Blog Reflection

This semester we need to create a blog to do entries about the different stories and themes that we study on class. It was a different experience because last year was a group blog and its other way to do the entries. I like more this experience because this blog project was more personal and more developed than last year. Projects like this help us to see how technology can be part of the class and sharing our ideas and comments with other students.
The blog was an important part of our class because that knowledge we absorbed in class is online and not only the students can read it also the rest of the world, that’s what the internet can let you to do.  In class all the students have opinions about the stories but sometimes we don’t have enough time and there’s when the blog is a great tool because we can read what the other have in mind about the class works.

Like I say before the blog is a helpful tool for students and teachers to get the group connected and share ideas. I’m glad to be part of this project because help me to express myself with all the new things I learn in class and have this space to develop my own opinion and shared with everybody.

Teaching or Curriculum? Reflection about Teaching by Jim Cooper

      In this lecture for me the most important idea is the necessary changes that somethings need to have in this case the curriculum of English. I like the attitude from the author of not hide what he feels about this preoccupation. The times are changing and so the student. We can't pretend educate a student with things from the past or old curriculums. I'm a person who thinks that the true education are interactive activities and conversations. We need to use the things we have now like new advances, new authors, etc., to motivate the students. Find the way for teaching like the author even when his degrees are in literature, is what happen when you really dedicate with your job like him. 

     In the case of Puerto Rico is very interesting the way he work with the problem when he discuss the syllabus and some students don't understand anything. That reflects that something in the education was wrong, maybe we need to adjust the curriculums. And how you gonna put some book in the syllabus impossible to find in Puerto Rico, these are little details that have an effect in the student. Like the author say these problems come from the schools and being reflected with more power in college. Perhaps a is consequence of what he said, "...teacher is not supposed to use the student's native language to explain the language to the student...". 

     I can say that in our course of English with Dr. Pittmann we have a very interactive class that make that you think fast to communicate. Also we made a journal project and that's a great learning experience were I can practice the writing/thinking process. Make a circle every class motivate me to be involve in conversations, lectures and able to give my opinion. This create in the students like the author says, "...wanted to learn English and wanted communicate in it. Education curriculums need more of this, dynamics that can be mean than a test on students life.

Tears of Love (Maternal Instinct By: Miguel Street)

Laura is the neighbor of the author who watches her all days. He and his friends can't understand why Laura has so many men in her life. She has eight children from seven different men.

She meets Nataniel when she has six children, a good man that treat the relationship without importance. The oldest daughter got pregnant and Laura reacts with a deep crying. We can see rise when the author said, “She seemed to be crying all the cry she had saved up since she was born, all the cry she had fried to cover up with her laughter." When people don't have the experience of something don't know how to react. Also she might cry because she knows the difficult process oh have a child. It's important to remember that not all the people react on the same way.

We can see other maternal instinct when Hat said, "Laura just trying not to beat you up too bad just keep you with she, but the day she stat getting tired of you, you better run boy." When a mother or father sees that a relationship isn't benefits for their children are no doubt that prefer to be alone that with bad company, a father or mother always put their children first.

Only a mother knows all the work to have children. It's very important this role in a family. A mother also need to understand that children grow and make their life but also children need to remember that a mother always be there for you.

Alone at the Pink House (George and the Pink House By:Miguel Street)

This story has a very interesting way to get us to the final point, be alone. The story begins with the intimidating figure of George who lives in a pink house at Miguel Street. George treats his family very bad at the point to beat them. When his son grew up and his daughter get married he transformed his house with a lot of women and soldiers but a few more days George ended alone again. It's important to note that George's wife die in those before these process. I could say that he killed his own wife because the people who tell the story describe George like a person who abuse to his family especially to his wife. This story has a contemporary situation with the abuse in family. It's something that comes from generation by generation and this short story is other proof of that.

One important detail of this story is the house description. When something goes bad in a family also the house reflects the family feelings. We can see this when the author says, "George's house also made me feel afraid." And later say, "There was a dirty bed in one corner and in another there was a table and a stool. That was all. No curtains, no pictures on the wall." We need to imagine that a house is like a box which introduces to others what to expect in the inside.

Other important point is when the author said, "I found it hard to believe that George had a wife and son and daughter." It's very rare have all these good things and treat so badly. That's why people wonder why this beast has a family. If you have a family you need to act like a good father, good mother, good son or good daughter. You're an important piece of the family; in this case George doesn’t know how to work with it.

