HW 57

Part 1

I believe that parenting has no guidebook, or shouldn't have a guidebook to say the least. Everyone is supposedly brought up differently in certain aspects or another, which constructs the individual's future as a person. Its something I would like to get off my chest before I go any further into the topic or "parenting". Though I do certainly have ideal ways of parenting.

Everything needs balance and I believe it is the hardest thing to truly have, but in parenting I feel that it is vital. One thing I want so see more often from parents today is trust towards their kids. No matter how much they are the kid's parents, the period in which they should have "ownership" over them ends quite earlier than 18 even though legally they have responsibility. Letting their kids go is the hardest part, and is something I've experienced as a child. Ever since middle school my parents gave me freedom to make my own decisions and never hovered over me, but occasionally checked up on me.

A big factor is "space" that needs to be given to kids starting at a certain age. I've heard many cases where the parents attempt to control how their child routes their own lives, but that’s nothing more than owning a puppet. A big part of our lives is becoming a strong individual and the only way to learn is trial and error, since life is never explained in a textbook. Giving space also reassures the kid that they are being trusted, though most cases the parents are worried all the time this is where they should hold back a bit until the kid does something extreme.

I feel like parenting is a very emotional process that alternates constantly. Keeping a strong policy in parenting is probably the key to being a good parent, as long as the policies don't consist of anything extremely outrageous, but the variety of parenting is what creates the variety in people.

Part II

The article "When Parenting Theories Backfire" displays the adaptive nature of children, or people. The freedom of choice is very important in a child's life since it gives them a chance to understand the meaning of consequences and the differentiation of right and wrong. Also being too overprotective over your child will cause them to live life according to the parent, where their opinion is never really heard therefore causing many problems in the near future. I found it interesting and humorous that the kids learned to utilize their mom's strategy in order to manipulate her back. I guess it just shows that balancing out freedom and rules is the only way to keep kids strong but happy. Quite a complex thing to do.

The article "Understanding The Continuum Concept" shows the flaws in western child-care practices. Concepts such as maximum physical contact with the child or acting according to the signs that are shown by the infant are not seen in many cases. They also state that when the baby cries some parents show very immense attention towards the baby making them the center of attention, I feel like though it states that this reaction is not the best for the baby it is the case for new parents who are overjoyed by the fact of having a kid. The article proves one point, but pretty much states the same for other extremes which seems a bit absurd. I'm unsure whether they are trying to tell parents to act casual while nurturing a baby. This obviously won't be a case for most, since having a baby is not a situation that can be dealt with casually.

HW 56

1. Do you feel that you spend more time with your true friends than your "other" friends?
2. What do you think sets the boarder between real friendship and somewhat fake friendships?
3. Do you believe some friends are more significant than others? If so, how?

Shimon(brother)
1. For me personally I feel like all my friends that I have now are true friends. I never split them up in terms of how much I value them cause they all mean something to me. I obviously havent felt like this all my life, but recently I feel that everyone around me who care for me are true friends. But to answer your question, I obviously spend more time with some people as to others, but its mainly due to where they live or their daily schedules, but I don't feel that it really makes a difference.
2. Honestly, I feel that most of those relationships are formed during school. Since kids are crammed inside a building where there's a community of others around the same age group people will have to lose their true self in order to "survive". I feel that fake friendships form through insecurity. It makes people feel better when they have more friends and obviously looks better as well. But later on you learn that quality of the friend is what counts the most.
3. I don't want to sound harsh, but I definitely do. Some of them have stayed with me during horrible times, while others just didn't have the option to since they were far away. But a lot of them put in the effort whether its through the phone or by a text message, and I really appreciate that.
Co-worker
1. No, I actually feel like I spend less time with true friends. Mainly because they are not as accessible to me, but its great to see them once in a while.
2. I think people like socializing and bonding, and the more people you can bond with the more fun they have everyday. It truly is a great feel when you can bond with one another for hours straight, but most conversations are stupid and shallow. If you can really open up and accept one another for who they are, that's when true friendship starts.
3. True friends obviously are more significant!
Gary at the park
1. I never was a very social person. I didn't have many friends throughout my childhood, but it made everyone I finally became friends with a "true" friend. Though they were only a handful, I've been friends with some of them for over 15 years now, so I don't really know much about "fake" friendships.
2. I guess it has a lot to do with how people are viewed from the outside. If someone looks cool, people will try to be with them to make them look better, and during that process, they will subconsciously change who they are to fit in. Its very sad.
3. All friends are significant one way or another, but yes some have a bigger impact on my life than others. But if I think about it more, they all have something contribute to my life, so no they are all the same. Mixing them all together is what creates friendship and its significance.

I really appreciate the variety I was able to grasp during the interviews. I feel like I got many perspectives from the three people. 2 out of the 3 stated something about being young and in school that factors into finding friendship, which i find to be interesting. I do believe that being in school really affects who kids become or try to become and their surroundings. Its like finding yourself through finding others.

What percent of your friends are "true" friends?

HW 55

Question: What are the factors that contribute to the segregation of friends and acquaintances between peers?

Matt S: I think your question is something we should all ask ourselves. I've been told before that you cannot learn to love someone until you learn to love yourself. Its one of my favorite quotes. I think the question itself is deep enough and wouldn't need any additions.

