VARK

Read/Write: Write one-paragraph summary of what you have learned about yourself as a result of reading this chapter.

I learned that everyone has their own style of learning. One of the biggest advices this chapter provided me with is the understanding of how students learn and how proffessors teach. It is key to be compatible with the way your prfoessor teaches. TO engage yourself with the lecture. I learned that there are many ways to get yourself interested. For myself i learned that in order for me to learn from the lecture or lesson plan I would have to make connections with it. Personally I would make connections within the lesson plan to get myself interested. Another thing I noticed is in order for me to really pay attention I have to have a good visual of the screen or board to keep myslef concentrated. I would say I am a visual learner but mostly reading and writing becuase I like taking notes to keep myself organized with the lessons and in order for me to refer back to them when i need to study. In the mentorship program I attended my mentor was telling me that for one of his classes he has a new prfessor every class. The professor they have specializes on the area they are studying in that class. Which would be pretty cool since you can experience different types of teaching styles which would keep the class exciting. Although the bad side to it would be learning how to adjust to each professor and not knowing what to expect. Overall, college has been a way different experience to learning than high school; it has it's challenging points but it keeps me motivated to know what i can achieve in the end.

Lit Circle Blog 3

When is the Meaning of Faith Misunderstood?

The meaning of faith can be taken upon different ways. Faith can be determined by how you practice your beliefs or how much you rely on them. In the novel, Rain of Gold, Victor Villasenor demonstrates how faith was used to motivate these two families. Since the beginning of the book Lupe's and Juan's family have had a strong sense of faith. Although now you can tell which of them took a different reaction to their faith. As Juan goes through the hardships of making a living in the United States he collects his hardships had has one reason of blame, God. His mother brought him up to believe in the Almighty and have good faith in Him, because he would be their "savior." Juan looked at it as if he was convinced the Almighty would save him then why hasn't he and why did he have to go through the hardship. When he returned to his family from Montana Juan's view on faith towards the Almighty was non-existant compared to his belief that the Devil existed, since all he's gone through was hell and since that's what's he's been through that's what he believes exists. Where as, Lupe and her family have all their faith on the Almighty. When Sophia reunited with her family she told them her story of her hardship but her view on what she went through was different than Juan's. "She laughed, shaking her head, and Lupe realized that this was something that her family always seemed to do when they spoke of the terrible misfortunes they suffered. They didn't get angry or upset, like so many other Mexicans did; no, they smiled and laughed as if even these bad fates had been handed to them by a mischievous but good-hearted God" (241). Lupe's family does not blame and are outraged with God but laugh and have that optimism that it happened for a good reason. The way the Juan reacts and the way Lupe's family reacts when they think of their suffering is based on how strong they can keep their faith, Lupe's family stayed together while Juan sold himself and like his mother said, "'That's not on your own. That's alone!...'" (227). Juan was alone and last his faith because there wasn't anyone there to keep him together except the surrounding of gambling, hustling, and alcohol.

Lit Circle Blog 2

How does sacrifice influence/impact the family?

Dona Guadalupe has been the stone of the family. By this I mean she’s been the only solid thing for the family since everything around them was falling apart. But now that Don Victor is back Dona Guadalupe can now give the responsibility of having the strength behind the family to Don Victor. This is the first time Dona Guadalupe shows her weakness towards the family. She’s been showing them nothing but strength and bravery since the whole revolution but now that Don Victor has returned he is the strength where she can show her weakness too. Don Victor leaving his family was a major sacrifice as well. He’s been gone trying to find work to support his family but being so distant he was helpless in helping them because there was no way he could reach them. When he came back Victoriano resented his father’s return. The sacrifice that Don Victor made to leave his family put a strain in the relationship he had with Victoriano, because Victoriano felt like his father’s return was too late. He thought why would it have mattered if he came now when all the hardship they went through already happened without him there. Don Victor made Victoriano sacrifice his childhood to become the “man of the house.” He was given this responsibility as a little boy when his father first left the canyon. While he could have been playing with kids in the fields he was watching over all his sisters, on top of helping his mother maintain the household, finding something to provide them with. Each sacrifice that each person made put not only a strain on themselves but with members of the family. The relationship everyone now has, has some bit of tension within it. The reunion of the family felt awkward because of this. Half of the family members were happy that everyone was together and some felt different about it. Victoriano felt that it wouldn’t have been necessary but he has too much respect to tell his father. So did Lupe, because of her father leaving she didn’t know who this stranger was and didn’t want their mother to meet with him.

