Journal 5

At some point in time everyone has wasted some type of food. Most of us do not think about it because we are not starving or worried about where are next meal is coming from. I work at a title one school; most of our students are on free or reduced lunch, so every day I see children who are hungry. A lot of times the only decent meal these children get is here at school. Seeing these kids ask for more and not being able to give them seconds hurts me but there is nothing that I am able to do about that. We have rules that keep us from giving extra food to students. At my school the children are not allowed to share food no matter how hungry one child is or how full the other is. My coworkers and I try our best to get left over food after all the children have eaten to give to the hungry children but it is not something we can do every day. I try to be more conscious about the food I waste and throw away at home but sometimes it does not work the way I want it to. When I have a lot of leftover food I take it to family members and coworkers. I am trying to do what I can to stop the hunger that I see but I am only one person. But even a little help can go a long way.

Dream Deferred

Dream Deferred

            No matter your age, race, or the language that you speak there is always going to be some type of an obstacle in your way. The way you deal with and approach these obstacles are what help to make you the person that you are. According to the Center of Disease Control “about one third of teenage girls will get pregnant before age the age of twenty” (Hutton). Many teenage mothers are told that their lives are over, that they will never go to college or make anything of themselves. Not only can teenage mothers go to college and make something of themselves, they can also get good paying jobs and not depend on welfare for the rest of their lives. With the right mentor and guidance they can get on the correct path.

More and more teenage mothers are attending college and receiving degrees. I for one am living proof of this; I had my first child at seventeen. I was told many of the things that are told to a lot of young mothers. I will admit, it did take a while for me to actually start college because working full time and going to school are not easy tasks. When I turned eighteen I decided to get a job to take care of my son instead of going to school. Even though I was just comfortable working, last year I decided to enroll in school. At first it was hard juggling work and school but once I came up with a routine things got easier for me to balance. I try to schedule classes that are not right after I get off of work so that I have time to work on homework or do some kind or stress release. On the weekdays that I do not have class I work on homework and I devote my weekends to my family so that I am not always doing school work.

 Welfare is an option a lot of teenage mothers choose. “In 2011 $2.3 billion was spent in the public health care sector alone” (Solomon-Fears). These are mostly people who let others talk them down and tell them that their lives were over. Maybe that was the way they were raised so it is all that they know. Welfare dependency is a cycle that has to be broken in many families. A child seeing that their mother has been able to survive and raise children based on government assistance and has not had to work may become cool in their eyes. The fact that they can still have the things that other people work hard for, without having a job, is the American dream for some people. Why work when you can get everything for free?

At the age of thirteen a friend of mine got pregnant. As a seventh grader she did not know what she was going to do with her life or how she was going to support her child. She worked through high school and got a job at a bank shortly after graduation. Last year she graduated college with a degree in business. Women like her are the ones our young mothers need to see so that they can have a positive role model. They need someone who was once in their shoes that can show them that it is not what life throws at you but how you overcome those obstacles that help you to become a better person. You cannot let society turn you into a failure or a statistic; you have to prove them wrong. We need more successful women who were teenage mother’s to mentor our young girls to let them know life is not over just because you got pregnant at a young age. “The value of mentors- they help you identify what is important.” says Mauricio Garcia. There is nothing better than a mentor who can actually relate to a mentee because they know how you are feeling, they do not have to try too hard to relate.

            With a little guidance and encouragement any obstacle can be overcome. Teenage pregnancy is one obstacle young girls have faced for centuries but all it takes is one person to break the cycle and let them know that life is not over. Welfare is not a necessity in life, and college can be attended by anyone who desires a higher education. You cannot let society tell you what you can or cannot become anything is possible as long as you have the desire in your heart to make a better future for yourself. Never let an obstacle block your way, remember you have three choices you can go over it, go under it, or go through it. I chose to go over my obstacle, what is your choice going to be?

Journal 4

At the age of seventeen I got pregnant with my first child. I was a senior in high school at the time and everyone told me my life was over and that I should get an abortion. I decided to have my son and to this day though it was one of my greatest challenges I do not regret it one bit. I had my son a week before finals and even though I should have been at home resting I went back to school, took my finals, and received my diploma. In life there will always be challenges but how you decide to handle those challenges and overcome those obstacles is what truly helps make you the person you are. To achieve the “American Dream” you have to deal with many things I was told I would never go to college and make minimum wage, yet here I am a college student and though I have only been going a year I love it and have no desire to stop or drop out. You cannot let other people’s thoughts or feelings hinder you from becoming what you are destined to be. Barriers are made to be knocked down whether they are race, language, or sexual orientation issues they can be overcome with a little effort and some hard work. The rewards you reap will be well worth the work.