Finally, this story more than a review of the family abuse is an exhortation to appreciate what you have right now before you lose it. It's our decision if we want to live with the people we love or be alone at the pink house.

Reflection: Journal Project

The journal project, like last year, was a great experience and a different way to learn. It's not all about reading and reading, also we need projects that create open minds on a very freedom space. At the beginning the professor established the rules, some of them was don't stop writing, don't go by the jugular, nothing needs to make sense, among others. For me the most difficult was do not cross words, it was very hard. With the pass of the time I'm to keep writing no matter what and just follow the flow. It helps to be more alert when you're writing.

Like last year I have a good spots for do my writing, such like my room, the train, and the library. I like to experiment different places with different levels of people, noises and situations. My favorite was the train because is to much going on and on each station the situations change.

This year the professor also includes an analysis of us through a compass. These help to see our levels in the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical areas. When I have a difficult day I just make a compass and help me to see what is going in my life and which area I need to refocus. I like to put my numbers fast, other way I just go to thinking to much and change it. At the end I can say that I am more spiritual and emotional because in those areas have a good balance also I can say that I need to work in my physical area.

I have a wonderful time again doing this project. We need to keep doing things like these because exist so many ways to learn and these is one. It feels so good when I did my journal and my compasses right next because I can evaluate all the things I wrote in each part of myself. Make a journal feels like disconnected of my day and translate to a place where just are me and my notebook and were the only rules is that there are no rules.

20 Years Later (Thank You, M'am)

If I were Roger 20 years later of the incident my son need to know my experience. It's important that the son learn what Mrs. Jones teach To Roger that night. Also he need to know that exist many way to got something but steal is not an option. It's important that he understand that we can teach a great lesson and not make more problems. She got the opportunity to call the police but she do something better, she change his life. Roger learn more that nigth with Mrs. Jones that he suppose to learn in jail. Roger need to teach to his son that exist multiple options to correct and error but the best way is talking about your problems like Mrs.Jones and Roger does that nigth.

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

In this story I can see a different way to tell a story. It’s difficult to tell a story in just one sentence. These story is about a mother who say the things that the girl need or not to do, the girl just talk to times, so we can say that the mom have the control of the story.  It's a situation very difficult that many families are living right now. This story hasn’t an order, that’s why people understand this story like an autobiographical essay. The truth is that involve a deep tension on each word that the mother say. It’s important to remember that short stories also can be use to criticize a problem in a very different way like this. We can control a person, yes we can advice in some areas but never take the control over other person. We can’t control another person if we don’t control ourselves.

 In my case all the family contribute to the different duties of the house. When my mother ask to my sister to do something she says that I can also do it and I realized that I need to contributed to.  When my mother sees that we lose the control she begins to distribute different duties, so everybody is in constantly movement. Working in the house is something that need to come from yourself, is not necessary wait for someone to the different duties.

Use of force by William Carlos Williams

This was a great story when we can see the different elements that made a story. With this story we can reflect and see our background and find different moments like the girl in the story. For example when feel a big pain but keep quite to don’t see the doctor. I can realize now the danger of that act. Also is very interesting the climax of this story when the doctor literally need to use the force to work with the patient. It’s important to know that the doctor need to do his work and we sometimes are the obstacle. It’s a story that reminds you the traumas of your past.

For my story I use the example of a volleyball coach that takes the practice very hard. Sometimes I feel so exhausted that my mind was in the pain that I felt. Later I realize that he only want the best of us. In comparison with the story the coach can be the doctor that only wants to do something good but need to put some force.

My Introductioun and Journal's Collage

          Hello, my name is Edwin D. Díaz Ramos and I'm 20 years old and I'm from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. I'm currently on my third year at the School of Architecture of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. My interests are art, photography, theatre, travel and of course everything about design and architecture.

          My journal's collage is all about design with some examples of how we can see it. Design is the ability to make a plan of your ideas and combined to have a result.  Some of this examples are sketches made by me, Lego pictures, Apple products and models of architecture. Also I put the MoMA logo that means Museum of Modern Arte, my favorite museum with a great design collection. I put different examples of photography including my trip to Spain. For me travel means a lot that's why I put a plane ticket to New York.  Everything in this world pass through a design process, that's why for me the design of something is a very important step.