Kites, everyone, and everything associated with them (kite flying & kite fighting) are the most important symbols in the novel. The Afghan kites and their glass strings symbolize the dichotomy between violence and beauty, which also represents Afghanistan and the half brothers.
The myths and stories of legendary hero's in the novel show the differences between the different Muslim cultures. Rostam who was dishonorable towards the king and slept with his daughter represents amir, while sohrab who did not know his father and has an untimely death represents Hassan.
The pomegranate tree merely symbolizes hassan and amirs relationship. They carved their names into the tree and it produced fruit. Once hassan died amir was weighed down with guilt and the tree still existed but no longer produced fruit.
Amir's scar that was received after being beaten by assef symbolizes his brotherhood with hassan, he too now has his own "harelip".
The slingshot represents both childhood and the need to stand up for what is right.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Role of Women: Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
Jesica Shipley
Akien
College English 1101
11/20/2009
Role of Women:
Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
To America Islam may seem nothing more than a single religion, among hundreds practiced in our country, however to the Malay Muslims Islam is a culture. As the religion of Islam originated in 6th century Arabia, the early forms of Islamic culture were predominately Arab. With the rapid expansion of Islamic empires Muslims contacted and assimilated much from the Persian, Turkic, Mongol, Indian, Malay, Berber, and Indonesian cultures. Muslims can be found in many different countries and communities and it can be difficult to isolate much that unifies them other than their religion of Islam; however since religion seems to be viewed as an aspect of cultural anthropology, and history, secular academia does not acknowledge that distinction. The Koran states that “Man and women were created as a single soul, and they are moral equals in the sight of God” (Maqsood), however there are very few scholars who have described Islam, predominantly the role of women in Islam, without prejudice or some inclination towards Islamic culture.
So that we may achieve an objective fair evaluation of what Islamic culture and religion actually contributed toward the restoration of women’s dignity and rights, we must review how women were treated, generally, in the religions preceding Islam. Hindu scriptures described the good of the wife as equal to that of her husband. “a woman whose mind, speech and body are kept in subjection, acquires high renown in this world, and in the next, the same abide with her husband” (Badawi). Athenian women always remained subject to a male, may it be her father, her brother, or her husband. It was not mandatory that marriage was advocated with her consent, and “she was obliged to submit to the wishes of her parents, and receive from them her husband and her lord, even though he was a stranger to her” (Badawi). A roman wife may have been described as someone to be submissive to her husband, someone who lacked the capacity to do anything according to her own taste. Today many people believe that it is the Islamic religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, forbids them to drive cars, and mutilates their genitals, however these practices are merely part of culture, and they vary between the different regions that practice Islamic religions.
For someone to truly understand a religion and the practices that come with it, they must separate completely cultural norms and styles of society from religion. Female genital mutilation is still practiced in a handful of countries but is viewed as inconceivable by the vast majority of Muslims (Maqsood). While some women are forbidden to drive cars, they will gladly take the wheel once they are abroad, knowing that this is just one of their countries uncanny laws, and not considered to be a sin in their religion.
As far as marriage goes while it has been different in the past, currently a majority of Islamic followers agree that a marriage may not be forced upon the women, making it nearly impossible to marry without the woman’s consent. Once they become legally bound to each other the women is not inclined to trade her prior possessions, or last name for that of the groom. To a Christian, marriage is “made in heaven” and is a promise to last “until death do us part”, however an Islamic marriage merely stands as contract. Once either spouse breaches the contract, divorce is not only allowed but expected.
The practice of polygamy began in the age of the prophet when warfare resulted in a large number of widows. The act of marrying multiple women was not meant to be interpreted as a provocative act but as a charity to help support widowed mothers of many children. The practice is no longer common because the Koran states that wives should be treated fairly, meaning that a man may not take up a second marriage if it is to deteriorate the first. The Koran also states that “and they (women) have rights similar to those over them (of men), and men are a degree above them,” that degree being Quiwama (maintenance and protection) (Koran 2:228 qtd :Badawi). The above quotation is where many scholars get confused, the degree of Quiwama does not mean that a man is a dictator over his wife, but it emphasizes the importance of a man providing for his family.
Women are not forbidden from the workforce, but encouraged to make their home duties, a mother and a wife, their priority. No one can properly educate children as carefully reared as their mother. If a women feels that her most sacred job (a mother) is sturdy and well developed she is defiantly not discouraged from positions that need her the most such as: nursing, teaching, and medicine. Actually women in Islam are included in the right of election; they may participate in nomination and public affairs. Both in the Koran and Islamic history rest examples of women who not only participated in but who argued their points, even with the prophet himself (Badawi).
