I am not a pro writer and struggling with analyzing a story. This week I realized I was summarizing and not analyzing as required for homework. I am looking forward to the feedback and constructive criticism so I can improve my analyzing skills and break through this block that I am having.
During my 11 year career, I have had a lot of feedback and constructive criticism, it has not always been easy to hear but I have listened, thought about it and then decided if I wanted to learn and grow from it. There has been many times that I did not always agree but always went back and replayed it in my mind. I have learned a lot and realized that I can not take it personal, the people that have given it comes from a good place and only want to see me succeed. I am an open-mind person and am trying to learn and grow with all of my experiences.
Thank you in advance for the welcomed feedback. Happy Friday!!
Friday, February 8, 2019
Topic Brainstorm: 4 Topics
Topic 1: From a piece of fiction choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project.
I would like to choose a female character from a story because I would like to see how the author creates, describes, and has the female play a part in the story. The female role will show how the author feels towards woman and can be a reflection how they feel in real life. Females did not often have a main role in a stories, they were not treated as equal as they are now. Different authors have different views and I will be able see how this author views woman.
Topic 2: Choose one short story or novel excerpt. Write a piece in which you explore: What does this story teach us about history?
I am choosing this as a topic because I would like to learn more about the California history and how the readings in this book tells a story. In two short weeks I have learned a lot about California's history. I live in a state that has tons of history that I do not know a lot about. I think we as people take things for granted, there is so much history all around us, we do not have to go far to find it, but we do not realize it and go searching for it. California is a place that many people come to live, because the possibilities, but many people that have lived here all of their lives do not see the possibilities and want to leave to search for a place that gives it to them.
Topic 3: Love, work, freedom, ect. Then choose two selections and discuss how that subject is discussed in those selections.
As I am reading I want to find two selections that focused on freedom and compare the two. Freedom was not always given, it depended on your race, sex, social status, etc. When I was a student in middle and high school, history was not a subject that I enjoyed, I did not learn as much as I should have. As an adult, I wish I would have focused and learned more. I am eager to complete these readings and learn as much as I can.
Topic 4: Think about a theme you see running through your life. Choose a reading that you think also discusses this theme. Explore connections between how the theme play out in your life, and how the theme gets played out in the reading.
I am not sure what story will follow a theme in my life, but I have had a lot of growth in the last year and continue to learn new things about myself. I have a different outlook in life, I am looking for the positive and how I can make a different in the world and be a good role model for my children and the children in my life. I am sure there will be a reading in this book, that will relate to me and write a project on. I am excited for this learning adventure I am on.
I would like to choose a female character from a story because I would like to see how the author creates, describes, and has the female play a part in the story. The female role will show how the author feels towards woman and can be a reflection how they feel in real life. Females did not often have a main role in a stories, they were not treated as equal as they are now. Different authors have different views and I will be able see how this author views woman.
Topic 2: Choose one short story or novel excerpt. Write a piece in which you explore: What does this story teach us about history?
I am choosing this as a topic because I would like to learn more about the California history and how the readings in this book tells a story. In two short weeks I have learned a lot about California's history. I live in a state that has tons of history that I do not know a lot about. I think we as people take things for granted, there is so much history all around us, we do not have to go far to find it, but we do not realize it and go searching for it. California is a place that many people come to live, because the possibilities, but many people that have lived here all of their lives do not see the possibilities and want to leave to search for a place that gives it to them.
Topic 3: Love, work, freedom, ect. Then choose two selections and discuss how that subject is discussed in those selections.
As I am reading I want to find two selections that focused on freedom and compare the two. Freedom was not always given, it depended on your race, sex, social status, etc. When I was a student in middle and high school, history was not a subject that I enjoyed, I did not learn as much as I should have. As an adult, I wish I would have focused and learned more. I am eager to complete these readings and learn as much as I can.
Topic 4: Think about a theme you see running through your life. Choose a reading that you think also discusses this theme. Explore connections between how the theme play out in your life, and how the theme gets played out in the reading.
I am not sure what story will follow a theme in my life, but I have had a lot of growth in the last year and continue to learn new things about myself. I have a different outlook in life, I am looking for the positive and how I can make a different in the world and be a good role model for my children and the children in my life. I am sure there will be a reading in this book, that will relate to me and write a project on. I am excited for this learning adventure I am on.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Week 2, Analysis: Closed Reading: About the House Girl
Why would Ifapi's father send her away to her aunt's house?
".it was foolish thought that you might continue to keep yourself from men and that the Flute Player of Rekwoi.... wish to marry you." When I read this part of the story, the story had fallen together for me. Ifapi's father sent her to live with her aunt near Patapir because he wanted her to marry him, it was his plan. At first I thought that Ifapir's father was not going to approve of her marriage to Patapir, but in fact he wanted his for many years.
