Wobble

I had a really good experience with English 1101. Lacy was such a good teacher and she made us do assignments in such a creative way. There were a few times in the class that I had some trouble though..  Most weeks we had to read something and write about it for homework. I know it sounds bad, but it is really hard for me to read something I am not interested in. I was always wondering if I should read the whole thing, answer all the questions, in the end I always did. But I struggled every time I had to read a new one week by week. Another thing that I had uncertainty about was the library project. "What floor do I go on?" "How do I find a book I want?" "What book is good for this project?" I had so many unanswered questions. I was happy Lacy put us in groups so my group members could help me with all my questions. They were unsure about a lot of things too, but we just rolled with the flow. There were things we weren't sure of, but did anyway. Lacy is really good with grading, so we weren't to worried about doing things wrong. As long as all the criteria was met, we would be okay. I also had some uncertainty with the literacy narrative. "What should I write about?" "Does it have to be about writing?" "Does it have to be in MLA format?" We wrote down things on note cards that we would want to write about. I was so back and forth on my ideas and just decided to go with my debate class because I did a lot of writing in that class. My ethnography project was tough too! I had no idea what I was doing. My group members also helped me with this project! "What topic do I choose?' "How should we show the class our project? We decided to do a scrap book and I think it came out really well!  I'm happy I went through all my "wobble" moments, they made me a better student. The class was fun, and had the right amount of work involved!

Literacy Narrative

The literacy narrative paper was a fun paper to write because it was all about me. I didn't have to search through the internet for information. All the information came from my brain. It was tough at first, trying to figure out what I wanted to write about. I had a lot of different ideas. But, I figured I would write about something that had to go with writing. I thought long and hard about something significant in my life that had to do with writing. I decided to write about my debate class because it has influenced my writing, and my writing ability so much. The revision was the fun part. At first I just had ideas on a notecard. I then wrote a few things about my debate class in my daybook. In my first draft I mentioned things that were important about the class. I liked what I wrote, but I knew my second draft needed to be different. 
     Instead of started from the beginning I started from the end of my story. I then incorporated things I didn't incorporate in the first draft. When revised my second draft I used dome strategies from the homework on october 4th. I chose a point in my narrative that seemed to lack something. I thought of the moment over and over in my head and rewrote the part to sound like the person was there. I also worked with a partner and told them the story without looking at my paper, my partner (roommate) wrote down notes of what I was saying. We then switched and I did the same for her. By looking at her notes, I got to ad things to my paper, I almost completely forgot even happened. I also did a rapid read, where I read through my paper pretty fast, and anything that seemed uninteresting I took out. There were so many unnecessary things I took out, and the paper sounded so much better. When I wrote my final draft I just meshed both my first and second draft together to make the final product.
    Editing my work was the hard part. I sat there for a while thinking about how I should go about editing my paper. I sat there and highlighted everything that didn't sound right, or where I thought there was something wrong. I went back after I highlighted the whole paper and chose whether to leave it or change it. Most of the editing was silly stuff like commas or wrong punctuation. I did find some mistakes where I spelled things wrong or the sentence just didn't make sense.
    I enjoyed writing this paper. I don't think I've ever had to write a whole paper about whatever I wanted to write about. It gave me a chance to tell my story and be creative about it. I was never one to really like writing, but I had fun with this paper. It brought back memories, and I really liked walking myself through  that whole semester again.

Ethnography

 The pictures above, were all a part of my groups scrapbook, but these were the pages I was in charge of doing. It was difficult to figure out what we wanted to write about. Because we had expression, we really could've wrote about anything. We thought that writing about Organizations, Music and Tattoos would be different and interesting.  It was hard revising our work because we chose to do the scrapbook. We had to write a lot of ideas down before we could actually put them in the book. We talked with Lacy a few times about what should we incorporated in the book and what was important and what wasn't. We all had interviews, but thought pictures were a better way to show our work because were doing a SCRAP BOOK. There is always good and bad when working in a collaborative group. It was really hard to discuss how far we were, or what needed to be done when a group member wasn't present. In most cases the bulk of the work gets stuck with one person in the group, and thats why I normally don't like doing group work. In this case, we had a little trouble, but everything came together nicely. I absolutely loved doing non traditional work. It makes the project SOOO much more fun and interesting. I really had a good time picking out the pictures and scrapbook paper to use in our book. Overall I really enjoyed the assignment. I thought it was a really good assignment to give the class, and it really made us all think. Sometimes were so busy with our own lives to realize the underlife, and underlying meaning of things. I have Lacy next semester, and I can't wait to see what other projects she has in store for us!

