Blogging Around

The first blog I commented on was Raina's metacognition blog where she talked about how she does papers and assignments, and what works for her. I commmented,
        
           Raina, I completely agree with you! My mind works the same way, where I just have to sit down and get whatever assignment, not matter how big or small, done all at once. I have also tried breaking up parts of an assignment, but then it never seems to flow. I know a lot of people cannot work this way, with just sitting down and doing it all at once. I really like how you went into a lot of detail on how you work, and why you do it the way you do.It made reading your blog so interesting and also helped me see how you like to work.

The second blog I commented on was Andrew's. His blog post was an iMedia post about the hit tv show on AMC, Breaking Bad. I commented,

          Andrew, I haven't personally seen Breaking Bad, but after erading your blog, it has really made me want to watch it. It is really unbelievable that such an "average", everyday person like a teacher would start selling hardcore drugs in order to support his family. It truly makes you wonder what people will do when backed up against a wall. You did a really good job at describing the plot line and characters as well.

Get Organized: Rearranging My Closet

After I read the directions to this blog, I immediately felt a bit intimidated. I am not the most organized, neat person. It seems a quality that has lacked from me, at least with physical things, is me being a perfectionist. I am not dirty by any means, but yes, my room will have a few clothes laying on the ground, my bed may have a papers and homework scattered on it, and my backpack may be completely disorganized. But, one thing in particular that has fallen especially victim to my lack of organization is my closet.

So you can imagine that once I read the blog prompt, I decided I would take on the task of organizing my closet; once and for all. It is something that needed to be done and was long overdue. Over time, it just got more and more messy, with clothes and such scattered on shelves and clothes that I have not worn in a while still hanging up on hangers, mixed in with my current wardrobe.

Before this task, as I said, I felt overwhelmed, and also a bit stressed. But, I knew that it was something I needed to do, not only to make my closet clean, but also for myself.

I began cleaning my closet and right away I felt better. Yes, I was doing work, but I was doing something so positive for myself. I actually was in a very good mood during the cleaning process, which is the complete opposite of how I thought I'd feel cleaning it. There wasn't really ever a time that I wanted to just quit and stop, or even take a break for that matter.

This is so much different that when I do homework. I am always trying to find excuses to take breaks and stop for a bit, because I am doing work that I have to try on. I found this interesting because this is the same for cleaning my closet, yet I just kept cleaning it, I wanted to.

After I had finished, I felt the biggest sense of accomplishment. I can see where all my clothes and shoes are now, and I have much more space since I got rid of the clothes I do not wear anymore. But my mind also felt cleaner, in a way. I now know that doing projects such as this one does not just benefit whatever I am cleaning or doing, it greatly benefits myself and my mind as well.

Best of Week: Myths

Going into the blog, I had planned on writing about the fractals video we had watched, or a discussion we had on the advancement of technology, something of that sort. But then I started to think back to the day we watched the video on the Starlings, and talked about myths.

To me, that was the best idea we talked about in class this week.

It really got me thinking, of how important myths were, and still are, to people. Also, how much they helped people to understand certain things and ideas. As stated in Sophie's World, myths were used to help people understand why thunder occurred. They were in a time where there was no way to figure out what was going on or what it was, so of course a myth would help.

In addition, we talked about the sense of creativity it adds, which I think many people seemed to overlook just a bit. When there is an interesting story behind why there are waves in the ocean or why skunks smell, it adds beauty to everything, possibly a beauty we did not originally see. Instead of just that scientific, most likely boring explanation, there's now this awesome reason.

Myths serve several purposes, and talking about it in class really helped me realize the important of them then and now.

Metacognition: Under Pressure

Usually when a teacher assigns an essay or project and gives us a good amount of time to complete it, I am the student that is up late the night before working on it, and most likely the day of finishing it.

Ironically, though, right when the project is assigned, my mind is thinking of infinite ideas, throughout the entire time we have to complete it. Randomly in a certain period, I will be intensely thinking about what to do for the assignment, making sure whatever i actually plan on doing is something I want to do and something I am passionate about.

I don't care how long it takes me to come up with my idea before I start the assignment, absolutely need whatever I am going to be working on to be an idea that I believe in. If it is not, I simply won't be able to do the assignment; it's as simple as that.

So it's the night before the assignment is due, and I've just realized the position I've put myself in. But, once I start working, I don't stop. And since I'm under this pressure, the ideas keep coming, and I am completely focused on that specific idea. I feel like i am producing the best details for that idea and, overall, just producing my best work.

Yes, I would love to not have to sit there for four hours straight to produce the assignment. Yes, I would rather not stress myself out and get it over with by working on it much earlier, but I've come to realize that this is just how I work, and it always seems to end up more than okay for me.

Blogging Around

For this blog, we replied to two of our classmate's blogs. I replied to Rachel's Captured Though blog and David's iMedia blog.