Revised Question: How does the quantity of time spent between peers factor and contribute to the segregation of friendship and acquaintances?

HW 54

I personally favor multiple choice surveys such as the Jung test where the options are scale based. I like options, and the possibility to pick something in the middle when im uncertain. The results I got seemed a bit off, but some portions were spot on. I got the feeling that the test can give you a brief insight into your own self, and though somethings won't stand out to you as much in everyday situations, the result revealed a truth that you later on accept.

The usefulness of the test can vary depending on how honest you really are. Though the tests are completely anonymous, I feel that some people are subconsciously insecure to the point where they will even lie to the survey to get idealistic results which makes them feel better about themselves. Though complete honesty might not give you an 100% accurate result, a majority of the stuff written in the results should have some connection to your personality.

I don't think there is a difference in what people favor in relationships. There are much more small but significant factors that create the relationship, though I can't list any I believe they are in effect whether you like the difference or the similarities.

Hw 51

School is much more than meets the eye, at least for the students that attend it. Going through it almost all your life, obviously the negative aspects of school start to overwhelm even the feeling of being educated or socializing. It becomes a daily routine that we do not necessarily favor; we would rather be at home sleeping at 8:30 in the morning. But the thing we don't realize until later on in life is how ever school day is like boot camp for life. The planning of schedules everyday and being trained to set goals and the skill to motivate you to achieve success. The significance of school is merely in the lectures or text books given in class, but the process of becoming an educated individual going to school.

Success in school does not guarantee success in the business world which seems ironic since they are training us to succeed. The kids that exceed in school are not always the smartest, they may be one of the most motivated students, but that motivation can come from anywhere. Factors such as family abuse due to bad grades or a possible threat who knows? Grades are not numbers that represent how intellectual a student is, it only calculates how good they are at following orders and completing objectives. Those kids may be more efficient in a company as an employee, while the other student who likes to do things as he wants to and succeed in his own aspects might be more suited to become an independent worker receive orders from no one but himself. It displays personality and work habits.

One big aspect that is taught in school is individualism. School saves us from getting no where in life and helps us find passion in ourselves. Like Obama's speech about school and its significance in our lives. School is not there to determine who is smart or stupid, it is there for all students to find their passion for things and interest that they may take up in their future. It saves students from being troubled with "beginning" to pursuit their dreams by giving options that are spread into individual classes. Everyone must have a starting point to finding out what interest them and school gives kids the motivation and allows us to explore ourselves over the years so we are somewhat prepared to pick classes in college after finding out more about ourselves.

Though one big flaw in the schooling system is the identification of learning disorders that are placed upon students who seem to have symptoms of the many learning disabilities. They are usually attended differently based on how minor or major they seem to be, but many are not even sure whether these disabilities are even real. Though schools are "not" meant to label who is smart or stupid, we still label students with mythical disorders that affect their experience at school. I feel that it is truly unnecessary to alert kids of these negativities that might make them believe in restrictions and limits that might make them more insecure. If the kids with ADD are able to be in the same class room as a normal kid, what difference does it make for the student that has ADD? Until the difference is vast and extremely noticeable, I believe the labeling of learning disabilities work only as a placebo for students.

Over the years there has been a gradual change in the education system from the traditional to the new age hippie teachers that try to incorporate themselves in the classroom with the kids. I strongly believe as a consumer of this new education that it is a big significant leap for future educations. School should not all be about discipline and respecting of authority, but a workout for your brain, and the perfect way is to focus on the habits of mind. To bend your mind into all different directions are a skill that is required for many occupations, and this does not mean logical thinking. It means thinking outside the box to incorporate alternative views and to kill your ego by considering other perspectives. This is much harder for some than others because many of us students are stubborn when it comes to personal opinions and ideas, and have a hard time allowing other possibilities access into our realities.

HW 53

Part II

It felt like I was revealing a whole lot about myself, but it was much easier than speaking to someone face to face, and there was also the security of being able to express yourself anonymously. The main questions that I had to stop and think about were the questions that asked your personal feelings and affections towards certain individuals or groups, cause you are rarely ever asked questions that require your true feelings on friendship or family because the people who you talk to are mainly either friends or family.

Also sharing personal info of my current life seemed to halt me for quite a bit, since there are so many things that I would not want to express or have known by the world, expressing feelings takes time to get used to but when it is placed in survey format you are given options which actually made it much easier for me. There was no need to go into depth.

HW 52

I believe that companionship and building bonds and connections to one another is a survival skill that we must of inhabited. Even to this day, fame creates power and are often looked up to as the top of the food chain. Even under various social circumstances for example school, film industry, at work, etc. Being able to communicate to numerous people and gaining respect or admiration makes it much easier to cultivate comfortable social settings. People live off other people, as much as some of us thrive to be "independent" without external motivations and support, we become much weaker.

Especially in our society where religion is a great factor in many things, I find the concept of right and wrong to be quite overrated. Common sense and feelings as to ideas are much more honest and should be considered good, but in most cases they are not. Every country is enforced by some sort of religion that molds the culture and society. The United States is a mainly Christian nation and often use god as a reference. Therefore we have a clear view of what is righteous and what is not. Do we? No even what is said in the bible has numerous contradictions and can be seen through alternative perspectives.

