Megan0304's Blog

Writing Reflection 3

megan0304 — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:56:02 +0000

I don’t like to write, never have. I have never been good with words, whether I speak them out loud or put them on paper. I have no interest to write for fun or just because. The one thing that I have learned to do over the years with my writing is to put words together just a little better. I prefer to read what others have written and let my imagination run with their words, to see how the story unfolds in my mind. It’s interesting to see what stories/words are floating around in other people’s heads. For me reading allows me to experience much more emotions than writing does. I am a daydreamer more than I am a writer. I’m not for sure why I don’t like to write, I think it’s because I am not good with words, language or written communication. I think I will leave the writing to the professionals/people who enjoy writing. And I will sit back and let my imagination run with their words.

Weblog 5: What do you think?

megan0304 — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:10:08 +0000

I agree that race is not what defines a teacher and their teaching techniques. When someone decides to make a career of teaching I don’t think that they are going to teach white students better than black students, or the other way around. Teacher’s goals are to educate children, and to get them ready to face the real world. Teachers don’t discourage one race over the other. Oh, I’m sure there are some teachers that have discouraged one particular race and those teachers should not be teaching.

Some black students feel they identify better with black teachers because of shared experiences, and they know better where black students are coming from. I think that no matter what race the teacher is, if they are well educated in what they are teaching and have a good way of teaching it, they should be able to teach any race of students.

As Will Okun said “a good teacher is a hard worker who maintains high expectations, cares about the students and is able to communicate the pertinent academic information.” There are a lot of teachers out there, no matter what race they are, they don’t give up on students. I have had lots of white teachers that were hard on the whole class and they expected a lot of the class. But I seen it as they were trying their best to teach us what we needed to learn and they know what we are capable of, so they expected us to do what we were asked. So I don’t think its right to say that only black teachers are harder on students than white teachers, or that white teachers give up on students.

Kids only know what they hear and see. If one race of teachers are saying that the other race of teachers do not know how to teach certain students then how do they expect the students to act towards those teachers. It’s not the race of the teachers it is how they teach their students.

Writing Reflection 2: Why I Write

megan0304 — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:13:56 +0000

To be perfectly honest I have never liked to write. When I do write it is for a class. I have never been a big fan of writing and don’t think I’m very good at writing. I do read books but they tend to be mystery novels. By reading mystery novels they have never changed my idea of society, changed my view of the truth or pushed me in a new direction. I know there are a lot of people out there that love to write, it may be their passion in life and they may have read something that has changed their view of the world. But for me I will stick to my mystery novels and only writing when I have to.

Weblog 4: Where’s the Evidence?

megan0304 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:44:45 +0000

I agree with Stanley Fish that students should learn about form. But I also agree with Collin Brooke that content is just as important to learn as form. Fish says that “Content is a lure and a delusion and it should be banished from the classroom. Form is the way.” I don’t understand why form is more important to learn than content. Fish has his students come up with their own language. What is the point of that? To me that really has nothing to do with form or content. He then goes on to say that “we are not interested in ideas- yours, mine or anyone else’s.” Isn’t writing about voicing an opinion or idea? If we don’t write about opinions or ideas there is not a whole lot left to write about. I think Stanley Fish limits what students should learn about, which is what he feels appropriate. I do believe students should learn about form and how language works. As Fish stated “without the knowledge of how language works they will be unable either to spot the formal breakdown of someone else’s language or to prevent the formal breakdown of their own.” Collin Brooke said that “writing necessarily the blending of form and content in a particular context.” I think Brooke hit it on the nose with that statement. Without form or content writing lacks it’s purpose. I thought Fish was wrong to say that students are “utterly unable to write a clear and coherent English sentence.” Does this mean only his students can write clear and coherent sentences because he teaches them form? Every teacher teaches what they think a student needs to know. I don’t believe only one way of writing should be taught. And it shows in the article that Stanley Fish wrote, that there is only on way to learn about and that is form.

Weblog 3: What’s the Big Idea

megan0304 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:12:29 +0000

Bloom views Stephen King as a “writer of penny dreadfuls” and “an immensely inadequate writer on a sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, book-by-book basis.” Bloom also views J.K. Rowling’s writing as “dreadful” and that “Rowling’s mind is governed by cliches and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing.” He feels that Stephen King and J.K. Rowling do not live up to Edgar Allen Poe or Sual Bellow and King did not deserve to get the annual award for distinguished contribution.

I disagree with Bloom about King and Rowling’s writing. King and Rowling’s books are best sellers. Most of King’s books have been turned into movies/TV shows as wells as all of the Harry Potter books. Stephen King and J.K. Rowling’s books are intended to be horror or science fiction. The Harry Potter books were meant for a teen audience so therefor her writing is purposely “dumbed down” as Bloom puts it, for the inteded audience. Not everyone enjoys sitting down to read Edgar Allen Poe or Saul Bellow, people have their own interests. Some prefer horror or romantic novels. If every writer wrote like Edgar Allen Poe then literature would get boring. Where would the imagination be if everything was the same?

