Week 1

I found this article online and it related to what my group discussed in class on Wednesday. My group discussed about the “banking model” of education. I believe that in order to have a good “learning community” we should have more discussions. We can each continue to talk from each other’s points. Also let everyone have a say in what we should do and let everyone have a chance to teach the class something since the teacher may not know everything about that topic (so everyone can TEACH and LEARN from each other- no matter if you’re the teacher or a student).

ARTICLE: http://jefais.tumblr.com/post/19636644930/rejecting-the-banking-model-the-teachers-experience

This 4th of July, my family and I went to Marine Park’s nature trail. It was an amazing sight to see, since this was my first time going. It was as if the place was a well-kept secret of Brooklyn. It felt as if the trail was secluded from the urban world. Then you hear the small fireworks and bridges in the distance and realize your still in the city. There were flowers blooming and the beautiful, breath taking landscape. But one thing I really liked about the trail was how the community kept it clean. There were many signs telling people not to litter. The Marine Park community helps each other to keep the place beautiful so everyone else can also enjoy it.

Coming of Age Novel: Finished (Last blog post :D )

***SPOILERS***

I’m finished with Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok throughout the book Kimberly does change. At first she’s this shy girl who was unsure of what to do, but throughout the book she starts “finding” out what she wants to be and what she has to do to get there. She was faced with many hurdles from having that first love-Matt, but having that first love taken away and finding out that you’re pregnant with his son.

An event that changed Kimberly was when she found out she was pregnant with Matt’s baby “I stopped short, my hands flying to my mouth. There were the condoms. I should have known…what a stupid Idea of mine it’d been. Neither of us had even noticed.” (p.252) These few last lines of the chapter stood out since that was the moment Kimberly realized that she was pregnant and in the next chapter she starts thinking to herself how she was supposed to handle this and how this going to change the lives of people around her. She had lots of help like from her mom who instead of what Kimberly thought her mom would react instead helped Kimberly get through everything and made Kimberly feel better to keeping the baby instead of getting it aborted. Her best friend Annette has always been there for here through everything and even when times were hard like this one. Then a boy named Curt in the beginning he was Kimberly’s bully in high school, but after she stood up to him. I guess he saw that she could be a close friend and later on in the book they did become close friends, “You want me to marry you?” (p.268) Curt suggested to Kimberly when she told him about her pregnancy. He didn’t seem to be joking so at that line in the book I saw that all that Curt and Kimberly have been through Curt loved Kimberly enough that he would marry her.

All in all Kimberly’s journey has been hard like in the end of the book she talks about life 12 years later. How she ended up keeping her’s and Matt’s kid and raised him up without Matt there. She also talks about how she succeeded from breaking loose from her aunt and paying all the debt from her off, moving to a new apartment in Queens, going to Yale and becoming a heart doctor. The most important of all is that she’s now able to provide for her family and her family won’t have to worry about going cold or getting kicked out of their apartment.

Kimberly is a good role model since she never gave up on her dreams. She taught me that things that you really want in your life you can achieve. Kimberly also never stopped loving and letting more people into her life, even if that meant letting go one of the most important person who made her and got her where she is today- Matt.

Coming of Age Novel: Halfway

I’m halfway finished with Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok I noticed that the main character is named Kimberly Chang. Kimberly and her mom moved from Hong Kong to New York. Kimberly had a rough time and faced many challenges which helped her gain maturity and knowledge along the way, such as having more responsibilities here than before, when Kimberly and her mom lived in Hong Kong. Some of the responsibilities that she had now and not before were translating mostly everything for her mom (since her mom’s English vocabulary was even less than Kimberly’s), having to work in the factories to help her mom afterschool, and having to do all her schoolwork and hand them in on time. Even when her apartment was freezing cold and all that’s keeping them warm was the open oven.