Some such as the Ku Klux Klan basically see Jesus as a white supremacist, while other people may see Jesus through a different light. Christianity is the main religion in Korea, and they are most definitely not white supremacists. Though I'm sure religion was first made by humans to stabilize sanity, and an easier alternative to science. It also makes things much more difficult since there always are extremists who enforce religion on others causing conflicts. Religion can cause wars and misunderstandings amongst various cultures, but we still try to stand for it. Why?

I always were fascinated by how diverse the human species is compared to other animal forms. Most animals have animalistic instincts that they live by, but we live through cultivating large communities of diverse individuals. Each with their own lives, but we still find a way to reproduce without much struggle. It seems like our survival skills that we first lived inhabiting no longer has any effect in our life, but subconsciously it may be the reasoning to our decisions. Like the thing we call love, it may be nothing more than an evolved version of the instinct to reproduce a more complex version. We may be looking for passion or warmth through love, but they are not much more than hooks and baits to make us want to make babies.

On the other hand there is also sexual pleasure and motivation without any intentions to make babies, which is the case for most at young ages. What might this signify? Which animalistic instinct lead us to feel pleasure from sex? I believe that connections we make through our lives connect deeply to standards of survival as the top of the food chain. There is a deeper significance to why we love, why we make friends, why we hunger for power.

HW 49

a. No contribution

b. The main aspect of class A's film that I admired was how realistic it was. Not necessarily the acting(though it was good) but the concept of how everything went down throughout the film. There was no scene that created a magical teacher who saved the day, it only had an overly stressed teacher resolving it through alcohol. Not only was the teacher realistic, but the reactions the students gave out throughout the movie. There was no one student that enough courage to support the teacher, or one strong voice that conflicted the teacher. They were all bundled up in their cliques and were impacted very little by the teacher's sayings.

The whole film seemed very light, especially the plot, but that also brought out what made it realistic. The ending especially made it clear as to what the film was trying to portray. The actual lack of significance teachers have in the minds of students. Though some more than others.

c. Unlike most savior teacher films, it was clearly the teacher who had the problems and not the students. Or that point of view was only shown in the film. The camera was not faced at the individual students, but the teacher himself. Movies like "Coach Carter" or "Freedom Writers" mainly focus on a strong teacher figure who struggles in order to sacrifice themselves for their students. But in the class film none of that was portrayed. The teacher started out stressed and relied on alcohol, and at the end the teacher did not become better one bit, but got worse and insulted the students.

d. Like everything in the world school is not perfect, mainly because of the diversity in human characteristics and personalities, no school can be perfect no matter how they rearrange their curriculum. Though that does not make every school the same. I believe that schools that "enforce" things upon the students are doomed to fail at least from the student's perspective. School can only save us from certain things that we may encounter in the future, then theres specialized schools for other things. School saves us from losing the base of judgement. Everyday we are forced to label right and wrong through use of common sense, so we do not become irrational. This also builds good citizenship in our society, which results in possibly less crime. School's should be a place where we can exercise our brain, not a place where our brains are filled.

HW 50

Gato
In Gato's article "The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher" he explains six lessons aside from subject classes that are taught in school. Or at least he ensures he teaches at school. From the violation of privacy into the students life by constantly keeping an eye out, to making students switch between mental mindsets in a matter of minutes.

I think Gato has a very solid philosophical mindset on schooling, especially from the teacher's point of view. He understands what he needs to teach the kids in order to successfully educate them, not ony through curiculums but through the small things that get factored in when a teacher has authority over the class. His rules seem strict but he does not bullshit. He knows why somethings are mandatory for students to do. For example, he explains in the article "Six Lessons" that homework is a way to keep surveillance over the kid's life out of school. It also routes the kid's life towards better education and a brighter future.

Freire

Freire believes that the education system's flaw lies in how the teachers narrate their lectures. He compares teaching to filling up an empty jar. Students being the jar of course. We are taught through hollow, insignificant words that mean nothing to us that we are expected to memorize through repetition. Like a computer being programed, yet it obviously is not as effective due to the variety of learning capabilities each students acquires. He feels that significance in everything is key for students to comprehend what they are learning about.

I believe that Freire's philosophy on teaching is more or less correct and much more effective than Gato's. But only to a certain extent. Sure significance is factored majorily into what we learn, but is that really what makes it easier for the students? I think not. If we were to be expected to comprehend the significance of every little detail we learn, it would take ages just to teach one unit. But on the other hand, if we learn how to find significance instead of being told the significance that would better education greatly.

Delpit

Delpit's main focus is on much younger education as she is a first grade teacher. Her perspective on education is to allow kids no matter what age to think in higher levels of reasoning. That the basic and simplistic way of approaching education given to children is wrong.

HW 48

In a urban public school, teachers constantly come and go. Long term teachers are in high demand but none are capable of handling the tense situation at the school. After endless attempts to hire top class teachers to teach in the school, one teacher who goes by the name Joe steps up. Based off his background, he is no better than the students that attend the school. His history is identical to a criminal's background, yet his physical appearance differs greatly from what is written.

The students disrespect the new teacher verbally and physically, but their tactics seem to be less effective against this new mystery teacher. Questions begin to arise, and gossip spreads that the teacher may be mentally challenged or disturbed. They don't yet know the truth that Joe has lived a life much worse than any student and he is the key to their success.

