Paper Requirements Report Back

1. 2-6 pages typed. generally correct grammar or spelling--except dialogue or examples. get your point across with some kind of flow. should use proper english when telling a story, but not in dialogue. should be informal--can use I and YOU. you should title it. it can be non-fiction or fiction.

2. should use quote and examples from the text. 5 paragraph essay. 2-6 pages, double-spaced. casual writing. favorite paragraph class--could use that as an example. you should use your opinion rather than just facts.

3. want to give ourselves our own grade. we should choose our own grade and will tell you why we deserve the grade. 2 page minimum and 5 page maximum. if you choose to write your own story that is connected to one of the stories in the book, then you need to be specific about which story you are writing about. correct grammar unless you are using dialogue. [need other people to read in class to judge...group? others?]

4. approximately 3 pages to get your point across. personal, but you should use a works cited page if citing examples from the text. use your own experiences in the text. informal.

5. include your own opinion and life experiences. good conclusing. catches readers' attention. powerful thesis statement. stay on topic. support your thesis. no less than 2 pages.

6. 2 or more pages. opinionated. be informal can use I. stay on topic, don't drift on to another topic. .

Both

Both essays had much meaning behind them. The way in which the they were written may have made readers skip over the importance of Tame a Wild Tongue. In "tame" there are many parts of the text in which the author rattles of whole sentences in spanish and sometimes a paragraph. This makes reading the paper hard and the audience might not know what she is talking about. But that is the point. This language barrier is how she lives everyday of her life and by throwing in a language most of us can not understand is shows us the difficulty. The second essay about highschool is more to the point about being well rounded. The way in which it was written allows most readers to comprehend easily and that may make us gravitate towards the conclusion that this was a more well written essay.

i liked the highschool article more probably because i was just stuck in that life. i loved highschool because i learned alot about myself and life in general. to read about others highschool day and to relate it to issues me and others have experienced was crazy.the wild tongue article was not that interesting to me. i just didnt understand the point the writing was trying to get across.

June and Delpit

Both June and Delpit both talk about education and the differences between a white student and a black student. June speaks of two forms of English, the first being standard English and the second as Black English. Black English is what Junes students speak in class bout can not understand when reading out the book "The color purple". What June says about these two languages is that even though they sound so different both can express the same ideas with the same effectiveness but only if people are willing to accept both are languages. June and the student come to this acceptance but they realize most of the world will not. The true story they write together of a fallen peer goes unheard as the society around them will not tolerate this Black Language.
As for Delpit she focuses more on the learning differences between black children and white. It is not the just language they speak but the culture they are raised in. White teacher's believe black children have no fluency when they speak. This is not true the speak in different ways says Delpit. White children have the skills for "correct speech" so fluency is what is stressed. White families teach this at home in everyday life. The black culture is fluent if you are to listen to it says Delpit but most do not. Black children need to be taught the skills of literacy because that is what they miss at home. White teachers create the standard for teaching but do not see how smart these black children are. The difference is cultures creates a need for differences in teaching.

Both Essays

Reading the first essay about high school i could relate to it because it basically reffered to a teenagers typical highschool life. The essay basically mentioned of how the highschool life prepares you for the real world. It helps to round you as a person testing to see if you can handle and prepare yourself for the obstacles ahead. The wild tongue i couldn't really understand because she kept going back and forth from english to spanish and that really ticked me off. But I felt that the message that she was trying to get across was that she felt as though noone respected her and her cultural language.

Both the Essays

In my opinion both the essays were both non-informal at all because it didn't serve a purpose to anything I would actually read about. Like the High school essays I mean what was that all about it didn't really spark any vibes on a average day of school. On some part I may say did seem like he was just bored himself so it bored me even more. But the spanish essay was getting on my nerves with all the spanish she was speaking so it made me skip over the words even more. The only good thing I got out of the spanish essay really was all she had to go through with the different setting and languages she had to speak to certain people.

Wild tongue/High School

I really liked the High School essay one because not only did it interest me in reading about that students day, it also made me want to read more. In High School there is alot of stupid stuff that we used to do, but some of it was really important. Why would teacher makes us do that if it wasnt for our benifit? The wild tongue essay, I did not really like. Not only because of all the spanish in there but because it was hard to follow and understand. Even though I can relate to it and doing the same things sometimes, it was hard for me to follow all the ideas in it.

Brainstorming ideas for paper #1

1. paper about the main topic--the clash of languages or cultures in some way...and how about how it should be very like opinionated--everythng we have read has been the opinion of the author or their story. We should be able to use I...connect all these stories about language and culture together.

2. take one of the essays and make it your own...tell your own stories...choose one of the ideas and make it your own...say how you connect to it.

3. likes it that i like just said...the main topic--clash of languages the struggle for what you think is right.

4. identifying yourself as someone...different personalities/backgrounds...standing for what you think is right...

5. two topics: a. discrimination in the past and the world today. b. traditional roles of education and their effectiveness in the classroom.

6. what form and what different styles are most effective...how important the reader response is for the audience you are writing for.

wild tongue/what highschool is

To be totally honest I didn't care for either of the essays. If I had to pick one that I liked better it would be What High School Is. Anzaldua's essay jumped from one language to another, which made it very hard to follow. She was trying to get across a point about the way different languages are viewed. I don't feel that it was worth while explaining that with some words they get rid of certain letters to make it sound different. If I didn't have some knowledge of spanish it wouldn't have made any difference to me about what they changed because I wouldn't know how to pronounce the words in the first place. Over all Anzaldua's essay didn't interest or make a lot of sence to me. What High School Is was a little bit more interesting, but it was also easier to read and follow which was nice. The highschool day was similar to mine but not exactly the same. I agree with the points that were made at the end of this essay. I just don't understand why we had to have such a detailed view of Mark's day to get to those points.

