to college.
I Revised And Now I See!
I chose the Intermission Two: Timed Writing as my revision piece. The assignment was to choose one of four movies to watch and analyze, then to consider my own perceptions of non-conformity, and write about how the film and group discussions challenged my perception.
I picked the movie “Off the Map”, which was about a young girl and her unconventional family living in a remote desert area of New Mexico. The mother is a free spirit who gardens in the nude, while her father is suffering from deep depression. Although the family lives on a very meager income an IRS agent shows up one day to audit them. This unexpected visit from the IRS agent sparks a series of changes and new discoveries for both the agent and the entire family.
For some unknown reason I found myself very intimidated by the timed writing assignments. As soon as that clock started my mind would go blank, I ended up writing very little and doing poorly. In this second timed writing I never got to the conclusion. Because I never got very far on this assignment it was very weak. An example of one weak area was my introduction, where I focused more on a review of the film than analyzing it:
“The film "Off the Map" challenged the perception that conformity is not only cultural, but personal as well. The Gridons are a non-traditional family living on a minimal income, living in the middle of the desert with their eleven year old daughter Bo who doesn't attend school. When William Gibbs, an auditor from the IRS arrives his presence begins to spark changes in not only every member of the Gridon family, but himself as well.”
Here is my revision to the above which is stronger because one it makes more sense, and two it begins the paper by answering the assignment prompt:
“The film “Off The Map”, as well as the group discussions, challenged my perception that non-conformity is just about resisting conformity or crossing lines, this film also showed me that society‘s established boundaries do not always coincide with everyone’s attitudes and beliefs. Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity.”
I thought revising this piece would be a great way to demonstrate my revision skills and hopefully redeem myself in the process by expanding on my perceptions of non-conformity and finishing my paper with a conclusion.
Works Cited
Off The Map. By Joan Ackerman. Dir. Campbell Scott. Prod. Campbell Scott and George Van Buskirk. Perf. Joan Allen, Valentina De Angelis, Sam Elliott, J.K. Simmons, and Jim True-Frost. 2003. Holedigger Studios, 2003. DVD
I picked the movie “Off the Map”, which was about a young girl and her unconventional family living in a remote desert area of New Mexico. The mother is a free spirit who gardens in the nude, while her father is suffering from deep depression. Although the family lives on a very meager income an IRS agent shows up one day to audit them. This unexpected visit from the IRS agent sparks a series of changes and new discoveries for both the agent and the entire family.
For some unknown reason I found myself very intimidated by the timed writing assignments. As soon as that clock started my mind would go blank, I ended up writing very little and doing poorly. In this second timed writing I never got to the conclusion. Because I never got very far on this assignment it was very weak. An example of one weak area was my introduction, where I focused more on a review of the film than analyzing it:
“The film "Off the Map" challenged the perception that conformity is not only cultural, but personal as well. The Gridons are a non-traditional family living on a minimal income, living in the middle of the desert with their eleven year old daughter Bo who doesn't attend school. When William Gibbs, an auditor from the IRS arrives his presence begins to spark changes in not only every member of the Gridon family, but himself as well.”
Here is my revision to the above which is stronger because one it makes more sense, and two it begins the paper by answering the assignment prompt:
“The film “Off The Map”, as well as the group discussions, challenged my perception that non-conformity is just about resisting conformity or crossing lines, this film also showed me that society‘s established boundaries do not always coincide with everyone’s attitudes and beliefs. Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity.”
I thought revising this piece would be a great way to demonstrate my revision skills and hopefully redeem myself in the process by expanding on my perceptions of non-conformity and finishing my paper with a conclusion.
Works Cited
Off The Map. By Joan Ackerman. Dir. Campbell Scott. Prod. Campbell Scott and George Van Buskirk. Perf. Joan Allen, Valentina De Angelis, Sam Elliott, J.K. Simmons, and Jim True-Frost. 2003. Holedigger Studios, 2003. DVD
"Off The Map"
Original
Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great that they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity in order to find their true selves.
