A. Personal Issues. What struck the most responsive cords in me were the lifestyles of Jessie and Tasha. I was reminded of the worlds that kids are living in. In addition to going to school, these two students both had a lot on their minds. I noticed this because I am going to be working with many students when I am a teacher who have complicated home lives. Tasha came home to find her baby niece playing by the street as her brother was doing drugs. Jessie never received attention from her mother, so she tried to get sexual attention from the male students at school. There is so much going on in a high school student's mind. I was reminded of what some of those things were. I feel that my response would be felt by others who work with students. Kids are growing up faster and faster these days, which is something society definitely needs to be aware of.
B. Technique. In the beginning of the movie, there was a part where the camera was all over the place and watching made me feel a little dizzy. This is something that could be changed because I am sure I was not the only one who felt this way during that part. I thought that the dialogue in the movie was very realistic to what teens would say in real life. I also like the music choice in the background. I did not really notice any special effects and I think some could have been incorporated during the scene where all of the students were at the club dancing.
C. Acting. Jessie and Tasha were the main roles. Jessie was a rich girl who was very sexually advanced for her age. I feel she did a really good job playing her part. I was disgusted by some of the things that were said and some of her facial expressions at times. Tasha was another well-played character. Tasha grew up in a bad part of town and was made fun of by the girls that lived in "her hood." Again, the acting was phenomenal and the characters were very believable.
D. Plot. Two girls, Jessie and Tasha, become friends at school. They came from very different backgrounds. Jessie is rich, but has no parental support. Tasha lives in the ghetto and does not have enough money to go to college. She plans to get a full ride for her grades and lacrosse. These girls meet and then become enemies because Jessie starts giving sexual attention to the boy Tasha likes. Jessie and Tasha both play on the lacrosse team together. When Jessie gets really drunk, Tasha is the only one who can help her. When Tasha's full ride is on the line, Jessie will have to make a decision. --- I found the plot to be original. It was very sexually graphic and did not hold anything back. I appreciated this because the plot told the story how it is. Nothing was covered up, so the viewer was really able to see the lives of both Jessie and Tasha.
E. Themes. In my opinion, there are many themes this movie has. Some of them are: friendship, interracial friendship, growing up rich vs. growing up poor, absence of parents, alcoholism, drugs, relationships, and sex. These are all things things that happen with students in high school. Even though many pretend it does not happen, it does. I believe the movie shows that no matter where you come from, you can always help someone out who is in need. I think the movie also goes over the idea that parents should be a part of their children's lives. A job should not be more important than your child. The messages are integrated with the plot, so they were easy for me to explain and talk about.
F. Genre. I do not think this film has a certain genre. Drama would be a good category it could fit into. I have never seen a movie like this before. The closest thing I could think of is Mean Girls, but the message in Toe to Toe was much stronger. These films both deal with high school girls coming from different backgrounds. The friends also both hate one another at one point and there is a party all of the students, including the main characters, attend. I think this is popular today, because it is what actually goes on. Girls can relate to the story.
G. Representation. This film represents "the poor girl" as being appreciative and hard working. The "rich girl" is seen as sexually advanced, mean, and careless. But, there are other factors that can explain why the girls are this way. I do not think it is fair to say the movie says all poor are hard working. For example, Tasha's brother was poor and doing drugs when he had a child. The film shows the guy that both girls like to be a player. These representations need to be there in order for the movie's plot to work.
H. Ideology. The cultural beliefs that are brought up in this film are parenting, sex, and interracial relationships. The movie showed what could happen when parents are not involved and sex becomes a way to make friends and fit in. I feel that this movie explores interracial relationships in a positive way.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Environment of the Film Festival
Eight young, adventurous Kent State students set off to find a film festival on Sunday, March 21, 2010. They packed themselves into two cars and headed off North, in search of some delicious food, wild fun, and an intriguing movie.
As these youngsters set out, the country music was blaring and the students sang along.
One wrong turn lead to the next and pretty soon the students got to see some of the finer parts of Cleveland. The students toured The Flats and the outside of some other local businesses.
Finally, the students made it inside Tower City. The mall was huge and had many stores and vendors with set up tables. One vendor tried to get the students to buy hot sauce by saying "You know you like hot sauce!"
The hungry students ventured off to the Hard Rock Cafe. There, they ate and had harmonious conversations about how much they LOVE Dr. Kist's class.
