Iran, Iran, Iran As Fast As I Could...

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.

Boot Camp 103: It's All About Practice

I have been working with an emergent reader in a Kindergarten class this past three months to finish up my minor in Elementary Education.  I have also had the opportunity to work with some of the other members of the class of 31 children, only ten of them being girls.  (Seriously, if you didn’t groan after reading that last sentence you need to spend some time in a Kindergarten class.)  Needless to say, it has been an interesting experience.  One thing has been made very apparent during this exercise besides the fact that I do not want to teach children of this age.  The children who practice reading and who are read to are much farther ahead phonologically and phonetically and have a greater chance of future academic success. 

            I believe I can say that everyone in this junior college English 103 class who somehow found the stamina to stay the course has improved their writing and critical thinking skills by the sheer volume of work that has been required.  I have experienced both a hatred of all the work at the same time appreciating it all wasn’t the same.  Through the varied forms of writing applications I have become more flexible in my own style of communication.

It has been such a struggle for me to write in a personal manner because the majority of my major classes in the study of child development have revolved around the application of developmental theories and/or observations of children in various settings.   Coursework of this nature is definitely more analytical than critical.   I am afraid the MLA format will forever seem like a foreign language.

I have also been challenged technologically creating blogs.  Sure, I could have just posted my bit on a blank screen, but I chose to add a design.  For the life of me I never was able to pick my design, apply it, and return directly to my post.  I have to hit the return key over and over again to get there.  I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see it work out. 

The timed essay almost caused me to have a panic attack.  And I was prepared!  I do not enjoy writing in this fashion and do not see its reason.  Thank goodness there is only one more of that type of assignment left to do.  At least it is over after a couple of hours, unlike the group work projects that I was always waiting to respond to.

Authors write for a variety of reasons, many of which we have explored this past semester.   Of course, we read and write to be entertained or to entertain others.  But that isn’t what this class is about.  It is about writing to inform or to persuade.  An area of my writing that has drastically improved as the result of constant submersion in our texts and writing exercises is my capacity to be more explicit and thorough in whatever information I am imparting to my audience.  In the past I have tended to either ramble on and on, never really tying up a paragraph.  I used to include vague references to things that hadn’t anything to do with my topic sentence or thesis.  The critiques offered by our instructor and my peers have helped me hone my writing to its purpose.   My writing has definitely improved because of this boot camp.

Onto The Finish Line!

  
Whew! I'm finally finished with my research paper for this class.  And if you believe that, I have some beachfront property I'd like to sell you in Victorville...

I, unfortunately, have to go to Victorville tomorrow to attend a civil court hearing.  It's one of those "show up at 8:30 AM and we'll take you in alphabetically" days.  It seems my niece is taking my sister to court in the attempt to place a restraining order on her.  Of course, my sister wasn’t notified about the court appearance until this afternoon.   My niece probably waited until the last possible moment hoping my sister couldn’t get the day off from work.  It is widely known that if one party is not present during the proceedings the judge will usually rule in favor of the party that is present.  I'll be there for moral support, for my sister.  My niece should have her children taken away from her until she gets herself cleaned up (and out), so we have CPS in the picture as well.  Should be a lot of fun.

I might as well be there as I haven't received a book from Barnes and Noble that holds the key to my paper.  I paid for expedited shipping in hopes it would have been here early this week.  I have other papers to look at, but I really need this book. 

I chose the second option to research.  The whole Iran thing is way out of my comfort zone so I have really been struggling to get my head and heart into this project.  I am taking five classes as many of you are.  I graduate from Cal State Bakersfield in June so I am really busy with senior seminar and credentialing course work. 

Anyways, I know this post isn’t as long as required, but I really don’t see the point of whining about it in light of the personal issues my family is facing.  The paper will eventually get done.  They always do, somehow.

I Don't Email...Much

            I don’t know if I ever would be as dependent on using the Internet as I have become if it hadn’t been for my daughter’s illness.  When she was eleven years old, her jaw was broken while playing soccer.  Unable to find a local doctor that could alleviate her constant pain, I turned to my contacts, all fifteen of them at the time, for suggestions on where to go for help.  My mass emailing effort was then sent to their contacts and eventually I was led to a hospital where she was diagnosed with RSD.  For the purpose of this blog I won’t go into the ins and outs of the disorder.  But I will tell you it is a horrible neurological problem that she might have committed suicide over if not for the assistance of a certain individual I “met” online.

            I generated that particular email in response to a need, which is the primary reason I initiate emails in the first place.  It was formal, but definitely showed how desperate I was.  Some other reasons I might email do not convey such dire emergency scenarios, but might escalate to an issue if my husband doesn’t stop by the store on the way home from work to pick up that ingredient I need for dinner that night.

