Whew! I am almost done with this race. It has been one of the most intense educational experiences I have ever had. With four other classes and the necessity to pass this class in order to receive my BA from Cal State Bakersfield in two weeks there was no day off, no slacking off in work effort, and therefore little time to breathe between assignments each week.
I really thought that English 103 would be a cake-walk as I had always excelled in most of my previous English courses. However, from the moment I began reading our text “Exploring Language” I knew I was in for a different ride. What our professor demanded from me was to move outside my comfort zone and explore more of the world around me from different perspectives.
Beginning with Chapter 9 in our text I was challenged to think about issues that had no acute relevance in my life. I have never been the brunt of sexual or socially implicit jokes or discrimination (that I was aware of, at least). I very seldom had listened to or had taken part in political discussions in the past. I became aware through our readings just how varied the languages of our people are and how powerful language can be in the hands of the right or wrong person. I am not remotely interested in the current technological advancements that as far as I can tell serve only to alienate us from the true interpersonal relationships that are so very necessary to sustain real communication. Perhaps the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my disinterest in spending so much time focusing on Iran. The reason for my ambivalence was largely the result of our country getting in and out of bed with others countries so often for profit, something I still feel I have no control over. Even if I was to vote for the person who best represented my interests on Election Day, when it is all said and done politics will go on as usual with no major changes in foreign policy. It seems so strange to think the country my father spent six months in updating a country’s the air force has now become our number one enemy.
I would like to congratulate my on-line classmates for their mature demeanor in the various discussions we all participated in each week. I know I experienced frustration waiting to jump in with a response to a post that I knew something about. Formulating that question at the end of each post proved harder than I thought it would be. Sometimes I felt like students asked for answers that required too much work; other questions seemed redundant. I was always thankful that someone chimed in with their two-cents-worth to keep the ball rolling.
Blogging really brought out the best in everyone. Again, I appreciated the mature and insightful feedback and comments I received on mine each week. At first I was hesitant to expose myself in my writing but then got used to “the freedom of speech.” Perhaps that is why our professor had us blog; so that we could understand just how powerful and personal writing can be. All of your blogs were brilliant. All of us have a gift of one sort or another that should be shared with the world. I wish you all the best in your writing or otherwise endeavors. I extend this wish to our former comrades-in-keyboard that bailed out of this race before it was over as well.
Your title made me laugh. Especially since you mentioned how you did not like the assignment about Iran. That comment and the title just fits so well. In my opinion, I'm glad that the professor assigned us the reading about women in Iran. It was crazy to find out how ignorant I was about that subject. I did not know that Tehran is in Iran. Ain't that silly of me? I never knew that women there HAVE to wear veils. I thought it was just a choice. Anyways, I enjoyed the EL book. I never focused on advertisements and their fallacies that can deceive consumers. I never really understood how intelligent Dr. King was until I read his speech. I never knew how amazing language can be. Bottom line, I was really ignorant about so many things. Yes, there’s A LOT of work that we had to do in this class, but look how much knowledge we gained from it. I’ve said so many times that I hate English class, but I will admit that I do cherish the education we gained here. I don’t think that I ever had an English teacher that teaches the way our professor does. I ranted so many times as well (lol), but I know that our professor knows that even though we rant us much as we want, we are still learning what she wants to teach us.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blog, I really liked how you address the issues of technology, “the current technological advancements that as far as I can tell serve only to alienate us from the true interpersonal relationships that are so very necessary to sustain real communication.” People often cannot find things to talk to about as before since the growth in technology over the years, observing people is what I do and important in my career. It is really amazing to see people struggle with issues of communicating. It rubs me the wrong way when individuals are constantly on their data phones. It’s a real problem on my relationship maybe that is why I want so badly to grab my fiancés phone and chuck it (hahaha). I will be happy when we at the River next weekend since there will be signal.
ReplyDeleteFormulating questions in the discussion boards was difficult some of the questions seem the similar to the ones before. I was so reluctant posting on boards and really did not see what the purpose was for them in actuality. They mimicked what the postings or references from the blogs. Though I wished I would have posted more often because I just thought they were not required and they always slipped my mind. Then when I went to respond the few times I did the questions were …well you get it.
Either way congratulations on making it out from the trenches.
I was really not sure what to expect from this class. I did not expect a “cake walk” but I definitely did not think that this class would be so intense either. I also have four other classes, and I am thankful that none of them have been as demanding as this course has been. If any of the other classes that I am trying to complete this semester had a similar work load, I would have not been able to avoid dropping the ball somewhere. In fact, I was behind on parts of this class somewhat early on, but I came up with an agenda that streamlined my efforts so that I could balance everything in a way that allowed me to complete my weekly assignments on time. I learned many things from this class, but being forced to re-organize my work schedule and get the job done is at the top of the list. I will use this throughout the rest of my college career, and in my future career as a teacher as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sending out the congrats to us all, and congratulations to you on completing this class and on earning your degree. Good luck!!!