He becomes a therapist like figure for the kids in his class, for those who are brave enough to confront him. In the end they realize that education is not everything in life, but experiences are what make up who people are. They understand that school teaches more than what is written in the text book, it teaches life skills and social interactions that they can never experience out of school.

HW 47

*1. There is variety in personality the kids have in the film.
2. Transition between the "students" general behavior in the beginning of the film to the end of the film should be portrayed in the lighting and setting of the scenes.
3. Unlike most hero teacher films, the teacher is passive.
*4. A couple of "Main" characters with point of views that contradict each other to form drama.
5. Create an significant "outcast" character.
6. Teacher displays unusual tactics in educating the students.
7. Make the most significant scenes interactions not with the teacher, but interaction between the students due to the teaching.

HW 45

Hirsch's theory on education focuses on the development of the students mind at the elementary stages. He states that the romanticized theories on education that America has incorporated are the main faulty in the system. He believes that education should not be all based on the "how to" but more on specific facts that we should know as Americans. His theory values content over the actual process. The content that is absorbed by the student is much more important than how well the student can think. In a wikipedia article it states, "Hirsch portrays the focus of American educational theory as one which attempts to give students intellectual tools such as "critical thinking skills", but which denigrates teaching any actual content, labeling it "mere rote learning". Hirsch states that it is this attitude which has failed to develop knowledgeable students".

Sizer on the other hand does not support the "one size fits all" method such as standardized test taking. His ideas also go against the organization of grades based on age, since every individual's mind is diverse regardless of age. The theory did not necessarily contradict Hirsch's philosophy on education since their focuses were on opposite ends of the education process. Sizer focused more on how students should be by the time they graduate high school as to Hirsch who focused on building up the student in the earlier stages. Sizer valued opening of the mind in students and critical thinking.

The two's ideas contradicts each other intellectually but not emotionally since they both are trying to improve the education in America. They are both pointing out flaws in the education system, but are looking at different stand points in a students life. The two ideas definitely have a way of working out in sync since they do not seem to cross paths over the process of gaining education. Hirsch's idea can come into play during the students younger years then Sizer's theory can be used to enhance the student's ability to think and further an individual's intellect.

HW 44

President Obama's Speech

I find the point Obama makes to be quite reasonable. He states that every subject taught in

school does not necessarily have significance in all our lives, but it routes us towards talents that have

yet to be discovered in ourselves. I agree that the main point of school is not to determine whether

a student is smart or stupid. It determines the students will to try and the pursuit of success.

Especially since most kids are uncertain of their passions at a young age, elementary-high school

is like a core that everyone must grow off. Once they go off to college many are already focused on

future careers. Classes are specified in terms of majors and minors in which the student can pursue.

School is part of growing up that helps kids understand what they truly want in life, though some may

find it earlier than others, we all must have some sort of starting point.

Liberal Arts

I find the point of view that is issued in this article to be quite biased to those who are willing

to work under controlled jobs. Although I do agree that having diversity in skill is key to success

in many corporations but that only limits it to big industries and companies. Many smaller companies

have main focuses that require an individual to master a specialized technique. It seems like liberal

art education has its boundaries in terms of passion. Not everyone's passion is to become a very

sophisticated worker with moderately high skills in various fields.

Occupations like musicians or artists do not require the skill to take data and analyze or

construct a hypothesis. I find the limits that are put in liberal art education to be quite unappealing.

Seems like they hand us a role model to look up to in order to be accepted as "successful" in society

when that is not necessarily the key to what some people consider "success". It may make sense

from society's perspective but it does not benefit individual/personal goals in life.

Where the Bar Ought to Be

I agree 100% with what M. Kenny had to say about the quality of schools is not in the hardcore

curriculum but the passion in the teachers and students. A teacher that can open a student's eye

to true passion can make any students successful in one way or another. A sense of individuality

is something that is not valued enough in our lives. One of the causes for this I believe are how

schools are set up, and the competitive aspects of learning.

Students tend to compare themselves to one another. Instead of focusing on personal needs

they focus more on differences between other students and spend all their time focusing on how

they are viewed by others. How can you ever learn about yourself if you never monitor yourself?

As Ms. Kenny stated, "I raised them to be independent thinkers". What others think does not

matter in your life, especially at such a young age. To be proactive and search out passion is key

to happiness and personal success. The quantity of money should not overwhelm the quality of

the job to you personally.

HW 42

Part B

The main topic I would like to focus on during the unit of school is the financial aspects of education. In our society wisdom seems to be obtained through money, or at least the wisdom society wants us to have. In order to get top class education, we must pay. Whether its an Ivy League College or a private/independent high school, money talks. Though nothing can be done to change how schools work, I would like to dig deeper into the quality of the life rich private school kids live opposed to the middle class public school kids. The significant differences in the lives of students who rely heavily on money and the ones who rely on determination and willingness.

One reason why this question strikes me as significant is my life in elementary school. I used to go to PS6 on the upper east side, where everyone's parents made probably twice or three times more money than my parents. I didn't really realize this until I went to middle school, but the transition between PS6 and SOF was so mind blowing that I had a hard time easing into the environment. Coping with my old friends seem much harder than it used to be. Where they excessively use money like it grows on trees, I try to conserve as much as possible. Not only financial differences but the way they act, the way they live are obviously distant from me.