But on the other hand there were things and people who made her moving to NY not so bad, meeting Matt and Annette (her 2 friends who have stood by her since they’ve met). Matt Kimberly knew from the factory and had a crush on and Annette she knew ever since Kimberly entered elementary school. “I blinked. Generous, loyal Annette. Of course, her parents wouldn’t allow her to do that, but would I have, offered to do the same for her? I laid a hand on her shoulder. “You are a good friend.”” (p.107) this line popped out to me since it summed up how far Kimberly and Annette’s friendship is at.  Since Annette would want to change into a public high school instead of going to a private school -Harrison prep (a top high school, but also very expensive). This was also a touching part of the book, since it was the first time Kimberly acknowledged her friendship with Annette out loud.

Kimberly also gained knowledge that might’ve hurt her, but didn’t. She remembered her experience with a bully in her elementary school that ended up to like her. Then while in high school she used this knowledge and “helped” her. She also worked even harder knowing that the kids around her were different from her. That also helped her mature.

Spring Break HW #3- Current Article Essay

I read an article called “Trayvon Martin case: Will Zimmerman face a jury?” and “Shooting Death of Teen Raises Questions About Florida Law” it discussed about a boy 17 year old Trayvon Martin was shot by 28 year old George Zimmerman in February. George Zimmerman is a neighborhood watch captain. Zimmerman called 911 and told the dispatcher that he saw a “black male” acting suspicious. The dispatcher told Zimmerman to ignore Trayvon but Zimmerman wouldn’t listen and went after Trayvon. Where Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon. Zimmerman said that he acted from self-defense. Now 2 months later after many protests from Trayvon’s family, Zimmerman is brought to court and facing Florida judge, Judy Woodruff. George Zimmerman should not face a jury because the public has made their opinion on George Zimmerman already and from the media’s and public influence.

            Evidence that supports that Zimmerman should not be faced by a jury is the public have made their opinion on Zimmerman already. “Thousands of people have joined rallies in New York City and Miami and civil rights leaders are planning more demonstrations in other cities.  Trayvon’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, addressed the huge crowd in New York nicknamed “A Million Hoodie March.” (Shooting Death of Teen Raises Questions About Florida Law) This quote supports that the public has made there decision because the public have formed protests and what if some of the protesters ended up to be in the jury then the trial won’t be necessary for them since they have made their decision already.

            The media and public influence can also play a part that Zimmerman shouldn’t be faced by a jury because people could pay off a jury person to vote the way the payer wants it to be. Also the media’s opinion and incomplete information on the case might give the wrong view to the listener and maybe jury voter (opinions). “I think the fact that we have so much social media networking now is going to play a part, because everybody's all over Facebook all over the country expressing their views on this case. So I think, as it relates to jury selection, it will play a part. As it relates to the evidence being presented in court, it will not play a part.” (Trayvon Martin case: Will Zimmerman face a jury?) This quote shows that the judge can also see that media plays a part in picking the jury voters and it’d be hard to pick the jury voters that haven’t seen the opinions on the media yet.

            Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. But George Zimmerman shouldn’t face a jury because of the public opinion and media. Also the choice of selecting the jury voters will be a hard to do.

Links to the articles I read to write this essay:

~ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/jan-june12/law_03-22.html

~ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june12/zimmerman_04-12.html

Spring Break HW #2- Plagiarizing

1* What did the student do wrong? What could he/she have done to include the source correctly?

The student didn’t give credit to the person who wrote the article and copied and pasted the writing as if it was their own (they plagiarized). The student could have just cited their source and add quotations or paraphrased what the writer wrote.

2* Write a sentence using the original source correctly; use a quotation or paraphrase. Also, make sure to cite correctly.

“There is a peaceful essence flowing the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of our warm childhood years filled with imagination of what exists in the night and dark starry skies.” (A Brief Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings, by unknown author)

3* What are at least 3 ways to avoid plagiarizing?

1) Cite and add quotations to the quote

2) Paraphrase what the writer wrote

3) Summarize what your trying quote