What is the value of family?

The value of family depends on certain people, with the way they were brought up. For Dona Guadalupe the value of her family being together was crucial since she was the one showing no face of fear or struggle always being the “rock of nuestra casa.” The way I was brought up my family was my rock. Since birth I was surrounded by uncles and aunts, playing with cousins. There was a time where one of my friends questioned me, why I hang out with my family so much. I asked her why don’t you? She told me that she only has her immediate family here and they’re usually busy. I mind you I was seven at the time and I thought about not having family around, not having our ritual of family parties every weekend. I understood now why she questioned my love of my family, why I spent so much time with them, so I told her, why don’t you see for yourself and see why I love my family so much. She saw how we interact with each other, all the food displayed on the table, everyone enjoying one another’s company. She told me how her family weekends were never like this and we both understood each other’s value in our families. Just how Carlota screamed at Lupe for not giving their father any attention. Lupe didn’t believe she needed to because she didn’t know this man. Don Victor left when Lupe was just a child and he doesn’t blame her for holding her ground. Whereas Carlota was old enough to remember her father and adore him all the while. Don Victor gave Lupe to be familiarized with him and get comfortable, while Lupe was trying to figure out who this man was; why everyone was so excited to see him. She hasn’t experience of having her father around, she doesn’t understand why her mother is putting a white mask on and spraying sweet smell on her. She stood her ground because she was afraid, she was afraid because she doesn’t know who this man is.

Technology Project

Lit Circle Blog 1

I selected the scene was when Juan saw a dirty, ugly, old begger up along the streets of the church disgusted by the scene, when he comes to realize it was his own mother (145). That just stabbed me in the heart while i was reading, Dona Margarita was so desperate for her family to survive that she went, put her shame away and she did what she had to do for her family. It was important because this was Juan Salvador's motivation to work under any circumstances so he wouldn't see his mother beg ever again. Dona Margarita took a level of her pride and knocked it down. Her motivation was to keep her kids and grandchild healthy enough to move on. If I saw my mother begging in the streets to keep us well enough to get through another day would give me the sickest feeling in my stomach just like Juan. The impacts of economy when terms are unstable and low can pull a family apart. In Juan's family"s case they pulled together, once Dona Margarita put any embarrassment into consideration she just took it, and did her business begging to keep her family alive. Survival.

The second scene I selected was when Juan yelled out about the soldiers coming into his hometown. Everyone paniced and left the corn they were picking. Their family running for their lives not because of the soldiers but because Juan Salvador pulled "the little boy who cried wolf," schme (101). This was important because this got Juan and his family chased out of their town and started their new adventure with their family. Juan is a true hard core jokester. He has the "balls", (excuse my french,) to take that gamble and risk his families safety and lack of preparation.You have to shut some doors yourself in order for more stable doors to pen. When Juan yelled that the soldiers were coming, his family did what they were instructed, they beiieved him. The people in small villages must have been frightned by the sights of soldiers because soldiers during the revolution didn't have respect for peopple and their belongings. Their authority was way superior than any househoold of a family, becuase they carried weapons and fought with their fists. The people were "ruled by the sowrd," and obeyed the "upper" hand on whatever they wanted. Fear.

Leave Your Cell Phone at the Classroom Door

What is the value of technology when it is being vilified in another culture?

