Blogging Around: iMedia "Disney Princesses Hot Role Models" and Connection "Collaboration in classroom and on the court"

Response to Fatima's post:

Fatima, right back at you, I like your post. Ever since I've watched that video last year, I have been thinking about how, though I never noticed it, Disney was secretly promoting the message of "Thin and big chested = pretty" and "Women need a man to save them from distress". However, like Bill, I don't think that these are the messages that the youth absorb. Personally, I have a lot of Disney movies and loved to watch all of them. When I watched them, I was very entertained and made me happy that there was always a happily ever after. I never, until now, noticed the size of the princess' hips, waist, and chest. All I recognized was that their faces were very pretty.
Also, another thing that I've noticed is that the characters used in disney are all white. Even in Aladdin, with Indian based characters, their skin is abnormally light for Indian skin color. However, I believe Disney has noticed this too and that is why they are making a movie called "The Frog Prince" that's main characters are black.
Fatima, I'm glad you posted about this issue. This is an issue that interests me and reminds me of my childhood. From what I've gotten personally and despite what I see now, the youth doesn't notice these things about the character's body or skin color because of their innocence and lack of knowledge. Great post Fatima

Reponse to Chelsea's post.

Chelsea, I must first start by saying that you are definitely right, teamwork is a concept that is very important in all sports and life in general. However, with your connection of teamwork being in the classroom, you could even go farther and say that one uses teamwork not only in group projects but during the whole school year.
If you think about it, each student in the class room has the common goal of learning the most they can and receiving good grades. In order to maximize your learning experience and accomplish your goals, you need a class that has similar goals and is willing to work together. A class that is interested in learning will learn more because their discussions will be more active, focused, and diverse because of the discussion’s many different participators. A class like that would maximize their learning experience, get better grades as a whole, and enjoy school a lot better than a class that would have only a few participated while some slept and others talked about what they are planning for next weekend.
Teamwork and the aspiration to learn must not only exist in the classroom but outside of it as well. Personally, when there are projects or homework assigned, I call a classmate and verify that due date and my interpretation of the directions. Collaboration between students outside of school is a good thing because it keeps everyone aware of what work they have to do and creates better relationships between classmates. I believe that if a class were able to use teamwork and set up a place where students could check homework and converse regularly, (similar to what we have on Ning) we would obtain better grades and enjoy our school experience much more.
Overall Chelsea, I like the post. Teamwork is not only important in the classroom and on sports teams, but it is important theme in life. The world would truly benefit on so many levels if its citizens would adapt teamwork and make it a priority. Teamwork is the single most important idea, and when performed, it makes the world and life that much better.

imedia: One-armed basketball player earns scholarship

Bing Video: One-armed basketball player earns scholarship

Having to think of a video that interested me and that I could successfully discuss, my mind, naturally, went back a week to the time when I was sitting in a orthodontist office, reading a sports illustrated. Looking through the various articles, one of them caught my eye. "Kevin Laue gets Manhattan scholarship" reading the title nothing didn't seem too special but after reading the article, I realized that he received a division one scholarship with only one arm. Frankly, I think getting a division I scholarship is already hard enough but with one arm? My mind began to wonder, "How could he shoot?", "Doesn't he have a hard time catching passes?". I was amazed that someone with that much of a physical disability was able to preform with elite basketball players. However, many of my questions of "How could he pull this off?" A lot of these questions were answered by something mentioned in the video and in the article, his work ethic. What an athlete may lack in athleticism or skill, can be made up by the willingness to work hard and always give a hundred percent. For Kevin, he knows that if he wants to accomplish his goals that, because of his physical disability, must constantly be outworking his opponents. It is also important to set goals if you're passionate about something. Kevin, as he explained in the video, has set manageable goals for himself that provides motivation for him and that he strives to achieve. Goals are important in general, not only in sports, because they give you something to work for and when achieved, give you a sense of accomplishment like nothing else.
Perhaps this video could answer another question of mine, why are sports important? What is the point of them, do they really matter? These were some questions that were brought up at a friends house by his mother and at the time, my friend's father and I were unable to give a storng answer. This lead me to think, why does it matter if the Bear's are winning or not? What's the significance of the Cubs winning the World Series. Who cares who wins the NBA playoffs? Actually, why do sports matter at all? After viewing this video I realize the answer, it's about recognizing the accomplishments of the players and athletes that put so much of there time and talent to achieve their goals. When watching sports on TV, we have to remember that those athletes are humans just like us, with wants, needs, dreams, and goals. Sports, though just games, are a place were many inspirational stories materialize and where athletes of many years achieve their goals for something they love doing, and it is important that we recognize this.
Reading this story, I was inspired and happy to see that despite a physical disability, this basketball player was able to achieve so much. It reminds me, and hopefully many others, to always try your best, and never quit when you have a dream. It also sends the message that just because you're disadvantaged, maybe severally or not as severally as Kevin, that it can't stop you from reaching your goals.

