Friday, June 3, 2011

Reflection Letter

Hello! My name is Svetlana. I’m currently a running start student, meaning that I go to college and high school. Looking at my name, one can assume that I must be bilingual. That is true. I speak Russian and English. When my family came to the United States, it was very difficult in the beginning because I could not speak English. I had to learn it from scratch. Right now, I understand and I can speak English but I’m still not fluent. English was always my weakness. This English class has been a big challenge for me but also a great learning experience.
This was my first online class and at in the beginning I was overwhelmed. Everything was new and different. Fortunately, with the help of my peers and professors I was able to get help. They were great guides through the course. We worked together in this online community to improve our writing skills.        
Our first unit was “Identity”. Before, I never gave this word a deeper thought. I thought identity was who we are. But after reading many essays from our book “Remix”, I realized that identity is also how others view us and how we view them. Sadly, we usually judge people by their physical appearance. For example, in the essay “Masks” by Lucy Grealy she says, “[The boys] pointed openly and laughed, calling out loudly enough for me to hear, “What on earth is that? That is the ugliest girl I have ever  seen” (69). From age nine, Grealy had been diagnosed with cancer. She had three years of chemotherapy and went through many operations in the attempt to reconstruct her face. The boys at school made fun of her because her outside appearance was different. Sadly, they didn’t even bother to try to see her inner identity.    
Our second unit was “Community”. I always thought of communities of big groups of people with common interests. I was surprised when I read the author’s perception of community. She said, “What defines a community is a verb. One shared interest is expressed as an action” (Latterell 96). For example, music-downloading is a community. Wearing a yellow ribbon is a community. Running is a community. Facebook is a community. One of the assumptions of communities is that they serve our needs. At first I agreed with this assumption. But after reading several essays it became clear that not always do the communities act in our best interests. They may do the job, but their behavior may also harm us. For instance, In Mim Udovitch’s essay “A Secret Society of the Starving” she interviewed an anorexic girl named Futurebird. Futurebird goes online to pro-anorexia websites because there are other anorexic girls. They say how they feel. They talk about their goals and they don’t judge each other. Futurebird stated, “I can’t go to a doctor. I can’t tell anyone. But I can go to this site” (Udovitch 156). The pro-ana websites support Futurebird: sadly, the support that she receives is actually harming her.


Our third unit was “Tradition”. Right now pop culture is influencing and impacting our culture. Modern technologies such as internet, cellphones, and video games actually have negative effects on traditions. For example, when I wrote my tradition paper, my thesis was “Video games have made a serious impact on the cultural tradition of strong parent-child relationships”. In the paper I talked about children playing violent video games. There are kids who become aggressive and uncontrollable after playing for too long. When kids get aggressive, they forget about the boundaries and they cross over the line. It is hard to have a close relationship with the child when they are spending most of their time playing video games. On the other hand, video games can be a fun way to spend some time. If the child has a balanced schedule, then it is possible to fit everything in. Spend more time on needed things and less time on leisure.

I am including the following in my e-portfolio:
Critical Thinking Piece – This is a post from identity unit discussion board. In this post we were supposed to synthesize the reading with our own experiences and come to some conclusion about the relationship between our school experiences and the development of our own identity.
Revision Piece – For this I chose my second essay about “Community”. The first time I wrote it, it was fine but I my analysis wasn’t deep. That’s why I revised and improved it.
Voice and Audience Piece – For this I chose my first blog “What’s in My Purse?” I started out by listing the items in my purse.Looking inside my purse, the person would see: Chap Stick, mirror, gum, notepad, pen, tissues, comb, hairspray, lint roller, cough drops, French hand fan, Neosporin and a Bible.” Then, I stated some assumptions that might be made about my identity based on my purse. I also mentioned what people would miss or be unable to know about me from just looking at my purse. I believe I used a strong tone and voice in this blog.
Writer’s Choice Piece – this is a post from tradition unit discussion board.  In this post we were supposed to pick one of the pop culture assumptions and agree with it or disagree with it. I affirmed this assumption: Pop culture reflects the most current interests and trends in a society. I chose this post because I think it’s true. People are always trying to keep up with the latest trend. Magazines are full of suggestions on how to look better, how to act proper, how to dress stylish, etc. We can see trends everywhere we go.
 ~ ~ ~
          Time flies and that’s for sure. It seems like yesterday was the first day of class. We were writing our mini biographies and meeting each other. Many of us were confused and excited at the same time. We weren’t sure what to expect but here we are, the quarter is almost over. A few more days and we will be done.  I didn’t get the grade I aimed for, but that’s not the most important part. It’s what I learned that matters. The skills that I have acquired in this class will help me further in my school.  I’m ready for more challenges but wait, you must see my accomplishments in English 101 first. Go ahead, take a look!