            Another reason I might communicate on line would be to respond to something I might have purchased, let’s say, from Half.com.  If what I purchased does not meet the description of the material promised by the seller, I am all over that site, especially if it takes forever to get to my doorstop.  I recently purchased a textbook from a seller in Virginia.  It made its way to Bell, California, but then detoured to Missouri before arriving at my house.  Gotta love the postal service.

            Other reasons to communicate would be to interact with a friend to set up a lunch date or a hike (most preferred).   A typical “conversation” would go something like this: “Heh, you free on Friday?  Some trekers should be coming through on Bouquet Canyon.  Thought you’d like to talk with them.  Let me know.”

            The least favorite of on line communication is when I demand answers.  I am very formal and can admit to being on the verge of rude if I perceive being taken advantage of.  Cordiality normally reigns, thankfully, so I usually get a quick response.  However, I like to think a lot before I write and proofread before I hit send.  It has sometimes taken me a full half-hour to write a three sentence paragraph before I do so.  There is nothing worse, at least to me, than seeing a reply to my original email and noticing I have misspelled a word.  Guess I am sort of a perfectionist, or so my children tell me. 

            My most favorite form of communication is forwarding jokes or other useful information to my best friends.  I suppose this isn’t formal communication per se, but the recipients of my email at least understand I am thinking of them, which after all, is the purpose for communication in the first place, yeah?

Less Is Not Better

Less Is Not Better

            I came across a political cartoon by Ted Rall in the Opinion LA section of the LA Times from February 2, 2011.  I thought it apropos to use for my blog this week in light of the upcoming rally to protest the inevitable slashing of classes at our community college:

            According to Gerberg, editorial cartoons relay instantaneous communication of a funny idea.  I must admit, this particular cartoon does not make me laugh; it makes me shake my head in disgust because of its reality.  Our Antelope Valley Community College is one of the 112 community colleges in post-secondary educational institutions that served more than three million students this past year, a figure that rose by 400,000 over the past five years.  Yet, in the next two years these campuses will face budget cuts from $840 million up to $1 billion.  So much for moms returning to school, eh? 

He goes on to point out several other elements of editorial cartoons (EC) that I see present in this picture:

·       An EC implies what might happen next.  It can be implied by noticing all the “closed” signs in the background and the man displaying all the digital classes in his overcoat that education will be more expensive, as well as taught outside the campus environment.

·       When we look at this EC we see a modern mini drama unfolding right before our eyes.  It depicts the current battle that is being waged between administration and teachers/students.

·       The cast of the EC, being the female student and the man selling classes, are specific and easily recognized.  The girl is holding her coffee, something you often see on campus.  The man looks very sketchy, very gangster-like, which characterizes the actions of those at the top who seek to steal education from the public.

·       Of course, dialogue is a critical element of the EC, although one could ascertain the intent of the author by looking at other elements in the picture.  It is specific to this level of education; Algebra 202, European Lit 104…The setting is also in a specific place, that being a student service building, and Rall does a good job of illustrating how it will look after Sacramento has its way.  Every area has a closed sign on it.  I especially enjoyed the “all out” label on philosophy.  Whose system of values are we entertaining by raising the price of education while at the same time offering fewer classes?  The other good one was the sign on the bursar.  It seems ironic that so many people are basically giving everything they have to education to the point that it seems as though they are paying for school with their own blood.  That won’t be good enough in the days to come, so the cartoon “says”.

·       The operative element in the cartoon is the sign hanging that says “Registration.”   Gerberg calls this a visual cliché, something that the cartoonist violates in his drawing.  If Brown gets his way, the sign might as well be taken down.

   

           

Clean It Up, Please

            I remember taking a group of fourth-graders and their parents on a hike in our local mountains.  It was in the spring of 2007; the snowpack had finally melted to point that made it possible to cross the river to get to the trailhead.  The previous winter had, unfortunately wiped out a large section of the trail, so after hiking for about an hour it was necessary to backtrack to lower ground.  But the day was still young and the kids were still wound up.  As the leader of this excursion I was bound and determined all would have a good time before we had to return to school.

            I decided to explore the forest up the creek a bit while people ate their lunches.  It was a bit tricky because the water was still rushing fast from the snowmelt.  Several trees had fallen into the path of water creating mini-waterfalls.  They had also formed a wonderfully deep swimming area, complete with a huge log you could walk out on that was perfect for facing off against an enemy as you tried to remain standing.   You truly did not want to be thrust into such cold water, so the competition was fierce, especially with the dads who had come up the creek and were trying to out-perform the other dads in front of the class.  It was a perfect place.  It was a perfect day.