Wild Tongue/High School

Both of these essays I didn't care too much about. I felt that in the High School essay I thought it had a lot of information that was pointless. Although I felt the author was correct on the seven things they only teach you in high school. The high school day that was decribed in this essay was similar to the day that I had experienced in high school. The "Wild Tongue" confused me by them throwing in spanish words or phases, which I had know idea what they were talking about. I felt I missed a lot of this essay by them comfusing me with the spanish words. That is pretty amazing to be able to speack seven different languages. I felt that these essays weren't as detailed and interesting as the last few we read.

high school/ spanish

Yeah, reading through Marks day of High school brought back alot of memories because I was so easily related to almost everything that happened. For instance, I even had 11th grade english in room 304 (i thought that was kind of odd). But i guess what that dude was trying to say was that high school is more then just learning how to read write and do math and more of building yourself to get ready for everything in the real world. Getting a job, going to college, all that kind of stuff. it was alright

Now the Spanish thing was ok... i didnt get through it all but it reminded me alot of black english but in spanish. Instead of using Black or English they used Chicano and Spanish. But yeah i had a difficult time reading that, because i cant read spanish except like hola and stuff but not any of the things they said. They probably had and made a good point or moral or whatever though.

Tongue/High School

I liked the Anzaldua essay because I can relate to her. I am half spanish and i know what she is talking about when she speaks of the differences in the way different hispanics speak. I also liked the old spanish sayings because I hear them around where I live. I did not like the Sizer essay because it was somewhat drawn out and boring, though i can relate with Mark because it sounds like a day in my highschool.

High school/Wild toungue

Ok where should I begin. I started to read Wild Toungue and I didn't really care for it. I know that sounds a little harsh but how can I understand the point when half of the story is in Spanish. I took two semesters of high school spanish, and thats it! I guess I did understand what she wanted to say but switching back from English to Spanish got too confusing to follow.

As for the High School essay, it was a little hard to pick up on the message. It was just basically your average day at a high school. I noticed that most of the begining of the article was about someone's day at school, so I skipped around to the better parts. Once I got there, I came to find myself agreeing with what was being said. I like how the author says "School is to be like a job; you start in the morning and end in the afternoon, five days a week." I think that this statement is very true. Kids have to go to school like adults would have to go to work, everyday, every week until its done.

High school/Wild toungue

Ok where should I begin. I started to read Wild Toungue and I didn't really care for it. I know that sounds a little harsh but how can I understand the point when half of the story is in Spanish. I took two semesters of high school spanish, and thats it! I guess I did understand what she wanted to say but switching back from English to Spanish got too confusing to follow.

As for the High School essay, it was a little hard to pick up on the message. It was just basically your average day at a high school. I noticed that most of the begining of the article was about someone's day at school, so I skipped around to the better parts. Once I got there, I came to find myself agreeing with what was being said. I like how the author says "School is to be like a job; you start in the morning and end in the afternoon, five days a week." I think that this statement is very true. Kids have to go to school like adults would have to go to work, everyday, every week until its done.

I am posting my reading on Delpit's writing. Even though I wasn't completely taken away by the writing I did find it quite easy to read. It was nice to see the perspective of teaching in the classroom from a teacher's view. Through our grade school, highschool lives we get the impression teachers just teach us what we need to know we don't ever think about how they actually feel about teaching themselves. This writting shows a teacher actually debating the different types of the education process 2nd handed. Even though I know this writting mentions race as one of her main concerns I tryed to not look at the two teaching styles as a white and black issue,just two different teaching methods. I think it had more to do with the locations of the places where she was and how the environments had impact on the teaching styles and how the students corresponded with them. Even though I didn't feel I could completely relate to her I did like the reading over all.

Late, I konw

Both of the Black English essays were ok. However I did enjoy Jordan's article more. She used examples that gets you captured in her message. I thought it was really funny how her students who actually speak the way the book "The Color Purple" was written and they couldn't understand it. Her story at the end of her article really bothered me, how they wouldn't print the letter just because of how it was written. It just goes to show how racist people can be still. I guess in a way they proved a point. But if I was in that situation, I would be pretty pissed.

Ah... High School

I will have to say I actually somewhat enjoyed both article, to some extent. I like Sizer's article more only because I could totally relate to a day in the life of Mark. His day was almost exactly the same as mine was in high school. Because this was so easy to relate to it made me much more interested in the writing. I'll have to admit though towards the end I didn't become bored with it. This is where Anzaldua's article was much more interesting. The way she wrote the article made it much easier and more fun to read. I have only a little background in Spanish but I ejoyed reading the Spanish that was in the article. It added character to the writting.

Wild Tongue/High School

I started reading the "Wild Tongue" essay first and didn't finish it because I couldn't relate,nor did I care about the seven dialects of Spanish. Everytime he was trying to explain a point he did it using Spanish. I didn't like how he jumped around and I didn't care to learn Spanish words. I began reading the second essay, and was guided through an average school day much like a day in my high school. After the description of the school day was over, I was waiting to here the main point and be ready to say," wow good point," but this never came. It was just boring to read. I did agree with how the author descibed high school. I liked the basis for the seven things they try to teach you in high school. I thought that was right on.

What High School Is/How To Tame A Wild Tongue

To be honest, I really did not care for either of these essays. I was confused for most of it. I understood the basic meaning the author was trying to convey to their audience, but I didn't really follow the way the authors chose to write their essays. For example, in "...Wild Toungue" Anzaldua switches back and forth from Spanish to English. Having taken three years of Spanish I somewhat understood what was being said, but it was still difficult to understand why she chose to do this. Also, she chose to talk about so many differnt forms of Spanish it was hard to follow what language she was talking about. One minute she was talking about Chicano Spanish, and the next she was talking about using TexMex with her siblings. I found this to be extremely confusing. Overall, I didn't hate the essay, but had a hard time reading it . It definately was not one of my favorites.

The next essay, "What High School is" i found to be somewhat interesting. Although, I wasn't completely sure why this essay was chosen only because we all lived this. We each have our own version of what "our high school was" good or bad, we all have our own story. Personally that's why I think we were assigned to read this essay- to read about anothers high school story. In this case we learned the story of Mark. Overall, I didnt mind this essay as much as I did the essay on the "wild toungue."

