Foot: Final Reflection

Looking Back: At the beginning of this semester I remember looking at the syllabus and thinking "wow, so much work to do for this class how will I ever get it all finished?" I have to say that I was surprised at how difficult some of the assignments could have been if I didn't do the readings or pay attention in class, and I felt like some of the assignments could have been shortened for the benefit of the students in the class as well as the professors grading it. I understand that college is supposed to harder, and as we are entering now into our third block of education classes we are coming to the end of our education here at Kent State, but I felt like having all the assignments, or should I say the majority of them, due in the last month and a half of class put a lot of pressure on me to get things finished.

As for looking back on my past blogs, sometimes I cringe reading them. I was never really into blogging as a teenager, because I felt like every time I would blog about something there was always that one person who would shoot me down and make me feel bad for what I said. I even got into a fight once at school, verbal not physical, with a girl because I said in my blog that she was right about something. Ridiculous, I know, but I just didn't want to anger people anymore so I stopped caring. Until this class I hadn't even read a blog again. I think that some of my blogs weren't as critical as I would have liked them, and a lot of it is just opinion on the article or ways to use it in the classroom which was my goal, but I think I could have had a more critical eye about them. I do think I will at some point use blogs in my classroom, but it depends on what kind of school I teach in. Some students don't have a home computer, and some schools don't even have school computers. I eventually started to like blogging a little bit, but I would want my students to write in depth blogs about the books they are reading for my class, what they like, don't like, understand, don't understand, major themes, literary devices, you name it I would want them to blog about it. At times I found the blogging to be nerve racking, because honestly I don't have a lot of time to be sitting on the computer and typing up a blog, but sometimes I found it therapeutic to get what I felt out in the open. 

Multigenre Autobiography Assignment: I actually really enjoyed doing this assignment. It was hard to think about all the different texts that influenced my life through the years, and it was even harder to think about how I would use them when I am teaching, but I would use this assignment in my classroom for the initial getting to know the class phase. I think at the beginning of the year some teachers just like to delve into the hard standard type materials, but I would like to ease my students into learning, and I would even put a spin on this project maybe having a list of classic literature for them to chose one they would like to read and explain to me why we should read it in class. I really like this activity because the students get to put what they want in it, and it gets them thinking about books, television, movies, video games, and music as texts.

Film Study Guide: I absolutely loved the Costanzo book about films and using them in the classroom, and initially I liked the idea of the film study guide, but when I started actually doing the assignment I found out I really disliked it a lot. The first part of the assignment and the last part of the assignment were good I think because it got me thinking about the movie itself not just if I liked it or the actors in it. The shot by shot analysis was redundant I think. My scene only had 10 shots in it, but a lot of my peers told me they had at least 25-30 and writing all of those scenes out was time consuming and I think it was hard to know when one scene ended and another began after awhile. What I would do with this part if I were to use it in the classroom is to cut it to only doing 10 shots for the shot-by-shot, and discuss how to know when a scene ends again before the assignment is due so the students understand. I don't think I would use this in a regular classroom though, because I want to focus more on literature and the films themselves and less on the logistics of film making. I enjoyed this part of the class so much, but I don't think that I would use the film study guide unless I was teaching a film study course.

Another thing that I liked about this part of the class was story boarding. The activity we did it in class when we got together and made a story and drew the pictures of it in sequence was very beneficial for me because I believe it showed how a story is written and gets the students on taste. I would definitely use this when talking about a novel we had just finished, especially a classic where some students could be lost. I would use this activity to ask student to go through and pick out one major scene or action in the book and story board it. I think the students would better understand the book itself.

Overall: In the end, I think I learned some things that I would use in the classroom. I would say though that I would combine the Educational Technology class with this class because they kind of teach the same premise. I liked learning about how to use technology in the classroom besides just PowerPoints and watching a movie as a reward, and I will definitely take what I have learned and apply it to my own teaching.

Foot: Pinocchio and Naruto Compare Contrast

	Book 1	Book 2
Text and Dialogue	Pinocchio The Vampire Slayer	Naruto
Balloons	Square and Round. Squares are used more with details in the story or narration while round balloons are used for speech between characters.	Many different types. Square, round, odd shapes. The odd shaped ones are usually used with exclamation or excited texts. Squares are again used for narration or details, and when the character is talking to him/herself in their mind. Round is used for conversations between characters.
Captions	Captions for Pinocchio were used in the beginning of the book to give the background story before jumping into the actual plot of the novel, or used in flashbacks.	I did not really notice a lot of captions in Naruto.
Emanata	The only time I really saw emanata used in Pinocchio is when he is jumping through the air, doing some kind of motion, and when the vampires burst into flames.	Definitely used a lot of lines, squiggling lines, and other emanata to show emotion or action and magic in the book or scene.
Labels/signs	Some shop signs are in this novel, but not a lot just Geppeto’s shop, when Pinocchio goes back there later in the novel.	There are a lot of Japanese symbols and signs on the buildings and in general in Naruto.
Lettering	All conversational lettering is the same, while the noises or sounds going on around the characters is in a different font and isn’t in a balloon at all.	The font sizes and styles are different depending on the characters emotions state of being at the time.
Sound effects	There weren’t any sound effects in Pinocchio.	There are so many sound effects in this graphic novel. Bam, bang, anything that makes sound has a sound effect in this novel.