Finally, it was time to see a movie. It was very crowded and many people were in the "stand-by" line that the students were in. The movie the students bought tickets to was maxed out. There were no seats left. The workers promised to refund the students' tickets, but this was not good enough!
"Sir," Marissa said to a worker, "We need to see a movie for Dr. Kist's class at Kent State University. Can you please help us?"
The man personally escorted the eight students into a different movie.
Everything worked out and the students are now able to complete the assignments about the movie festival!
As these youngsters set out, the country music was blaring and the students sang along.
One wrong turn lead to the next and pretty soon the students got to see some of the finer parts of Cleveland. The students toured The Flats and the outside of some other local businesses.
Finally, the students made it inside Tower City. The mall was huge and had many stores and vendors with set up tables. One vendor tried to get the students to buy hot sauce by saying "You know you like hot sauce!"
The hungry students ventured off to the Hard Rock Cafe. There, they ate and had harmonious conversations about how much they LOVE Dr. Kist's class.
Finally, it was time to see a movie. It was very crowded and many people were in the "stand-by" line that the students were in. The movie the students bought tickets to was maxed out. There were no seats left. The workers promised to refund the students' tickets, but this was not good enough!
"Sir," Marissa said to a worker, "We need to see a movie for Dr. Kist's class at Kent State University. Can you please help us?"
The man personally escorted the eight students into a different movie.
Everything worked out and the students are now able to complete the assignments about the movie festival!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Dr. Pytash (Chapter Two)
Chapter two was all about vocabulary. I always learn many new things when reading Classics in the Classroom. By reading this chapter, I found out that what my elementary teachers used to have my class do was ineffective. This is looking up vocabulary words in the dictionary and then writing them down. This activity never helped me, but I always had to do it.
The chapter states, "Vocabulary experts tell us that for reasonable reading comprehension a student needs to know 90-95 percent of the words" (Jago 22).
The best way for students to learn more vocabulary is incidentally through reading. Those memorization definition-exercises simply do not cut it.
"Dale and O'Rourke (1986) describe four levels of knowing a word:
Stage 1: Never saw it before.
Stage 2: Heard it, but don't know what it means.
Stage 3: Recognize it in context as something to do with . . .
Stage 4: Know it" (Jago 29).
I really liked learning about the exercise Jago did with the words honorable, gullible, stoic, and idealist. Students learned these words by relating them to their own lives and using them to describe people they knew. I bet now they will never forget what the words mean.
The chapter states, "Vocabulary experts tell us that for reasonable reading comprehension a student needs to know 90-95 percent of the words" (Jago 22).
The best way for students to learn more vocabulary is incidentally through reading. Those memorization definition-exercises simply do not cut it.
"Dale and O'Rourke (1986) describe four levels of knowing a word:
Stage 1: Never saw it before.
Stage 2: Heard it, but don't know what it means.
Stage 3: Recognize it in context as something to do with . . .
Stage 4: Know it" (Jago 29).
I really liked learning about the exercise Jago did with the words honorable, gullible, stoic, and idealist. Students learned these words by relating them to their own lives and using them to describe people they knew. I bet now they will never forget what the words mean.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
You’re Leaving a Digital Trail. What About Privacy?
Many teens, including Harrison Brown, decided to give up their privacy in exchange for a smart phone. Every move they make is being watched. (CREEPY!)
Later in the article, a computer scientist states he cannot imagine this type of technology not coming into everyday life because there are so many uses for it. (GETTING WEIRDER AND WEIRDER!)
A lot of great statistical information can be gained from this. But, I still do not like the idea of people knowing what you are doing every second of the day. I feel that this technology will be misused by many people and will cause a lot of problems.
When privacy is weighed against the good of the public, I feel privacy should be taken away. If you have nothing to hide, then you should be fine.
But, I feel there will always be those who take advantage of new technology and in doing so, harm others.
Later in the article, a computer scientist states he cannot imagine this type of technology not coming into everyday life because there are so many uses for it. (GETTING WEIRDER AND WEIRDER!)
A lot of great statistical information can be gained from this. But, I still do not like the idea of people knowing what you are doing every second of the day. I feel that this technology will be misused by many people and will cause a lot of problems.
When privacy is weighed against the good of the public, I feel privacy should be taken away. If you have nothing to hide, then you should be fine.
But, I feel there will always be those who take advantage of new technology and in doing so, harm others.