What High School Is/How To Tame A Wild Tongue

To be honest, I really did not care for either of these essays. I was confused for most of it. I understood the basic meaning the author was trying to convey to their audience, but I didn't really follow the way the authors chose to write their essays. For example, in "...Wild Toungue" Anzaldua switches back and forth from Spanish to English. Having taken three years of Spanish I somewhat understood what was being said, but it was still difficult to understand why she chose to do this. Also, she chose to talk about so many differnt forms of Spanish it was hard to follow what language she was talking about. One minute she was talking about Chicano Spanish, and the next she was talking about using TexMex with her siblings. I found this to be extremely confusing. Overall, I didn't hate the essay, but had a hard time reading it . It definately was not one of my favorites.

The next essay, "What High School is" i found to be somewhat interesting. Although, I wasn't completely sure why this essay was chosen only because we all lived this. We each have our own version of what "our high school was" good or bad, we all have our own story. Personally that's why I think we were assigned to read this essay- to read about anothers high school story. In this case we learned the story of Mark. Overall, I didnt mind this essay as much as I did the essay on the "wild toungue."

I loved the high school essay. It was a critical view of the education system by an educator. We've all heard teachers gripe about class time, funding, and NCLB, but Sizer seems to cover a huge unmentioned critical problem with education. Its impersonal. It doesn't allow growth. Subjects don't coincide, students are never prompted to think, or meditate on issues, and there's so much useless bullshit thrown at you in a day. This contradicts a previous reading we did about fluency and skills, but makes an excellent point and bring to mind serious issues. As a future teacher I feel stuck at a cross roads. Do I say, "fuck the system" and teach alternatively...personally knowing my students, making sure deep lessons and values are learned? Or, do I provide them with the skills they need to get into college and get a job. Do I assign enriching projects that touch on philosophy and values, or do I throw at them the same sort of tests they've been seeing and will continue to see throughout their lives? Progressive or practical. I think every educator would prefer true educating to the traditional force feeding of cut down simplified fact. Sadly there's no infrastructure for progressive education. While alternative schools do exist, the post secondary setup of things disables students from utilizing any sort of unique information. The problem of tradition over invention lies not quarantined in our schools, but encompasses all of society.
I digress. I think my response is taking my own direction, and not really a reflection of the assignment.
Sizer made excellent points and observations. I like how he retold an occurrence that most of us are familiar with, in such an enlightening way. He didn't "tell" us that teachers don't have time, he "showed" us the multitude of daily interruption. He showed us impersonal classrooms, lack of interest, character and values. Sizer's style of using examples really drove home his point.

What High School Is/ How To Tame A Wild Tongue

I wasn't too pleased with this essay. I didn't understand from the beginning what the essay was going to be about, and when it finally got to the factual part, I felt that the entire beginning was unnecessary. While it could have made the article more interesting, it didn't. I didn't like this essay because it was boring and told me things that I already knew. I know what high school is about, and although I agreed with everything said, it still didn't teach me anything I hadn't already known.

I also did not like this essay. Truthfully I did not finish it because I didn't care to learn about all the different forms of Spanish language. It was confusing because it was mostly English, but the author would throw in spanish sentences and I had no clue what they meant.

Neither of these essays were a good pick, sorry :)

The June Jordan essay

I like this essay the best out of everyone we have read in class so far. I l ike how June Jordan put into perspective how Black English and standard English are the same, but yet they are different. When one speaks in Black English, one that speaks standard English would be able to understand what they are saying and what the meaning is. I like how June shows how Black English is used in schools, when one is around their friends and at home, but once the news or media gets a hold of it, it is not acceptable anymore. They feel as though it is not the correct way to speak. For example, when the class decides to right their article in Black English, the way that Willie Jordan's brother spoke, the newspaper would not publish it unless it was written in standard English. I really enjoyed this essay!

Thoughts on the Essays Delpit

My favorite line in Delpit's essay was White teachers: "Let me help you find your voice. I promise not to criticize one note as you search for your own song." Black teachers: "I've heard your song loud and clear. Now, I want to teach you to harmonize with the rest of the world." I like the metaphorical way she portrayed the difference in the educators' teaching tactics. Here, we see the encouragement/discouragement directed to the students. Actually, both essays seemed to incorporate metaphorical passages, which I find a unique way to display what is being said. Evidently, there were a lot of issues arrising about literacy, whites and blacks, their knowledge and their abilities.

Delpits Essay

When I was reading Delpits essay I didn't quite understand what she was getting at when talking about teaching the students as an open-classroom. As I was reading along I started to notice that she was comparing how white and black kids learned in a city school. I discovered that her comparison were leading to how teachers can change the classroom to make it more comfortable for the students to learn and to make sure that they learn at the same pace. I like the way Delpit than took the opinions of her friends and than told how she felt through her point of view. It seem as though in the end her open-classroom idea didn't work because no one wanted to try in progress this idea to make it work in the classroom.

so here's my post

Well I'm going to be honest here, both articles were great but I don't think I got the deep message in either. I understood Jordan's more though because of the examples she used and how she wrote it. I really liked how she put it in "dictionary" like form. It was something that was familar to me which made it much easier to understand. I also liked the story she gave us at the end of the article. It was kind of like putting a face to a name... if that makes sense. If not I guess I'll be explaining myself. :-)

while i was readin the June Jordan essay i laughed the whole time because i understood and agreed with what she was saying. yes racism and discrimination does exist, and i speak on that with personal experience. of all the stories we read for the class, i liked this one most. she had pointed out that white students may excel in school while as black students lag. maybe because most wgite students come from morestable families and homes?

black english

When I first started to read the stories, I couldn't quite get June Jordan was getting across with the metaphor. After awhile, I started to understand it. She really pulled me in that way. Instead of not caring, I was rather intrigued. The story really hits me. It really points out the true signs of racism in today's world. She tells about how the media, police department and others show that discrimination does exist. It's sad but true. I think that everyone should read this paper, because it shows the harsh realities of the somewhat cruel world we live in.

black english

When I first started to read the stories, I couldn't quite get June Jordan was getting across with the metaphor. After awhile, I started to understand it. She really pulled me in that way. Instead of not caring, I was rather intrigued. The story really hits me. It really points out the true signs of racism in today's world. She tells about how the media, police department and others show that discrimination does exist. It's sad but true. I think that everyone should read this paper, because it shows the harsh realities of the somewhat cruel world we live in.