Technology in Schools

Technology in Schools

Do you believe the education system is being taken over by technology? Though some experts may argue that technology in schools is not a good idea, others are arguing the fact that technology is much needed in today’s society. Laptops, tablets, or readers are more cost efficient for students then buying textbooks every year. It would be easier for students to keep up with assignments, access, and reread text and students would be more willing to come to school.

Laptops, tablets, or readers for every student would be a more cost efficient way for school districts to purchase and provide text books for the students. I work for the school board so I know firsthand how costly it is to buy text books for every student every year, when the same books are rarely used for more than two years. Each student on average has at least four textbooks at a given time with the majority of them costing at least one hundred dollars. If you do the math providing textbooks for one student every year comes out to be about $400. If each textbook is only one hundred dollars, then multiply that by the number of students that are in a school. In my school for instance we have 629 students multiplied by $400 that is $251,600 just for our school. Plus you have to provide the teachers with the teacher editions to these books, even though the books are already available online. For every one student textbook there are three or more teacher’s editions. Our reading series has six books plus an assessment book. You are spending even more on the teacher’s editions than you are on the student books. Whereas you could buy each student a $300 tablet and pay to load the needed text onto the device. One download can be shared with up to six Kindles (Zipke).  That first year is going to be the most costly but after that you are only paying to update the text as needed and not have to continue spending the money every year to buy actual books.

Not only would purchasing laptops, tablets, or readers for every student be more cost efficient it would also be more space effective. You can load all the required books on one device, instead of student desks and cubbies being jam packed with books there will only be one device. Students’ grades will also increase because they would be more eager to carry one device home than they would two or three bulky books to do homework. It would be easier for students to go back and reread necessary text at home. This would also make it easier for them to keep up with their assignments. Assignments can be saved and submitted to teachers via email as soon as a student is finished so they are less likely to lose papers. Teachers will have easier access to work for conferences and data upkeep. When a student is absent instead of them falling behind they will be able to check to see what assignments and lessons they missed because teachers could email them missed work.

A student would be more likely to want to attend school because they will have something to help keep them engaged. Most children are active learners so they need to interact during learning and a technological device would be one of the best ways for them to work. Tablets for example, require them to use their fingers or hands to move objects and the cursor around the screen. They can easily go from screen to screen, or even make the writing bigger which can be a big help to students with vision problems. At one digital media school “attendance is up ninety percent” says Jason Levy, principal of I.S. 339 in the Bronx (Digital Nation). Having access to a device they may not be able to have access to at home would be a great motivator for many students.

Many educators would disagree about technology being used for every student in schools. Students' wrong usage and damage of technological tools in classroom ineffective time management  while using technology are some of the examples emerging as a result of the entrance of new technologies into the schools (Yildiz). Professor Clifford Nass of Sanford University says “Students aren’t applying themselves because they are distracted by multitasking” (Digital Nation). This could always be an issue but if the students are engaged enough they will not have time to try to multitask.

There will always be pros and cons when discussing the use of technology in schools. Students having access to technological devices can help enhance their learning. Laptops, tablets, or readers are more cost effective for students then buying textbooks every year. It would be easier for students to keep up with assignments, access, and reread text and students would be more willing to come to school. Yet the question remains, do you think the education system is being taken over by technology?

Works Cited

“Digital Nation.” Frontline. PBS. 02 Feb. 2010. DVD.

Ismail Yildiz, et al. "A Qualitative Study On Classroom Management And Classroom

Discipline Problems, Reasons, And Solutions: A Case Of Information Technologies Class." Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice 10.2 (2010): 881-891. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

Zipke, Marcy. ”Teachers’ Thoughts on e-readers in the Elementary School Classroom.”       Education and Information Technologies Feb.(2012): 1-2.Print

Journal 3

I am definitely a part of the digital nation. I cannot think straight if I do not have some kind of electronic device in my hands, especially my phone, even at work when I am waiting on my students to finish writing an answer I am on my phone checking my email or Facebook. When I leave my cell phone at home I call from the phone at work for someone to bring it to me. I think now in days you have to step up and become more technological because everything is becoming easier to handle online or through apps and text. It is quicker to pick up your phone and send a text than it is to call someone. It is cheaper to post a picture on Facebook or Instagram than it is to have print copies and mail them to family members and friends. Even when it comes to school work more things are being done with computers than there are with a pencil and paper. Essays are typed out instead of handwritten homework is typed and then submitted electronically. In elementary my children are using computers daily to complete online assessments and doing skill reinforcement activities. My kindergartener knows how to log on to a computer and access the internet. I really feel that in this day and time if you are not familiar with some type of computer software you are seriously behind and you need to catch up.