For Rachel's blog, she talked about what the world would be like if we had the ability to teleport. I responded:
"This was such an interesting blog! The topic, teleportation, was so out there, and fascinating to read and hear your opinions about. I really like how you started it with questions, it immediately made me interested and pulled me in. I agree with you, teleportation would be very useful (and awesome!). It's crazy to think about how our world would change, but even crazier to think about how we, as people, would change. Of course there would be so many positives about it, but what about the negatives? What changes will come about because of it? I think we would start to take A LOT more things for granted. Makes me wonder if we'll ever, one day, have the ability to teleport and what grave effect it will have on our society."

For David's blog, he talked about a musical piece by a musician, Yiruma, and how it effected him. I responded:
"David, I agree, this song is truly beautiful! The raw emotion Yiruma express through this song is incredible. I really liked how you described what this song meant and felt to you. I also agree with you on how much of today's music lacks meaning and, for lack of a better word, "pureness". People tend to listen to music than catchy or popular, instead of music that moves them or makes them feel something, like any type of art is intended to do, naturally. This piece of music really shows you what beautiful music is like and how it can move a person in so many different ways."

Best Of Week: Born Into Brothels

This week, we watched Born Into Brothels, a documentary about the children living in the Red Light District in India. I was not surprised to have been seriously moved and impacted by not only the film, but specifically the children featured in it.

Being a very big fan of documentaries, I have seen many over the past couple of years, but something about this film was different. Going into the film, I expected it to reveal the lives and daily struggles the children faced as a result of living in brothels, an overall depressing film.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, while the documentary did focus on some key aspects of the children's struggles and adversities living in the brothels, it seemed to revolve most around the positive aspect in the children's lives, the thing that made them happy and gave them an escape from the brutal lives they were living- photography.

Because of this, the audience truly got to experience what each child was like, their personality, and how they were when they were happy, away from the turmoil and troubles of the brothel. It is here that I identified with the children, where anyone identified with the children.

These children are truly an inspiration. Seeing them get so excited and happy to just take pictures and mentally escape the slums of India makes me realize the things I have and take for granted. These children have so little, the things that bring joy to them, like taking pictures and going to the beach, they utilize to the fullest potential, which to me should be a lesson in life.

Connection: Great Minds Think Alike- Andrea Barrett and Georgia O'Keeffe

         This past summer, I took a vacation to Arizona with my mom and sister to visit my family in Arizona. While there, we decided last minute to take a road trip from Scottsdale to Santa Fe, New Mexico to explore it in all of its beauty.

          One of the greatest things I did while there for those two days was visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. I have always been one for the arts, and specifically enjoy museums more than the average teenager. Hadn't really knowing much about her as an artist, or as a person for that matter, I took this as an opportunity to truly delve into her life as an artist and individual.

          While there, I felt like I truly learned O'Keeffe's ways as an artist. Much like Barrett, O'Keeffe found her inspiration from the things around her. She would paint what she saw, never going into it having a vision in mind. O'Keeffe eventually traveled to Santa Fe in search of inspiration. There, she backpacked to various locations in SF, particularly desserts and mountains, taking only essentials, camping at certain spots for extended periods of time-all along the way never really having a "plan" in place. Once she would see something she liked, she would start painting. This was all for her art.

          As discussed in The Sea of Information, Barrett describes how she does not really have a sense of where a piece is headed. When she begins a piece, she just naturally lets her mind write, letting it take her wherever. Barrett shares this extremely vital characteristic with O'Keeffe.

In addition, Barrett and O'Keeffe get their inspiration from history and science. As stated, O'Keeffe traveled to nation landmarks and state parks to paint them, for example the Pedernal Mountains. Although O'Keeffe was in no way a historian, she traveled to these places to enhance her ability as an artist. Barrett, a fiction author, describes how she read a book on Tuberculosis and admits she did not know why she was even reading it, yet it inspired her to create new things. These women show how venturing out to try new things can only lead to success, even if it isn't exactly what you're looking for.

         Both these women's ability to create without a plan adds to their creative ability because it allows their imagination to expand, and fully takeover. It allows them to take any path they choose when creating their art, and encourages divergent thinking. Both have an unlimited possibility of outcomes for their projects because of their creative thinking.

       
     

Captured Thought: Noticing the Sounds

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                                  what if we could communicate without actually talking, like telepathy? 

How would that affect the world around us?

The sounds.

Without all of the noise from people talking, you could truly hear the sounds of nature, everything happening around us.

Everything you heard before, but now listen to.

Because, when you think about it, there's a difference.

With the added quiet from telepathy, your hearing would be amplified.

You would hear all of the beauty in the "*silence*".

You would take notice  in the little things.

Which really aren't so little after all.

Like your neighbor mowing their lawn

And the clitter-clatter of your dog's nails scraping the sidewalk

The silence would reveal the beauty of sound in our world

It was always there, you just didn't notice it.

Perhaps it would cause a change in us? Make use realize?                                         

-->Instead of listening to other people so much, maybe we would begin to listen to  our world.

I don't believe it takes something this extreme for us to take notice of the beauty in nature and the sounds in our world. We are so often consumed by our thoughts and communicating with other people, we don't stop and just listen. But, when you do, you'll notice that the noises all around you are infinite and euphonic. Stop and listen. I think we'd all be surprised.

:)

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