Response to Vershawn Ashanti Young's essay, "Should Writers Use They Own English?"

After reading  Vershawn Ashanti Young's essay, "Should Writers Use They Own English? In this essay Young makes an interesting claim that we should be more open to use of various linguistic styles. While I do see his point that we should increase cultural language in papers and be more open to variety, I do not see this method ever being fully implemented in an academic paper. He makes interesting points as well, "I'm sho not try- ing to say here that Black English don't have some rhetorical and gram- matical features that differ from what is termed standard English.(62) What I'm sayin is that the difference between the two ain't as big as some like to imagine." While I did think that his language made the essay more intriguing, I did find it a distraction in the point he was trying to get across. He then tries to persuade the reader of a matter in the workforce, "But if you look at it from my view, it most certainly don't mean that. Instead, it mean that the one set of rules that people be applyin to everybody's dialects leads to stereotypes that writers need "remedial training" or that speakers of dialects are dumb." (65) I think that this is a good point yet I also believe that in papers it it just better to have a certain standard to meet, which definitely could use a little more wiggle room than there is today. One of his most interesting propositions I thought was when he wrote, "Instead of prescribing how folks should write or speak, I say we teach language descriptively. This mean we should, for instance, teach how language functions within and from various cultural perspectives. And we should teach what it take to understand, listen, and wnte m mulnple dialects simultaneously." (66) I do believe after reading this that when it comes to a personal essay such as a literacy narrative, people should be able to write how they speak. Yet when it comes to writing such as a research paper, I think it might be best for formal language, keep in mind however, that everyone comes from different places with different speech and style of language.

Pros and Cons of Chapter 2 Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed

   Today I will compare chapter 2 of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. In this chapter, Freire presents us with two different ideals in education. One is banking and the other is problem-posing in education. Banking is basically the teacher sort of assuming that students are indifferent and therefore teach what they decide is best. The con of this is that it is essentially teaching students things that are already decided, not allowing them to reach their full potential educationally. Freire notes,"The capability of banking education to minimize of annul the students' creative power and to stimulate the credulity serves the interests of the oppressors, who care neither to have the world sealed nor to see it transformed" (chapter2 73). This aspect of banking limits students. However the pro of it could be ""Indeed the interest of the oppressor lie in "Changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation which presses them"" (chapter 2 pg 74) The potentially good thing about banking is that students, given this information, can take it and cultivate it into something greater than what they learned.
    On the other hand, problem posing education is a more open type where there is mutual benefit among student and teacher. It allows students to understand relationships and have potential to be more creative. Freire writes of the good that comes from this in stating, "Their response to the challenge evokes new challenges, followed by new understandings; and gradually the students come to regard themselves as committed"(chapter 2 81). A major pro of this is that it allows the freedom of education rather than teachers just saying one thing and everyone having to assume it is correct. It allows students to "transcend" themselves to be better. Freire ultimately supports this position in the chapter but a major con of this is the question of it being practical.

Response to "Raw Material"

After reading "Raw Material" by Jane Maher, it left me curious and reminded me of a few things. When I was reading this text, it reminded me of the movie Freedom Writers. The movie is about a high school teacher who starts working at an intense racially divided school where the students had little motivation to do anything involved academically. Eventually she starts to change their attitudes and gets them to participate and enjoy school more while also discovering things about herself. This reminds me of "Rawl Material" because in it, Maher is put into an environment different that she is used to, a prison, presented with the challenge of teaching to emotionally damaged inmates. It was sort of comforting to know that women in prison wanted to be college educated and that there are people like Maher who are doing a good job to make them feel more fulfilled.This essay also made me feel more sympathetic towards women in prison. Especially when Maher wrote,"The statistics are staggering- 65 percent of women in prison have been abused before the age of twelve; the abuse begins in many cases between the ages of two and seven..." It proceeds to talk about how this leads to women engaging in vaginal cutting. It just makes you feel more sympathetic to women who have committed crimes because most of them have started their lives with personal trauma. This essay puts women prison inmates on a more humanistic level, rather than just reducing them to mere convicts.