I find the social qualities in students to differ from private school to public which obviously means a difference in quality of life. Though they may be richer it does not always mean they are happier. I would like to find the sacrifices they have to make, the hardships and limitation they have to withstand. Or it may be possible that they don't face any hardships, who knows? Not necessarily to state which type of school is better, but to compare and contrast the lifestyles. To understand the pros and cons of both worlds.

HW 41

Toledano, Ralph D. "More Money Hasn't Meant Better Education." Web. .

This article pin points the financial aspects of education in America. We spend the most money on education in the world, yet the amount of money we spend is not balanced out with the quality of education. Also some schools give grades to manipulate the students emotions. Failing a student might "hurt their feelings".

Krinkle, Phil. "Does more money equal better education?" The Taxpayers League of Minnesota. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. .

This article focuses on the different alternatives of giving better education to younger students. Colleges are capable of giving quality education to classes as big as 100 students, why won't this work for high school students? Putting the spotlight on making class sizes smaller costs an enormous amount of money. Also the more teachers a school employs, the less they focus on the quality of education he/she can give.

"Private vs. public schools - Defining your ideal school | GreatSchools." GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. .

This article debates whether private schools or public schools give better education. Bottom line is that private schools offer more variety than public schools. Since public schools run under the rule of the board of education, they are set to teach with limitations. While private schools are capable of building up a more original curriculum. This does not necessarily mean private schools are better, they just have more responsibilities.

"Parenting - Private school Kids and Public school kids...Our experience... - Minti." Baby and Parenting Advice - parent to parent - Minti. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. .

This article is not professional, but it does show an important aspect of how finances affect students. In this lady's story, three young girls were caught fighting. One from a public school and the other two from private. The public school girl was blamed for the fight. This indicates a form of stereotype stating that private school kids are more "well behaved" which is not always the case. From the mass amount of money that is invested by these kid's parents, they also obtain a source of security and protection from society, but does not necessarily make themselves any better of a human being than kids from a public school.

"Public vs. Private Education." Broward County Public Schools. Web. 01 Mar. 2010. .

This is not a article, but a list of differences between public and private schools. One difference that stood out to me was.

"Public schools must accept any resident student who applies for admission, regardless of sex, race, religious affiliation, economic status or physical or mental handicap. Private schools can be selective in

choosing their students"

This states that private schools have the right to segregate which would not create a warm and welcome

learning environment for some people. Though we do pay to go to a private school, depending on the school

they may teach qualities of life that are false such as racism.

HW 40

Interview #1 (Brother):

Question: How does the quality of time spent in school affect a students quality of time spent outside of school?

Answer: I always despised school, mainly because it never really supported the career I'm currently pursuing. But since I never really put much effort into my grades, the idea of school wasn't too bad. Almost like a chance to socialize with friends for a good six hours, well only the ones that had the same mentality as me. So out of my experience I had during high school I have to say being able to laugh amongst your friends everyday makes life a whole lot better. Especially since I pretty much lived with my classmates, what went on in school directly impacted what happened in the dorms. I was able to create a family like relationship with my peers which made everything much more bearable. Obviously my perspective on this would often be different from normal public school kids so I my opinion might be the minority.

Interview #2 (Mom)

Answer: Of course your time in school affects your time out of school. School creates stress, anger, joy, etc. Probably one of the most emotional places for teens. I can see things arent going well at school when you come home. The stress from home can be hidden while in school, especially when you are around close friends, but stress from school tends to show more at home due to its more relaxed environment. I think good quality work done in school is demonstrated out of school even under work environments.

Interview #3 (Girlfriend)

Answer: Being in a good school or bad school will not determine the kid's personality, but it sure does affect how they perceive the world out of school. We incorporate the things we learn in school, out of school a lot more often than we think. I don't think it necessarily affects the students life while in school, but it really routes the future. If you come from a good school, they can help you to get to a good college as to a bad school giving no support for students wanting to go to college. One aspect of school that really does change the quality of a students life outside of school is friends. I think friends are more influential than the education we get in class.

Interview #4 (Co-worker)

Answer: Well I'm not quite sure what you mean by quality of the school, but I'll answer it ranking wise. A school that is ranked number one does not mean it is a good atmosphere to be in. Sure they might make you work hard, thus making you smarter, but socializing is also something you learn in school. We learn to interact with each other at school. So schools with a friendly atmosphere will usually lead to a better union of students and outside of school, this union will be just as strong. But on the other hand its impossible to make a big public school similar to a smaller private school.

Interview #5 (Self)

Answer: The quality of education has nothing to do with the quality of life outside of school. Though many schools tend to enforce higher education to make up for the money they are getting paid, the education does not construct the life of a student. Going to a private school will not keep kids away from drugs. It might help the kids get drugs or maybe not, who knows. Its all about the people in the school. If the quality of the people in schools are good, it will significantly affect the quality of life.

Part B

All the interviewees considered the social aspect of school. Which I totally agree with. School should not be all about learning and becoming educated through text books and lectures, it should be about learning through one another. Being social is key to living a life of good quality. The financial aspects were also brought up. The more money you pay the better the quality of education the student gets, but it may lack the other social half which can negatively impact the students life out of school.