            The next year I arranged another hike around the same area in hopes of a repeat of the fun experienced there before.  To my eternal dismay, that same poolside area up the creek was littered with beer bottles and trash.  There were so many cigarette butts scattered on the ground it is a wonder a fire hadn’t started.  I picked up as much trash as I could carry out and left that place knowing it would never be the same again. 

            It is a shame that some show such disregard for what most other people consider a basic right of humanity, like breathing fresh air.  I grew up in a smoker’s home and didn’t know what I was missing until I spent some serious time away from that environment.  Nowadays even the smallest whiff of tobacco smoke sends me into a distress mode that brings me close to removing the cigarette from its owner’s mouth or hand and snuffing it out by foot.  How dare that person subject me to the effects of second-hand smoke.

            I’ve come across recent news articles on the subject of tobacco in which I find the public at large, as well as government and health organizations, are feeling my pain and are trying to enact laws that extend the current smoking ban in workplaces, restaurants, and bars to outdoor arenas.  Scarborough, Maine now bans all tobacco use, including chew and snuff, from all town beaches.  Violators will be fined $100 to $500 (1).  This response is due to the high number of cigarette butts found at beach sites.   Cigarette butts are the #1 form of pollution of Canadian coastlines (2).  Sarasota, Florida and Greensboro, North Carolina are working towards banning smoking at all city parks as well as eliminating all designated smoking areas (3).  Many of these bans have to do with aesthetic values of the environment and are just. 

            But what about the health implications of second hand smoke?  Studies conducted by the Office of the Surgeon General and Centers for Disease Control estimates 1,700 non-smoking residents in North Carolina die each year of diseases associated to second-hand smoke (3).  The CDC tells us 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke each year; another 8.6 million live with serious illnesses caused by smoking.  54% of kids between 3-11 years old are exposed to second-hand smoke (4).  Why should we allow this to happen?

            Some say our “nanny” government is taking away personal freedom to make choices and that no one owns the air we breathe.  Others offer argument whether the sensitivities of a small minority of people should justify changing public policy (5).  I think these people must have a loose wire upstairs given the overwhelming statistics that point to the health problems that result from second-hand smoke.   If you want to kill yourself, go right ahead.  Just don’t take me with you, please.

(1)  http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-Scarborough-beaches-Tobacco-ban.html

(2)  http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/269018

(3)  http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/04/24/article/smoking_ban_could_expand;

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110417/BREAKING/110419544

(4) http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/osh.htm

(5)http://www.nycclash.com/OutdoorDebate.html

The Way of the Future

            I have to congratulate educators of our youth’s awareness of news media biases.  Kids these days pick up on the selling aspect of news broadcasting.  People enjoy watching conflicts and consider harmony boring, so news media delivers this product to its viewers with emphasis. Kids also understand the pictorial angle is important and that it can manipulate viewers.  Promotions with catchy tunes and coverage of daring reporters being filmed near the line of fire give stations an aura of ubiquitousness and foresight.  They also know journalists can sensationalize the most insignificant piece of news, creating controversy and drama.

            Let’s not forget to talk about the political biases we find in television and newspaper reporting.  News can never be reported in an unbiased manner because language itself can never be neutral.  So slants on words become a tool for news media to sublimely indoctrinate liberal or conservative views in the minds of their public.

            According to the Pew Research Center’s study which compared preferred news information sources in 2010, 65% of the population under 30 years of age cited the Internet as their main news outlet, a figure that has doubled since 2007.  One can hardly blame them for choosing the Internet as the favorite go-to place for news any more than one can criticize someone choosing to shop at Walmart rather than Macy’s.  One can find anything they need at Walmart; everything you want to know about is at your fingertips on the Internet.  You can personalize what news you want to watch and when you want to watch it, unlike television or newspaper news that airs at specific times during the day or goes to print at certain times at night.  Although all news sites have advertisements, they aren’t flung at you in such repetition as on TV and they don’t have to be manually sifted through to get to the rest of a story that might be buried somewhere in the second to last page of a section of a newspaper.  Perhaps the most salient feature that draws consumers to the Internet is the fact that it is free.

            Major news journalists will eventually have to find their niche on the cyber highway.  It doesn’t seem like it should be that difficult a task.  However, I don’t see this increasing the viewing of news in younger generations that much.  Our society leans very heavily on being visually entertained.  Reading for many is just too boring.  As the shift is made, as I believe it most certainly will to electronic news media, the potency of news broadcasting will diminish.  We will have later generations that don’t know what’s going on in the world from either a biased or unbiased point of view because reading the news won’t be the biggest reason for accessing the Internet.   And when it is, I fear that many will make judgments based on a single article that is read, without necessarily taking into account its sources or contradictory points of view.  Kind of the same scenario we have now, eh?