Black English

When I first started reading Jordan's essay I wasn't sure how I would like it. I didn't know what she was trying to say or where she was coming from, but once we "entered" the class room I caught on quickly. The biggest connection that pulled me into this essay was The Color Purple (I read it for my jr. project in highschool). Jordan was shocked when her class couldn't respond at first and then said they couldn't understand it when they were talking in the same dialect that the book was written. This experience made the class want to learn how to write and read black english and it made me realize that we talk differently from the way we read and write. I really liked how through out the essay Jordan shows us the great strides they make with their black english and their set backs (Murder of Willie's brother; deciding to write in black english). Jordan concludes her essay by sharing Willie's essay about his brother's murder. This to me was a very strong conclusion to her essay, and it made me sit back and really think about what she wrote and how true it still is today.

Sympathetic reading: Delpit

When I began reading Delpit essay on different teaching styles for white and black student I seen the way she began going about how black student and how white students learn. The way she point out different details of how she began going about the situation of teaching of the styles she tried. For example the "traditional style" that most teacher go about to get their students to learn.She said that the black student were progressing but they were still lagging behind compared to the white student. I believe from my point of view that it has to do with the different backgrounds that student come from that can be the cause of the learning curve.Delpit also argued about the point of skills and fluency that can create and issue of different students that maybe taking the "SAT" or any standardized test for a fact.

Black English

After reading both essay's I was very moved but them both. The one that June Jordan wrote really touched me because up to this point yes I realized that their was "Black English" but I never really thought about it. After reading the essay, I became more aware with how there is two different ways to speak english. It amazed me how in Jordan's essay the children read "The color Purple" and then came to class the next day and couldn't understand it when it was their own language that they were speaking, they just weren't putting two and two together I guess. It also really touched me that still to this point what Jordan wrote about is still going on in some places which breaks my heart. Both essays are very similar. They talk about the culture of "Black English" and how it affected someone's life and that its still going on today.

Black English

After reading these two stories I never thought that there was such a thing as Black English. Everytime I heard what is known as Black English, I thought it was incorrect English. I found that it was incredibly difficult to understand. I feel that us Americas are always trying to change others to the way we are, and what we do. In the one story the cops killed a black man for no reason. I feel that us Americas are still racism, but us Americas have came a long way with it this issue.

Black English

I think I am going to side with June Jordan on this one, I felt like he/she/it had a great idea with the Black English and the other class. I liked this one because it shows that english isnt really proper to say its a language. I'd say we speak American now, and Black English is just another accent of the American language. Sympathy grew in me when Willie stopped showing up to class, his brother dying and then nobody being able to do anything about it. I didn't really understand what that had to do with Black English except that Willie was all about that class. I thought of what the police did was worng and racist but i still didnt see what a police man killing a black guy had to do with Black English. But it was a good story/essay thing.

Black English

June Jordan's article on Black English was truly inspiring. To be truthful, I never really thought of "Black English" being correct. Not that I thought it was incorrect, I just never really viewed it as the same as how I speak. But after reading this article I defintely found that I have an appreciation for black english, which I never thought I did. As a musical theatre minor, i found it extremely interesting that Jordan used "The Color Purple" as the book to critique. The Musical takes Alice Walker's words and puts them into song. While listening to the song, I can understand what is being sung and the message that is trying to be conveyed, but when I tried to read the lyrics or in this case the excerpts from the book, i found it incredibly difficult to understand. This essay, not only helped me realize that others have a hard time accepting black english, but that I have a hard time as well. I also loved how Jordan incorporated the story of Willie in her article- giving the article two different sides. One side being completly geared towards the learning and teaching of black english, while the other gave concrete example of how the black race is still being treated unfairly in today's soceity. I always thought it really wasn't a problem anymore. I was wrong.

Black English

June Jordan's essay was truly amazing. She wrote about things that I had never thought to be true. I realize there are many forms of English that thirty three countries use today, but I had never truly realized that there was something called "Black English." When I had heard Black English before, I always thought it to be incorrect. After reading this essay I now understand the complexities of this language. I also liked how Jordan incorporated Willie Jordan and his life story. The essay was not just about language and how it differs, but about the way life really was, and still is.
As for the second essay, by Lisa Delpit, I felt that it opened up a lot of controversy on the teaching of black and white students. It explained throughout how white and black children had such different ways of learning, and that although both races seem to learn, white children seem to speed by and understand things more. Towards the end of the essay it began to explain why - black children were never taught the skills of writing, because people never understood that it wasn't just the literacy they needed to learn. White children, taught whether in school or at home, learned the skills of writing and how to put a sentence together at a very early age. Black children, however, were only ever taught the literacy, and barely ever taught at home. I agree with this essay in saying that the program has a lot to work on so that the teachings can be fair.

Black English

After reading the essays on black english I have a different outlook on how "English" is being taught today. Before reading this, everytime I heard someone speaking, what is known as Black English, I considered it to be wrong. I now have more respect for what is considered Black English. I disagree with how America is constantly trying to change everything to only consisting of one thing, in this case White English. For example, it is mentioned that in India there are over thirty different languages and dialects being spoken. As for June Jordan's essay, I thought it was very emotional. I have heard of cases of black people being targeted by the police, but this one was obviously taken too far. I felt before that America has come along way with racism, but clearly hasn't come far enough.