Connection:King Lear Technicolor Dream Coat

After tirelessly thinking of things to connect, I finally thought of something that I continue learn about on a weekly basis through my family, mass, and through my social studies textbook, Christianity. Searching for a story that I could relate to the situation of Edmund, Edgar, and Gloucester, I came across one of my favorite stories which is also a musical, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In both King Lear and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, there is a situation where sons are competing for their father’s love. In King Lear, Edmund, the illegitimate son, is jealous of Edgar because he is more loved by his father and is going to receive his property. Because of his jealousy, Edmund devises a plan to eradicate Edgar and leave him to be the sole inheritance of his father’s love and fortune. Though there are 11 jealous brothers instead of one, the situation is nearly identical in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joseph is the favored son that receives more than his share of his father’s affection and gifts. After receiving a wonderful coat, the brothers jealousy reaches an all time high. They decide, like Edmund did, that life would be better for them if he was eliminated and create a plan to oust Joseph from the family. After the brothers deceive their father and sell their brother off as a slave, they begin to receive the attention that they desired.
After Edgar and Joseph leave their families, they are forced to live their lives as a slave and a beggar. In King Lear, Edgar has to live as a beggar because he is wanted by the kingdom for false accusations. Living as a beggar and disguising his identity, Edgar comes it contact with a powerful and troubled king, King Lear. As a beggar, Edgar helps Lear through his troubles and becomes acquainted with the king. Similarly in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Joseph works as a slave for a great yet troubled pharaoh. As a slave, Joseph conducts favors for the pharaoh in the form of interpreting dreams. Pharaoh was grateful for having Joseph that he decided to promote him to governor. Over time, both Joseph and King Lear meet their families by happenstance and are asked a favor from them. With King Lear, Edgar sees Gloucester has lost his eyes and is asked to be his guide to Dover. In Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, the family asks Joseph for grain and food because they are starving. Later both families realize the identities of their brother/son and ask forgiveness from him.
Understanding this connection is important because it helps be realize the relation and pattern of event that have taken place within Edgar’s family. Seeing this connection, one might think that Shakespeare himself was a devout Christian (which I doubt). These stories, characters, and character relations are truly more alike than different. Overall, I believe that these stories have identical characters and follow a pattern of events that make both an interesting literature piece and bible story.