Dr. Kist's class on March 8, 2010
Today was fun--A type of class that I feel most students would enjoy. There were many laughs. The laughter was from the creativity of students.
Today's class was all about being open and being comfortable in the classroom. If a student did not feel comfortable, this class would have certainly helped him or her to gain some confidence and maybe some friends.
This is because all the activities used teamwork. All of the students had to work together to accomplish goals. Every student had to participate, or the class would fail---together.
I believe in the importance of teamwork in the classroom. The sequencing games, storyboarding, and the "I wish" poems all required input from the entire class.
I plan to use these activities in my classroom to build a community of students, friends, and learners. Together, we can grow.
Today's class was all about being open and being comfortable in the classroom. If a student did not feel comfortable, this class would have certainly helped him or her to gain some confidence and maybe some friends.
This is because all the activities used teamwork. All of the students had to work together to accomplish goals. Every student had to participate, or the class would fail---together.
I believe in the importance of teamwork in the classroom. The sequencing games, storyboarding, and the "I wish" poems all required input from the entire class.
I plan to use these activities in my classroom to build a community of students, friends, and learners. Together, we can grow.
Great Films and How to Teach Them (Chapters 5-9)
First off, I would like to say that I wish that it still cost five cents to see a movie and there was a new one out each week I would enjoy seeing. If it cost that little, I might even buy the $7 popcorn.
Chapter five talks about the reasons movie makers moved to Hollywood. This was because of the awesome weather, the various locations, and there was a lot a daylight. I found it interesting to learn about star actors. They had to sign a 7-year contract and then worked long hours, 6 days a week. But, they made a lot of money. I learned in Media, Power, and Culture that the "star system" did not actually come into place until moviegoers demanded to see their favorite actors and actresses.
The theatres, or nickelodeons, were put through a lot. They were forced into blockbooking and blockbinding, which was unfair to both the theatres and the independent filmmakers. Later, these policies were deemed illegal.
Chapter six states, "Other theorists believe that movies are best seen as products of an entire society, reflecting values so ingrained that even those who make and view the films are unaware of them." (Costanzo 65). I found a lot of truth in this statement and this is why I feel it is important to include movies in the classroom. By watching them, students are able to gain more opportunities to understand the cultural views and ways of life of others not like them. It allows for a deeper and more thorough understanding of points in history.
Chapter six also went over theories and different approaches used in movies. Many of them were familiar to me because they seemed similar to literary theories. Feminism, structuralism, deconstruction, and Marxism are all theories I have went over in literature classes this year.
Chapter seven goes over movie genres. I found it cool to know that young people today are more aware of them than ever before (Costanzo 78). I feel that this is because of all the technology the newer generations are used to. The Internet, movies, and television shows all contain genres.
Page 82 talks about how genres change over periods of time. I found this to be very interesting. It reminds me of fashion trends. Sometimes an unpopular genre will come back, just like bell-bottoms did. It is important to know different types of genres, so you can learn about what types of movies you like. There are "themes, myths, and ideologies" (Costanzo 84) that go along with each genre. My particular favorite is comedy because I love to laugh.
Chapter eight, "Representation in Film," asks the question of whether or not we see ourselves in movies. I would like to make a personal comment to this. My favorite movie, Freedom Writers, is my favorite because I can relate to it. It is what makes the movie special for me. I can see myself in the main character and I treasure the movie every time I watch it.
This chapter also discusses the stereotypes in movies. We just discussed this in class yesterday. We looked at clips of women and noticed many of them had severe stereotyping such as the "dumb blonde."
According to Costanza, "[i]t has been estimated that by 2050 more than half of the U.S. population will be Asian, Hispanic, and black" (97). This will greatly effect the types of characters in movies as well as what types of movies are being shown. I feel that it is partially because of the movies that "[t]he melting pot seems to have given way to the rainbow. [and] At the same time, Americans have grown more vocal about their differences. We speak openly about our ethnic identities, our sexual preferences, and what used to be called our disabilities" (Costanzo 97).
Chapter 9 was the chapter I was looking forward to reading most. Movies became a growing trend in the classroom. They are used now more than ever before. These two sentences depict my ideal classroom: "[Discussion] pumps up the mental energy, gets the juices flowing, circulates ideas, and nourishes the group's collective insight. Discussing a film enables students to articulate their personal experiences, to compare their first impressions to other points of view, to connect what they have seen to larger social, political, and cultural events" (Costanzo 117). I think that these statements are awesome because it is exactly why films should be incorporated into schools.