Visual Features	Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer	Naruto
Characters	The characters are not extremely detailed. The eyes are mostly just white with no pupils, and everything is in black. There wasn’t a lot of details to any of the characters	Every character has an abundant amount of detail. It is easy to see which character is which and they all have distinctive features, like looking at a photograph.
Objects	The only objects that are in this novel, are the necessary ones, buildings, trees, streets, and people. There aren’t any other scenic objects or normal every day objects in the scenes.	The objects in this novel are extremely realistic and down to the modern life every day objects are included in this graphic novel. There are definitely more objects in this novel than in Pinocchio.
Icons	The main icon in this novel is obviously Pinocchio’s nose. In order to kill the vampires he needs to lie so his nose grows and he rips it off and stabs them.	The main icon in this novel is Naruto’s headband. It starts out as goggles, because he doesn’t get the headband until he graduates, but it is a symbol of his strength and his entrance into adulthood in the culture he is from.
Scenery	Not a lot of scenery. Mostly focused on the characters and the action of the book, and less on the surroundings.	So much scenery. Villages, buildings, forests, you name it is in this novel. It makes it more realistic and less cartoonish.
Depicted Action	There is a lot of action in both of these novels. Pinocchio is killing vampires for most of the book.	Again, a lot of action. A lot of fighting, with multiple close ups on characters and their thoughts.

General Layout and Design	Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer	Naruto
Borders	Borders are pretty consistent, with little variations to them.	Borders are clearly defined and easy to follow.
Gutters	Not consistent. Sometimes there are gutters sometimes there are not.	Always there. Clearly defined so that the reader knows where the panel ends
Panels	Characters aren’t always consistently staying in one panel. They sometimes go over into another panel.	Panels vary in size. Characters always stay inside the panel unless performing action or fighting with one another.
Open Panel	Used for something important going on in the story. Something readers need to pay attention to.	Used for action, fighting scenes in particular use open panels.
Splash	There are many two page splashes in the novel. As well as one page splashes for important actions or scenes in the novel.	There is one two page splash that contains the climax of the entire book. Where everything is put on the table for the characters to understand.

Angles and Frames	Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer	Naruto
Bleed	Characters often bleed into different panels, especially Pinocchio’s nose. It seems to go across many panels when fighting the vampires.	Sometimes balloons bleed into different panels but the characters rarely do.
Close-Up	There are a lot of close-ups of characters	There are a lot of close-ups of the characters. Mostly when it is just them, or they are thinking about something.
Head Shot	Used when showing emotion on the character’s face or in conversations.	Used when showing extreme emotion on a character’s face.
Head-Shoulder shot	Used when showing emotion of characters	Used a lot throughout the novel when showing emotion
Full-Figure shot	Used when there is action and when there are multiple characters in a panel.	Throughout most the novel full-figure shots are used to show action
Longshot	Used in the novel mostly to show the surroundings of the characters	Used in the novel when characters are hiding or just to show where the character is.
Extreme Longshot	Not many used in the novel.	Used only when characters are really far away and can barely be seen, but also used to show the scene of where the action is taking place.
Reverse	Used for back and forth dialogue between characters.	Used for back and forth dialogue between characters.

Rhetorical Techniques applied in Text, visuals, and design	Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer	Naruto
Exaggeration	Most of the action scenes where Pinocchio is killing the vampires is exaggerated.	All the actions are exaggerated in this novel. Emotions, fighting scenes, and facial expressions are all examples of exaggeration.
Empathy/identification	I don’t really think any one can identify with Pinocchio but I do think they can empathize with him. He lost his father, and doesn’t understand why. His quest for the truth would make readers empathize with his plight.	I definitely think readers can identify with the characters in this novel. They are all trying to be better than themselves and be the best, while still maintain relationships. It is also about growing up, so I think a lot of teenagers can identify with being an outcast or the smart one.
Mood/Tone	Dark, and cynical. There is not happy ending or anything really resolved. Pinocchio is out for revenge for the death of Geppeto and it is not very happy.	I would say the mood is light, and comical, but it also has a darker side to it. It has a lot of moods and tones, but it is meant to make the reader laugh and want to know more about Naruto and his journey.
Simplicity/Complexity	Very simplistic to read. There is not a lot of plot twists or hard to understand panels. Very straightforward.	A little bit complex. Because it is written and supposed to read from back to front it is difficult to see where the panels are going and the action of the book. There are multiple characters with their own stories so it is more indepth than Pinocchio
Irony/Satire	A lot of irony and satire in this novel. From the beginning when they are retelling the story of Pinocchio. It is also ironic that it was Pinocchio’s father behind the whole thing at the end.	It is ironic that Naruto is looked down upon and shunned from society when he is the most powerful student and person in the village.
Realism/Icons/Symbolism	Not very realistic at all. The scenery isn’t very realistic, how he grows his nose and essentially is a wooden puppet is not realistic, but it is entertaining.	Very realistic, like it is watching a television show or going outside. The icons and symbols are also realistic and don’t need much explaining.
Oder/Disorder	It is structured in a definite order so that it is easy to follow and read. There is no disorder in this novel.	Not a lot of order. A lot is going on, and the panels don’t always go in the right order, and it is just hard to follow.
Juxtaposition	Social outcasts, and good vs. evil	Social outcast, and good vs. evil.
Relationships	Pinocchio’s relationships are few as well. The townspeople don’t really trust him, so all he has is Cherry, the fairy, and the ghost cricket as his true friends and confidants. The only townsperson who likes Pinocchio is Carlotta who is just a friend.	There are not many characters in this novel, but the ones in it all have relationships to one another. Naruto doesn’t have a lot of close friends, the two people his age are classmates, one he has a crush on the other he dislikes, their master is the teacher, and his only other close friend is a former teacher.
Point of View	Mostly in the point of view of Pinocchio, there are times when other characters points of view are used, but it is mostly in Pinocchio’s point of view.	Seems to be from a third person point of view for most of the novel, or in many different points of view.