Dialectics: Religion and Hatred

When one thinks of religion, one might think of worship, praise, togetherness, but never of hate. After looking deep into the similarities between these two topics, I have undiscovered that they are more alike than different.
Starting with their origins, religion originated a little after the creation of humans. At that point in time, religion served the purpose of explaining why the world is the way it is and any thing else that they couldn't figure out. Along with the creation of religion and humanity, hate also brewed among the human population as well. Hatred comes in many different forms and many different reasons. Some examples of hate include jealousy, hate of differences, hate of personality, hate of ideas, and hate of image.
Not until the emergence of multiple global religions did hatred and religion begin to combine. For example, with the emergence of Christianity, authorities began to hate the image and ideas of Jesus Christ. People as well began to dislike those who converted and the converted began to resent those who didn’t. Because religion is such an important and strong idea in the life of a human, it brings about strong emotions, such as hate. As time continues, the situation doesn’t change, and though Christianity supports “Love one another”, Christians all over continue to hate and challenge those who refuse to convert.
Like Christianity, Judaism also begins to serve as a reason to hate one another. Since their existence, Jews have received oppression where ever they have lived. Whether they have lived in Russia, Nazi Germany, or Europe they have received hatred and oppression because of their beliefs, image, and most importantly, their differences. In some situations, like during the Middle ages, Jews were expelled and persecuted. The hate and oppression didn’t change until the 19th and 20th centuries, where the intensity of the hate increased. During this time, Jews were being killed by the masses just because of the religion they followed. The long history of oppression has caused the Jews today to strive for a country of their own. Trying to obtain this country has led them into a long-lasting war with Palestine. Jews, today, now hate the other side because of their nationality and what they stand for. Likewise, Palestine and many of the other Middle East countries now hate the Jews for taking their land and oppressing their people. It’s amazing to think that religion, such a wonderful and important thing in most peoples lives, started this world of hate that exists today in the Middle East.
The situation is also identical with the religion of Islam. Islamic people are isolated from non-Islamic people. The distance between them and because their religion labels the people that don't worship Islam as "sinners" causes Muslims to dislike or hate the people that don't worship Islam. Today, Muslims have an enormous amount of hate against the American non-Muslim population and because of their hate, they have started a war against America.
Understanding that hate often comes from religion makes religion seem less productive and peaceful than it is. Religion, though by itself it’s a harmless idea, creates differences of beliefs, views, and customs between people. These differences turn to hate when people judge each other based on their religious views. Overall, recognizing that religion creates differences that lead to hatred between people is important and shows that religion, despite its benefits, might have a negative effect on the Human population.

Metacognition: Metromedia Cable Project

When having to think of a project that I had to use metacognitive skills, I thought back to my most recent math project, the Metromedia Cable Project. For this project, we had to solve a difficult math problem and come up with a creative way to present your work and findings on the problem.
Upon getting the project I immediately spoke to the teacher asking what she was looking for in the final product, or in other words, I clarified the directions and tasks of the project. The second metacognitive skill I used was organization, a skill that I often lack. With the help of my tutor, I broke the project into manageable steps that I could tackle on a daily basis. The breaking down of work prevented procrastination and made the project easier to tackle. Next, using the Internet, I searched for multiple sources that answered my questions about the problem and brought new ideas for the finished project. By using the Internet to answer questions, I used my metacognitive skills to comprehend the material. With the ideas that I gathered online and the ideas that materialized in my head, I needed a way to determine which ideas were the most important and therefore I should include and then organize them into the project's format. I found it difficult at first to visually put the ideas together in a flowing cohesive pattern. However, by self-talking and hearing my ideas out loud, the ideas came together metacognitivly. By applying these effective metacognitive skills, I was able to efficiently and successfully complete the assignment.
However, not all my metacognitive skills were put to good use. For example, I cease to review directions or plan out my ideas via outlining before starting. Without a proper plan or revision of the directions, I often find my self deviating from the given instructions and repeating myself. As a result, what I turn in sometimes is not what the teacher is looking for. Even without planning for the Metromedia Cable project, I was luckily able to follow the criteria and receive my desired grade. The metacognitive skill of planning is a skill that I have yet to master. Projects might also be easier to finish if I could isolate myself from other noises or distractions. Even while doing this blog right now, I am in the kitchen hearing my mom watch TV and my brother play guitar. If I could find a quieter work place then perhaps my train of thought would not be disrupted quite as often resulting in better focus on the task that I'm assigned. At the point of time when I am able to create a plan and isolate my work area for every project, will be the time when essays and projects alike will become a much simpler task. By harnessing all of the mentioned metacognitive skills, I will have become a more efficient, organized, smarter, and focused student.

Blogging Around

Alex, I'm glad you commented on the issue of the war in Afghanistan. Looking at what you wrote, it seems you have a similar opinion to that of Mr. William's. I too believe that it is our not our business to be in others affairs. However, I agree with NATO Secretary-General that we need to stay there "as long as it takes to finish our job". Hopefully "Our job" is to rid Afghanistan of the terrorist organizations and set up a working political system, but we don't know. I believe that after gaining control of Afghanistan, to have different results than the Russians and the Taliban, that NATO must follow up and create a working government. Overall, I agree that we must finish what we started but finish it in a way that we don't mess up the end game.

