Wednesday, October 30, 2013

TOOLS THAT CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)

 How does use of the Internet, media, and/or technology change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).

I think that the Internet has changed the way I think by enabling me to get information that I would probably never know. (even with filter bubbles) However, I think that in a way, it has made me less responsible and kind of unorganized. For example, if I have a homework assignment that I can use the Internet to help me with it, I would do that assignment last because I have Internet in my phone so I can do it during school. Also, I think that in a way I took a step forward and two steps back ever since I started to rely on the Internet so much.

FILTER BUBBLES

a)What new information did you learn from the video?
-everyone sees something different when they search for the same thing and that the Internet doesn't really open doors for you, it just leads you to a place you will feel comfortable.
b)How does this information make you think differently about what you see online?
-there is more to what is being presented to me
c)What questions does this video raise about the Internet in general?
-how can I get all the different points of view that are out there?
d)How can you improve the effectiveness of your searches?
-by focusing on a different point of view

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

THOUGHTS ON HAMLET (IN PROGRESS)

-I think that the reason why Gertrude can't see the ghost is because the ghost represents Hamlet conscience. But if that were true, how come the guards were able to see it? I'm still working in that.
-Dr. Preston said that he interpreted as the ghost only presenting himself to people who are pure(?)...that kind of makes sense because Gertrude has little/no morals.
-I think that since Hamlet didn't care that he killed Polonious, he is not going to care who he has to kill in order to get revenge.

The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

performative: relating to or denoting an utterance by means of which the speaker performs a particular act.
utterance: spoken word, statement or vocal sound; the action of saying or expressing something aloud.

Hamet's struggle is in doing what his brain is telling him to do. And not in whether or not he should kill himself.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

WHAT I THINK WHEN I THINK OF ACT |||

SCENE |
-I think it's kind of funny that nobody knows why Hamlet is so upset...gee, I wonder why, it's not like anybody he loved was murdered by his uncle (Claudius) and his mom (Gertrude) get married as soon as she could. Oh wait! that's what's going on.
-I understand why Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would want to tell Hamlet's uncle and mom about his emotional state but couldn't they just say "Your mom and uncle are worried about you. What's going on?"
-Why does Claudius want to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia? creepy. There's a thing called privacy.
-When Hamlet says, "and thus conscience makes cowards of us all", is he talking about the way Claudius reacted?
-Hamlet was an a**hole telling Ophelia to go to a convent so she could give birth to sinner.
-Polonius is kind of annoying because he is dumb

SCENE ||
- I'm impressed with Hamlet's intelligence in creating a play that shows whats going on in his life.
-If I were Claudius I would get the hint that Hamlet knows the truth.
-Does Horatio know about Claudius killing Hamlet Sn? How does he know? What does he think?

SCENE |||
-Claudius is right in being worried about Hamlet's actions.
-Claudius is an evil step dad, he just sends Hamlet to England...
-Does Claudius love Gertrude?
-Hamlet shows his trust for revenge when he is willing to wait to kill his uncle

SCENE IV
-Gertrude is a bad mother in agreeing with Polonius (I think)
-what is wrong with Gertrude that she didn't react to Hamlet killing Polonius?
-Did Gertrude helped Claudius Kill Hamlet sn? Does she suspect anything?


Thursday, October 24, 2013

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #3

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
The protagonist of this book is Antonio Marez. The setting is Guadalupe, New Mexico. His father, Gabriel Marez, a "vaquero" (cowboy), would like to see his son grow up and follow in the same path that he did, but Antonio's mother, Maria Luna (a devout catholic and daughter of farmers), would like Antonio to become a priest. When Ultima, comes to stay with the family, she teaches Antonio about the earth around him and the basics of her craft.  After watching Tenorio shoot Ultima's owl, her spiritual guardian, Ultima herself begins to die. She asks Antonio to bury her owl, and he does so in honor of Ultima. In the end we see how Antonio looses his innocence and becomes a grown up.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
A theme can be to be yourself and not let other people decide for you. (self-discovery?)

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The tone is one of comprehension.
 "I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her (Ultima) I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things"

"I could not lie. I knew he would find the lie in my eyes if I did. But maybe there were other gods? Why had the power God failed to cure my uncle?"