Technology is used everywhere. In a culture where technology is belittled it gives people less opportunity to use certain resources. In a third world country where computers aren't found in every household, technology wouldn't be as in high demand as it would be. Usually people who don't use technology in their daily lives such as, computers, cell phones, or internet access are people who aren't exposed. My parents were born in the era where televisions were black and white. So they are new to this whole technology mumbo jumbo. They are new users in the internet world. It's one of my limited opportunities to tell them what to do. They have questions from how to navigate facebook and friendster to how to pay bills online. Their skills are improving but my seven year old cousin seems to be more comprehensive to using the computer than my own parents. But with practicing to use it they've seemed to accomplish using skype to talk to my relatives in the philippines, comprehending more about navigating things online.

What are the effects of being vilified in a dominant culture?

The effects of being vilified in a dominant culture has its positives and negatives. The bad news is that it is painful for some people to be thought of as nothing in their community.Just because a person is a certain way people discriminate on that, and it isn't fair. It leaves the person feeling worthless. The positive sides of people being belittled in a community is that, it gives the people who are being discriminated against a cause to fight back, and that's where we get the effects of the civil rights movement, women being able to vote, having all the diverse ethnicity in one classroom.

One of the times I felt vilified was when I was about seven-years-old and I was taking ballet classes at out community center. My dance instructor was Anne Fisher, a fairly young, beautiful elegant American women. She was strict and stern with us as beginners in ballet so just simply being in her class was intimidating. It was getting closer to the middle of September and she announces that we are going to be part of the Berkley Ballet Nutcracker that she is directing during December, so of course these second graders as well as myself were excited we were going to be able to show off what we learned. So until December hit we had our usual class sessions in the community center learning choreography for our little part in the ballet, including driving to the Berkeley studio every Saturday to rehearse. The day finally comes that it's showtime. Our class was prepared and confident. While the show was going on all the dancers who were not on stage were placed in this huge room. We walk in take our spot of the room next to the second youngest dancers, we were the youngest, getting all our make-up done for our turn. When I notice that the girls sitting next to us who were probably around twelve-years-old made a comment about how colorful we are to her friend. Not by the make-up and costumes we wore but by our skin. I look around and that is when i notice that we were in a room fool of pale faces and here we are this group of assorted colors. She went on asking her friend why our group was there if we weren't from the area. Giggling to her friend about my friend, Jamey, and how they couldn't see her eyes commenting how could she dance if she couldn't see; then stretching out their faces attempting to imitate how she looked. I got discouraged and as a kid when someone says that stuff you ask yourself that same question and start believing them. It was a first for me to ever realize what it meant for someone to downgrade you like that. Even though they weren't making fun directly at me it still hurt that someone would "hate on you like that."

What is the Digital Culture?

When I think of digital culture, the first thing that comes to mind are social networking websites such as: facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. The other day I was watching the news with my Dad and it was close to the ending of the segment when one of the newscasters says, “you can follow me on twitter for more details about the story.” I turned to my dad just to double check if I heard them correctly. Then the more I go through the channels the more twitter comes up and I was pretty amazed on how technology is growing more and more rapid every day, how everyone is pretty much getting connected somehow or another. From the focus book, the digital culture sort of broken down to an explanation of it. One of the popular reasons is a source of entertainments such as the social networking sites and as a source of education. This being my first year in college, I was pretty amazed on how instructors much rather prefer assignments being submitted online. Using certain websites to turn in homework is more in demand than handwriting it on a piece of binder paper. It is innovative, since it’s a way by saving trees and going green. It also talked about the pros and cons of using the internet. As far as privacy matters from being able to use it as a research tool for papers. One of the most common cons of the internet is plagiarism. Students might want to take the easy route, and be sneaky by copying and pasting from other writers and calling it their own. Although as easy as it is to come up with that brilliant idea, some brilliant person also came up with online tools to see if your paper is copy and pasted. The digital culture is spreading, and pretty soon everyone will be up to date with being part of it, my mom and dad sure are.