Black English

I just finished reading June Jordan's essay, and I feel completely moved. Moved emotionally, and intellectually; and I'm very glad to have read such a masterpiece of literature.
Initially I was offended, and thought the notion of a white English and a black English was ridiculous. Ebonics is a dialect. Teaching it formally would be like teaching how to speak English with an Indian accent, or perhaps with a lisp. Furthermore I was angry to hear standard English referred to as white English, and that it was oppressively being taught to everyone...including the 10+% of black Americans.
But after reading on, and really cogitating the issue, I've realized that there's so much truth to what Jordan tells us. Black English has been spoken for about 300yrs. It has definite rules, very formally explained by Jordan, and is an essential characteristic for a huge chunk of our population's culture.
I love how she states "we exist." (at least I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere, can't seem to find it now.) That statement says so much. I realize that in the US a black citizen must shed his culture in exchange for the ability to achieve in the business world. One does not have the option of typing a resume in black English. Jordan makes her point, and has convinced me that one should have such an option. One should exist, and be proud of his heritage.
She goes on to talk about the terrible tragedy of Reggie Jordan, which pounds in the final nail, about racism in America.
The essay was confrontational, moving, personal, and extremely enriching. I especially love the variety of styles and powerful voice she utilizes. I cannot stress enough what an excellent piece this was.

ok, so i guess ill start by saying that my name is Brittany. I attended Chichester High School( no its not a typo - i dont mean Chester High). I havent done this blog thing yet, so im just getting my feet wet...

Hi, my name is Ashley and this is my first time posting because it took me a minute to get familiarized with this program. I was born and raised in West Philly so coming to Kutztown was a huge transition. Despite everything that's going on back home, I personally think it's not the best place to raise a child, but seeing people so close to you with nothing motivates you to be better.
I agree with both Lu's and Rose's outlook. Lu was motivated to do good by her family but struggled in society because of language disputes(as if learning the English language isn't hard enough). Her family did alot to make sure she was literate and was able to survive in the "real world". Rose catered more to those like him. He helped people without jobs and also those with little or no income because they were usually illiterate because of their background not because of their willingness to learn. Rose is passionate about giving the opportunity of a good education to his students because he wasn't given the opportunity as a child. Both Rose and Lu have different backgrounds and experiences that make them great teachers in their own way. I believe the best teachers are the ones who went through stuggles and pulled through rather than the people who have had everything handed to them on a silver platter. The more "pull downs" the more wisdom.

Raymond Williams

My thought on the ideas that Raymond had was that culture is in every shape and form. In the beginning I wanted to know why he started his reading like this then as I went on I seen why. Raymond just creates meaning in his writing that make me read between the lines almost.

Lu and Rose's essays

While reading Lu and Rose essays I established similarities and differences that discusses issues of literacy. The similarities that I saw between readings was that they both were taught to be instructed or to instruct other of reading and writing. The differences that I saw was the educational background. My thoughts of the authors helped me really to relate to the education process of literacy and the real essential of the educational background.

Introduce Myself

Hi!! My name is Pyrnie Calloway and I'm from Harrisburg, Pa. I am sorry I missed out on the assignment because of technical reason but I am writing my blog now so I guess it is alright. I have attended Sci-Tech High and I am here at Ku as a biology major. I love to sing, write songs on my spare time, shop, work out, and just hang out with friends and family to have fun. But that me.

Lu and Rose

There is one main focus between these two authors and that is, being literate is a necessity in life. Lu speaks of her own personal struggles. She tries so hard to balance the English of her house with the Chinese of the outside world. Both the world outside frowns upon the western tongue and the home puts englsih above the Chinese. To use the one language in the wrong setting looked down upon but Lu is so fluent in both they have blended together in her mind. I it necessary for Chinese to spoken outside for success and just is the same for English inside the house and in her parents eyes for success. Rose's story in from the outside looking into the struggles of other people. He wants these people to read knowing that with out this skill they will not be as successful. Both Rose and Lu completely believe in the power literacy gives people and that with this power so many more doors can be opened for people in thier lives.

hi,
I read Rose's and Lu's and I had to agree with them both in that literacy is an issue in America and even moreso throughout the world, in places like China. I would have to say that they basically had the same idea, except that Lu was telling of what she saw and Rose was telling of the people he had helped. Lu seemed to blame literacy on the government and at the time it was a rightous idea. I would have to say that that it how she situated with her struggle. Rose says that people with low income jobs or no jobs at all or people that dont put forth effort in their society are usually illiterate, so then he helps them. All in all i agree with them

Culture is Ordinary

What good everybody, my name is Aaron kerns and I am a second year student here at kutztown. My hobbies include listening to music hang with good people and enjoy my free time in any way possible, basket ball, painting, partying. In response to our first reading I would have to agree with most of what Williams was saying here. Williams presented a valid point throughout this informal piece of literature. Culture is the ordinary to anyone who is in and lives it day by day. By taking your self out of the your own that is when you see the differences. When Williams takes the bus to the mountain top he can see two different cultures. Before him he can view the city with factories and smoke billowing into the sky. Just by turning halfway around he compares the city to the agricultural society in the other direction. Culture is always changing Williams writes I can not deny that. Some traditions will remain but the new members of society will always test and explore new ideas. To sum up culture is the ordinary to you when in your own, but to look in to another culture you that it is in everything the people do.

Lu and Rose

Both Lu and Rose's essays consisted of life experiences. Although, there are some differences that caught my eye. As I read Lu's essay I came to find that she seemed so much more passionate about literature. Growing up, her parents hired a live-in tutor to help them become a bilingual family. She also had to learn a new language for school; Standard Chinese. I think that Lu's interest and concern for literacy is very appropriate, especially in her case. I don't think I could make it through a day of her life. Having to change languages between groups would be complete and utter frustration. Always having to please people just to get by. However, I did not get that same feeling when I read Rose's article. Rose explains the difference between an educated writer and a non-educated writer. It seems all he does is criticize. When I read his article, it felt as though there was no compassion. Just simply facts.

It is easy to say that I found Lu's essay more interesting than Rose's essay. When the writer tries to connect with the reader, its obviously going to be more interesting. I did not feel as good of a connection with Rose as I did with Lu.