Chapter 9 also talks about censorship. I was concerned about this because I wanted to know what rated material teachers are allowed to show in their classrooms. Unfortunately, the section did not answer my question. The NCTE is said to have a guide on film censorship. I will have to check that out!
Chapter five talks about the reasons movie makers moved to Hollywood. This was because of the awesome weather, the various locations, and there was a lot a daylight. I found it interesting to learn about star actors. They had to sign a 7-year contract and then worked long hours, 6 days a week. But, they made a lot of money. I learned in Media, Power, and Culture that the "star system" did not actually come into place until moviegoers demanded to see their favorite actors and actresses.
The theatres, or nickelodeons, were put through a lot. They were forced into blockbooking and blockbinding, which was unfair to both the theatres and the independent filmmakers. Later, these policies were deemed illegal.
Chapter six states, "Other theorists believe that movies are best seen as products of an entire society, reflecting values so ingrained that even those who make and view the films are unaware of them." (Costanzo 65). I found a lot of truth in this statement and this is why I feel it is important to include movies in the classroom. By watching them, students are able to gain more opportunities to understand the cultural views and ways of life of others not like them. It allows for a deeper and more thorough understanding of points in history.
Chapter six also went over theories and different approaches used in movies. Many of them were familiar to me because they seemed similar to literary theories. Feminism, structuralism, deconstruction, and Marxism are all theories I have went over in literature classes this year.
Chapter seven goes over movie genres. I found it cool to know that young people today are more aware of them than ever before (Costanzo 78). I feel that this is because of all the technology the newer generations are used to. The Internet, movies, and television shows all contain genres.
Page 82 talks about how genres change over periods of time. I found this to be very interesting. It reminds me of fashion trends. Sometimes an unpopular genre will come back, just like bell-bottoms did. It is important to know different types of genres, so you can learn about what types of movies you like. There are "themes, myths, and ideologies" (Costanzo 84) that go along with each genre. My particular favorite is comedy because I love to laugh.
Chapter eight, "Representation in Film," asks the question of whether or not we see ourselves in movies. I would like to make a personal comment to this. My favorite movie, Freedom Writers, is my favorite because I can relate to it. It is what makes the movie special for me. I can see myself in the main character and I treasure the movie every time I watch it.
This chapter also discusses the stereotypes in movies. We just discussed this in class yesterday. We looked at clips of women and noticed many of them had severe stereotyping such as the "dumb blonde."
According to Costanza, "[i]t has been estimated that by 2050 more than half of the U.S. population will be Asian, Hispanic, and black" (97). This will greatly effect the types of characters in movies as well as what types of movies are being shown. I feel that it is partially because of the movies that "[t]he melting pot seems to have given way to the rainbow. [and] At the same time, Americans have grown more vocal about their differences. We speak openly about our ethnic identities, our sexual preferences, and what used to be called our disabilities" (Costanzo 97).
Chapter 9 was the chapter I was looking forward to reading most. Movies became a growing trend in the classroom. They are used now more than ever before. These two sentences depict my ideal classroom: "[Discussion] pumps up the mental energy, gets the juices flowing, circulates ideas, and nourishes the group's collective insight. Discussing a film enables students to articulate their personal experiences, to compare their first impressions to other points of view, to connect what they have seen to larger social, political, and cultural events" (Costanzo 117). I think that these statements are awesome because it is exactly why films should be incorporated into schools.
Chapter 9 also talks about censorship. I was concerned about this because I wanted to know what rated material teachers are allowed to show in their classrooms. Unfortunately, the section did not answer my question. The NCTE is said to have a guide on film censorship. I will have to check that out!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The History of BookFace (haha just kidding)
So... Facebook might have been created by a thief of ideas. Is Zuckerberg an idea stealer?
To be honest, I don't really think most Facebook users care... as long as they can check their Facebooks without any problem.
When the day comes that a thief has hacked into Facebook and people can no longer update their statuses.... THERE WILL BE MAJOR PROBLEMS.
Zuckerberg seemed to be a very intelligent youngster. Intelligent and mean. Comparing people's faces with those of animals is terrible. I'm starting not to like him.
It does seem to me that Zuckerberg may have been influenced to make Facebook by the ideas of others. It may not have been fair to the students who were waiting on him to come up with a code.
