The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Chapter 16-18 Blog Response

Chapter 16

A Conflict is a struggle between two forces in a literary work. A struggle that takes place between a character and an outside force is called an external conflict. A struggle that takes place within a character is an internal conflict. Identify one external conflict that Huck has experienced thus far in the novel. What internal conflicts does Huck face, especially in chapter 16? How does Huck resolve this moral conflict, at least temporarily, in this chapter?

Chapter 17-18

Examine Huck’s experience with the Grangerfords. How does Huck react to living in the Grangerford Household? Why do you suppose he likes/dislikes life with the Grangerfords? What do you think Huck learns from his experience with this family? Explain how this experience relates to the symbolic idea that “the river represents peace and land represents chaos” in Huck’s life.

Huck Finn Blog Chapters 7-11

Response is due by Thursday

Chapter 8

If Huck keeps Jim’s secret of escape, people will call him a “low down Abolitionist.” Explain the irony in Huck’s statement. What is Twain’s message about the hypocritical values of society?

Miss Watson could sell Jim for eight hundred dollars. He, therefore, feels rich because “he owns himself.” Explain Twain’s use of Satire in Jim’s statement. What was Twain’s attitude toward slavery?

Chapter 10-11

Huck’s growing concern for Jim is evident in many ways. Discuss the events where this concern is reflected in Huck’s behavior. In what ways does he protect Jim from danger? Cite examples to support your answer.

 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Chp 1-3 Blog Response

Chp 1

The Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson, are both trying to “sivilize” Huck. Compare and contrast their attitudes toward Huck. What method does each one use in her efforts to turn him into a “respectable” citizen? How do those methods differ? How are they the same? Cite examples to support your argument.

Chp 2-3

Although Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are presented as contrasting characters in the novel, they are alike in many ways. Examine the characters of Tom and Huck and define their primary differences and similarities in character. Give examples from the novel to support your argument.

 

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”

“A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Blog Response Exercise

After reading Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and have discussed the story with the class and individual group, you are to answer both of  the following questions and post your response. Your  initial response is worth 20 points and must be submitted by Sunday, April 1 at  8:00 p.m. Your follow-up response (4-10 sentence response to a classmate) is worth 15 points and must be submitted by Wednesday, April 4 at 8:00 p.m.

Question 1 –

Characters in literature can be classified as either “static” or “dynamic”. The grandmother can be seen as “dynamic” while Bailey is a “static” character. After describing some dominant character traits of the grandmother and her son, Bailey, explain how the grandmother is a dynamic character, using details from the work to support your answer. (6-10 sentences)

Question 2 –

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is one of the most famous examples of Southern Gothic literature. Southern Gothic writing focuses on strange events, eccentric characters, and local color to create a haunting mood and unsettling depiction of life in the American South.  People, places, and events in Southern Gothic literature appear to be normal at first glance, but they eventually reveal themselves to be strange, disturbing, and sometimes horrific. Using 2-3 details from the story, discuss how “A Good Man is Hard to Find” can be classified in the Southern Gothic genre. (6 – 10 sentences)

* Remember to answer both questions in your blog response. Initial responses will be posted on Sunday evening and you may respond to classmates at that time.

* Also when filling in your identification info only put your first name and first letter of your last name.

Help or Harm ? – The Future of Online Education

The argument of the costs and benefits of online education has been regularly prevalent in the college or university systems; however, as technology advances and our student population continues to change, the discussion of online classes will be pertinent to all areas of education, including secondary and elementary schools.  This trend in online classes continues to rise, and “some analysts claim that some fifty percent of all classes will be online ones by the next decade” (Geib).  While this new method of education seems to align with the technologically driven culture of the students it serves, some argue that the implementation of these online courses may not be as effective as many proponents claim.  Though online education can be effective, I believe that relying solely on this method of instruction can prove harmful to students.

As a teacher at St. Bonaventure High School, I am required weekly to submit  lesson plans that not only include the procedure and objectives for my classes, but an incorporation of Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains. Bloom’s taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives in education.  For students to truly learn, it is vital that they not only obtain knowledge and comprehend material, but that they use this knowledge to further analyze, comprehend, evaluate, and synthesize what they learn.  Through independent learning or online courses, I believe that many students are able to comprehend material; however higher levels of thinking may be jeopardized or pushed to the backburner. For this higher thinking to occur, I feel that discussion and analysis is absolutely necessary. Though Skype and other methods of online communication can be utilized, in many instances online courses require a great deal of independent research and little interaction among classmates. As an article in the New York Times suggests, “Despite the Web’s abundance of primary source materials and distributed expertise, too many online courses stick to a “just the facts m’am” approach.” I do not believe that students will fully learn material if they just complete worksheets and take tests, one primary example of online courses.