Lu and Rose's Writing

In Lu's writing I felt that I was able to connect to her story. Although I have not been in her situation the way in which she writes shows her emotion and passion for what she is writing about. With Rose's writing I didn't connect as well to his story. His stories are of other peoples experiences and not of his own, therefore he doesn't write with the same emotion and passion that Lu writes with. Rose focuses more on the facts where as Lu describes her experiences, I feel, giving the reader a better understanding of the situation. However, both writers do explain how important it is to be literate in society.

Lu and Rose

In Lu and Rose's essays they both discussed life experiences. Lu discussed how she learned and adapted to two different languages. Lu discusses her life experiences more than Rose does. Lu was brought up in a family who strongly believed in reading and writing, but in a place where the people did not want the English language spoken. Lu's family gave her extra help and she had an after school tutor. Lu's family was very involved in her education, while Rose's family could not afford extra help. Rose was only educated while at school.

Rose and Lu both used their own life experiences to teach their classes. I think that Lu is very passionate about literacy and reading and writing because she was brought up that way. Her family made sure that she had all the help and tutoring she needed. I think that Rose has such a passion for literacy because he, unlike Lu, was not brought up with the knowledge and understanding in school. I think that he wants people to have the education and opportunities that he was not exposed to while growing up.

Lu and Rose response

Reading Lu's essay I was able to connect with her emotions of pleasing everyone. She is very passionate about her understanding of language and her ability to write. At first she is very pleased that she is able to communicate in a way that her classmates can't, but then she becomes insecure and hides her ablitities. Although she has to battle what her parents want and what her school wants, she never gives up her writing. She uses her experiences to help teach others how to write. She wants students to struggle with their writing and to hear the different ideas in their heads not just conform to what the "right" way is.

Rose on the other hand doesn't offer as good of a connect with his writing, yes, he tells about certain people but not enough to really put yourself in their shoes. He says that the people who are there know the basics of reading and writing, but not the basics learned in a school setting. While these people are able to 'survive' on what they know they want and feel the need to learn more to better improve themselves. Rose tells of their struggles to do that.

The people in Rose's essay were able to find the help they needed to work toward the solution to their problem. While in Lu's essay she tells us that she was unable to have help because of the conflicting views between her home and school.

Lu and Rose writing

After reading Lu and Rose's writings, Lu speaks more about her life experience than Rose. Lu was brought up between two languages, from a family that thought reading and writing was real important. She would get after school tutoring and extra help. When Rose came from a family that couldn't affort to get her extra help and only got help when she was in school. They both were nervous to talk infront of a group for two different reasons. Rose would get anxious and her proformance would be disrupted. Lu couldn't speak infront of a group because she was scared that her classmates and teacher would hear a different lanuage and they would single her out. Both writings tell how it is so important to be able to read and write.

Response to Lu and Rose

After reading both Lu and Rose's writing, I compared them as we did yesterday in class. I think that Lu could be compared to Raymond Williams because she told a story about herself growing up and the issues she faced. On the other hand, Mike Rose spoke about a situation where he had come in touch with the issue of literacy. Lu was obviously more passionate about her writing because she grew up in a time when speaking the English language was unacceptable, where as Rose was more about stating the facts and definitely less passionate. Lu was also more passionate because it affected her immediate family a lot more then it affected Rose. They are both similar in a way that they both explain how important it is to be literate in today's society.

Response To Lu and Rose

Reading Lu and Rose's essays, I noticed that they both discussed literacy issues through their own perspective by taking facts from their own lives. There was one similarity that I came across while reading both essays. Rose reflects on his life by telling about his life and how he teaches people who are illiterate how to read and comprhend while at the same time Lu is reflecting on her life and how she was taught to perfect her literacy skills.

The difference is that Lu has a different background than the girls who Rose taught. Lu shared how she struggle with her literacy becuase of always being pressured by her mother to stay on her schooling. I believe that Lu might've performed nervously because she ahd to adapt to her learning enviornmentbut at the same time she succeeded because her mother cared. On the other hand Rose taught people who had a bad social life. The girls had no one who cared for them when they were younger like Rose had so they didn't take their education. Although both writers had their similarities and differences, it seems as though thier aspects were the same because of them taking education seriously.

Response to Lu & Rose

From what I gathered, both writers illustrated the significance of literacy through either their own personal struggle (Lu) or by witnessing others' struggles (Rose). Both writings basically stated how imperative language has become in everyday life and displayed an evolution of language.

Lu's writing gave a personal perspective on the hardships with language growing up and the way it affected her. Even though she had knowledge (of not only one, but two languages), it did not make it any easier on her to live every day life in society. The people in her society favored one or the other, and she was caught in the middle. This put her in conflict growing up, yet she managed to deal with both by segregating them.

Rose, on the otherhand, wrote about the hardships of others that he knew rather than of himself. He watched them with their inability to comprehend the basics of language, which were school related. Yet, he saw in them, that they did have an understanding to the basics of life. So, they on the other hand, had only the knowledge of one, not two, and still they consequently struggled. Rose helped them. (Unlike Lu, who had to help herself.)

Both groups ran into problems, because what they knew and group up with and associated with everyday life, turned out to be wrong somewhere else.

Response to Lu and Rose Readings

My response to these articles are very similiar to that of others in our class. I felt that Lu's writing had so much more passion and concern for literacy while Rose simply states his ideas in a way the audience wouldnt quite understand what it may be like to be illiterate. While reading Lu's article i couldn't help but place myself in her place, switching between two languages and fighting the inner struggle of pleasing someone or something even when you don't really agree with them. "I began to put on and take off my working class language in the same way I put on and took off my school clothes to avoid being criticized for wearing Bourgeois clothes." This in fact is the very essence of what Lu is trying to relate to her audience. Lu was switching languages just as much and as nonchalantly as switching her clothes. For Rose, he is more about the facts or illiteracy and what it was like to be in his situation, but for Lu, it was something more than just facts. Lu's writing contained feeling and described her past, while Rose concentrates on facts. Although these articles are very different in writing structure and feeling, the end conclusion is much the same. Literacy depends on one's culture, and the way a person is brought up in their social soceity and personal life.