Islamic women hold the full right to their Mahr, the gift of marriage. We discussed earlier that no marriage is arranged in Islam, but we mustn’t forget to recognize their right to seek an end to marriage that may seem unsuccessful. Majority of the time when two divorce it is the women who gains custody of the children, this is true with Islamic women. It also remains true that the men are required by Islamic law to continue to support their divorced wives, and children, by paying child support.
Worship is a main part of Muslims relationship with their God and the Koran clearly states in multiple scriptures that the status of a woman should be equated to that of a man. In the beginning of creation it was neither the man nor the women’s fault solely but their faults jointly. Islam requires a good bit of prayer and fasting, however a women is exempt from this during her menstrual period, forty days after child birth, and while she is breast feeding. This is so that she does not pose a threat to the health of herself or that of her baby (Badawi).
Premarital sex is an issue, not only in Christianity, but in Islam as well as other religions. Sexual intimacy is forbidden when it included sex before marriage, adultery, and homosexual relations. According to Ruqaiyyah Maqsood, even within a marriage intercourse should be raised from a form of self gratification to “sadaqah” to a form of worship and consideration of the happiness and satisfaction each spouse brings to the other. To decrease the temptation, both women and men are believed to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty and ornaments (Koran, XXIV:30,31). Over time the interpretation of this was that women be required to wear veils, and cover any exposed skin from head to toe, the expectations of modesty became a dress code that only applied to women. This is where many people find reason to believe that the women in Islam are being controlled, but that is misleading. It is not required that women wear the complete veil coverings but encouraged that the dress in modesty rather than provocatively. It is clear that a women has significantly more that should not be exposed than a man, and much more baggage can be gained for a women if she were to give herself away. The veils and cloth coverings are for protection of the men and women, for it is a sin for a man to look at a women in lust, these dress codes make it slightly more difficult for either to fail their God.
Islam is as much a world faith as Roman Catholicism, and while no one nationally claims the Islamic religion as its own, Islam is spreading fast even on the continent of North America despite the negative press it receives (Berrington). Men in Islam are simply support for the women, not complication. Even in the time of the prophet men and women fought against the enemies in combat, together, side by side. Islamic women have obtained the right to own and sell property, hold political and workforce positions, and chose their own marriage partners. We can take the Koran alone, and nothing and no one has worked so hard to free the rights of women from the manacles of prejudice, and social injustice. Whether we blame the culture, system, media, society, religion, the men, or the women themselves, if we remain in the state of being mislead no ones perceptions will ever change. Islam is a religion even stronger than Christianity, where religion is not a practice but a life and the very core of the heart. Depending on the society women may seem as having the wrong weight, wrong height, the wrong level of intelligence, or the wrong religion (Badawi), but dualism is the primordial design for all creation: ‘from all (created) things are pairs’ (Koran 51:49 qtd: Wadud).
Akien
College English 1101
11/20/2009
Role of Women:
Islamic Cultural Norms vs. Islamic Religious Practices
To America Islam may seem nothing more than a single religion, among hundreds practiced in our country, however to the Malay Muslims Islam is a culture. As the religion of Islam originated in 6th century Arabia, the early forms of Islamic culture were predominately Arab. With the rapid expansion of Islamic empires Muslims contacted and assimilated much from the Persian, Turkic, Mongol, Indian, Malay, Berber, and Indonesian cultures. Muslims can be found in many different countries and communities and it can be difficult to isolate much that unifies them other than their religion of Islam; however since religion seems to be viewed as an aspect of cultural anthropology, and history, secular academia does not acknowledge that distinction. The Koran states that “Man and women were created as a single soul, and they are moral equals in the sight of God” (Maqsood), however there are very few scholars who have described Islam, predominantly the role of women in Islam, without prejudice or some inclination towards Islamic culture.
So that we may achieve an objective fair evaluation of what Islamic culture and religion actually contributed toward the restoration of women’s dignity and rights, we must review how women were treated, generally, in the religions preceding Islam. Hindu scriptures described the good of the wife as equal to that of her husband. “a woman whose mind, speech and body are kept in subjection, acquires high renown in this world, and in the next, the same abide with her husband” (Badawi). Athenian women always remained subject to a male, may it be her father, her brother, or her husband. It was not mandatory that marriage was advocated with her consent, and “she was obliged to submit to the wishes of her parents, and receive from them her husband and her lord, even though he was a stranger to her” (Badawi). A roman wife may have been described as someone to be submissive to her husband, someone who lacked the capacity to do anything according to her own taste. Today many people believe that it is the Islamic religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, forbids them to drive cars, and mutilates their genitals, however these practices are merely part of culture, and they vary between the different regions that practice Islamic religions.