I'll Never Get It

            I am one of those that “just don’t get it.”  I do not understand how so many people continue to feel so disturbed over racial epithets.   I mean, isn’t the world much wiser now?  Can’t we recognize those that say these mean and hateful things are simply ignorant of the fact that we all are created equal?  Can’t we just inwardly refuse not to listen to these remarks? 

After some serious contemplation I have come to the conclusion that I can because I have never been the constant target of sexually perverse comments or racial epithets.  There has always been some sort of invisible force-field surrounding me.  I think it is called “being white and middle class.”  Yeah, I’m sure that is what has protected me from such verbal abuse.  As a member of the dominant group in American society I have unconsciously enjoyed this protection, all the while verbally denouncing the use of hate speech.  It kind of reminds me of the game Armchair Quarterback where you make the calls and assess the penalties of a football game broadcasted on television.  It’s easy to play the game in the comfort of your own living room, but put on a uniform and get down on the actual field and it’s a totally different story. 

Lakoff makes a relevant point when she mentions hate speech is only meaningful if its connotations have been maintained by repetition.  Perhaps this explains Naylor’s initial response to be called a “nigger.”  She had never heard someone being called this before and therefore could not make sense out of its meaning.  I distinctly remember being called a “PT” in high school and could not make sense of what it might have meant, even after my dad told me what the letters stood for.  “What’s a prick?” I had to ask.  It was a very embarrassing conversation, but at least I was aware of the term and how horrible it was to be called such a thing.  Obviously this term had endured over time as well.

I can’t help but disagree with the old saying “sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never harm me” after reading our text this week.  The damage from verbal sexual assault and racial slurs goes far deeper than I could ever imagine; it is equivalent to wrongful physical actions and should be dealt with swiftly and punitively.

It is unfortunate that this sort of behavior has many of the same characteristics as a virus.  Somehow viruses find some point of penetration in the human body and invade cells to replicate over and over again.  There is no antibiotic available that effectively kills any virus that has been known to man.  And while our bodies wrestle with one virus, another is in the wings waiting to pounce.  I liken this battle to the problems of discrimination that our nation faces.  There will always be groups of individuals who value their culture or race more than others and make it known by words and actions.  We will try to combat the damage that comes with these attitudes, but we will never be completely free of them until we find a cure.  I just hope that we are seriously looking for one.

It's A No-Brainer, To Me

I have come to understand any conclusion regarding the debate about the value of happiness verses self-respect will vary depending at which stage of life one is currently in. 

When I was young, my self-respect was derived from the behavior of my parents as they modeled this quality in all aspects of their lives.  This gave me the courage and resilience to keep myself from participating in actions that might have forced me to lose my self-respect and the respect of my family and others.  I was expected to live by these standards, which at the time seemed just and necessary if I was to be trusted.

            Then I moved 200 miles away to college.  And I was 18 years old.  For many young girls this is a scenario ripe for chaos and I did not disappoint.  Temptation, plus the added amenity of freedom, all but overwhelmed me.  But boy, I was happy; infinitely happy.  My parents did not find out about my “happiness” until I decided to drop out of college; this after they had paid tuition and room and board for 3.5 years.  A couple years later, after being married to a man that I came to despise with all my heart because of his physical and emotional abuse, I finally came to my senses and began to repent.  Yes, repent, although I had no god at the time.  I repented in hopes of discovering another dimensions of self-respect now that the other form had been forfeited.  I needed to find contentment in whom I was as a person, and establish a goal to work towards.  One way I figured this could be accomplished was knowing that I was trying to be the best person I could be, not because my parents or anyone else was demanding it of me, but because it is what my soul desired.  I knew it was possible, but I wasn’t quite sure how to go about it.  After all, self-respect is not something you can pull out of a drawer or buy off the shelf; it is an inner state of being.

            Becoming a parent is the one exception to my belief that self-respect is better than happiness.  Just knowing I could create life brought a sense of power in an acute way.  Giving birth and watching my children mature has made me very happy indeed.  It has been the happiest period in my life, thus far.

            Now I am set to finish something I began in all earnest back in 1974: to get a degree in teaching.  I am nine weeks away from this mark. (Everyone say, “Upsilamba!”)  My completion of college is not only necessary to meet the demands of our economy, but to show appreciation for what support my parents gave me as I entered adulthood.

            I could continue this narrative about how self-respect has empowered me to face the conflicts that come with motherhood, moving into a new neighborhood with discrimination running rampant, or returning to college after a long, long drought of classroom and technological inexperience.  However, what I choose to emphasize at this point is the importance of standing on the side of truth and admitting to oneself and others when wrong.  Perhaps this is the most under-preformed and underrated behavior today.  Failure to do so impacts our most intimate interactions as well as the decisions that affect society as a whole.