Lu & Rose readings

I found Lu to be more passionate about literacy, whereas Rose is more like stating things the way they are in an uninteresting way. There's similarities in the fact that they're both talking about literacy and talking about different uses for words, and the struggles people run into using them, but the writings are uncomparably different. For Lu, it was more personal; her struggles with being caught between two cultures and their expectations of her. Rose is talking about other people, and "criticizing" their work. I didn't find Rose's reading as interesting as Lu's.

Response to Lu's and Rose's Essays

Both essays relate to one another in a very similar way. Both of the essays they talk about the importance on being able to speak another language and how frustrating and difficult it can be. Lu's essay explains more about the difficulty of being a student and speaking a couple different languages. Also in Lu's essay, she talks about how it has affected her life by being a student that was taught english and home and then having to go to school and learning and speaking a whole different language. In Rose's essay, he talks more about the classes during that time. Which he was explaining what some of the lower class with no education had to go through to actually get somewhat educated. I can also relate to both of these essay, mainly because I did have to learn a totally new language and I know the frustration and the hard work that Lu is talking about in her essay.

a little late.. tech difficulties

My name is Megan, people call me Megs. I'm the only redhead in the class, so you can't mistake me for anyone else. I'm a compassionate person. I've been through a lot, so I have a tremendous appreciation for life. I'm into musical theater & dance the most, but I have many other interests as well. I'm very different from other people my age- I know. I've embraced it.

As far as the Raymond Williams reading goes:
I enjoyed it. I found it interesting how he expressed his views in a way that wasn't disrespectful or distasteful, in how he got his point across. I agree with his "theory" I guess on culture. I think it's important to remember the past, but not dwell in it, but that it's important in present issues- we can't just forget about how we've gotten here. I never really thought in depth the concept of what "culture" really meant until I read this. It opened my eyes a little and made me think.

Rose and Lu's essays

Both Rose and Lu have very interesting thoughts on the way literature and language can affect one's life. In Lu's essay she discusses what it was like growing up in a Chinese spoken school although her household was English spoken. It was very difficult for her growing up because the languages were easily confused and she often felt a lot different than the other students. In elementary school she had felt good about herself because her teacher had spoken to her in English once when that had not been heard of yet. However, as she got older in school, English was never spoken and she began to get down on herself because of the way she interpreted words due to speaking solely English in her household. The older she got the more she realized that the way she spoke was more about her social class and what her father had done for a living. In Rose's essay, he talked more about pieces he had often read and they way they were written. He noticed more that social class was shown a lot in the way that students had written their essays. Although these essays are much different in the way they are written and what they are about, I believe they both come to the same conclusion - literacy relies much on they way people were brought up, as well as how their parents taught them differently from how the school system taught them.

Response to Lu and Rose

Lu- language and speaking is a 'tool for survival'.
Rose-
Both authors explain throughout their essays the importance of knowing or being able to read and write properly. Lu explains it through a cultural perspective as someone from China. She takes you through a time when the English and Russian languages were the prime languages to learn. She learned English from her household and from her one teacher at her school. She says at one point that language is a "tool for survival", which I agree with a lot. If you think about it, it's really true. You can't theoretically survive without being able to speak, read or write at least one language. Communication is the key. Rose's essay is more present and local. This passage was easier to read than Lu's, because it was more relatable to current students. He too explains the importance of literacy. He points out to students that it's a necessity to earn the proper education in literature.

introduction & thoughts on reading

hi my name is tina, & i'm a jounior here at Kutztown , & i transfered here a year ago & my major is electronic media. I love art & music, and every couple of months i try to move somewhere different. I want to see as much of the world as I can & i love traveling. Ok so i guess thats me in a nutshell ... Now about Williams "Culture is Ordinary" I enjoyed reading his work, I thought it was well written and interesting. When he was describing the scenes he was looking at while on the bus I almost felt like I was on the bus with him looking through the same window he was. I liked how his writting almost was like he was outside looking in on life, analizing it from a far. I think his interpretation of culture was a good one and would want to read more of his work in the future.

Hello, an intro and a post on Williams

So this is to be my introduction I suppose. My name in Amy, I'm the girl that had to leave class early last week. My close friends call me Table, and you can too, if you like. I feel stupid having to misspell my name for the sake of this, but apperently there is more than one person on the internet that goes by the name 'Table'. I'm a sophmore, which means I procrastinated on this class, and I'm majoring in English Ed, which means I'm REALLY procrastinating. I'm minoring in French and plan to study abroad in Africa this spring.
Hmm, now how else does one describe themselves? My best friend and roommate last year(MIA in california) referred to us as zealots, and I feel thats pretty accurate. I love starting new projects, and getting very excited about new ideas; fnishing them is another story. I like skateboarding, art projects, and national geographic. One of my most outward qualities is probably my ability to talk, and one of my favorite subjects is society, so this reading was quite perfect.
I really like how Williams took a sort of empty word, 'culture', and gave is some bones to stand on. He defined it as everything! Well his word was 'ordinary,' but i feel that is what he meant. He said culture is what we recieve, how we interpret and what we in turn create. Culture is the colllection of traits that a bunch of people (a society) have in common.
I feel he did an accurate, enlightening job in his definition.
Kudos Williams!

Culture Is Ordinary

Culture is a big aspect on life, i believe. Raymond Williams, just defines it alot more. In his story, I noticed his descriptive writing style. I felt like that was a good way to protray what he thought was culture in the areas explored in the writing.

Culture is Ordinary

In "Culture is Oridinary", Raymond Williams portrayed a plaudible perspective on culture. His statement "...culture is everything around us." summarized the fact that culture is found everywhere. By providing his own life experience, he enabled the readers to see this better. He stated that culture is consistently changing, there's always something to learn about it, and individuality strives within it. He said there are two known meanings of culture. He was open-minded, and I agree with his writing.

My Introduction

Hey. My name's Alissa. People call me Liss. I'm coming from the Bloomsburg area, it's about 1hr 1/2 from KU. My major is Education - Secondary English.