HW 39

Part A

Questions:

1. Does the board of education feed you a limited amount of information?

2. Does quality of education alter the quality of life?

3. How significantly does strictly enforced political/religious education differ from general education?

Ideas:

1. School fabricates social life.

2. School teaches morality through society's norms.

3. School attempts to restrict the youth's mind to form only good ideas.

Part B

I believe school teaches you how to think, but then attempts to teach you how to think in only specific ways. In order to have control over society, the generation of a norm is needed. By doing so it stabilizes the minds of the citizens, and the most vulnerable group of people are the youth. Since they have not yet experienced much, they are the easiest target to manipulate by constructing a role model or a smarter being called a "teacher".

In a way education separates us from every other animal. Limitations and restrictions are made to control large groups of people, and school educates the population with rights and wrongs. Though many people are capable of thinking outside the box, since this way of thinking is not taught in the early years of school it is much harder to accomplish. 

Hw 38 (

I'm sure people will first look at it and question the connection between cool and this art piece. Depending on which aspect of cool you are focusing on, it may not make sense, but if someone truly believes that "cool" is generated by the individual him/herself and not by society then they will eventually see how symbolic the circle is. The shape of a circle is very solid and has no gaps which represents stability and confidence. The word "self" represents your belief and how you should prioritize you judgments and opinions over everyone else's. 

I wanted to make something simple, yet complex enough that people will observe and question its simplicity. It really is a illustration of my own perspective on cool. It started off as brainstorming ideas, but that got me no where so I decided to draw something that symbolizes my philosophy on cool.

I personally don't like art, mainly because Im terrible at it. But I do admire artists who can express multiple emotions through visual art. I find it to be cool since Its an source of entertainment that doesn't necessarily distract you constantly, and you can observe it until you are satisfied unlike movies that have something constantly happening. 

HW 37 Final Draft

The Cool

By Amon Ito

Being unique from others consumes us with satisfaction of being distinguished as an individual. It is a conflict many face in today’s society, where people get praised for brand name clothes and simply being materialistic. Though we can blame the media for the mentality we have acquired today. We are beginning to prioritize how total strangers perceive us through physical attributes over bonds in which we acquire that have sentimental values. Though many feel satisfied being labeled in a specific way, which may consist of anti-materialistic aspects like the hippie’s that smoke pot and “believe” to be developing a greater bond with nature by only purchasing goods from thrift shops, it all comes down to the same idea. For them, purchasing from thrift shops may be the “cool” fashion similar to the “fresh” kids from New York City who buys five-hundred dollar shoes from PRADA. It is not necessarily the wealth aspect that makes us unique, but the idea itself connects every genre of cool, whether it’s mainstream or not. We all find ourselves obsessive over becoming the person with a physical attribute no one else has, but that mentality categorizes us, making you no different than anyone else. To be “cool” is the attempt of achieving satisfaction in how others perceive us, by constructing a sense of individuality.

Fashion is by far the best example of “cool”. It is one of the few ways one can illustrate his/her personality without words, and is often crucial when it comes down to first impressions, and first impressions are significant in the process of being cool. As early as the 1700’s fashion became a considerable factor in societies. The French king, King Louis XIV even had a sense of individuality for his fashion trends that involved extravagant laces and velvets. Fashion can also label people based on their status in society, as of France in the 1700’s, wigs signified class. “Each class of society had an especial shaped wig…Various names were given to them, such as the comet, the cauliflower, the ladder, the she-dragon, the chancellor, the cut bob and the long bob” (Dress During Louis XIV). The same way brand names signify wealth in our society, France used it to reveal the social class each citizen belong to.

Though fashion was enforced upon by France’s society, our current society does not necessarily enforce any form of fashion (besides public nudity, and occupation based fashions) giving us the freedom to choose. So we seek out new things and unique things that make us diverse from one another, inevitably resulting in multiple people purchasing the same product. This mainly applies to mainstream fashion. Other styles of fashion are often looked down upon by society making them less cool by the rest of society besides their circle of associates. Yet they feel the satisfaction of being rebellious going against media and the major industries that attempt to brainwash us into spending money. And this satisfaction is what makes their style and who they represent to be cool.

An alternate form of fashion is body ink. Being a more permanent form of fashion, it represents a greater sense of individuality. Though there is a chance that the identical tattoo is engraved into another individual, the meaning of it often does not agree with one another. Due to their risk factor they are usually picked out with a deeper depth of thought, unlike clothes that can either be worn or thrown away, tattoos stay on the physical body and cannot be removed by simple procedures. But because of this, they illustrate a sense of individuality with pride and self-esteem.

My brother can be used as an example to demonstrate the significance of body ink in order to achieve self satisfaction. He is insisting on getting a tattoo of the Japanese traditional family crests on both shoulder blades, one of my dad’s side and one of my mom’s sides. His reasoning behind this is to represent something that no one else can represent. Others can get the same, but the meaning of it will be less significant because of the crests ownership is to his families. Though on the other hand, if I were to get it, its significance would be identical to my brother’s, but then it would no longer be unique. He feels the satisfaction of obtaining something out of reach from anyone else but himself and his family which would ultimately make him cool.

A general feel both body ink and fashion can produce in an individual is unruliness. The feeling of being a rebel isolates him/herself from the rest of society making them unique. Since we all believe the majority of the population are hoped on top of the massive bandwagon that consumes our minds with media in order to keep industries financially stable, being one of the few that strongly go against it is the closest we can separate ourselves from society. Though in actuality, we are all giving into the big corporations and are never complete rebels, or else none of us would be alive at least in the United States.