Self-respect is something that will out-perform and outlast happiness if we allow it to be the anchor of our words and actions.  Happiness, which is temporal at best, will naturally follow if self-respect leads.

It's Just Who I Am

The manner in which one carries themselves in public has much to do with two features of life: the personality that is acquired at the moment of conception and the experiences in life that act as forces to shape that personality as one matures.  I was fortunate to have parents that were both outgoing, yet conservative in nature.  Because my father was in the service I was provided the opportunity to experience different environments and various cultures as we moved every year and a half.  These factors were the basics of the context in which I learned how to function as a young girl and how I have adapted to my life as a mature adult. 

            I enjoyed very healthy relationships with my family and friends growing up.  Although my family was not wealthy, I lacked no physical, emotional, or spiritual nurturance and therefore was content.  I was smiled at and learned to smile a lot myself.  People liked being around me.  I gave off good vibrations; real positive and upbeat.  It is so sad that today’s female population can’t smile at just anyone for fear of being thought of as a freak or that they are loose.

            I have enjoyed very good health as well.  I have always been physically strong and very much an athlete.  If one were to observe me walking through campus it wouldn’t be difficult to recognize by my gait that I played some type of sport.  I admit I was a tomboy through and through.  Climbing trees was my fame and volleyball was my game.  And I am okay knowing the way I physically maneuver my body isn’t all that appealing to the opposite sex.  I like who I am and the things I can do and the people who appreciate me for all that I am.  Like my husband of 29 years.

            Of course, it should go without saying that I like to wear sweats and baggy jeans instead of leggings or pants that often show every inch of cellulite that I have acquired over time.  I do appreciate style though.  My idea of style is coordinating colors, tasteful contour of lines that accentuate my body instead of punctuating it, and reasonable heel height.  I assume by now that anyone reading this post would realize I am an older woman who is pretty much set in her ways.  All I know is that I need to feel comfortable with what I wear in order to be myself. 

            Moving from location to location definitely impacted my mental outlook on life. I was forced to adapt and grow in self-identity and self-concept or drown in inhibitions wherever my father was transferred.  I enjoyed every move we made; it presented challenges and compensation on my behalf if I was to succeed in school and in play.  I developed self-efficacy at a very young age.  And this belief in my own abilities is what has inspired me to return to college after redshirting for 37 years.  It is interesting though.  The students in face-to-face classes generally do not pick me for group work because of my age.  It’s a great feeling when I can see they wish they had.    

Me and My Dad: How We Communicated

I’ll never forget.  Every evening when my dad got home from work he would give my mom a kiss and sit himself on the end barstool and begin taking off his tie.  He did this very slowly as he waited for her to start talking about her day playing bridge at the women’s club and how dumb it was that Mae chose to trump some card instead of going down on some other… To me is sounded as if she had spent the day making a spaceship with these women.  (Oh, for sure she tried to teach me the game, but after several lessons I still had no clue what I was supposed to do, so she at last gave up on me.  Whew!)  She would go on for what seemed an eternity discussing the game’s strategies that weren’t played properly while my dad actually listened to her.  It was after he had given her time to vent about all the important matters of her day that he would go upstairs, change clothes, and return downstairs to read the newspaper and finish his third pack of Salem Lights.

            My dad was a man of few words, but when he spoke I wanted to listen.  I always knew when I asked for advice he would hear me out fully, inquiring into parts of my discussion he didn’t quite understand.  He would formulate his answers only if he knew what he said was relevant and trustworthy information to share.  He wouldn’t offer too much information, just enough to answer my questions, unless I pressed him for more. I do not believe he did this for any other reason than he wasn’t impressed by the sound of his own voice.  It wasn’t in his nature to impress others with his knowledge, which he seemed to have an abundance of.

            Holmes talked about how silent participants can be the most powerful players in conversations.  I can speak for my older siblings when I say his presence was enough to keep your mouth in line.  It wasn’t because he was a prude or that he would call me out when I expressed my opinions either.  All he had to do was sort of snort and I knew he didn’t agree with me.  My opinion was always valid in his eyes as it was my opinion.  He simply knew he didn’t have to rant and rave that I was wrong even though he might strongly believe I was.

            My dad never brought work home, something my mom resents to this day.  He rarely initiated conversations about just any old thing, but would engage in those discussions he was invited into.  To some it might seem as though he was some sort of recluse or introvert, but that was hardly the case.  His humor was always timely and appropriate for the audience he addressed.  He also lived by the Ten Commandments although he never spoke of them or set foot in church the entire twenty-six years I knew him except when he led me down the aisle.  Above all else, he treated everyone with quiet respect.