"The sun was good. The men of the llano were men of the sun. The men of the farms along the river were men of the moon. But we were all children of the white sun."

"There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, but Ultima says a mans destiny must unfold itself like a flower, with only the sun and the earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in it."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
Symbolism: Golden carp, Ultimas owl, Virgen de Guadalupe, the last name "Luna"
Diction: Anaya uses phrases and sayings that have spanaish words on it.
Direct Characterization: the way that Ultima is described
Indirect Characterization: the actions that Ultima does and the way people react to her.
Metaphor: the way Anaya says that the Lunas are people of the land and the Marez come from the sun.
Synesthesia: They way Antonio described the way the soil felt.
Aphorism: The way that Antonio's brothers acted when they come back from the earth.
motif: loss of innocence

Thursday, October 10, 2013

GREEN EGGS AND HAMLET

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?

I know that the phrase "to be or not to be" comes from a soliloquy that Hamlet says. Also that he is struggling with his feelings after his father died and his mom married his uncle (his dad's brother).

b) What do you know about Shakespeare?

I Know that he is the author of Romeo and Juliet, he wrote tragic dramas, and that his works are hard to understand.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?

Because Shakespeare has a bad reputation with students. When they hear his name, students connotate him with difficult to read plays that are boring. (is it just me?)

d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?

We can have disscusions to make sure we can understand the text and we can find the way to relate the play with our lifes.

LITERARY FICTION & EMPATHY (AP English)

."..after reading literary fiction, as opposed to popular fiction or serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence — skills that come in especially handy when you are trying to read someone’s body language or gauge what they might be thinking...The researchers say the reason is that literary fiction often leaves more to the imagination, encouraging readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity."

*This part of the article made me think about what I learned in my child developmental psychology. I learned that the female brain has a better connection between the two lopes, making them better at recognizing emotions. I think that since the number of women tested is unknown, there is a possibility that the reason that people were better at identifying emotions is because they were women.

*Since the expository class I'm taking focuses on nonfiction...should the curriculum be changed?

*When I read fiction or nonfiction, I feel sympathy towards the character regardless of the genre of the book.

*In the article it says, "Maybe popular fiction is a way of dealing more with one’s own self, maybe, with one’s own wants, desires, needs.” Does this mean that people who enjoy popular nonfiction are selfish and/or egocentric?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

LITERATURE ANALYSIS 2

Title: LUNA Author: Julie Anne Peters



1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

This book is about a transgender guy named Liam who calls him(her)self Luna. The exposition of the story
is portrayed as a series of flashbacks. The narrator of the story is Luna/Liam's sister. This book gives the reader an insight on the struggle that Liam and Regan go through in order for one another to discover who they really are.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

A theme of this novel is acceptance. This theme is present through out the whole novel because Luna wants to be accepted by society and specially his(her) father.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

A. Lucid (easily understood: "Her eyes found me and she smiled. An aura framed her, a glow."
B. wry: "Pretty. A word for girls. The way handsome described boys. Liam was right; people did use boy and language. They expected different behaviors. When kids acted out of role,' as Liam put it, they were labeled tomboys or Sissies. "
C. Didactic (inclined to teach): "This isn't a good-bye. It's hello. I think of it as a new beginning because that's what it is for me. A rebirth."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.) 

1. analogy: The butterfly in the cover is a metaphor between Liam and the "transition" he wants to experience.  "I want to be free. I want to transition."

2. Internal Conflict: "'no one will ever know the person I am inside. The true me. The girl, the women. All they see is this...this nothing.'....'Liam.' He let out a short laugh. 'Who's that? A caricature I've created. A puppet, a mime, a cartoon character. I'm this male macho version of a son that Dad has in his head.'"

3. External conflict: "Luna held her head high, waiting. Almost daring him to do it. seconds ticked away. Years. Then, slowly, Dad released his fist. My lungs collapsed. Luna reached for the door knob. 'Excuse me,' she said. Right in her ear, Dad said, 'If you walk out of that door, don't bother coming back.'"