For someone to truly understand a religion and the practices that come with it, they must separate completely cultural norms and styles of society from religion. Female genital mutilation is still practiced in a handful of countries but is viewed as inconceivable by the vast majority of Muslims (Maqsood). While some women are forbidden to drive cars, they will gladly take the wheel once they are abroad, knowing that this is just one of their countries uncanny laws, and not considered to be a sin in their religion.
As far as marriage goes while it has been different in the past, currently a majority of Islamic followers agree that a marriage may not be forced upon the women, making it nearly impossible to marry without the woman’s consent. Once they become legally bound to each other the women is not inclined to trade her prior possessions, or last name for that of the groom. To a Christian, marriage is “made in heaven” and is a promise to last “until death do us part”, however an Islamic marriage merely stands as contract. Once either spouse breaches the contract, divorce is not only allowed but expected.
The practice of polygamy began in the age of the prophet when warfare resulted in a large number of widows. The act of marrying multiple women was not meant to be interpreted as a provocative act but as a charity to help support widowed mothers of many children. The practice is no longer common because the Koran states that wives should be treated fairly, meaning that a man may not take up a second marriage if it is to deteriorate the first. The Koran also states that “and they (women) have rights similar to those over them (of men), and men are a degree above them,” that degree being Quiwama (maintenance and protection) (Koran 2:228 qtd :Badawi). The above quotation is where many scholars get confused, the degree of Quiwama does not mean that a man is a dictator over his wife, but it emphasizes the importance of a man providing for his family.
Women are not forbidden from the workforce, but encouraged to make their home duties, a mother and a wife, their priority. No one can properly educate children as carefully reared as their mother. If a women feels that her most sacred job (a mother) is sturdy and well developed she is defiantly not discouraged from positions that need her the most such as: nursing, teaching, and medicine. Actually women in Islam are included in the right of election; they may participate in nomination and public affairs. Both in the Koran and Islamic history rest examples of women who not only participated in but who argued their points, even with the prophet himself (Badawi).
Islamic women hold the full right to their Mahr, the gift of marriage. We discussed earlier that no marriage is arranged in Islam, but we mustn’t forget to recognize their right to seek an end to marriage that may seem unsuccessful. Majority of the time when two divorce it is the women who gains custody of the children, this is true with Islamic women. It also remains true that the men are required by Islamic law to continue to support their divorced wives, and children, by paying child support.
Worship is a main part of Muslims relationship with their God and the Koran clearly states in multiple scriptures that the status of a woman should be equated to that of a man. In the beginning of creation it was neither the man nor the women’s fault solely but their faults jointly. Islam requires a good bit of prayer and fasting, however a women is exempt from this during her menstrual period, forty days after child birth, and while she is breast feeding. This is so that she does not pose a threat to the health of herself or that of her baby (Badawi).
Premarital sex is an issue, not only in Christianity, but in Islam as well as other religions. Sexual intimacy is forbidden when it included sex before marriage, adultery, and homosexual relations. According to Ruqaiyyah Maqsood, even within a marriage intercourse should be raised from a form of self gratification to “sadaqah” to a form of worship and consideration of the happiness and satisfaction each spouse brings to the other. To decrease the temptation, both women and men are believed to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty and ornaments (Koran, XXIV:30,31). Over time the interpretation of this was that women be required to wear veils, and cover any exposed skin from head to toe, the expectations of modesty became a dress code that only applied to women. This is where many people find reason to believe that the women in Islam are being controlled, but that is misleading. It is not required that women wear the complete veil coverings but encouraged that the dress in modesty rather than provocatively. It is clear that a women has significantly more that should not be exposed than a man, and much more baggage can be gained for a women if she were to give herself away. The veils and cloth coverings are for protection of the men and women, for it is a sin for a man to look at a women in lust, these dress codes make it slightly more difficult for either to fail their God.