I understand the respect Bloom has for romantic poets. But his disrespect for authors such as Stephen King and J.K. Rowling obiously shows where he stands in literature today. Times have changed and people have their own opinions on what literature is good or not. I am not saying that Shakespeare or William Blake should not be taught in schools but children need a variety of literature. As Steve Almond said ” There’s an entire world of literature, quite serious and beautiful, that extends beyond these names, as worthy as they may be of praise.”

Writing Reflection 1: Why I Read

megan0304 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:08:14 +0000

I read to relax. I read to let my imagination run wild. I read to discover another world. I read to my children. I read to get away from what’s going on around me. I read all day long. I read to comfort myself. I read when I have nothing better to do. I read when I have tons of things to do. I read when I am sad. I read when I am happy. I read when I am lonely. I read to see myself in the story. I read to relieve stress. I read in the car. I read as I walk. I read while I lay in bed at night. I read for a good laugh. I read to cry. I read for excitment. I read to feel all kinds of emotions. I read when it is cold and rainy. I read when it is hot and sunny. I read to enjoy life. I read when I am in love. I read when I feel like there is something missing in my life. I read to forget my worries. I read to learn. I read because it is fun. I read because it is better than TV. I read because it is my form of music. I read when I need time to myself. I read to be different but also to be the same. I read to teach my children that there is more to the world of imagination than playing video games. I read to see my children’s faces light up with a smile. I read instead of going shopping. I read to exercise my mind. I read when I am hungry. I read when I am tired. I read to daydream. I read because I love to. I read because it is who I am.

Weblog 2: What’s your story

megan0304 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:42:18 +0000

A Lost Soul

As a child I was always the quite one that would do as I was told and never caused any problems. It wasn’t until I turned sixteen that I decided to break out of the nutshell I called my life. I started sneaking out of the house, drinking and doing drugs. I wanted to escape from reality, drugs and alcohol was my outlet. It took over my life, I lost my job, I abandoned my friends and my grades plummeted. I had no regard for my safety because I would party with anyone, it didn’t matter if I knew them or not. The first couple of times I was arrested, I had been picked up roaming the dark streets. Being searched, handcuffed and put in the back of a police car had no effect on me. I got the idea that if I ran away that I would never have to deal with my troubled life. Once again I roamed the streets, this time I had no place to lay my head at night, no food to put in my stomach, I had no fresh clothes to put on and my only way around was by foot. When the cops caught up with me and arrested me yet again, I was taken to a girls home. I hated being there more than I did living at home. I was not allowed outside, except for a small cramped common area that was surrounded by walls, I was told when to get up, go to sleep, when to eat and I only got one hour to watch TV. It was my own personal hell. When my dad finally came to get me, I was told that I either moved with my mother or go back to the girl’s home. Of course I wanted nothing to do with that place, so I went to my mother’s. I still didn’t see how much I was messing up my life, until I met the love of my life. I sit back now and see that even though I did some stupid things I would never be where I’m today. I do regret how I acted and the things I did but I’m grateful for what came out of the situation, my family.

Weblog 1: What’s in a name?

megan0304 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:48:03 +0000

A neglected child has turned into a strong willed woman

Its things that have happened throughout my life that has molded me into the person I’m today. I was never really able to be a child, my parents split up when I was very young, I never got to see my dad and my mother did drugs and was an alcoholic. I was the one left to take care of my younger brother and sister; we never had a stable home or an adult to take care of us. All four of us children were abused, passed around from family members and friends of my mom’s. I felt as if it was up to me to step up and be the adult, which is not the responsibility of a child. By the time my dad came back into the picture and got custody of me and my older brother, I didn’t know what to do because I was so used to taking care of someone else and making the decisions. I would hide in my room from everyone until I got to the point that I thought it was my turn to do what I wanted. I became very rebellioius, experimented with drugs and alcohol. After being arrested several times and spending sometime in a girls home, I realized this is not what I want for myself. I had my first son while I was still in high school, that opened my eyes to a whole new world and I promised myself that my children would have a better life than I did. I want my children to have better morals than I did, to know they can do more with their lives. I’m determined to make something of myself not only for my children but for myself too. With everything that has happened in my life I tried my best not to let it bring me down and when it did I told myself that I deserve better.

Introduction

megan0304 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:09:22 +0000

Hi my name is Megan Taylor, I’m a 24 year old mother of 2 boys. I have been married for almost 6 years. This is the first time I have ever done a blog for a class, I haven’t really done blogs at all.