Farewell to TASHABABY!!!

Tasha,
What can i say....First of all, i would never in a million years regret taking your 1101 class and having you for another semester in 1102. Unlike many rude people that dont know what a real teacher is suppose to do, i think you are a great professor. You really try to engage your student's attention, teach them how to be better writers and most importantly THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX....I enjoyed every moment in class, i think we have lots of fun while learning at the same time, you should never change your teaching style... What i most loved about the class was the fact that you get to know everyone, you make us break out of our shells even if we dont want to. I think i was very, more like extremely, shy at the beginning of the semester and now i feel i can talk to anyone about anything and i truly have to thank you for that. I am taking very happy memories from this class which i thought was never going to happen from the first day of class. I remember walking in and seeing some pretty introverted people, that were not very engaging in conversation. I though, OMG, we are going to have a BAD semester, we are going to be just like her other class in enc 1101, (the one where christopher was). lol, i am happy it wasnt that way!!! The only thing i regret its not talking to you that much since i am still shy ( not like Dantes that feels free to tell you horrores (dont know how to say it in english) and being kind of shy around the class, however i do think i have improve a lot from my first semester and maybe if you would teach a humanities course, lol, i would have the opportunity to keep breaking out of my shell....Overall, i would definitively keep in touch, i would love to have you as a teacher for another semester, but i am afraid, my english semesters are over, :( Well, i will keep on writting later on, see you in class tomorrow, i am truly sad that class is over, you can ask jonathan he would text me everytime class was cancelled and i was like uhhh i am sad we dont have class today, how can tasha do this to me...lol.., first time i was so eager to go to class, didnt want to miss a day, (why dont i feel the same about chemistry??)... well, bye bye for now!!!
BY THE WAY, I CANT BELIEVE YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT ME, LOL...

Myspace pages...

I found two of the pages very interesting and they actually made me want to read and research their topic. One of them was Rainn, i taught that the name was very inventive, it was something that can easily be remember therefore its a name people are going to remember. Moreover, i found the page interesting because it had a balance between information and pictures. They were also effective in reaching their audience by the appeal to pathos through the pictures and appeals to logos by the information presented such as the statistics. I was also impressed to see phone numbers and calls to action through the website which made me more interested in the subject because i knew that i could also help out. In this website, i liked the phrase, You are not alone, because it reaches out to the people. If someone experiencing this issue sees the page then i think they would feel as if they still have hope and a future ahead.
The second website i liked was the kiva loans. the first thing that got my attention where the pictures. I aslo started looking at the information on the pictures which made me realize what the page was about without even looking at the description. I think that was very clever because since the pictures are the first thing people see when they enter the site then they must be grabbing. I taught they were interesting and it grabbed your attention. Moreover, the descriptions that followed also appealed to my ethos making me more interested in the topic.
Lastly, the website i didnt really like was the "to write love on her arms" because it had too much pictures and information. When i entered the site i felt overwhelmed by simply looking at the pictures, videos, words, etc. I dont even know what the website is about because i exit it before finding out. The website was not interesting, it didnt grab my attention on the contrary it made me want to leave.

Invisible Chains Response

This was actually the second or third topic on the list that we made in class because i feel its a serious issue that should be adressed. I strongly believe the people behind this problem should be ashamed of themselves. They are forcing minors of early ages such as fourteen or fifteen to have sex with strangers, to cross the border, endour hardship. These girls loose everything, they have to sell themselves in the streets in order to accomplish their goals. Moreover, its sad that there is people that actually pays to sleep with these girls. and not only teens but children of ages 7 or 9. what can a seven year old girl possibly know about sex? They are being used as sexual objects for other people's satisfaction. I think this problem is of maximum importance, people should know about it and try to do something. As i saw from the video, news such as CNN and other channels are talking about it which helps spread awareness at least. The government should also do something about it but i guess they think what can they do about this issue when there are a million others going on, specially in mexico. Trafficking has been a problem in mexico city for the longest time, you hear about people crossing the united states' border everyday. They walk through desserts, swim through rivers, cross enormous bridges to come to the Unites States. These people are looking for freedom, they want a better life. However, these girls that are being used as slaves, having to provide sexual services in order to have a life can never really know what the american dream is. Actions should be taken to prevent this problem from further expreding.

Blog Contest!!!

* Natasha, i wasnt able to post my comment yesterday night because blogger was telling there was some kind of error and to report it to Blogger support. I just came back from school and posted it.


First Place- Yeli
Second Place- Grettel
Third Place- Karen Lola

I believe Yeli should win first place because she describes herself in detail (outside) but also describes her passion which is photography.
Grettel should get second place because she also describes herself very nicely, and its very creative in her descriptions.
Lastly, i believe Karen Lola should receive third place because she is able to communicate her passion for dancing through her descriptions.

Nicole's Song Analysis..