The film "Off the Map" challenged the perception that conformity is not only cultural, but personal as well. The Gridons are a non-traditional family living on a minimal income, living in the middle of the desert with their eleven-year-old daughter Bo who does not attend school. When William Gibbs, an auditor from the IRS arrives his presence begins to spark changes in not only every member of the Gridon family, but himself as well.
The Gridons are a family who has chosen to live outside of the normal ways of society by not working or sending their child to school. As she grows, Bo begins to perceive this life as abnormal, she wants to attend school and be like others in society. At the same time, Gibbs begins to realize that he is not happy in his old life and is finding his true self by the non-traditional ways of the Gridons way of living.
Revision
The film “Off The Map”, as well as the group discussions, challenged my perception that non-conformity is just about resisting conformity or crossing lines, this film also showed me that society‘s established boundaries do not always coincide with everyone’s attitudes and beliefs. Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity.
This film focused on characters portrayed as “outsiders”, who for me demonstrated crossing the line, or challenging tradition by the way they lived. Two main characters stood out for me, one was a young girl named Bo Gridon whose family lived very unconventionally. The other was William Gibbs, an IRS auditor from the city living a traditional conventional life.
On one hand, we had Bo, a lonely girl living in an isolated area of New Mexico who does not attend school, and whose core community is her parents and godfather. As she grows older, Bo begins resisting the non-conformity of her family who reject the normal ways of society in a variety of ways, for example by not working or allowing her to go to traditional school. Although she loves her family, Bo wants to conform and belong to a society outside of the community she belongs. She is frustrated with the isolated life she lives and uses her imagination to escape. When the “outsider”, William Gibbs comes into her life, Bo is constantly asking him questions and into his belongings, signs that show she wants more of what is on the outside world.
On the other hand, we see William Gibbs who has always lived within the established boundaries of society shed his “outsider” role, and adopt the non-conforming ways of the Gridon family by abandoning his former life. Williams realizes he is not happy in his old life and finds his true self through the non-traditional ways of the Gridon family. In finding his true self, he discovers happiness, as well as a passion and talent for painting which leads to him becoming a famous artist.
This film showed me that the pressures of living up to the rules and expectations of society really could be difficult for those who hold a different attitude or belief about what they think is right. For me, these difficulties were demonstrated especially through the personal struggles of both William Gibbs and Bo Gridon, two “outsiders” who seemed to be seeking to have the life the other had. Throughout the film both of these characters cross boundaries, but find happiness and their true selves by doing so.
Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great that they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity in order to find their true selves.
The film "Off the Map" challenged the perception that conformity is not only cultural, but personal as well. The Gridons are a non-traditional family living on a minimal income, living in the middle of the desert with their eleven-year-old daughter Bo who does not attend school. When William Gibbs, an auditor from the IRS arrives his presence begins to spark changes in not only every member of the Gridon family, but himself as well.
The Gridons are a family who has chosen to live outside of the normal ways of society by not working or sending their child to school. As she grows, Bo begins to perceive this life as abnormal, she wants to attend school and be like others in society. At the same time, Gibbs begins to realize that he is not happy in his old life and is finding his true self by the non-traditional ways of the Gridons way of living.
Revision
The film “Off The Map”, as well as the group discussions, challenged my perception that non-conformity is just about resisting conformity or crossing lines, this film also showed me that society‘s established boundaries do not always coincide with everyone’s attitudes and beliefs. Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity.
This film focused on characters portrayed as “outsiders”, who for me demonstrated crossing the line, or challenging tradition by the way they lived. Two main characters stood out for me, one was a young girl named Bo Gridon whose family lived very unconventionally. The other was William Gibbs, an IRS auditor from the city living a traditional conventional life.
On one hand, we had Bo, a lonely girl living in an isolated area of New Mexico who does not attend school, and whose core community is her parents and godfather. As she grows older, Bo begins resisting the non-conformity of her family who reject the normal ways of society in a variety of ways, for example by not working or allowing her to go to traditional school. Although she loves her family, Bo wants to conform and belong to a society outside of the community she belongs. She is frustrated with the isolated life she lives and uses her imagination to escape. When the “outsider”, William Gibbs comes into her life, Bo is constantly asking him questions and into his belongings, signs that show she wants more of what is on the outside world.