            I often wish I had initiated more conversations with my dad while he was alive.  But I, like my dad, was content just being with someone I loved and trusted, feeling comfortable with few words spoken.  Perhaps this sort of communication is the most sincere of all.

The Globalization of English

Prior to the onslaught of current twentieth century technologies that now enable world communities to communicate with each other in a matter of milliseconds, the evolution of English had been contingent upon the nature of ecological factors present in a particular setting.

The compromise of idiolects and dialects in America was slowly but surely influenced by other languages that it came in contact with via immigration and migration. Communication demands forced adaptations of our language for the sake of commerce and co-existence. Linguistic variations depended very much on the interaction of individuals and cultures, much to the chagrin of past and present prescriptionists.

            Simplified versions of English are rearing their ugly or inevitable heads, depending on how one embraces the evolution of the English language, in most corners of our society. I have just learned there are several subsets of English contrived to facilitate the limited vocabulary of nonfluent speakers. One of these tools, Special English, has roughly 1,500 words that it uses to broadcast news and special features to its millions of listeners worldwide. It would, however, seem apparent that such manifestations of English are restricted to social class and have become the vernacular of an underground English movement that has been in existence for over forty years.   Other examples of English transformation are seen in business, medicine, science and technology, navigation and academia. As people have come to be increasingly mobile, both physically and electronically, English has become the most populous language spoken in the world, second only to Mandarin, largely due to U.S. military and economic prowess. It is the lingua francas used in most economic and political arenas as well as cultural venues. This integration of world’s societies, known as globalization, is mainly the result of one technological advance in communication: the Internet.

            The Internet originated in English speaking countries and uses programs with key words based on the English language. It is reported that there exists as much as an 80% bias towards all web content written and stored in English. Perhaps the main reason English has become such a dominant language in the economic and political world is its ability to be shaped and sliced and redefined by its speakers, much the same way America has been redefined by its members since WWII. The globalization of English lends itself, therefore, to the emergence of ‘Englishes’, or hybrid varieties of English, with the possibility of its native speakers one day acknowledging they speak just another version of its form.

            Because of its contact with different users in different geographical areas of the world, the perpetuance of Standard English as the unifying language of the universe has long since passed into the night. As these groups learn to communicate outside their own elite spheres of influence they will create and conform their own language according to their individual needs. As more and more countries are insisting their children learn English to be internationally competitive in our global society, it would seem prescriptionists will have to do their best to preserve the English language with all its complex rules as an art form while at the same time closing their eyes and ears to the reality that language is a dynamic beast of its own that cannot be constrained by any human force on earth.   

To Be Or Not To Be An Effective Writer

To Be Or Not To Be An Effective Writer

            There is no other way of stating this plain truth: Effective writing takes time and effort. The single most important thing to remember is not to procrastinate when faced with a writing assignment. That being said, here are some other valuable suggestions to think about while you write.

1.     Allow yourself time to explore different topics unless a particular line of thought is demanded of you. Follow any and all ideas that come to mind by putting them down on paper or on some document on your computer. It is not unusual for writers to wake from their sleep or jump out of the shower to jot ideas down to recall at a later date. The more details that you can associate with that idea, the better. Write them all down.

2.     Understand the audience to whom you are addressing. Most of the writing during these next six years or so will be for a teacher. But perhaps you will want to write for the school newspaper. Your tone of voice and the language you should use should connect with your readers and what they already know about the subject. In other words, you can use big, fancy, multisyllabic words in essays to impress your teacher, but a much more simple choice of words is more appropriate for addressing your peers. By the way understand the meaning of those fancy words you use. Your teacher just might ask you what they mean.

3.     Make sure you know what you are writing about so your readers feel comfortable in the knowledge you present to them. The use of “fluff” or unnecessary vocabulary is not ever needed to impress or persuade in most cases.

4.     In order to connect with your readers you need to first connect with yourself. If you don’t believe what you have written then chances are neither will your audience. Therefore, write accurately, state what you believe to be true, and say it in your own voice and in your own language.

5.     Seldom are first drafts final drafts, unless you have waited too long to start an assignment. Don’t be dismayed if you feel like ripping up your paper or deleting your document. Go ahead and give it to the dog to eat if you don’t like what you have written. Then get up and take a walk, shoot hoops, get your blood circulating to increase blood flow to the brain and to relax your muscles. Who knows, you might have an epiphany! Better look up the meaning for this word. It just might be on your next vocab test. (hint, hint).

6.     If you are writing an argument for or against an issue of concern, see if you can argue against the points you have presented. Play the devil’s advocate. If your words can be trusted and sound logical,  your argument is well prepared.

7.     Refrain from ”feely” words such as “I believe” or “I feel” when stating facts or making an argument. Your readers really don’t care about how you feel; they care about the facts.