Overall i believe Nicole did a great job at analyzing the song because she was able to break it down into different verses that all connected to the main idea of the song and the message system of a down wanted listeners to grasp. The song clearly discusses war and the effect of this war with the Middle East on society. I agree with Nicole when she says that the authors all throughout the song ask for a change. They constantly ask the questions, "Why do they always send the poor? Why don't presidents fight the war?" They want people to realize that changes need to be made because the poor or lower class population is the one risking their lifes everyday on a war that is not benefitting either country. Lower class people are defending our country, risking their lives while presidents or powerful individuals sit back at home waiting for them to do the work even if it means loosing their lives.
I think she did a good job analyzing some of the verses for example, "Hangers sitting dripped in oil, Crying freedom." She states that the oil refers to the oil in the Middle East and the crying for freedom represents the people suffering in the middle of the war, the ones lost in battle and the hopeless waiting for it to be over. Soldiers are used as "Marching forward hypocritic and hypnotic computers." They are programmed to kill and carry on with the war even if they have to sacrifice their own lifes. Nicole also discusses other issues such as the call of action of the song when they ask for the presidents to fight the wars. I believe her opinion is a strong argument when she says that "I don't think they necessarily mean that they want actual presidents to be given a gun and go fight for us. I think what they mean is for presidents to fight "verbal wars" meaning to solve matters by talking with other leaders."(Nicole) If i would have to pick one aspect of her analysis that i didnt necessarily agree with or didnt find very strong would be when she says that "Barbarisms by Barbaras with pointed heels" refers to George W. Bush's wife. I dont think they especifically mentioned her but rather all politically involve female individuals.
The use of rhetorical appeals such as appeal to pathos and logos is present throughout the song. I think that she should have talked a little bit more about these appeals and how they are use to get the message to society. Also are they effective in their use of these appeals. Although at the end of the analysis she touches the topic, she needs a little bit more of explanation because there a lot of appeals present in the song, especially appeals to pathos since this song is very personal and it touches everyone.
I believe Nicole should get an A for her analysis because she explained really well the song's message. She described every important verse and how it relates to today's society. I agreed on most of her analysis and feel she had a strong opinion and supporting views and facts.

PULL THEM UP!!!!

I found this topic to be quite interesting since it deals with an everyday issue society is currently facing. The main controversy about this law is the fact that people are seeing it as a removal of their rights. It is true that people are responsible for themselves and for that matter should decide what to wear. However, when we examine the way this "trend" is affecting society we start to agree to a certain extent with the government. In my opinion, every person has the right to present themselves how they want to be seen, by choosing to follow this "fashion" they are putting themselves in a position where people might judge them and critize them for their style. They are carrying themselves in a way that can only affect them. If i see a person in the streets wearing their pants low and showing their underwear i simply chose to look the other way and that is what other people should do too. Only YOU are responsible for your appearance and the image you present of yourself. If you dont know or dont care to present yourself in a respectful way then that is a decision you are willing to make.
I believe the government has taken this issue a little too far, because even though i dont necessarily like this trend it is not in their position to prevent other people from expressing themselves through their clothes. If they feel they are comfortable and relate to this clothing style then no one has the right to tell them how to dress. I would agree with the government and the passing of this law if people was not only showing their underwear but more skin that could be indecent exposure. If maybe they were not wearing underwear and still carrying the pants low, then i would have to agree that even though it was their choice to dress that way it has gotten to a point were it can have a negative effect on other people. Everything has its limits. Not because it is "your right" you are going to be able to walk nude in the streets. However, when it comes to only carrying your pants low i believe the law should respect every individual's choice of clothing, their style, the way they are presenting themselves to the world.
Additionally i believe this is not a racial issue and that only african americans or the black community are being targeted. Since this trend is most since in african americans then they might see it as discrimination, racism, etc, but even in the video we could see that the person supporting the law was black and he was enforcing this law. He didnt care if the person wearing the saggy pants was white, hispanic, american or black. The style is consider inappropriate in all ages, races and ethnicities.

The Future Leaders of America...

I completely agree with the way that she feels, i think the governemnt has put up this requirements that are too high sometimes for students to reach. For example, making the Fact mandatory in third grade, i wouldn't want to imagine third graders on the day of the FCAT thinking about passing an exam or not been able to move on to the next grade. Last semester when we were discussing this same issue in ENC, i realized i wasnt the only one that felt the way i did about the FACT. I think the Fcat is an useless exam that doesn't really measure a thrid grader or a sophomore's intelligence. The fact is suppose to measure the student's proficiency in standarized exams. However, if you have ever taken an FCAT exam, you know that its a bunch of stories that require some level of critical thinking and been able to work out some math problems. In reality the exam doesnt really measure how smart you are, or how well you are doing in a certain subject, its a waste of time. Something that really bothered me in high school was the fact that teachers had to follow an fact type of schedule in classes. By that i mean we had to do fact prompts every month (even if you had pass the exam already). i am talking about a senior english class where we were suppose to be learning writing skills for college we were writing 5 paragraph format essays to FCAT questions. The teacher also had to learn how to incorporate fact teaching skills or somthing like that they called it to the class, it didnt matter if it was english, spanish or math. The time that we actually had to study something educational and useful for the future was the last 30 minutes of class. Moreover in senior year when you need to do SATs, ACTs and study to get good final exam grades, I had to sit in a classroom and hear a lecture about the FACT style of writing, the new FACT exam (science) and the ones to come like FACT history. I can only imagine how a third grader feels hearing about the Fact. At least we were old enough to accept and get used to the idea, but its sad to see how they (third graders) are going to grow up with no creativity, a closed perception of what an english class is and of course terrified about 10th grade, when to FCAT has to be taken again.