On the other hand, we see William Gibbs who has always lived within the established boundaries of society shed his “outsider” role, and adopt the non-conforming ways of the Gridon family by abandoning his former life. Williams realizes he is not happy in his old life and finds his true self through the non-traditional ways of the Gridon family. In finding his true self, he discovers happiness, as well as a passion and talent for painting which leads to him becoming a famous artist.
This film showed me that the pressures of living up to the rules and expectations of society really could be difficult for those who hold a different attitude or belief about what they think is right. For me, these difficulties were demonstrated especially through the personal struggles of both William Gibbs and Bo Gridon, two “outsiders” who seemed to be seeking to have the life the other had. Throughout the film both of these characters cross boundaries, but find happiness and their true selves by doing so.
I Have Found My Voice And I Know My Audience
My chosen piece that I feel illustrated my awareness of audience and voice is, What’s your community? I identified the gym as my community and felt that I did well in writing for a specific audience and purpose because many people belong to or have been at one time a part of this community. Writing my perspective on the goals and values shared by my community, and challenging the audience by pointing out the positive and negative effects on the cohesion of the gym community I thought made my paper more interesting to the audience.
At first I wasn’t crazy about the discussion posts or blog, but that was mostly due to the fact that I had never experienced working in either one. Once I got the hang of things I found both very helpful in getting me to think deeper into things. Reading and discussing views and opinions of others has allowed me to see there can be many sides to an issue. With all of the support, encouragement, and feedback from my peers and instructors, I have to say that doing this type of “public” writing definitely helped me to develop and grow as a writer and a reader.
What's Your Community?
My gym is a community.
We are a community at the gym because we are all there for similar reasons. Most of us have the same goals: to get in shape, remain in good health, or relieve stress, these similar goals hold this group together.
The gym community values their minds and bodies. We share the belief that in order to take care of ourselves, avoid medical problems, or relieve stress that is dangerous to our bodies, we must maintain a healthy lifestyle by staying fit.
Staying in shape, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle should truly be for yourself, but there are some tensions or differences that work against the cohesion of this gym community, such as, competition, and how we view our own body image. Gym members come in every size, shape, gender, and age, but we all want to look like the man or woman on the cover of a magazine. Men compete with each other in the gym community to see who can lift the most amount of weight, or who has bigger muscles. Women compare themselves to one another by worrying if they are too fat, too skinny, or if they look older than another woman. Comparing ourselves to others can have a negative effect on the self confidence of men and women in the gym community.
I feel that I fit in with the gym community because I share the belief that exercise is good for my health, it makes me feel good, it will help me live a longer life, and it truly helps to relieve some of the stress in my life. I want to be part of the gym community because I care about myself and when you take care of yourself, you are less stressed and a happier, healthier person, which in turn can have a positive effect on your family, work, and your everyday life in general.
We are a community at the gym because we are all there for similar reasons. Most of us have the same goals: to get in shape, remain in good health, or relieve stress, these similar goals hold this group together.
The gym community values their minds and bodies. We share the belief that in order to take care of ourselves, avoid medical problems, or relieve stress that is dangerous to our bodies, we must maintain a healthy lifestyle by staying fit.
Staying in shape, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle should truly be for yourself, but there are some tensions or differences that work against the cohesion of this gym community, such as, competition, and how we view our own body image. Gym members come in every size, shape, gender, and age, but we all want to look like the man or woman on the cover of a magazine. Men compete with each other in the gym community to see who can lift the most amount of weight, or who has bigger muscles. Women compare themselves to one another by worrying if they are too fat, too skinny, or if they look older than another woman. Comparing ourselves to others can have a negative effect on the self confidence of men and women in the gym community.
I feel that I fit in with the gym community because I share the belief that exercise is good for my health, it makes me feel good, it will help me live a longer life, and it truly helps to relieve some of the stress in my life. I want to be part of the gym community because I care about myself and when you take care of yourself, you are less stressed and a happier, healthier person, which in turn can have a positive effect on your family, work, and your everyday life in general.