"before you were grown and went away from me" Ifapi's father uses this to say when you were younger and lived at home, I felt he was trying to make her feel like who she chose as her husband was not what she was suppose to do and tell her that he does not approve of this man he has not hear anything about.
This passage elaborates on the background of the story, it helps build the climax. I thought the climax was when Patapir went and took Ifapi from her aunt's house, but once I read this part, this was the climax and it made the story connect and fall into place. All of the events of the story from when Patapir was little and played his flute and the music would travel up the river, to the details of Ifapi's shyness and stayed away from men, Patapir's interest in a girl across the river, he never met or even seen, these details build the story, that means to me that they were meant to be with another, it was like an arranged married from birth, but Patapir found his way to a woman that he had never met. Ifapi's saved herself for a man she never met, only heard his music.
“Tell me then - who is this man,
your husband – you must know, my child, that when I let you go away from me, it
was with the foolish thought that you might continue to keep yourself from men,
and that the Flute Player of Rekwoi might one day come to know of your being
chosen by the Leader and wish to marry you. I know his family, and perhaps you
have not forgotten how we used to listen together to his songs as they floated
up the river – before you were grown and went away from me.” pg 47-48
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Reading Notes, Week 2: About the house girl
Today's reading About the house girl, was a very interesting story and held my interest. I was able to visualize Patapir playing his flute and the music notes traveling up the river from the village of Rekwoi to the village of Merip. Ifapi was a described as a quiet, loving, gentle, shy young girl, who hid herself from men when they came to her father's home. She was sent to live up river with her aunt in the village of Rekwoi. Her aunt kept her in the home and she was not seen in town. Patapir's mother had spoken about the girl that lived up on the hill across the river from his home, however very little was known about her. The story describes how the unknown had caught his attention. "Patapir continued to think about her, wondering what she was like, wishing he might have a glimpse of her."pg 41 One day Patapir noticed two young woman across the river below the house on the hill, he crossed the river and met the girls, he then left them and went to the house on the hill, he was drawn to the house, "telling her how the smell of the seaweed had drawn him up the hill to her home." pg 41 He was given some seaweed and invited into the home. "And there, for the first time, he saw Ifapi." pg 41
Later that evening he went over to the other two girl's home and they all went in a canoe, there were 10 of them and they all paddled to a beach and watched a Life Renewing Dance. During this dance Patapir noticed that the assistant to the Leader was Ifapi, she did not look pale and sick. He watched her all night.
The next day he went to the home on the hill across the river, Patapir was invited into the home again and seen Ifapi, went to touch her shoulder to get her attention and was told not to touch her from the aunt. The aunt tried to tell him that she is sick and he told her that she was not sick, he had seen her the night before as the assistant to the Leader. The aunt asked him to step outside, so she could talk to Ifapi, he hesitated but did as he was asked. When he was called back in, "but the shadowed face was no longer pale and indifferent, but awake as at the dance."He told the aunt he was going to marry her that evening and then take her home to her father. Ifapi thanked her aunt for helping her. They married that night and then left in the morning to go up the river and to the village of Merip.
Ifapi's father was surprised to see her, and was not sure who she married since he had not heard of a man before. "It was as you say, my father. I hid from men, going only to the dancing, and I, too, thought always of the Flute player. At last, he saw the dancing and wished to merry me."pg 48 As a child Ifapi and her father would listen to the music from the Flute player down the river and her father's wish was Ifapi marry him one day. He was trying to save his daughter for the Flute player and she was also waiting for him, and he found her. The had children of their own and as a family would go to the Land-Beyond-the-World and Patapir would sing for many years.
Later that evening he went over to the other two girl's home and they all went in a canoe, there were 10 of them and they all paddled to a beach and watched a Life Renewing Dance. During this dance Patapir noticed that the assistant to the Leader was Ifapi, she did not look pale and sick. He watched her all night.
The next day he went to the home on the hill across the river, Patapir was invited into the home again and seen Ifapi, went to touch her shoulder to get her attention and was told not to touch her from the aunt. The aunt tried to tell him that she is sick and he told her that she was not sick, he had seen her the night before as the assistant to the Leader. The aunt asked him to step outside, so she could talk to Ifapi, he hesitated but did as he was asked. When he was called back in, "but the shadowed face was no longer pale and indifferent, but awake as at the dance."He told the aunt he was going to marry her that evening and then take her home to her father. Ifapi thanked her aunt for helping her. They married that night and then left in the morning to go up the river and to the village of Merip.