Foot: Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer

I know that I am going to do a post comparing and contrasting Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer with Naruto, but I was having an extremely bad day yesterday when I decided I better start reading the graphic novels so I can do my blog posting. Naruto seemed a little long, so I decided to read Pinocchio first. I have to say that I found it hilarious, and a little bit disturbing. The first pages of the graphic novel basically rehashed the entire story of Pinocchio, but I don't remember it really being that way. Most of things in there were true, but I think that some students wouldn't get the humor like I do. Remembering back to when I first saw the movie Pinocchio, this graphic novel seemed just so funny and very creative.

The ending really upset me though, but I feel like there will be more books to come, and if there are I want to be reading them.After doing some research I found that there are actually more Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer graphic novels. That made me really excited.

The sequel

As for using this in my classroom, I'm not sure that I would. What relevance does it really have? Unless I was doing a unit on fairy tales and wanted to incorporate some graphic novels, or a unit on graphic novels, I don't think I would use this book. I find it entertaining to read, but don't see the educational value of it in the classroom.

Foot: I Heart Washington D.C.

The White House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So recently, I won the trip of  lifetime to Washington D.C. for a conference on clean energy and the youth surge to be included in decision making on their respective campuses and all over the country. While I was there I got to do a lot of interesting thins and meet really interesting people. It is amazing to be in a group of 10,000 people that are around my age and discussing how we can impact the world. I have to say that many of these people that I came in contact with seem a bit extreme in their thinking, but once you meet and get to know them they have some really cool ideas.

I had the pleasure of meeting Al Gore while I was there.

That was the experience I never thought I would have. You know how you plan out what you are going to say to them when they shake your hand? Well, I said nothing I wanted to. I didn't even get to tell him my name because I just was so nervous I was going to mess up talking to him. My roommate and myself were laughing because we didn't know how to address him: Mr. Gore? Former Vice President Gore? The Honorable Gore? We had no clue, but it was really interesting to meet him, and he actually thanked ME for being there? Crazy right? My parents were so thrilled like I was but that is a whole different story.

One of the things I was thinking about while I was down there was how I would use this experience in my classroom? While visiting on of t he Smithsonian Institutions it came to me, there are so many multi-modal exhibits in the museums that I could talk about with my students. The use of old fashioned televisions, interactive speaking tools, computers to better experience the exhibit and so on. There were so many different devices used. If I was covering a Holocaust book, or one of historical value I would take my students to those corresponding museums and I think they would have a wonderful time. I love Washington D.C. and I really want to live and work there some day. "If we don't know our history, we are doomed to repeat it," I think that is how the quote goes?

Pytash: Final Reflection

So this semester has been a particularly difficult one for me. It is not because the classes I'm taking are hard, or the work is difficult, but that it is finally sinking in that I have only a year left before I graduate and essentially am out on my own. Though I am grateful for this class because it firmly planted my feet on the ground and helped me stay calm and remember that I am still a student and have a lot to learn. What I really liked about this semester is that we worked with lesson plans. I wish we would have been able to do more of that because I still feel unprepared with making an actual lesson plan by myself. Working with my fellow INLA majors, and The Great Gatsby I feel like I have a better grasp on using classics in the classroom, but I do wish we would have looked at more than just one book.

Though Firestone was a great experience, and it was good to be back there working with my student the only thing I really didn't like was the fact that it took away from class time that I believe is essential for us this close to going into student teaching. I loved having all our big discussions, and our classroom dynamic was really good. I felt like all of us talked and became really close friends through this semester and learned a lot about each other and teaching. Overall, I feel the semester was a good experience. I feel a little more confident about going out into student teaching, but I am going to miss this class a lot. I looked forward to it every Tuesday, and I think that I learned a lot about my own teaching styles and what I want to incorporate into my classroom through my classmates and the lessons we went over.