My Choice
For my “Writers Choice” piece I chose the Unit Three Blog assignment, You Are What You Eat? We were asked to write about a common tradition in our family or culture that have food as the “central activity” or focus. I wrote about my families traditional Sunday meal because it is something that I grew up with and is therefore very important, as well as sentimental for me.
This writing brought up strong and meaningful memories of good times with family that are no longer with us. When I thought of the common tradition of Sunday dinner, it became clear that food was the common factor in bringing all of my family together once a week. The following will give you an idea of what I mean:
“This tradition was always held in my grandmothers home. Around two in the afternoon on Sundays, my aunts, uncles, and cousins would begin arriving, bringing with them their own special dishes or deserts.”
I was also reminded of why this family tradition started and why it is so important for it to continue. Here is an example of what I mean by this:
“This Sunday tradition started when my ancestors were slaves and Sundays were the only day they did not have to work and could spend time together as families, so they cooked lots of food and ate and spent time together because this was the only day they were allowed.”
Tradition is something that I hold very dear, especially when it comes to connecting and spending time with family. I enjoyed reading blog postings of my peers as well, it was nice to get to know something more about them and the role food plays within their relationships. Even though some of their traditions may have been different than mine, I found that we still had things in common when it came to food.
This writing brought up strong and meaningful memories of good times with family that are no longer with us. When I thought of the common tradition of Sunday dinner, it became clear that food was the common factor in bringing all of my family together once a week. The following will give you an idea of what I mean:
“This tradition was always held in my grandmothers home. Around two in the afternoon on Sundays, my aunts, uncles, and cousins would begin arriving, bringing with them their own special dishes or deserts.”
I was also reminded of why this family tradition started and why it is so important for it to continue. Here is an example of what I mean by this:
“This Sunday tradition started when my ancestors were slaves and Sundays were the only day they did not have to work and could spend time together as families, so they cooked lots of food and ate and spent time together because this was the only day they were allowed.”
Tradition is something that I hold very dear, especially when it comes to connecting and spending time with family. I enjoyed reading blog postings of my peers as well, it was nice to get to know something more about them and the role food plays within their relationships. Even though some of their traditions may have been different than mine, I found that we still had things in common when it came to food.
You Are What You Eat?
For as long as I can remember, it has been a tradition within my family to cook a large meal on Sundays. This meal almost always consists of soul food dishes and preparation usually begins the night before.
This tradition was always held in my grandmother’s home. Around two in the afternoon on Sundays, my aunts, uncles, and cousins would begin arriving, bringing with them their own special dishes or deserts. For a few minutes, all of the kids would linger around the kitchen peeking into the covered dishes, especially the deserts to decide which ones they would choose after dinner and then go off together and play. While some of the women huddled in the kitchen cooking and others sat around the dining room table chatting or playing checkers, the men sat in the living room talking, playing cards or dominoes, and watching TV. Between 3 and 4 the table was set and food was put onto the dining room table buffet style and everyone lined up around the table to fill their plates with food. Usually the kids sat at the kitchen table together and ate, while the women sat at the dining room table and the men in the living room. After dinner everyone cleaned up and all of the adults would sit around and talk while the kids played together until about 8 o'clock when everyone finally had to head home.
After my grandmother passed, my parents purchased the home and this tradition continued. As I became older and sometimes complained because I wanted to do other things on Sundays with my friends instead of the family, I remember my dad explaining to me once that this was a tradition that began even before he was born. This Sunday tradition started when my ancestors were slaves and Sundays were the only day they did not have to work and could spend time together as families, so they cooked lots of food and ate and spent time together because this was the only day they were allowed.
Now my father has passed and I live in the house that once belonged to my grandmother with my own family, I still continue the Sunday tradition. Although some of my family members have grown old, passed away, or have their own families and new traditions, I still cook a big meal every Sunday for my own family and anyone else that may stop by, because everyone that knows me knows that the door is always open and there is always room at my table. Cooking for others and sharing a meal with people you love and care about in my opinion brings people together and keeps them connected.
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