Wallace's bone

In class Lacy showed us a few Gertrud Stein poems. They made absolutely no sense to me, and Lacy told us that was why she writes her poems. They are very abstract and hard to get anything out of. They are the closest thing to original you can get. Lacy had us write our own abstract poem, and this one is mine>>>
I tried to write about my dogs bone, but not make it make much sense. It is basically about how he takes his bone outside and chews it, and sometimes leaves it out in the yard. It is really hard to write something, that doesn't make sense. I give Gertrude Stein props for her poetry. Usually when you write something, you write it how you remember it. You write what happened firs second third, ect. But in her poetry, she just writes whatever. Or I guess were not sure how she writes. It would be interesting to know her process of writing. I tried to read a few more of her poems, but they really didn't make much sense to me. When I wrote my poem I thought of words that could describe the bone, and what my dog was doing, without actually saying what was going on. It was really tough.

The Frog who and the Princess?

For our Writing Into The Day, Lacy gave us this poem by Kathryn Machan. I really wanted to do a blog post on this poem because I thought it was so hilarious. We all know the story about the magic frog, and if he is kissed he will turn that lucky girl into a princess. This poem kind of shows how hard the frog worked to get the kiss. When you think about the story you never think the frog went from girl to girl asking to be kissed. Who would kiss a frog? I would hope not that many people. If this story were real, we would all think "Who would kiss a frog?" or "How many girls did he asked before one kissed him?". This is almost like an excerpt from his experience. I also like the way she wrote the poem. She wrote it like the girl was saying it, and it makes reading it that much more fun. She says she could never be a princess, and it is ironic because she easily could be if she kissed the frog she calls "perverted". I really like it and it is an enjoyable read.

BIbliography

Glaubman, Emily. Personal Interview.
31 October. 2012.

I was suppose to find ways that people express themselves, and I thought interviews would be the best. The interview with Emily helped with the project because it showed how a student expresses herself by being involved in a club. My other partners for this project did music and tattoos, as other ideas for how people express themselves. We chose these things because they are different from what a person would normally think of how they express themselves. I like interviews the most because you really get to know someone by talking to them.

Lauren Bukowski in her Alpha Delta Pi shirt, Charlotte. 30 Oct. 2012. Personal photography by Autumn Lumley. JPEG file.

Like a person says, a picture says a thousand words. Lauren in her Alpha Delta Pi letters show her commitment and how much she loves her sorority. She wears them around campus to show people what she is a part of, and this helps her express herself. This picture helps my project by giving people something to look at, so they know how people express themselves. This picture also helps my project because she isn't just wearing a shirt. She is wearing a shirt that shows who she is and what she stands for.


Person, Random. Personal Interview.
30 October. 2012.

This interview was very interesting. I completely forgot to get the girls name, but I liked what she said a lot. She isn't in a club or organization yet, but she is starting her own so she can express herself. This helps my project because it is different. She is making up her own organization, and you don't find may people that do that. She wants to express herself by showing her love for animals, so she is doing everything she can to do just that. You have to be a very independent and brave person to do something like that on your own, and I give her props.

Ethnography Project

In my group our main idea was how people express themselves. My group wanted to come up with different ways people express themselves. Instead of the usual, clothing, or hairstyles we picked other ways people express themselves. Jordan decided to do tattoos, Anna decided to do music, and I decided to do organizations or clubs people join.

Students join clubs or organizations as a way of expressing themselves. They join because of many reasons. The club does something they enjoy, the organization stands for what they believe in, there are so many reason why these organizations help students express themselves. I interviewed a few students in organizations and asked why they joined them and how that organization or club helps them express themselves.

Lauren Bukowski's interview

Me: What is Alpha Delta Pi all about?

Lauren: Well, we do so much in ADPI. Every sorority has a philanthropy, and our's is the Ronald McDonald House. We go to the house every couple weeks and help the families make dinner, or hangout and watch movies with the kids. We do everything we can to help around the house, and do anything the families need.

Me: Why did you decide to join a sorority?

Lauren: I decided to join a sorority because they do amazing things for the community, and they are like one big team. I know if I needed anything I could easily call one of my “sisters” and they would be there for me.

Me: Does Alpha Delta Pi help you express yourself? And how?

Lauren: Yess! I picked Alpha Delta Pi because it was perfect for me. Wearing Alpha Delta Pi across my chest is one way I express myself, but being apart of something so big and amazing is another way I express myself. I am a very helpful and thoughtful person, and being a part of the Ronald McDonald house is another way I express myself.

I interviewed my roommate who is part of Eco Reps which is a club/organization, but you also get paid $200 a semester.