8.     Last, and second only to not procrastinating, when you are finished with a writing assignment read your work out loud to yourself. You will be surprised at how many little grammatical mistakes, key word omissions, and sentences that just don’t make sense you discover.  Then, have someone else you trust to honestly and constructively critique your work read your writing. After all, you are writing for someone else in the first place. See what they think. And it’s okay not to change anything in your paper if you are comfortable with what you have written. Writing is a personal experience, and you own what you write.

The suggestions are not unique to my own writing process, but rather an accumulation of

insights and advice gathered from seasoned, successful educators and writers. Refer to this list often and you will find your writing improving by leaps and bounds.

Ms. Kausen



Challenging the Status Quo: Who Thinks About Deaf Women?

Challenging the Status Quo: Who Thinks About Disabled Women?

            In my quest for current articles that exemplified challenging the status quo I came across and article written by Francine Odette, M.S.W., for the DisAbled Women’s Network.* I had to wonder if most people knew that such an organization existed. I certainly did not. But there are virtually hundreds of organizations to support different causes for women.

There has been much exploration of the issues and concerns that face women who have negative self-body images from the viewpoints of those that are obese or have body image distortions even if thin. Little research, however, has been directed to understanding the social and emotional experiences of women who are disabled, including those who have hearing or visual impairments, speech dysfunctions, or mobility issues. Is this merely an innocent oversight of sociologists and psychologists? Do they lump these women’s concerns in with all the other body image psychosis? Or is it their supposition that the disabled are the responsibility of the medical world alone?

            Odette begins her article defining the Western culture’s image of a “normal” or socially desirable body. Oftentimes this equates with thinness which equates to health and success. Women whose bodies fall outside the “range of acceptance” are often isolated as in the case of the obese, minorities, those with non-heterosexual orientation, and the disabled. Likewise, the further they view themselves distanced from the standard of beauty, the greater their self-esteem and self-image suffers. Feminist theorists have spent  a great deal of time and energy exposing the truth that the dominant Western culture, defined by white, powerful, heterosexual males, has created the model of the perfect image of the female most desired by his gender ‘for the purpose of male pleasure and domination.’ This results in the need to alter “imperfect” bodies, sometimes by significantly altering eating patterns, over-exercising, or by cosmetic medical procedures. The reality for a woman with a disability is that the quest for that perfect body is not just difficult, it is impossible.

The culture of the disabled, often treated as though it didn’t exist, is primarily endorsed by notions of childlike dependency, overtures of bizarre anger episodes and dramatic displays of strength which are exemplified in the media. This serves to alienate women who have disabilities from others who don’t. Furthermore, these women often perceive family, friends, and societal expectations for themselves in the role of a woman as an intimate partner to be a losing effort because of their disabilities.

Odette brings up a very disturbing point, at least from a woman’s perspective, concerning the processes a women with disabilities endures in the name of medical knowledge. Girls and women are often paraded naked in front of panels of complete strangers, mostly male, and are required to bend and twist to determine their range of motion and flexibility. These actions are visually recorded and used for educational purposes with no consideration of what implications it might have on the girls and women who have been filmed. As these females have little control over what happens to their bodies medically, they turn to other control attempts such as bingeing, cutting, or other forms of self-mutilation.

The author concludes her article with suggestions that emphasize the need for women with disabilities to accept how they feel about themselves and to turn to others that can validate the abilities they do possess to affirm self –worth. She urges disabled women to show solidarity and awareness of the needs of all people by making links with others that can contribute to the well-being of all people, to challenge stereotypes and prejudices, to stop discrimination.  We hear this same call to action in the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. as he addresses the social injustices towards the black community, in Sojourner Truth’s arguments for women’s rights, and in Eleanor Roosevelt’s discourse in front of the United Nation that demands a worldwide consensus and declaration of a common set of human rights that will serve to protect the ‘dignity of the human personality.’ The abandonment of the notions that those with disabilities are any less human, compassionate, intimate, and/or incapable of greatness is long overdue.

* Just for the record, I did not spell the network’s name incorrectly; the network designates the capital ‘A’ on purpose. 

www.wifacets.org/yitrc/media/Bodybeautifulbodyperfect.pdf

The Deaf: A Culture That Should Be Heard

It would be safe to say that as long as man has been able to procreate, the possibility to birth children who are deaf has been more than probable. Although there is no way to access the number of individuals in the past that have been dealt the hand of deafness, it is known that these people were oppressed and denied basic rights such as the right to own property or to marry. It wasn’t until the Renaissance in Europe that these laws were challenged.