Culture is Ordinary

Raymond William's article shows us how we are all different in one way or another. It can be from our religion to our culture, and many different other aspects of life. By having Raymond William writting about his backround and his life in the beginning, I think has helped me understand a lot better that people are different and also that they do have different views and opinions on things. Not everyone is the same. I think that by writting about your life and your backround is a great way to write. It makes the reader more interested in what the author is writting if the readers know a little bit about that person's backround. I really like how all his ideas flow together. I think it is a great way to write because it makes it so much nicer to read and to actually understand what the author is talking about. On the other hand when someone writes sloppy, and has ideas all over the place it is hard to follow the idea and actually understand it.

Ordinary Culture

After reading "Culture is ordinary" , and thinking about what Raymond Williams was trying to express, I've come up with this. When he says culture is ordinary he means that everyone has culture. We all have beliefs, opinions, and views on subjects. By posting on this blog we are all sharing our culture with each other. Williams is right when he says people can have different views of what culture are and I feel that he did a very good job of expressing both of those views in his writing rather than saying this is what culture is end of story. He allows for the understanding that not everyone comes from the same place or background. Culture is ordinary, but every person has their own unique culture, and I think that is what he is trying to show us in his writing.

Introducing myself

Hi everyone,
My name is Sara Love. I'm from Chambersburg, PA which is near Shippensburg University. I am a psychology major and I would like to continue my schooling after I graduate from here and become a School Psychologist.

Culture is Ordinary

I think Raymond Williams is a unique writer. In Culture is Ordinary he stated "I could stand on a mountain and look north to the farms and the cathedral or south to the smoke and the flare of the blast furnace making a second sunset." I feel that this is an important line in the passive because he feels when he just looks around he can see different culture all over and close to him. Most of us prolly thought that we have to be in a different city or even state to view different culture, which really its all around us. Raymond writes with a lot of personal experience and thoughts, which keeps the reader always thinking thoughtout.

Introducing Myself

Hi, my name is Pascale Fontaine, and I live in Boyertown. It is about 45 minutes south from here. My major is Secondary Education / French. I am french canadian, I moved to the US about 6 years ago. It was a big change for me, but I lived through it.

Introduction

Hi my name is Cody Lilly. I am from Kunkletown PA. I attended Palmerton Area High School. This would be an hour north of Kutztown. I'm majoring in business.

Culture Is Ordinary

I believe that Raymond Williams takes much pride in the way he views culture and where it comes from. He starts out by describing the way to where he grew up, and where his family was, and then begins telling the reader about how he grew up and what his family was like. He talks about culture in a way that is easy for the reader to understand. He says that culture is made up by what we already know, and also by what is learned along the way. I feel that Williams expresses himself very well by what he believes and not just what the common belief is. Raymond Williams' writing on culture was a great way to keep readers interested and express his way of where his culture comes from.

Introduce Yourself

Hi, my name is Samantha Brehm. I'm from Hershey, PA and went to Hershey High School. My major is sociology.

Hello, my name is Bob Souder. I am from a town called Perkasie, it is about an hour south of Kutztown. I enjoy skateboarding, along with listening to music and going to shows. I also enjoy drawing and am majoring in Illustration. I guess I have introduced myself enough, have a nice day.

Introduce Yourself

Hi, my name is Justin Miller. I am from the small town of Mertztown right outside of Kutztown. I graduated from Brandywine Heights. I enjoy listening to and playing music, watching movies, comedy, and hanging out with friends.

Culture Is Ordinary - Assignment #2

I think that Raymond Williams has a very fine point to his writings. He begins by telling about his life, about where he grew up and how he lived as a child on the farm. As he is telling this writing, he begans to explain about how he believes that culture is ordinary andhe relates it to his life. He expresses himself through what he believes and it is as though what he is stating is true. Raymond Williams mentions how culture has "two aspects: meaning and directions", (pg. 5). I agree with him because I related this to my culture and I realize that we have meanings we live by and we also have direction. For instance, my meaning in my culture is to succeed and i must carry myself in positive direction. To sum this up, I believe that Raymond Williams has a strong structure to his writing which causes readers to think while reading.

Introduce Yourself

Hello, my name is Chantel Evans. I am from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and I graduated from Sci Tech High. My major is business marketing and management. I like to listen to music, read, go shopping, eat, and workout.

Culture Is Ordinary

"I could stand on the mountains and look north to the farms and the cathedral or south to the smoke and the flare of the blast furnace making a second sunset." I think to some of us saying culture is ordinary is a stretch of the imagination. When we think of culture we think of different parts of the world and different races but what Raymond is saying is that these cultures are closer to us then we believe. When he says I could stand on the mountains and look north and south and see two different things he is saying that there are different cultures all around us and that it is indeed ordinary. When he says the growing society is here , yet it is also made and remade in every individual mind, he is trying to get across to the reader that people learn from the way they are brought up, or from the people they associate with. Raymond Williams' outlook on culture is that it is in fact more extraordinary than ordinary. However, it is founded on ordinary aspects and principles.

Culture Is Ordinary: Assignment # 2

I think Raymond Williams is a very detailed writer. The author uses the tool of figurative imagination to convey to his audience a detailed look at where he once lived. Williams starts out the article by saying: "Culture is Ordinary", and finishes the article by restating: "Culture is Ordinary." This obviously is really important to his idea of Culture as a whole while looking at from two aspects. "the known meanings and directions, and the new observations and meanings." Williams chooses to write his article by first painting a picture of his culture, showing how culture is yes ordinary, but also very unique to one's own life. Williams is not concerned about "stating the facts." Williams is more concerned about conveying the natural idea that everyone's soceity is different, and that one learns what he or she knows by the soceity they live in, and their personal experiences. I like how Williams also touches on the fact that he asks questions not only about general facts or differences, but also deep personal meanings of different cultures.

Introducing Myself

My name is Sean Gibbons. I am from Scranton, PA. I am an Secondary Education Major with a concentration in English, with a musical theatre minor. I went to Scranton Preparatory School in Northeasten Pennsylvania. I like to read, write, play soccer, sing, act, run, and hang out with my friends.