Me: Why did you join Eco Reps?

Emily: It's a good way to get involved on campus, and kinda have a job at the same time.

Me: What is the purpose of Eco-reps?

Emily: To educate people on campus on ways to go green, and easy things they can do to help the environment.

Me: How does Eco Reps help you express yourself?

Emily:I am interested in the environment, and helping educate people about how they can help. This club helps me show my interest in the community and environment at the same time.

I interviewed another girl, but I didn't get her name

Me: So what organization or club are you a part of?

Her: I'm actually not part of one, but I am trying to get one started here on campus.

Me: Oh, really? What is it for exactly.

Her: Well I've been looking all over campus to find an organization having to do with animals, and I haven't found one yet. We want to call it Animal Alliance. Basically it will be a club that will meet two or more times a month and we go and help out at animal shelters.

Me:That sounds like an amazing idea, I would be more than happy to join! How do you think this organization will help you express yourself?

Her: Well I love animals, and this is a great way for me to help. By being a part of this club I will get to express how much I love animals, and actually be doing something for them.

Literacy Underlife

I really paid attention to Sanford hall, because that is where I live. I decided to  pay even closer attention to the 6th floor, because I live on the sixth floor. The first thing I noticed was posters near or in the elevator. ITs a good idea to put things right next to the elevator because everyone will see them. When I walk into my hall I see names on doors. Some rooms have specific pictures, or drawings. For example, I am in Alpha Delta Pi, so I made a collage of ADPi stuff around my name. One door had pictures of both girls. I hear two girls singing away at the end of my hall. They sound happy, and I enjoy listening to them. I hear music from my RA's room. In the bathroom I see writing on the stalls. In one stall it said Phish. Which is a band my dad likes, or else I would have no idea what Phish was. When I go out into the common area I hear boys laughing and also hear the music they are playing. It's so cool to really pay attention to whats going on around you. Everyone is doing something different. Someone made the posters I look at, someone cleans the bathrooms everyday. I really like paying close attention to things, and this assignment got to let me do that!

Be The Change

-Mahatma Gandhi

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. I feel like many people could relate to it. There are so many things people want to be done differently in this world. There are so many things people see and want them to change. Well be that change. Make a difference. Stop a bully, help a child, do something you want to be seen being done. Instead of saying, someone should do this, or that, well you can do it just as well as someone else. I think it really has to do with people being hypocrites. So many people look down on bullying, and some of those people saying bullying is bad.. well they are the bullies. Many people are hypocrites and they don't mean to be. Like the parents who say they will never be like their mom/dad, but end up doing the same things they did. Usually a family in poverty have an ongoing cycle. Once they are in poverty, its almost impossible to get out of, not because they can't, but because its hard for them to be different then their parents or their friends. Its those people like Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, who came from nothing. His mom had him at 15 and lived in poverty. Now he is known around the world for his powerful and inspiration speaking, and being one of the best line backers of all time. He is just one example of being the change, or being something different. Be the better person, the one to pick someone up instead of push them down. Be the person people want to change for! Thats what this quote means. Be the change!

The Giving Tree

Our group got together and decided to look on the internet for mentor texts. We found so many options to choose from. We tried to come up with ideas that we thought would be fun to read AND look at. So many people love comic books because of those two reasons. We tried for a while to find them, and realized we were looking for the books wrong. We asked a librarian and she told us we needed a call number. We went back on the computer to get the call number when someone said why don't we just do a children's book? They have pictures, fun words, and usually teach a life lesson.  We looked through the children books and Nolan found "The Giving Tree", and Drew found "The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales". The second book was funny, but wasn't as good as "The Giving Tree". It was the perfect mentor book. It has a good moral, and great pictures to go along with it.

Reflection Of Text
"The Giving Tree" teaches that you should give, and be happy to give. It reminded me of most parents. Parents give their children anything and everything they can, and don't expect anything in return. I think the underlying meaning for this book, is to teach kids to appreciate things people give them. In reality, if you give, you often get something back. People that give, and don't expect anything in return are hard to find. I can say from experience, if I'm giving to someone less fortunate than me then I am happy just by giving. If I give someone a ride, or pick someone up, it would be nice to get gas money, but I would never ask for it. I would just hope that person would do the same thing for me when I need it. I really think "The Giving Tree" teaches children to be more generous, and appreciate the things they are given.

Revision is your friend!