Literacy Narrative Reflection

     I really enjoyed writing this paper on the story of my literacy narrative, particularly because it took me down memory lane while also helping me to realize the importance it holds today. To me, it is good because it can intrigue the reader while also encouraging them to recall their own past and how it is connected in their life today. My favorite part of the paper was talking vividly about the story my first grade reacher would read to us. I remembered the details in the story talking about maple syrup that sometimes escape me today because it was so long ago. To improve my paper, as always, I am sure I could have read it a few more times. However, I feel as though I gave it my best effort, yet there is always room for improvement. I also feel that the assignment was very clear to understand and the thing that helped guide me the most were the prompts on moodle. Everything was concise and helped promote different ideas to write about while also making clear what was to be written in the paper.
My writing process is pretty simple. I usually sit down in a quiet place and get to work. I really can not have distractions because then I can't focus. I sometimes write out a little guide for how the paper will flow and use it to format. Ultimately, I believe there is value in writing about my story and reading others during peer review. With collaboration, you get see other people's spin and their stories that shaped them today,

Response to text question #5 Stephen King's "Reading to Write"

     After reading Stephen King's short essay, "Reading to Write", King calls the Television a "glass teat" in other words, expressing his disdain for aspiring readers getting hooked to the TV. However, the TV can be used as source of information and a starting place where good writing can be found in many instances. For one example, the news channels like CNN or FOX can inform writers on political news with the new president and important topics for debate. This could help the type of writer such as a journalist or even give a fiction writer an idea. Yet King writes in his essay, "I'd like to suggest that turning off that endlessly quacking box is apt to improve the quality of your life as well as the quality of your writing" (224). I have to disagree, when you have hilarious comics such as Amy Schumer or Aziz Ansari, they have a strong hold in shaping a young writers' mind. It can be any type of writer as well but TV whether it is comedy, reality tv, fiction, news etc. all have something that can be learned and interpreted in their own ways. Something so much as an animated superhero show on Disney can give a writer an idea for a strong heroine in their next book.
    In a Writer's Digest article I found on why television can be good for writers, a writer explains how TV has helped him, "Jim Kearney, author and former TV executive, said that the writers who have influenced him most are TV scribes such as David Milch, Steven Bochco and Matthew Weiner. (Weiner created “Mad Men,” which Kearney cited as an excellent lesson in verisimilitude.)" As explained, television has its benefits for all writers, there is much to learn when creativity is shared for all.

Source
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-watching-tv-thrillerfest

Review of Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue"

    Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" is an interesting insight into the world of immigrants and how specifically, Tan's mother interprets and speaks English. What I like about this story is that it is personal while also appealing to many people who can relate to Tan's points.
   One thing that sort of surprised me was how Tan disliked the term "broken English" when used to describe someone like her mother's English. She expresses her dislike by writing, "It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than "broken", as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness" (39). This line somewhat shocked me because I realized Tan thinks everyday people would look at her mother as less than because of the way she speaks. I have never looked at someone in a negative way because their English did not sound the same as mine. However, it was interesting to see it through Tan's perspective.
   I enjoyed how Tan sort of symbolizes each English she speaks to mean something important to herself and others. Her "simple English" that she speaks to her mother represents their bond and also the immigrants' struggle. Her "proper English" which she uses while giving a speech which also separates her from her mother in a sense. My favorite part of this text however, was when Tan reveals the type of audience she envisioned for her book, someone like her mother. She describes what she hoped to convey to the reader, "I wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech, and the nature of her thoughts" (42). I enjoyed reading this text overall and hope to read more of Tan's work.

My opinion on “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie

 After reading Sherman Alexie's  “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”, I can understand a little more why reading is such a crucial part of many peoples' lives. As shown to be a huge part of Alexie's life, he defeats the odds and puts his frustration into something which he can harness as a tool to help others. I enjoyed his analogy with paragraphs and life which allowed him  to see the world through his own lens and making sense of it.
   One of my favorite parts of this text was how Alexie tells the story of how he learned to read by interpreting the pictures in the Superman comic. In the comic, Superman breaks down the door to assumingly achieve his goal and be something for himself. I love how Alexie sums up the text by using this analogy between slacking Indian students who are capable of greatness and breaking the door. Alexie writes, ""Books" I say. I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds. I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives""(18).  By trying to break down other's doors, Alexie tries to get the Indian students to see their inner talent. This tool, I think is powerful and what makes this text intriguing.
    Overall, I feel as though Alexie tries to persuade a particular audience. An audience that may be overlooked at home or academically. By writing, "I refuse to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky", Alexie ultimately shows his resistance of being less than what he is capable of. A tool, to me, which is important for life. He refuses to be overlooked and persuades the readers act the same.