            Italy and Spain seemed to have led the way in the education of the deaf, including creation of the first known alphabet of hand shapes that represented different speech sounds. However, it was a French abbot, Charles Michel de L’Epee, who took the reins and organized the first association for the education for the deaf in 1750. Children flocked to his school from all corners of the country, bringing with them their various methods of communication, all involving signing. L’Epee compiled these signings, made them the standard form of deaf communication, and soon all of France and eventually Europe were using a common form of sign language known as the French Sign Language (FSL). Soon afterwards these concepts were brought to America to serve its deaf population as well.

            There were staunch believers, such as Alexander Graham Bell, that sought to persuade Americans that oral language was still the superior form of communication. His opinion took flight and resulted in Congress passing a declaration forbidding the teaching of sign language. Oralism, or the education of the deaf promoting methods such as teaching speech, speech reading, and listening, was the tolerated pedagogy. The American Sign Language (ASL) movement was on the brink of death when in 1960 William Stokoe testified before Congress proving that ASL was a language of its own, complete with its own set of rules for grammar and syntax, thus making is distinct from the English language.

            Just as geographical and cultural constraints eventually lead to distinctions in the spoken word, ASL has evolved in the same way. Each region in the United States has its own twist on how it is expressed. The audible word is often accompanied by intonations to punctuate its meaning. Users of ASL employ a similar but distinct manner of communication by raising their eyebrows, leaning forward or backwards, and widening their eyes. In fact, it can be said that ASL users use their entire body for communication purposes, from hand and body movements to facial gestures, producing many phonemes at the same time. It is this reason that sign language is not usually written.

In the United States alone, and this figure is based on deaf individuals who self-report, as many as 38% of our residents over the age of 5 are functionally deaf; one half of that number being adults over 65 years of age. It is no wonder that a whole new culture has developed that has its own language. Unfortunately, many members of this community feel discriminated against in society and feel the non-deaf look upon their lives as a form of ‘audism’ resulting from birth defects or accident or illness. The effects of this discrimination can be acutely observed in educational settings where deafness is listed on IEPs as a disability, or in taking tests where wording is biased towards the hearing population. All in all this community is overlooked during policy-making and would appeal to our government to consult with them instead of relying on the suggestions of individuals who have no concept of their culture.

As our nation is becoming more and more diverse it seems evident that the community of deaf individuals and their language, ASL, should be included in discussions of equal rights just like all the other minority populations. It isn’t as if the deaf have not contributed their share to society. Listen to the music of Beethoven. Hear the eloquence in Helen Keller’s writings. Acknowledge the fact the William “Dummy” Hoy, the first deaf major league baseball player, hit the very first grand-slam and created the hand signals that are still used in the game today. And we once thought the deaf were just taking up space.

References

http://www.lifeprint.com/as1101/topics/audism2.htm

http://wwwnidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/asl.asp

http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/history-of-sign-language.html

Lisa's First Ever Blog

When I explore what critical thinking means to me I realize that I am very seldom a critical thinker.
One of the biggest reasons for this is that I am not a skeptic at heart. I live in a world of emotion that oftentimes dilutes my reasoning ability. That is why I am a student after a thirty-year break from school. I am getting better with age, however. Returning to college has helped me in that regard.

I know now that I need to rely on reason and require evidence more often than ever before. I always have been able to find the best explanation for the circumstances in my life, but often it stopped there. I will have to learn to dig a bit deeper and wider to find the truth. Up until very recently I functioned on a kind of knee-jerk basis, reacting to what was happening in my life at that very moment.

Perhaps one of the biggest revelations I have had about myself these past quarters in school is my need to recognize my own presumptions, prejudices, and biases towards the issues that surround my life. I have always thought of myself as a pretty open-minded individual, but in truth I am very stubborn. I am definitely a product of my past, complete with opinions about what is good and evil, wrong and right. I still think, and always will, that life comes down to the choices we make. Because others make their own choices that eventually effect us, we then continue to make new choices in our own best interests.

Speaking of best interests. I feel the discussion of politics to be a no-win utilization of time. I seldom engage, namely because there is no form government that exists on the face of this earth that is genuinely concerned for the welfare of the majority of their people. Every government is corrupt, and the fallout creates the chaos we witness today. There is no utopia. There never will be.

The media is poison, especially to the old and very young. I rarely watch TV because it is so biased. The newspaper is bought out by special interest groups, rallying to the call of freedom of speech.

My academic endeavors are necessary for my professional goal of teaching. I read a whole lot of journals  on educational policies and practices. I hope to benefit from the empirical research that I digest and regurgitate in my papers. It is my hope that the analytical and critical thinking skills I learn in this class will assist me in my future endeavors towards the evalution of the education policies that are present and those that are proposed. I used to think education had nothing to do with politics. Boy, was I wrong.