In class Lacy had us read about revision. In my day book I wrote a little bit about what revision means to me. I think revision means different things to different people. To me, it means getting a re-do. Whether is has to do with, rewriting something, or someone letting you fix a mistake. Without revision, we wouldn't learn from our mistakes. If we lived a life where we couldn't change our minds, who would we be? We would be miserable, and have no hope in ourselves. We get to live a life where we can change careers, or our nail polish, or the classes we take. Can you imagine how awful life would be if we just chose one, and had to live with that choice forever? We would be far from free. I love when teachers let me have a few rough drafts, and they help me make them better along the way. Sometimes you need a help to revise something, some advice maybe. I always find it easier to ask for advice from someone who went through whatever it is I'm going through, so you don't have to make the same mistake they did, and then there is no need for more revision. Some people may think they are a failure because they did their paper wrong the first time, or they made the first decision wrong, but thats not true. The truth is that because they made a mistake, and get to have a "re-do" they will learn from it and will know for next time. It makes people more well rounded when they make mistakes. No one in this world is perfect, and no one in this world will ever be perfect. Except Channing Tatum.. well at least he is perfect LOOKING. haha

September 11th. {never forget}

On September 11th 2001, many people experienced many different things. I was so young, that I'm surprised I even remember it so clearly. I was in first grade, and I remember my dad was on a trip for work, so me and my brothers were staying with my mom. It was a normal school day for me until my mom picked me up around 10 am. I could tell something was wrong, but I figured she didn't want to tell me because I was young and "wouldn't understand". We got my brothers and went back to my moms house. The news was on and I was in shock by what I was seeing. The huge pretty towers in new york were crumbling to the ground. The towers my dad had showed me the year before and told me how him and his friends would race up the stairs. The towers I saw every time I drove over the "big bridge" on my way home from the airport. Maybe I was to young to understand everything, but I wasn't to young to realize something very bad was going on. I remember thinking I have never seen anything like what I was seeing on the news. It looked like a fake action movie filled with explosions. I didn't understand why "bad people" flew planes into towers with hundreds of americans in them.  I called my grandma in New York to make sure my family was okay. They live about an hour and a half from the city. Everyone was fine but scared. No one knew if the terrorists had planned anything else for this horrible day.
     Now that I am older and DO understand what happened on 9/11, I can't help but to think about all the people who lost loved ones on this day, and all the people who are muslim, or middle-eastern and are being treated with disrespect because "their people" did this. It is no ones fault but the terrorists. They made a very bad name for middle-easterers in America. I remember an old neighbor I had in Ohio, who had to be home schooled because her and her family were being harassed.  No one deserves  to be treated wrongly because of the way they look. September 11th 2001, changed the history of America forever. 

(here is a website me and my friend made for a project in 8th grade. http://sept11.weebly.com/)

Mrs.Zimmer

In class Lacy asked us to think about our writing experiences. our assignment was to think of our writing history and make a time line of the things that impacted us the most. I started to think of my writing history and realized I have really been writing all my life! I remember when I couldn't type on a computer, and look at me now! :) Middle school is when I actually became a decent writer. As I was making the timeline I thought of soo many memories of not just writing but life. Thinking about my 7th grade english class made me realize how much I loved my teacher! I took the practice test at the beggining of the year and got a 1 out of four. By the end of the year I got a 3 almost a 4! She helped me become such a better writer. I have never had such a good relationship with a teacher until her. I wouldn't just go to her about writing, I would go to her for advice, or just to talk. I hope I can get in contact with her and have lunch one day. I don't think she knows how much she has helped me become a better writer. 

Childhood Memories

In class we had to try and remember our childhood neighborhood. I've lived in many different places so I just chose the neighborhood I liked the most, and the one I was most familiar with. This neighborhood was in Huntington Beach California, the most beautiful place I have ever been. After remembering our neighborhood, we had to write. Not necessarily about the neighborhood, but whatever we felt after drawing that picture. I began to think about my crazy older brother and all the crazy things he use to do with us. 
       When I think about times like this one I feel like I'm in a dream, or almost like it didn't happen. Childhood memories are very odd, because your brain decides to only remember the things that has influenced you the most, or made the biggest impact on your life. I honestly couldn't tell you much more about that year, or what year this even was exactly. I can tell you that when I think back on this day I feel like I'm watching a movie. I can see and feel how excited me and my brother Ashton were to play a game with Aram. A simple game made us so happy and filled with joy. It's not fair that life isn't like that when you get older.  I wish I was still a child sometimes, so I could just be in my own world and not have to worry about school, work, money, or responsibility. Adults did everything for you as a child, they thought for you, dressed you, made your dinner, everything was taken care of.  I may think I wish I could be a child, but at least when I'm a parent I can play along and get to act like a child again. I can't wait for that amazing journey!