Final Paper issue.

Is anyone else having trouble writing this paper?  I’m having a lot more troube than with any of the previous assignments because I’m just not sure what point-of-view we’re supposed to be taking.  I don’t know if we’re supposed to be writing like we are running some liberal arts college (for example saying “at my school we do it like this”) or if it’s supposed to be more like what we would do (“If I ran a school here’s what I’d do:”)  How are other people approaching this assignment?

recipe for a good society

now in response to the impending question from my previous post, who is supposed to help fix the problems

answer: Society

societies function is not to excell an individual but to have all excel, society should help itself, so let us bring back the good neighbor, toss in some responsibility, a dash of duty, a little compasion for fellow humans, a pinch of honor, a cup of truth, a tablespoon of common sense, 3 teaspoons of family value and a healthy serving of understanding (all measurements are not suggestive of actual amount, just a figure of speech) bake in the year 2008 and onwards and fluctating temperatures due to region and once that is done then, by jove, i think this world might be just a better place, becasue people will better realize that the only help you will get is if you give it, work together and something can be accomplished

whinning

this idea came to me in the blog about religion and the oval office.  I personally am rather annoyed with society today in that people think that it is the governments job to fix everything and all, but what the heck ever happend to the hard work ethic? you know work hard and it pays off, if the storm destroys your house, get back up and go at it, yes i understand that losing a house is devestating, but that is the time when you need to pull yourself together and be a freaking man, just what the hell happend to perserverance, determination, and duty, i mean for crying out loud, it is not the governments fault that a hurricane hit, yes they should help, but they are not a life line, and i don’t mean to come off as a person that doesn’t care for those that are homeless or don’t have much, but seriously, just do what you have to do and stop complaining, it isn’t the governements job to fix everything, if it was, then we clearly are not a democracy

do you speak american?

Why is it that our society talks the way it does? do we have a need to recipricate? Does our system of back and forth dialogue marganilize some? is there any true way in which to guage this? In addition to this i’m curous as to which regional dialect seems most “un-educated”? is it those from the south who speek slowly, those from the north who talk like they are from wooooster, or those from california who use rele strange dilect (hella, ricter/necter) not to mention being the breeding ground for such brilliant stars as paris hilton, or anyone from laguna beach. Why do we as a country hold preconsieved notions about those people from a certain region based upon their dialect? any thoughts, comments or more questions about the topic wold be appriciated.

Work Studies

While I was working today, it wasn’t very busy at all during my shift so I was quite bored, I came to wonder if our work studies really serve as more than place fillers on a resume? I mean, unless we go into some field related to our work studies, they’re really kind of pointless … Personally, I work at the circulation desk in the library and believe that knowing the Dewey Decimal system to be irrelevant to my career plans. What do you guys think about your work studies and their future impacts?

Response to Sakamoto’s essay

When I was reading the part about the author’s husband’s complaint after the first trip to America, I found out that the similar thing happened to me when I first came here. It was kinda funny because during dinner, my host family asked me alot of questions that it took an hour for me to finish my burger. In our country, people do not talk much while having meals. At first it was so awkward for me to talk much while I had something in my mouth. But now, I learned how to have conversation with someone at the dinning table.

After reading this essay, I have this question in my mind about the literacy with understanding the other cultures. The meaning of literacy can be so broad and I am wondering shall we put this learning about other cultures in “literacy” content. We somehow do learn about other cultures from the books that we read. And I think learning other cultures is necessary for us since in this modern world, we are not only interacting with someone from the same country with the same culture but also to the others with different cultures.  However, I am thinking that if we put it in literacy content, the question will be to which extent should we learn about that. Learning cultures will be so broad and somehow very difficult.

Any ideas about my confused thoughts?

Individual Differences Within a Classroom

Today in class, we discussed how much a teacher should consider students’ individual differences in their classroom and whether or not students should be treated differently based on those differences.

I found this to be a question for which I had a hard time forming an opinion. We are so used to having the same expectations on us as are on our classmates. In some classes, the expectations seem high and difficult for us compared to our peers. In other classes, the expectations seem low and easier for us to accomplish than they are for our peers. It’s hard to imagine how the system would work any other way.

Did anyone have any interesting thoughts about this that they didn’t share in class?

I know I caught myself wondering… How would things be different if teaching was done one-on-one (just you and your professor)? Your teacher could get to know your individual strengths, weaknesses, personality, and overall situation, and teach and challenge you according to that.

Without constantly comparing your progress in school to that of other students your age, how would your educational experience and you as a person be different?

What is a university for?

Well, we were discussing this in class and I’m curious as to everyone’s personal opinions. Menand argues that universities/ institutions of higher learning are becoming far too involved in the lives of their students. Does anyone agree with that? Does anyone disagree? I’m not too sure on which side of the line I stand.

Religion in the oval office

I was watching the presidential debate yesterdy(Obama won according to polls and pundents) and it was extremely borring. Anyway i was thinking about all of the issues and why is religion such a big part of the election, and yet at heart many americans vote with their bibles, torras(sp), or koran(sp). Why is this? I understand that a presidential figure needs to have a sence of morality however it seems somewhat rediculous that if i was of the faith of islam i would probubly not be ellected. WHY SHOULDN’T there be a true sepperation of church and state.

Cornell Mission Statement

Cornell, as we found out in class the other day, has a nearly 200 word mission statement which goes into detail of the school’s goals for our education and lives on the hilltop. While no school that I’ve looked at has what I would call a realistic mission statement, Cornell’s seems particularly out there. However, I see where they are coming from. It’s a MISSION statement. It’s not saying these are the things every student will/must have before leaving the school to go off and become the successful, independent person spoken of in the statement, it’s a goal. Like E.D. Hirsch’s cultural literacy list, I doubt anyone can actually attain all these wonderful characteristics, but since when is aiming high frowned on? Perhaps it idealizes the college experience and even the college itself, I will admit that I too rolled my eyes at all the rigmarole the first time through the mission statement, but looking at it in further detail, everything on that list is something I would like to attain. Maybe students (and faculty) should treat it like one of those chain emails that instruct you to print out this list of reasons why you matter and hang it on your fridge. It’s been proven that seeing your goals written down on a regular basis helps to keep them in mind, so why not keep our education and its worth in mind?