Critical Thinking Piece


            After reading Masks by Lucy Grealy and High School’s Secret Life by Emily White, I saw a common idea in two essays: “The cafeteria is high school’s proving ground. The place where you find out if you have friends or if you don’t” (White, 16). Grealy explains that she was constantly teased and made fun of so she ate at the council’s office. White explains an obese girl sitting alone eating lunch. She also mentions a boy who had strange muscle condition causing him to swat the air. All of those people felt lonely because they didn’t belong to any group. Another similarity is the labeling. White and Grealy talk about the same group of people. White calls them Tribes and Grealy calls them Cliques. It means the same thing: a group of people with a common interest usually formed in high schools and colleges. Also, both of the authors felt loneliness at one point. White says “I can still feel the adolescent loneliness in my guts” (White, 15). Grealy says “I felt safe and secure in that office, but I also felt lonely…” (Grealy, 70).
         Like most high schools, mine also has cliques or we could call it tribes. Your either in a group, crowd, or alone. I can’t remember time when I felt loneliness at school. I was with friends eating lunch or I was doing my homework in the library or I was getting help from a teacher. I was never popular at school nor was I an outcast. I would probably refer myself to “natural helper”. I love to volunteer and I love helping others.

Introduction to Critical Thinking Piece

        I chose a discussion forum from “Identity Unit” for this piece. The task was to identify at least three elements the two essays and writers have in common.  These could be ideas, conclusions, kinds of examples, or specific lines. In the second paragraph, we were supposed to talk about the way our own experiences confirm or challenge what we have presented in the first paragraph.

Revision Piece

Before:
Communities Serve Our Needs

In modern day society communities exist in several different forms. These range from neighborhood communities to online communities which both allow people to develop fortifying relationships. Communities have the ability to offer a variety of benefits to a wide range of people. Currently, communities serve us through personal relationships, social networks, and allow us to come closer together. The primary purpose of a community is to provide support and to serve our needs. 
Communities help us when we are seeking aid. In hard times, people in the communities come together to support each other. Shari Caudron in her essay “Befriending Barbie” interviewed a Barbie doll collector Judy Stegner. Stegner had one son; in September 1999 he was killed in a shooting. Stegner says her Barbie friends, all fellow Barbie doll collectors, were very helpful and caring. They tried everything they could to make sure that Stegner didn’t feel like she was alone. Stegner says, “You wouldn’t believe what they did. They called or wrote to me every day. They sent me money. They sent care packages…”(Caudron 173). This type of support is not uncommon. People in communities serve as an outlet for comfort and encouragement. In most communities, like Judy’s, people will have at least one person they can turn to during their times in need.
Communities also exist to provide support to one another, even in ways that may seem insignificant. During an interview with Tatyana Musnitskaya, I was exposed to yet another example of a community providing support. However, this circumstance took place in a face-to-face community as opposed to online. When describing her experience with communities Musnitskaya said, “In my childhood and adolescence communities were always eager to help out.” Musnitskaya told me about a time when she was a teenager. One time, she and her friends decided that they wanted to go to a church nearby. That church was having a special guest speaker who they all wanted to hear. Unfortunately, Musnitskaya didn’t finish digging up the potatoes so she told her friends that she couldn’t come with them. They said, “No problem, we will work together to dig up all the potatoes and then you can come with us” (Musnitskaya). In the end, the group of teenagers helped Musnitskaya, and she was able to go to that youth service because the community served her need. Unlike Judy Stegner, Musnitskaya was not going through a rough time or in need of comfort and care. Nonetheless, her close community came and worked together to assist her in her need.
                                                               Works Cited
Brooks, David. "Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G.
Latterell.Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. Print.
Caudron, Shari. "Befriending Barbie." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. Print.
Musnitskaya, Tatyana. Personal Interview. 30Apr. 2011.
Udovitch, Mim. "A Secret Society of the Starving." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G.
Latterell.Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print.
After:
Communities Serve Our Needs
In modern day society communities exist in several different forms. These range from neighborhood communities to online communities which both allow people to develop fortifying relationships. The great thing about communities is that they have the ability to offer a variety of benefits to a wide range of people. Currently, communities serve us through personal relationships, social networks, and allow us to come closer together. The primary purpose of a community is to provide support and to serve our needs.
Communities help us when we are seeking aid. In hard times, people in the communities come together to support each other. Shari Caudron in her essay “Befriending Barbie” interviewed a Barbie doll collector Judy Stegner. Stegner had one son; in September 1999 he was killed in a shooting. Stegner says her Barbie friends, all fellow Barbie doll collectors, were very helpful and caring. They tried everything they could to make sure that Stegner didn’t feel like she was alone. Stegner says, “You wouldn’t believe what they did. They called or wrote to me every day. They sent me money. They sent care packages…”(Caudron 173). This type of support is not uncommon. People want to help their community peers because when they are in trouble or they have problems, they know that their communities’ buddies will come to support them. People in communities serve as an outlet for comfort and encouragement. In most communities, like Judy’s, people will have at least one person they can turn to during their times in need.
Communities also exist to provide support to the members, even in ways that may seem insignificant. During an interview with Tatyana Musnitskaya I was exposed to yet another example of a community providing support. However, this circumstance took place in a face-to-face community as opposed to online. When describing her experience with communities Musnitskaya said, “In my childhood and adolescence communities were always eager to help out.” Musnitskaya told me about a time when she was a teenager. One time, she and her friends decided that they wanted to go to a church nearby. That church was having a special guest speaker who they all wanted to hear. Unfortunately, Musnitskaya didn’t finish digging up the potatoes so she told her friends that she couldn’t come with them. They said, “No problem Tanya, we will work together to dig up all the potatoes and then you can come with us” (Musnitskaya). In the end, the group of teenagers helped Musnitskaya, and she was able to go to that youth service because the community served her need. Unlike Judy Stegner, Musnitskaya was not going through a rough time or in need of comfort and care. Nonetheless, her close community came and worked together to assist her in her need. As we can see, people are willing to help because they know they are part of a community. Being part of a community means being able to help others, even if it is unprofitable.   