Zuckerberg seems to be out for himself, which is fine in the business world. But, we are only hearing other people's side of the story. The reader does not hear a lot about what Zuckerberg has to say. There will always be those who claim they had the "big idea" first.
To be honest, I don't really think most Facebook users care... as long as they can check their Facebooks without any problem.
When the day comes that a thief has hacked into Facebook and people can no longer update their statuses.... THERE WILL BE MAJOR PROBLEMS.
Zuckerberg seemed to be a very intelligent youngster. Intelligent and mean. Comparing people's faces with those of animals is terrible. I'm starting not to like him.
It does seem to me that Zuckerberg may have been influenced to make Facebook by the ideas of others. It may not have been fair to the students who were waiting on him to come up with a code.
Zuckerberg seems to be out for himself, which is fine in the business world. But, we are only hearing other people's side of the story. The reader does not hear a lot about what Zuckerberg has to say. There will always be those who claim they had the "big idea" first.
I'm so Totally, Digitally Close to You.
I found it very interesting to read this article. I think it is awesome that a college student invented Facebook.
It is weird to learn about Facebook not having features such as news feed and privacy. Those are just some of the things I have taken for granted.
Learning about Loopt was kind of scary. (It lets your friends know wherever you are.) I think it is important to still have some privacy in every day life. I do not like to broadcast my business all over the Internet. I do not think everyone cares about what I am doing every minute of the day...
But, I will admit I do check out my News Feed to see what others are doing. I think this is something that most Facebookers do. When something comes up that interests you, why not check out what the other person is doing? After all, they did put it online...
I found the section about Seery to be a little strange. I do not think I would start following someone on Twitter if I did not personally know them and if they were not a celebrity. I think it is a little strange to just start following someone out of the blue.
I do agree with the article when it discussed most of the relationships or "friendships" on Facebook are just loose ties held together by technology. Many of my "friends" are from high school and are old acquaintances. Only a select few are people who I would consider myself to be very close with.
I also think that Facebook is something that can be used to hurt others. The article briefly talked about this, but I feel it was very important to bring up. As a future educator, I feel it is important for teachers to know what is capable of being said, tagged, and published on Facebook. There is a lot going on in high school and most of it can be found online. In my opinion, Facebook can be compared to a talking yearbook.
It is weird to learn about Facebook not having features such as news feed and privacy. Those are just some of the things I have taken for granted.
Learning about Loopt was kind of scary. (It lets your friends know wherever you are.) I think it is important to still have some privacy in every day life. I do not like to broadcast my business all over the Internet. I do not think everyone cares about what I am doing every minute of the day...
But, I will admit I do check out my News Feed to see what others are doing. I think this is something that most Facebookers do. When something comes up that interests you, why not check out what the other person is doing? After all, they did put it online...
I found the section about Seery to be a little strange. I do not think I would start following someone on Twitter if I did not personally know them and if they were not a celebrity. I think it is a little strange to just start following someone out of the blue.
I do agree with the article when it discussed most of the relationships or "friendships" on Facebook are just loose ties held together by technology. Many of my "friends" are from high school and are old acquaintances. Only a select few are people who I would consider myself to be very close with.
I also think that Facebook is something that can be used to hurt others. The article briefly talked about this, but I feel it was very important to bring up. As a future educator, I feel it is important for teachers to know what is capable of being said, tagged, and published on Facebook. There is a lot going on in high school and most of it can be found online. In my opinion, Facebook can be compared to a talking yearbook.
Alice in Awful-land
I went to see Alice in Wonderland expecting an exciting 3D experience similar to the experience I had with Avatar. I got to the movie theatre to find that the movie was not being shown in 3D.
I came to realize... even if it was in 3D, it would not have helped! Alice was terrible! The storyline was not the same as in the book and the characters randomly broke out in dance in the middle of the film. I did not know how to react. I wasn't the only one in the theatre laughing at how ridiculous it was.
This review was more entertaining than the actual movie.
Don't waste your $8.50!
I came to realize... even if it was in 3D, it would not have helped! Alice was terrible! The storyline was not the same as in the book and the characters randomly broke out in dance in the middle of the film. I did not know how to react. I wasn't the only one in the theatre laughing at how ridiculous it was.
This review was more entertaining than the actual movie.
Don't waste your $8.50!
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