4. Character vs self: "'Dad is my her. Doesn't he know that? I feel like I spend my whole life trying to prove it. "'

5. Foreshadowing: "'why did you dress at school?' I asked her. 'why did you have to do that?' She lowered her eyes. "You said it; I had to. I had to test myself. To see if I could go through with it. I needed to know that I had the self-confidence, the will to do it everyday."'

6. Flashback: "'Liam. Lia Marie. Please.' My eyes well with tears. Please."  His left hand reaches out and snags the football helmet beside him. He holds it up to me by the faceguard. Inside is a mound of pills. Blue, purple,orange, white. 'I can't do it," Liam says. 'I can't even do it. I can't do anything right. I'm wrong. All wrong."'

7. Point Of view: The point of view is by the sister of the main character. "You're such a freakshow.". ..'I Know,' she murmured in my ear. 'but you still love me, don't you?'. .. yeah, I loved her. I couldn't help it. She was my brother." (pg.3)

8. resolution: "I took a step back, then another. I turned around. I walked, walked faster. Ran. Toward the door. The Exit. The entrance. 'Good-bye, Liam'"

9. Dialogue: The whole book has dialogue..

10. symbolism: The butterfly in the cover symbolizes Luna's desire to be herself.


CHARACTERIZATION 
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
DIRECT:
1. "you are kind and generous, compassionate and caring." (Luna to Regan.)

2. "you are a strong and beutiful person."

INDIRECT:
1. " What would I do without you?" (Liam, Aly, and Elise to Regan.)

2. "I deliberately avoided taking classes taught by the teachers Liam had, since he was like their wunderkid.'


2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
Yes. When the author speaks about Liam, the tone is usually nostalgic because Liam in apathetic to the things that happened around him. When the author speaks about Luna, she uses words that portray confidence. 

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
If Regan is the protagonist, she would be a dynamic and round character. Through out the book Regan understands more the struggle that Liam goes through. 

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

After reading the book, I Feel like I know Luna as if I were here friend. I think it's because I have a friend who is a transgender and thinking of the struggles Luna went through, I can imagine what he went through. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

THE COMPARISON'S TALE

explain how at least one of the tales you learned about from other groups shared Chaucer's choices of style/theme/tone with the tale your group read.
I wasn't in class today so I have nothing to compare my tale to.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

TALE OF A CANTERBURY TALE

The Cook's Tale

Perkin Reveler was an apprentice from the same town as the cook. Perkin Reveler was a short, dark man, who sold food and loved to dance. He enjoyed the tavern more than the shop. Every time there was a procession in Cheapside, he would leave the shop immediately to go dance, and not return back to the shop. Perkin Reveler was also a thief, who often stole from his master. One day Perkin Reveler's master decided to let him go due to the fact that Perkin Reveler was a bad apprentice. However, Perkin Reveler was happy to have been let go because he was now free and was able to do as he wished. Reveler then met a companion who he had a lot in common with. His companion loved to dice, kept a wife for show, and had a shop.


1. Explain the central character of the tale by analyzing five (5) examples of indirect characterization. (Maria Luna)

1. "At every wedding he would sing and hop" This characterizes Perkin as a person who is loud and that liked to have fun.
2. "He loved the tavern better than the shop" This is saying that Reveler was lazy and he would rather party thab do his job.
3. "there was no apprentice in the town who better rattled dice and threw them down than Perkin Reveler" This shows that he was a gambler.
4. "his master easily had learnt this in the shop, for that is where he often found his box completely bare." This characterizes him as a thief.
5. "Who loved dice. to revel and disport." This characteristicwas used to describe Perkin's ally but since the cook said they were the same, on can imply  that Perkin was like this too.


2. What is Chaucer's purpose in telling this character's tale? Is he satirizing society, giving the voiceless a voice, or trying to accomplish a different goal? [Support your argument with textual evidence]
Chaucer's purpose in telling this tale is to ultimately show that people aren't always what they seem to be. I believe that Chaucer is trying to demonstrate the fact that one's character is based on their characteristics. The way one acts and presents themselves is who they really are as an individual. "He love to tavern better than the shop," indicates that Reveler did not enjoy working, but only liked to have fun.

I worked in the questions with MARISOL DUARTE