The Media

People believe what they hear or most of the times what they want to hear. I enjoyed watching this video because i agreed with almost everything that was presented. First of all even though we might not admit it, media, television, advertisement control part of our life. In my experience i have had many situations in which i want to start a homework, maybe get ahead in things i need to do for the week but i suddenly see something that catches my attention in TV and forget about everything i had to do. Sometimes i think watching TV is a disease that is harmful to your health. We can loose undescribable amount of hours watching reality shows that only feed you lies and fixed photographs of celebrities "caught in the act." The show's directors know that that is what people want to see. As soon as you turn your TV on you will see some gossip, news, music videos or advertisement. Advertisements can also be very time-consuming and at the end a big dissapointment. One ad you won't miss on TV is the Proactive acne product sale. This ad is targeted to a young audience since we are more prone to suffering from acne. I would stay connected to the TV hearing about the product, looking at the before and after pictures in order to evaluate if the product could really work. What i didnt realize was that in the meantime i was loosing my time and my money if i would have bought it eventually. The time that we spend in front of the TV is time that we can put to better use for example studying for a chemistry exam, a biology experiment or writing an english essay. Rewarding things that will help us in the future. It is true we have to be thankful for having so many technological advances in the present because most these advantages are very helpful. For example having a laptop to carry to school can be very convenient for taking notes, a cellphone keeps you in touch with your family and friends and its super important in case of an emergency and the list keeps on. However, sometimes this advances in technology work against us, bringing my laptop to a chemistry lecture meant surfing the internet in search for entertaiment, having a cellphone that had web acess and free text messaging meant not paying attention in class. We are controlled to a certain extent by our surrounding and our ability of achieving sucess through technological advances. Our generation can't imagine their life without a laptop, a cellphone, a car, an MP3 player or IPOD. We are definitively controlled by technology as well as TV and advertisement.
I think the video was a great way of getting to people. I liked the fact that you didn't need to buy it in order to obtain the message. Sometimes people dont have the necessary means in order to be informed since everthing now days is through internet or Tv. I also found out about the North American Union, it was sad to see how something so important was not even showned in TV but once and people dont actually know about it. Important things such as this act are suppose to be the center of attention in any TV show or News Report but instead people choose to change the channel looking for entertaiment rather than education. I completely agree with the fact that watching too much TV and especially shows that deal with drugs, alcohol, sex, celebrity gossip, overall not educational can be very harmful and just a waste of time. On the other hand not everything on Tv is bad, we are the ones that have to choose what to watch and if its going to have a positive effect on us.

My Blogging Experience!!!!

Having this blog has been very useful and inspiring for me, presently i see it as a way of practicing my writing skills and having a little fun along the way but it wasn't always like this. When my ENC 1101 teacher proudly announced that we needed to create a blog and write in it every monday before midnight i was overwhelmed with the idea. At first i could only write about the minimum from two to three paragraphs. Eventually i started to like it and get used to it. By the end of the semester i actually looked forward to reading the topics and then writing my responses on my blog. Videos were also very fun to analyze and interpret. I could give my opinion on every subject and i could also look at my classmate's points of views on the same issue. Having to write in this blog was kind of a practice, it helped me do better in my essays, i was also more enthusiastic about class discussions and presenting my ideas to the class.
The blog made me feel more secure, it gave me more skills because i always tried to do better in each one. It also made me start enjoying writing because i didnt feel like it was a boring homework that i had to do in order to get a grade, on the other hand i wanted to express my opinion on different issues that were presented, i was able to talk about a very significant issue that society faces today and that is, abortion. I enjoyed many of the topics, videos, images and felt inspired to write rather than bored by the idea of writing.
Some of the things that i will change this semester would be the permissions on my blog. This time i would like to make it a little bit more private. Only my classmates and teacher will be able to see it. I also changed my background and added some pictures.
I am looking forward to this semester, the challenges to come. I know this class is not easy, it does require a lot of effort, work and study but its not impossible. We also had a lot of fun last semester because depending on the chemistry of the group, discussions in class can be very engaging and we can have more fun together while still getting the work done. Hopefully there will be videos to comment on because i loved watching videos and giving my opinion on them.
Other blog that i liked was talking about a social issue that was important to us, in that blog i felt free to express my feelings, give different sides of the issue and try to get other people to be interested in my topic.
I am looking forward to this semester's blogs and getting better at writing.