Works Cited
Brooks, David. "Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G.
Latterell.Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. Print.
Caudron, Shari. "Befriending Barbie." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. Print.
Musnitskaya, Tatyana. Personal Interview. 30Apr. 2011.
Udovitch, Mim. "A Secret Society of the Starving." Remix. 'Comp'. Catherine G.
Latterell.Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print.

Introduction to Revision Piece

         For our second paper in the “Community Unit”, we were supposed to write an essay answering this question: “As a result of your readings and interview, how can you argue for a specific function of communities in our lives?” I started out good but I needed deeper analysis. So, after I read the instructor’s comments, I decided to go back and add some more ideas to my essay. Due to limited length, I only revised the first page of my essay.    

Voice and Audience Piece

What's in my Purse?
          If one was to open my purse they would be surprised to find so many things inside. Even though my wallet is very simple, I have other things that I carry with me.
          My wallet has a twenty dollar bill, Starbuck’s card, Everett public library card, Sno-Isle library card and 2 photos of my family. Looking at my wallet, a person would probably be surprised because there are no credit cards or debit cards. They would most likely think that I love libraries and that I spend a lot of time there. Also, they might think that I love my family and Starbucks. Another assumption they could have is that I’m poor. They could even predict that this wallet belongs to a young teenager since there’s no driver license or permit.
          Looking inside my purse, the person would see: Chap Stick, mirror, gum, notepad, pen, tissues, comb, hairspray, lint roller, cough drops, French hand fan, Neosporin and a Bible. Based on these findings, one could assume that I like to look good, I get sick often, and I’m Christian.
          Although some of these assumptions are true, the contents in my purse do not construct a vivid image of my identity. For instance, I rarely go to a public library, but I have the cards with me just in case I’ll need to check out a book. Also, I am not that little. I am 17 years old. I don’t have my license but my permit is in the car, which I don’t take out because I drive only one car. I don’t get sick often but I like to be prepared. This way I can fight the virus with what I have! The reason I don’t have credit or debit card is because I think it’s best to pay right away. I go with cash.
          On the other hand, I am Christian and I love my family. I often go to Starbucks with friends. And like most girls, I want to make sure my hair looks good when I go out somewhere. At the same time, the person wouldn’t know that I love to travel and play volleyball. They wouldn’t know that I’m horrible at math. They wouldn’t know that I want to make a difference in this world.
          Perhaps a stranger looking at my purse could make a generalization about who I am but that would only be one piece of the puzzle. To put all the pieces together it would take much more time and details to find out who really I am.

Introduction to Voice and Audience Piece

          My first blog demonstrates awareness of audience and voice. It is called “What’s in my Purse?” In my blog I answer the following questions:
 •Taken separately or together, how do the contents of my wallet construct an image of my identity?
•What assumptions might someone make about my personality, values, or identity based on what I carry?
•If all they had to go on is my wallet, what would people miss or be unable to know about me?

Writer's Choice Piece

Affirming assumption: “Pop culture reflects the most current interests and trends in a society.”
          Right now people are trying to keep up with the latest trends. For instance, plastic surgery is a current interest in our society. In Christine Rosen’s essay “You- Only Better” she stated, “In recent years, a peculiar species of thought has emerged- call it Vanitus Democratus- that doesn’t merely tolerate, but embraces cosmetic surgery as evidence of our country’s commitment to equality, prosperity, and individual autonomy” (613).
          Think about a magazine. The first page or the cover says something like “How I lost 30 pounds” or “Half my size”. Then you find several pages talking about weight loss. This is very common. A lot of magazines do that because weight loss is a current interest. Magazines always have advice on the weight loss topic.  
          Other trends that are in style right now are iPhones, iPods, texting, Facebook, etc. Pop culture includes all these things. The media wants people to stay up with the latest styles/trends because pop culture is controlled by corporations that is looking for profit.  
 

Introduction to Writer's Choice Piece

        In my tradition discussion post I affirmed this assumption: Pop culture reflects the most current interests and trends in a society. I showed examples of current interests and modern trends. Then I came up with a general conclusion, synthesis.