This idea is demonstrated in the poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks. The kids in the poem are satisfied with the fact that they are alleged to be badass rebels who skip school, and instead of gaining education, they substitute the time for fun. The kids are illustrated to be black youths, but this is common in many teens today regardless of race. Like the term “too cool for school”, they are rebels for not attending school, and they are proud of their actions. Though from society’s perspective, getting education would be the righteous route, they feel satisfied with how they are in control of their life.

Cool is an idea that changes constantly, and will always reside in a society. Because of its endless alternation, there will never be an accurate interpretation of cool, but at every wave of cool, there will be a certain type of mainstream cool. The feeling of being cool is determined in various ways by various individuals, but in the end cool will always go hand in hand with the feeling of self satisfaction of how we are distinguished from one another.

HW 36

Dear Moe
I understand your thesis, but I'm sure there is another way to word it out in order to make it more solid. What I have thought out was something like "The feeling of emptiness comes from our self-conscious mentality of how we are distinguished by society".

I also didn't quite see the thesis being incorporated into the intro, it might be my fault, but try to Bold/Italicize the thesis.

The balance of the paper seems very off. The first paragraph where you talk about the basics of emptiness and cool seem to overwhelm the other two sections. It'd be better if you balanced it out while inputing your thesis into every body paragraph.

Looking forward to seeing your final!

HW 35 Rough Draft

The Cool

By Amon Ito

Being unique from others consumes us with satisfaction of being distinguished as an individual. It is a conflict many face in today’s society, where people get praised for brand name clothes and simply being materialistic. Though we can blame the media for the mentality we have acquired today. We are beginning to prioritize how total strangers perceive us through physical attributes over bonds in which we acquire that have sentimental values. Though many feel satisfied being labeled in a specific way, which may consist of anti-materialistic aspects like the hippie’s that smoke pot and “believe” to be developing a greater bond with nature by only purchasing goods from thrift shops, it all comes down to the same idea. For them, purchasing from thrift shops may be the “cool” fashion similar to the “fresh” kids from New York City who buys five-hundred dollar shoes from PRADA. It is not necessarily the wealth aspect that makes us unique, but the idea itself connects every genre of cool, whether it’s mainstream or not. We all find ourselves obsessive over becoming the person with a physical attribute no one else has, but that mentality categorizes us, making you no different than anyone else. To be “cool” is the attempt of achieving satisfaction in how others perceive us, by constructing a sense of individuality.

Fashion is by far the best example of “cool”. It is one of the few ways one can illustrate his/her personality without words, and is often crucial when it comes down to first impressions, and first impressions are significant in the process of being cool. As early as the 1700’s fashion became a considerable factor in societies. The French king, King Louis XIV even had a sense of individuality for his fashion trends that involved extravagant laces and velvets. Fashion can also label people based on their status in society, as of France in the 1700’s, wigs signified class. “Each class of society had an especial shaped wig…Various names were given to them, such as the comet, the cauliflower, the ladder, the she-dragon, the chancellor, the cut bob and the long bob” (Dress During Louis XIV). The same way brand names signify wealth in our society, France used it to reveal the social class each citizen belong to.

Though fashion was enforced upon by France’s society, our current society does not necessarily enforce any form of fashion (besides public nudity, and occupation based fashions) giving us the freedom to choose. So we seek out new things and unique things that make us diverse from one another, inevitably resulting in multiple people purchasing the same product. This mainly applies to mainstream fashion. Other styles of fashion are often looked down upon by society making them less cool by the rest of society besides their circle of associates. Yet they feel the satisfaction of being rebellious going against media and the major industries that attempt to brainwash us into spending money. And this satisfaction is what makes their style and who they represent to be cool.

An alternate form of fashion is body ink. Being a more permanent form of fashion, it represents a greater sense of individuality. Though there is a chance that the identical tattoo is engraved into another individual, the meaning of it often does not agree with one another. Due to their risk factor they are usually picked out with a deeper depth of thought, unlike clothes that can either be worn or thrown away, tattoos stay on the physical body and cannot be removed by simple procedures. But because of this, they illustrate a sense of individuality with pride and self-esteem.

My brother can be used as an example to demonstrate the significance of body ink in order to achieve self satisfaction. He is insisting on getting a tattoo of the Japanese traditional family crests on both shoulder blades, one of my dad’s side and one of my mom’s sides. His reasoning behind this is to represent something that no one else can represent. Others can get the same, but the meaning of it will be less significant because of the crests ownership is to his families. Though on the other hand, if I were to get it, its significance would be identical to my brother’s, but then it would no longer be unique. He feels the satisfaction of obtaining something out of reach from anyone else but himself and his family which would ultimately make him cool.

A general feel both body ink and fashion can produce in an individual is unruliness. The feeling of being a rebel isolates him/herself from the rest of society making them unique. Since we all believe the majority of the population are hoped on top of the massive bandwagon that consumes our minds with media in order to keep industries financially stable, being one of the few that strongly go against it is the closest we can separate ourselves from society. Though in actuality, we are all giving into the big corporations and are never complete rebels, or else none of us would be alive at least in the United States.