Darrell I cannot help but agree wholeheartedly with you on this issue. The technology today, thought it has its benefits, it really distorting the meaning of "Identity". Like you say Darrell, Facebook and other technologies are creating a virtual world in which you can easily alter your identity to your pleasure. This is a growing problem because identities are so easily created or changed it is hard to truly know who anyone is or what they stand for anymore.
One point that you've made that I've seen made before is the point of how technology is destroying the art of communication. As Mrs. Bergmann, my 6th 7th and 8th drama teacher once said, "With all of this technology, our youth is in jeopardy of losing all arts of communication, like facial expressions, sarcasm, hand gestures, and any other added emotions". I begin to see what she means as now as I am talking to you, Darrell, on a lifeless, emotionless blog post. The way you say things is often more important than what you say. i.e. "Darrell you are so smart" am I being serious or sarcastic right now? Overall, I believe the loss of communication and the too simple way you can end relationships make friends, and define yourself with a couple clicks offsets the benefits of today's technology.

Connection: Stand By Me

I have noticed that this book is really similar to the movie The Kite Runner. The characters have almost identical personalities and are face with very similar problems.

Just Kidding!

After watching the 1986 film Stand by Me over the weekend, I couldn't help but resemble it to Khaled's Hosseni's The Kite Runner. But how could an old American fictional narration and a new popular fictional Afghani memoir be any thing alike? What, if anything, could they share in common?

First off, as one might have noticed, they are both fictional first person stories. Both are told in the same way that allow the author to truly engage the viewer in the story and make the story more meaningful and real to the viewer on a personal level. As a viewer, this perspective of story telling allows the viewer to relate to the main character and go through his problems as if there were his own.

Besides the perspective of The Kite Runner and Stand by Me, both have similar characters and the characters have similar roles in the story. Starting with Amir and the other main character Gordie, they both are good writers. Both, in their respective story, love to write and have a specific talent for it. Also, both of the characters have negative and awkward relationships with their fathers. Amir because of Baba's secret, and Gordie because of his brother's death. Both Amir's father and Gordie's father pay little attention to their sons and never acnowledge or show interest in their talent for writing. Though there is no friendly encouraging Uncle to Gordie, there is a Rahim Khan figure who is also is his brother. In the story, supports Gordie's passion for writing by complimenting him and constantly advertising it to his family and friends all the while his father thinks of writing as a waste of time and a silly thing to do. This situation is very comparable to that of Kite runner as both main characters receive a lack of interest in their writing from their father's but encouragement from other family in their writing. Continuing further, we can see that both also have confidence issues. Both when it comes to advertising their writing and standing up to bullies.

Like the main characters, the bullies in the stories are similar. Both Assef and Ace are blond haired blue eyed bullies aided by loyal but not always agreeing cronies (both start with A too :)). Also, each bully has a weapon that they are known for having and puts fear in the main character's eyes and the eyes of others. For Assef, it is the brass knuckles: For Ace, it is the switchblade. Each weapon is distinct to the bully and makes each encounterment with the main character more suspenseful and frightening. Both bullies also are a great source of fear in the main characters' lives and pick on them until they are stood up to by the main characters.
The character similar to Hassan is the character Chris. Chris is the best friend of Gordie and defends him as if he was his brother. He, on numerous occasions, stands up for Gordie when the bully, Ace, picks on him, thus, like Hassan, he receives the punishment for the main character.

One scene in the movie that screams resemblence to that of the book The Kite Runner, is the one of the final scenes of the movie where Ace, like he promised, finds and is ready to hurt Chris and Gordie for getting away earlier from him unharmed. However, for the first time in his life, Gordie stands up for himself and Chris by holding a gun to Ace and telling him to leave. Eventually Ace leaves and Chris and Gordie are safe. I related this scene to the scene in the book where Amir finally stands up against Assef and Assef is threatened to stop when the slingshot is held to his head. However, in this story, the weapon is held not by the main character but instead his loyal friend's son Sohrab.

Overall, these two stories are more alike than they are different. With similar characters, similars scenes, similar character relations and roles, and a similar format and perspective. Though the comparisson to the movie the Kite Runner might be stronger, the comparisson to the book, The Kite Runner, and the movie, Stand by Me, are not too far behind. All in all, The Kite Runner and Stand by Me, despite their different time periods and area the stories take place, are connected, and because of that, help to understand the author's message and emotions.

P.S. Watch the movie and you will see what I mean :)

The Best of the Week: Assef and Why?