My one experience with an online course in college was negative. Because I was simply reading material online, completing fill-in-the-blank problems, and taking tests, I found myself unable to fully comprehend and be engaged in the material. I commonly procrastinated and did poorly on most of my tests. Without control or consistency I believe that many students would struggle from this sort of education.  Though I seem to speak negatively of online courses, this certain approach to online learning is not the only option.  Effective results have been seen when discussion, collaborative assignments, driven instruction, and one-on-one communication is incorporated in online learning. Programs like Elluminate have been able to make this type of collaborative learning online more effective.  I believe this type of learning that allow students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize needs to be utilized if our educational system continues to progress in this direction.

While this type of learning has proved successful in schools across the nation, I feel that the most effective learning experience in the next ten years will be a combination of both online and face-to-face instruction.  If used effectively learning can take place online, but meeting in person at sometime is important.  In her blog on blended learning, Heather Wolpert- Gawron cites that an in person meeting increases accountability for students and allows for the importance of establishing class expectations. In addition, assessing and discussing both online and face-to-face may prove more effective for students of various learning styles. I for one prefer traditional face-to-face discussion as opposed to an online chat or a program like Skype. In our third week of EDU 515 I enjoyed our meeting online and do not feel that we necessarily needed to meet in person that night; however, I thought that it was somewhat difficult to get a word in and some people were more reserved than they would have been when discussing in person.  Blended learning appears to be the most successful solution in both progressing with technology and effectively serving all of our students.

Because education is heading in the direction of online courses and blended learning, It is necessary that I prepare myself to teach in these types of environments. Many believe that online learning is used to save costs and that the future of educators is in question; however, the incorporation of blended learning places teachers in an important yet different position than ever before. It is important to realize the role that I will have in the future. Teaching an online class is difficult and requires knowledge of current technology and effective motivational skills. Though I would prefer teaching in a traditional classroom, I feel that the use of online conferencing, blogging, digital video, online workspaces, and other new educational technologies will help prepare me to conduct an effective online class. It is vital that teachers are willing to learn and remain current in the implementation of various resources that assist in online learning.  In addition to knowledge of technology, it is critical that teachers are knowledgeable in how to successfully teach in an online environment. In my experience in online learning, I believe my failure was due in part to a lack of organization or direction by the instructor. To effectively teach an online course in the future it is vital that the structure of the course is organized, effective one-on-one communication can occur, and regular group discussions and projects are completed.

Though it is somewhat out of my comfort zone, the future of education is headed towards the digital or online classroom.  With effective knowledge of technology and a proficiency in teaching in this online environment, I feel that I will be well suited to teach online courses.  Relying solely on individual self-direction in learning will prove ineffective; however the incorporation of higher levels of thinking in online learning through discussion and interaction can prove successful in the future.  The awareness of this necessity in effectively instructing online courses will benefit me as an educator in the future.

Multitasking In A Digital Age

An argument exists in the field of Education of whether teachers need to adjust to their students and change their methods of instruction, or students need to learn from traditional styles in the classroom and step back from their world of digital world surrounded by technology. Most would agree that it is the teachers and the educational system that must adapt and cater to the student. Marc Prensky suggests that exposure to technology has shaped this new type of student with a “very different blend of cognitive skills than its predecessors.” Because of this new psychological brain structures in today’s generation, teachers in the classroom are pressured to compete with the web and a new type of student.

This student has been molded by technology to believe that school and conversation are generally the same. As a result, many students believe that they can multitask in almost anything they do and are effective in doing so.  One MIT student echoes this sentiment when he states that like conversations with friends, “school is the same. You’re paying attention to your professor, you’re emailing another professor, and you’re looking at something else.” This problem of multitasking is a problem that can hinder education regardless of the methods of instruction utilized in the classroom.

Conflicting research has produced various statements regarding the power of the brain. A Sesame Street experiment revealed that children distracted with toys were generally able to comprehend as much of the show as those children who were solely focused on the television. However, this research conducted on five-year-olds may not be as effective as looking at research conducted by Stanford University in examining what really goes on in the brain of those who multitask. Doctor Clifford Nass revealed that virtually all multitaskers believe that they are great multi-taskers, but the general discovery is that they are in fact really lousy at it. Though students may disagree, modern day Psychology and research suggests that some things just cannot be multitasked. In fact, Nass reveals an even more alarming suggestion that multi-tasking “may create people who are unable to think clearly and well.

Is changing the structure and methods of instruction in schools really going to work in successfully educating these students?  Is it a plausible argument that changing the system will not really be effective if it is the multitasking that is hindering our students? Students are already distracted and make attempts to multitask in activities that they actually enjoy.  Can multi-tasking be effective in any particular situation? Do students need to change as well along with the system and discontinue particular habits and mindsets? Is there a happy medium that exists where students and educators meet to facilitate a more effective transfer of knowledge in the classroom?

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

– Randall Jarrell

From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

In a 2-3 paragraph response address the following questions and post in the comments section:

Introduce the Author, Poem, and a brief summary. Explain Randall Jarrell’s attitudes toward war as he expresses in this poem? What does he suggest about the value of individual human life during war? Explain the comparison that Jarrell makes in the poem and explain the Irony in this comparison. How does Jarrell prove his point in this poem? (Language, Poetic/Literary Devices). Is he effective? Why or Why not? (Include a couple quotes to support your writing)