Journal 2

I personally like watching reality television no matter what the actual content is I find most of the shows hilarious. It is really hard to believe there are actually behave in the manner that is portrayed. The drama shows to me are the best but I am also a fan the crime shows like Cops and First 48.  I think most of these shows are scripted and that people take few of them too seriously, Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, for example is simply a show about a spoiled little girl and her family but some people read entirely too much into the show and want to criticize her mother’s parenting skills because of her children’s behavior. I think if more people were to view reality television as another form of entertainment and stop judging reality stars so harshly these people may not act out as much. These are people who are getting paid to let cameras follow them around just like an actor in a movie or non-reality shows and part of their behavior is due to the fact that the more viewers they have and the higher their ratings are the bigger their checks will be. They are similar to waitresses or car salesmen the nicer they are the more money they make, well it seems for reality stars the more drama they have or the dumber they are the more money they make. All in all I believe these people are getting paid to act some of them are just better at it than others.

Gallery Essay

Alicia Goodman

       Gallery Opening Essay

 

Viewer’s Point of View

Photography is the best way for artists to let others see subjects as they see them and a good job is done when the photo speaks to the viewer. As said by Ansel Adams “A photograph is usually looked at- seldom looked into.”  The three pictures that were chosen are all black and white but they are ones that offer an insight to these photographers' sense of humor, emotional connection and their viewing of the world around them. They speak to the viewer in one way or another, “Innocence” conveys the feeling as titled, “Adam Texting Eve” seems to say even biblical characters have to step into the new century, and finally “Other Bag” gives a glimpse of the bag many women keep in the back of the closet. They are three very different photos from three different photographers but they all seem to portray a meaning that is speaking to the viewer.

I love the fact that Rachel Hammond titled her photograph “Innocence” because on the surface it is simply a picture of a little boy. Yet after looking into the boy’s eyes in the photograph you can see what is said in the title and that is pure innocence. This child has a blank look on his face that seems to say he has done nothing wrong. His eyes are saying he needs help because there is no light in them, no sparkle, his eyes hold a certain sadness to them. The slight downward curve of his mouth resembles a frown but it is not all the way there yet, like there is still help and hope for him. Maybe his young eyes have seen things that at his tender young age should not have seen or maybe there is love and compassion missing from his life. We will never know by looking at just the surface.

Kristen Bryant’s photo of “Adam Texting Eve” is a new age spin on a biblical story. There were no cellphones in biblical times so to see Adam sitting in the middle of the forest sending a text to the only woman in the world, at that time, brings a slight smile to my face. When most people talk about the bible they are usually so serious and there is no room for humor, yet this picture holds a hint of humor. Upon first glance you can’t really see Adam sitting among the trees and he looks like he could possibly be an animal but as you focus on the picture his presence becomes clear and I think that adds more thinking to the photo. I can see the slight smile on Adam’s face and it seems to say he is in love and sitting so freely in the forest without a care in the world. This is a time without care or evil before the serpent in the bush enticed Eve to taste the forbidden fruit before the beginning of sin. If everyone could be this carefree the world would be a much better place.

In Piere Weber’s “Other Bag” viewers get a glimpse of a woman’s fun bag, the one that is not carried day to day or to social functions, but to late night rendezvous with a lover. The whips and handcuffs bring to mind the love life of a dominatrix or a lady of the night. This bag could also be the simple black one kept at the back of a housewife’s closet so that the kids don’t happen upon it. I love the fact that a male photographer took this photo because women should not be objectified or feel that it is wrong to have an active sex life. This picture says be who you are let go of the bondage that says it is wrong to feel or be sexy. There are many different views that can be taken from this photo. The view that came to me upon first look is that of a woman who is not afraid to be herself and the picture reminds me of myself in that sense I have always loved being me and I am not afraid to express that and I chose this picture because of that personal connection that I felt to it.

Photographers have many different ways to show the world as they see it. “Innocence” showed an innocent child, “Adam Texting Eve” showed a humorous more in this century view of the Bible, and “Other Bag” gave us a glimpse to a woman’s freedom through a simple black bag. The three photographers of those photographs showed their view perfectly because photography is the best way for artists to let others see subjects as they see them. No two viewers are going to get the exact same view, as long as the photo speaks to a patron then it is a job well done.