Ifapi's father was surprised to see her, and was not sure who she married since he had not heard of a man before. "It was as you say, my father. I hid from men, going only to the dancing, and I, too, thought always of the Flute player. At last, he saw the dancing and wished to merry me."pg 48 As a child Ifapi and her father would listen to the music from the Flute player down the river and her father's wish was Ifapi marry him one day. He was trying to save his daughter for the Flute player and she was also waiting for him, and he found her. The had children of their own and as a family would go to the Land-Beyond-the-World and Patapir would sing for many years.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Reading Notes, wk 2, The Creation
During this weeks reading, The Creation (Maidu), pg 23-35, I visualized the setting in my mind. In the beginning, "when this world was covered with water." I visualized being in a boat or floating device and looking around, all I could see was water. There were two characters, Earthmaker and the Coyote, later came the Meadowlark from the birds nest.
The reading continues to go on and describe how there was nothing around, until Earthmaker thought and sang songs about mountain ranges, and a little bit of land, he sang until he saw something like a birds nest. As he looked at it was small so he thought that it would be better if it was bigger, so as he thought of the ways it could get bigger, the small nest started to grow. I imagine a small humming birds nest and then watching it grow so that it covers the ground. The Meadowlark was in the small nest but as it grew, he stood on the land to later fly away and be the first creature to fly.
Then Coyote was told to laid on his belly to push out the land and make it grow larger, to cover large areas, so there would be places to travel. I imagine Coyote with his belly on the ground, and pushing out the land with his legs, in all directions, like when a dog lays flat on it's belly on the cold tile on a hot summer day.
Earth maker was now alone and started to create creatures, he made them two by two, each pair similar but a little different. During this part of the story I imagine a land that is empty but is slowing being filled with creatures, so they can grow and have children and a build a land of there own, where they have names and give things names. Each pair of creatures can have their own country and have there own foods, names and languages.
Once Earthmaker was done with creating the lands and creatures, he traveled to the middle of the world and built a house.
This story is about the creation of the world, from a place the Earthmaker imagined covered in water, to a birds nest, to stretching it out to make the land that covers the world, and creating creatures, using song and imagination.
The reading continues to go on and describe how there was nothing around, until Earthmaker thought and sang songs about mountain ranges, and a little bit of land, he sang until he saw something like a birds nest. As he looked at it was small so he thought that it would be better if it was bigger, so as he thought of the ways it could get bigger, the small nest started to grow. I imagine a small humming birds nest and then watching it grow so that it covers the ground. The Meadowlark was in the small nest but as it grew, he stood on the land to later fly away and be the first creature to fly.
Then Coyote was told to laid on his belly to push out the land and make it grow larger, to cover large areas, so there would be places to travel. I imagine Coyote with his belly on the ground, and pushing out the land with his legs, in all directions, like when a dog lays flat on it's belly on the cold tile on a hot summer day.
Earth maker was now alone and started to create creatures, he made them two by two, each pair similar but a little different. During this part of the story I imagine a land that is empty but is slowing being filled with creatures, so they can grow and have children and a build a land of there own, where they have names and give things names. Each pair of creatures can have their own country and have there own foods, names and languages.
Once Earthmaker was done with creating the lands and creatures, he traveled to the middle of the world and built a house.
This story is about the creation of the world, from a place the Earthmaker imagined covered in water, to a birds nest, to stretching it out to make the land that covers the world, and creating creatures, using song and imagination.
Friday, February 1, 2019
thoughts about time management strategies
I have thought a lot about what time management strategies I will use for this class and semester. I work full time and have a family, I have to set time aside to be successful this semester. For this class, I will complete my readings during my lunches and in the evenings after my family has gone to sleep. My goal to complete all of my readings for part A over the weekend before they are due and then work on part B during the week. I will be posting my blogs as soon as I complete the readings. I am also taking one night class on Thursdays from 6:40-9:50pm, on these days I will get off of work at 5pm, eat a little something and go to the library on campus to study and complete homework. I am looking forward to a successful semester.
Technology
This class uses a lot of different technologies, the only one I was familiar with before this class started was Google Docs. Since we have started the class this week, I have been using Blogger.com for our blog assignments and have started to feel a little more familiar with each assignment.
My only concern is making sure I am use all of the technology as required and not miss anything. My plan is to make sure I read the assignments closely and check off each part of the assignment as I complete them.
I am excited for the blogs, I am not very familiar with blogging, I read them when links lead me to them from other websites, but I do not follow any. The technology we use in this class with help me by expanding my knowledge of the Internet and additional useful websites.
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