Islam is as much a world faith as Roman Catholicism, and while no one nationally claims the Islamic religion as its own, Islam is spreading fast even on the continent of North America despite the negative press it receives (Berrington). Men in Islam are simply support for the women, not complication. Even in the time of the prophet men and women fought against the enemies in combat, together, side by side. Islamic women have obtained the right to own and sell property, hold political and workforce positions, and chose their own marriage partners. We can take the Koran alone, and nothing and no one has worked so hard to free the rights of women from the manacles of prejudice, and social injustice. Whether we blame the culture, system, media, society, religion, the men, or the women themselves, if we remain in the state of being mislead no ones perceptions will ever change. Islam is a religion even stronger than Christianity, where religion is not a practice but a life and the very core of the heart. Depending on the society women may seem as having the wrong weight, wrong height, the wrong level of intelligence, or the wrong religion (Badawi), but dualism is the primordial design for all creation: ‘from all (created) things are pairs’ (Koran 51:49 qtd: Wadud).
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Birthday Gift...
I turn 18 in exactly 2 hours and 40 min, and I believe I may have recieved the best birthday gift ever. I have been confused for a while but I finally figured out what I really wanted. While it is not going to be easy I am confident that it will work, and when it works it will be more than worth the trouble. Very emotional at the moment, but mosly good feelings. Happiness, hopefulness, thankfulness. I needed this just as much as I wanted it, and I know that what God has given me is better than anything else. I was an idiot for giving it away the first time, and I will not let it go again. I have seen it walk out before, but that is a sight that I will never see again. He is perfect, I have a gut feeling that he is the one, and I know for a fact my life will be the best it can be as long as he is there. I am happy, and I smile for no reason. I cry tears of joy, and it is because I love him. God has blessed me, not only by giving me enternal life, but by giving me this second chance. I have never felt this way before, so there is nothing and no one that will stop me from making this more worth it than we could have every dreamed. :*
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Education Between Generations
Jesica Shipley
Akien English 1101
Compare and Contrast
Education Between Generations
11/6/09
My education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve, almost completely, around new and improved technologies. Teachers now have an abundant amount of resources available to them, significantly more than they did during my parent’s time. Computers are daily tools used for teaching and can be found in just about every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. As the years roll by, the amount of work we do on computers, and the number of other electronic gadgets that reside in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, their issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous articles and encyclopedias just to gather the information they needed to do a research paper. Then rather than having the ability to type their papers on the computer, it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead of emailing their papers when they thought they may be absent, the paper had to be brought in that day, otherwise it would be a zero.
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Today teenagers enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain our GPA and stay on the course outlined for our college preparatory diploma, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this we could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes may seem intimidating to some, but it becomes habit after a few months in the program. These classes will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes such as, Algebra, until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced in middle school, both my brother and I took Algebra in seventh grade. There are many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the desired classes, students can often take them online.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class. Although teachers did try to make classes stimulating for those more advanced students, they still worked with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. She made great grades, but she easily got bored with her classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee herself going to college, feeling that it would be a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Maybe their teachers will be robots. (; I can not quite imagine an education system that would be anymore technologically advanced than the ones in our country today, however I am sure it remains the dream of a select few. They say that as the years go by the generations get “dumber” because they don’t have to work as hard to obtain information, but I disagree. The more technological knowledge one has the better prepared they will be for the future, I only wish I would still be around to see a class room 100 years from now.
Akien English 1101
Compare and Contrast
Education Between Generations
11/6/09
My education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve, almost completely, around new and improved technologies. Teachers now have an abundant amount of resources available to them, significantly more than they did during my parent’s time. Computers are daily tools used for teaching and can be found in just about every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. As the years roll by, the amount of work we do on computers, and the number of other electronic gadgets that reside in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, their issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous articles and encyclopedias just to gather the information they needed to do a research paper. Then rather than having the ability to type their papers on the computer, it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead of emailing their papers when they thought they may be absent, the paper had to be brought in that day, otherwise it would be a zero.
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Today teenagers enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain our GPA and stay on the course outlined for our college preparatory diploma, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this we could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes may seem intimidating to some, but it becomes habit after a few months in the program. These classes will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes such as, Algebra, until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced in middle school, both my brother and I took Algebra in seventh grade. There are many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the desired classes, students can often take them online.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class. Although teachers did try to make classes stimulating for those more advanced students, they still worked with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. She made great grades, but she easily got bored with her classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee herself going to college, feeling that it would be a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Maybe their teachers will be robots. (; I can not quite imagine an education system that would be anymore technologically advanced than the ones in our country today, however I am sure it remains the dream of a select few. They say that as the years go by the generations get “dumber” because they don’t have to work as hard to obtain information, but I disagree. The more technological knowledge one has the better prepared they will be for the future, I only wish I would still be around to see a class room 100 years from now.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Kind of Stressing...