This idea is demonstrated in the poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks. The kids in the poem are satisfied with the fact that they are alleged to be badass rebels who skip school, and instead of gaining education, they substitute the time for fun. The kids are illustrated to be black youths, but this is common in many teens today regardless of race. Like the term “too cool for school”, they are rebels for not attending school, and they are proud of their actions. Though from society’s perspective, getting education would be the righteous route, they feel satisfied with how they are in control of their life.

Cool is an idea that changes constantly, and will always reside in a society. Because of its endless alternation, there will never be an accurate interpretation of cool, but at every wave of cool, there will be a certain type of mainstream cool. The feeling of being cool is determined in various ways by various individuals, but in the end cool will always go hand in hand with the feeling of self satisfaction of how we are distinguished from one another.

Hw 34

It seems as if coolness has a deep connection to being rebellious, and the feeling of going against society. Especially when living in an enviorment where everyone is resisting against what society tells them is right, the individual may feel powerful forming an alliance with his/her fellow rebels. The nature of rebellious youths probably comes from the enviorment they grew up in as a kid.

I believe Gewndolyn Brooks's poem We Real Cool reveals a perspective that we would also have to consider. She stated that instead of questioning why the kids shooting pool were not at school, she wondered how they felt and thought about themselves while doing so. Attempting to understand the group of kids is a much better tactic than forcefully pressuring them with rights and wrongs that society wants us to believe. Regardless I think the only way we can ever change the rebellious acts teens continue to do, is to alter what society believes to be right and wrong which is highly unlikely.

According to Orlando Patterson, education is a big issue that troubles black youths. In America, education connects directly to occupation(unless your family is super rich, or you are born extremely good looking). It is not easy living here without money, and in order to gain money we need a job, and without education we can't get jobs because the illegal immigrants are taking the jobs that require no education. These all link together, and the young black kids who do not have as much opportunities as the white kids end up lost, ultimately retreating into the drug world. Even though the United States is under a financial crisis, once we do get back on track I think funding to poor neighborhoods could eventually decrease the unemployment rate and give the black youths a different perspective on what is cool.

HW 33 Cool Outline (To be Continued)

Thesis: Cool is the attempt to achieve satisfaction in how others perceive ourselves, by constructing a sense of individuality.

Intro: Being unique from others consumes us with the satisfaction of being seen as a individual. It is a conflict many face in todays society, where people get praised for brand name clothes and simply being materialistic. Though we can blame the media for the mentality we have acquired today. We are beginning to prioritize how total strangers perceive us through physical attributes over bonds in which we acquire that have sentimental values.

a. The value of fashion in teens today.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/infocus/fashion/whatisfashion.html

b. My brother's decision to get a tatoo.

Despite the resistance my mom gives towards his decision, he finds self-satisfaction of getting the tatoo overwhelms.

c. "We Real Cool" poem.

The teens in the poem are satisfied with the "badass" reputation they are acheiving through actions that society would consider wrong. Piercings, body ink, etc. are fashions that makes people feel like a rebel.

HW 32

            I believe the progression in tattooing has some connection to our previous unit, digitalization. As seen in the book Feed, the characters used a different version of tattooing that also caused harm to their physical body. This form of expression was considered to be “cool” by most characters in the book. The progression from tattoos being used as a rebellious/violent act, to a form of expressing one’s diversity from one another. Our general outlook on tattooing and piercing that cause physical harm to our bodies have drastically changed. It reveals the individual’s true self (depending on how significant the design is) and also proves to others that the individual was “tough” enough to endure the pain and commitment. This is considered “cool” or “badass” in our society.

            Though tattooing is at its all time high at the moment, like most trends, it will soon become old. We will eventually look back at our generation and realize our idiocy. Then it may come back again as an indie trend, while others live consumed by technology, no longer feeling as connected to the real world. Though tattooing will always be admired by the few who are fond of body art, the people who rebel against tattooing will never be considered cool. Since a large amount of commitment is needed in order to get a tattoo. People always admire people with stories that support their actions.

            I think the world of body arts cannot be labeled as one category. People have a burning desire for them while others get it in order to hop on the bandwagon of trends that come and go. I give a different level of respect for those who live by their commitments and decide to think things over before rushing into conclusions. For example, the celebrity Steve-O, often recognized as the skinny guy from the TV series and Movies Jackass. He has a tattoo of himself on his back. Which shows no real significance, yet he is still admired mainly because of his fame. If an average Joe decided to get something similar to Steve-O, most people will laugh at his stupidity, or just admire him for his humor. 

HW 31

Part A

For winter vacation, my brother came back to New York from California. Since I rarely get the chance to meet/talk to him ever since he got into high-school (he was at Boarding School in Toronto), we always try to socialize with one another as much as possible. One topic that came up which I remember he did talk to me before was tattooing the family crests of both my dad and mom's side on his shoulder blades. It seemed like he had thought it over for a couple of years, but he still needs time to think it over. He also stated that he wants to wait until he's making enough money to fully support his life, not under half-ass circumstances which according to him, he is living under at the moment.

Though his commitment seemed strong, his reason was a bit bland. A. He wanted something that symbolized not only himself but his family. B. It would be pretty bad-ass. I agreed with him that it would be pretty "cool", but there are other alternatives in order to represent him. Necklaces, and other forms of accessories can incorporate the crest, and will not require him to damage his body. My parents find the whole idea of tattoos to be a bit overwhelming, but they want to give him his freedom, and respect how hard he is working.

HW 30

Will Post when finished