Having to think of a time this week when I was truly interested in a conversation in class didn't take me a long time. After all, Friday's conversation of Assef was not that easy to forget. I specifically remember our class talking about how we agreed with Amir that Assef falls into the category of a sociopath. This was about the time Roman argued that Assef was not a sociopath because he was aware of the pain his actions gave others. The more I thought, the more I agreed with Roman.

Sociopathic: Unconcerned about the adverse consequences for others of one's actions.

Frankly, that is not Assef. Assef clearly means to hurt others when he says things. "I'll let you keep [the kite] so it will always remind you of what I'm about to do. "I'll ask the president to do what the king didn't have the quwat to do. To rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, kasseef Hazaras." These quotes from Assef may show hatred and confused views on race and equality but they obviously don't show signs of a sociopath. Hatred, especially, is the emotion that has ruled Assef and has made him into the source of others pain. But how and why did this source of hate come to materialize in Assef's life?

This is where another argument took place about "Nature vs. Nurture". Was it the environment that shaped Assef or was it his DNA that made him what he was? Though genes may help decide who you are, I believe that it is the environment that shapes you. Assef is obviously a bully that knows no limits. Searching for the "Why" we go back to the section of the book when Amir meets Assef with his parents. In the conversation, it's apparent that Assef both physically and emotionally dominates over his parents. This lack of control over Assef allows him to have no limits and gives him the sense of power that he craves. Nature can also explain Assef's particular strong dislike for Hazarans and his affection for Hitler. During Assef's life, Afghanistan is constantly in a state of conflict between the Pashtuns Hazarans and other ethnic groups. The fighting must have had a negative impact in Assef's life causing him to resent Hazarans and wanting to eliminate them from Afghanistan. This is similar to what happens to Baba during the Soviet invasion. When the Russians invade Afghanistan, Baba and Amir are forced to flee and live the next years of their lives in filthy conditions. There, Baba sees children and people he knows raped or dead. After this experience, Baba maintains his hate against all Russians throughout his life, and when he is referred to a partly Russian doctor, he refuses to cooperate. Something similar also happens to Hitler during World War One. During the war, the conditions and the economy in Germany were extremely bad. Many people starved to death. Hitler, however, observed that the Jews in his town were still succeeding during this depression and he hated them for it. You know what happens next. Many times, it is the environment that decides who you become. In Assef's, Baba's, and Hitler's life the environment creates extreme racism. The environment in which you live and the people that surround you are the key contributing factor in what you become.

The Best of the Week:

Carry it forword; Kite Runner

I had only heard reviews of Kite Runner before starting the book, but through reading and discussing it in class, I have witnessed a powerful story and message it conveys. After the first few chapters, the story has snatched me into its intriguing characters and plot. During chapters 7, 8, and 9, Hoseinni has had me yelling of built up frustration at Amir and almost in tears of pity for Hassan. But almost more important then the emotions I had was the lesson I learned.
In the book, the main character, Amir, is faced with the dilemma of letting his best friend and Hazaran servant, Hassan, take the beating for him once more. In the end Amir decided that Hassan was not his friend but a servant and that he was to much of a coward to fight his own battles. Throughout the book there is a trend of Amir failing to stand up for his friend and speak his mind. Time and time again Amir chooses not to act and lets others decide what happens. Ultimately it causes Amir to loose a good friend in Hassan. Malcolm X best describes the lesson I learned in these chapters when he says "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything." Constantly, Amir lets the bully, Assef, choose for him what he stands for, who his friends are, and what he stands for because of his lack to stand up for himself his friend, or for that much, anything. Fortunately, by taking this quote and lesson and applying it into my own life I am able to not make the same mistake as Amir. Though I might not be faced with as extreme situations as those of Amir's, this lesson can still be applied to my life as well. When I am faced with situations in school similar to Amir's, I will be sure to stand up for what I believe in: religion (Christianity), family, friends, peace, equality, anti-racism, anti-judging, and fairness. Not only will I have to defend these ideas but it is also my responsibility to promote them as well. In my life I hope to represent all of these ideas and have others share my beliefs. The spreading of these ideas could be done by word of mouth, a speech, a book, an essay, or even a blog post :). Overall it is important for both Amir and I to know that we need something to stand up for and represent what we believe in or we will let others, like Assef, choose our beliefs and ultimately, choose our lives.