So these last few weeks have been extremely busy. Between Exams, work, college application deadlines, and family events I have barely had time to stop and breath. I have not been getting home until after ten every night, which can be a little exhausting after a while to someone who is used to being in bed by nine thirty. Exams are over, and I finally got all of my college applications and their included documents mailed out, but we all know nothing ends quite that easy. Just when I think I have everything finished, and sit down to relax a little, a new problem always arises. So I am currently contacting admissions offices to fix information on applications, while keeping up with all of my school work. One more thing, my brother is back from his "vacation to Illinois" which means his showfer's "holidays" are now over. Catching up on sleep, not going to happen this week, which leads to more stress. Stress + lack of sleep = crazy dreams. All of the above, just life in America. In my oppinion they ought to change the saying "the city never sleeps" to "America never sleeps," because nothing in life ever shows up at the perfect time, but we take our cards as they are dealt and just keep smiling, because it is already tomorrow in Australia. (:
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Compare & Contrast Rough Draft 1
Education between Generations
Needless to say, my education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, and now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done as well and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve around everything electronic. Teachers now have many more resources available to them than they did during my parent’s time, specifically computers. Computers are everyday tools used for teaching and are in every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. Every year, the amount of work we do on computers, and the amount of other electronic gadgets that are in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, our issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous books and articles just to gather the information we needed to do a research paper. Then it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper, rather than on a computer. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead we passed notes during class and in the halls, hoping not to get caught! My parents still refuse to get texting on their phones, “why text when I could just pick up the phone and call the person.”
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Teenagers today enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain their GPA and stay on the course outlined for them, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this they could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes is intimidating to me. They will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes, such as, Algebra until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced even in elementary school. Both me and my brother took Algebra in seventh grade. There are so many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the classes desired, students can often take them on line.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class, but teachers did try to make class stimulating for those more advanced students, while still working with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. Although she made great grades, she easily got bored with classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee my self going to college, feeling that it would be such a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Who knows, maybe their teachers will be robots. (;
Needless to say, my education and that of my parents have been very different. Both my mother and my father graduated high school in 1987, over 20 years ago, and now that I am about to graduate high school and move onto college, I have really come to recognize the differences on the education system between generations: the way research is done as well and the pace of the subjects being taught.
My education seems to revolve around everything electronic. Teachers now have many more resources available to them than they did during my parent’s time, specifically computers. Computers are everyday tools used for teaching and are in every classroom. Teachers now have lap top computers available to them so that students are able to use a computer to write or research most of their assignments. Every year, the amount of work we do on computers, and the amount of other electronic gadgets that are in the classroom increases. Even in math almost every student owns a graphing calculator rather than a standard basic calculator; in fact many teenagers haven’t seen a basic calculator in years. We also have an advantage in research with other technological advances, such as scanners and the Internet. Scanners allow us to photo copy pages of a book we are reading and cannot take home, and the internet provides a fast and efficient way to gain any kind of information one can imagine.
My parents never could have imagined such things. There wasn't much too their high school education, a lot of lecturing, bookwork, tests and research papers. Most of what they learned came from teacher lectures, our issued school books and hours at the library doing research. They actually had to pull books from the shelves, read from numerous books and articles just to gather the information we needed to do a research paper. Then it invariably always had to be written in pen and double spaced on notebook paper, rather than on a computer. They didn’t even know what e-mail was; instead we passed notes during class and in the halls, hoping not to get caught! My parents still refuse to get texting on their phones, “why text when I could just pick up the phone and call the person.”
Another main difference is the class structure or pace. Teenagers today enjoy class structures based on competency levels. For example, we have basic studies, advanced studies, accelerated studies and advanced placement studies. My brother and I have always been in the advanced placement studies program. This means that if we maintain their GPA and stay on the course outlined for them, we could be dual enrolled, earning high school and college credits at the same time; by doing this they could potentially receive an Associated Degree quicker than other students. The pace of these classes is intimidating to me. They will often cover twice as much material as a basic level class in the same amount of time. My parents attended classes, such as basic math, English, reading, and science. They were not introduced to high level math classes, such as, Algebra until high school. Now Algebra concepts are introduced even in elementary school. Both me and my brother took Algebra in seventh grade. There are so many different classes available to students today. In fact, if the school doesn't offer the classes desired, students can often take them on line.
When my parents were in school, they had all competency levels in one class, but teachers did try to make class stimulating for those more advanced students, while still working with those that tended to lag behind in class. Unfortunately, this was a disadvantage for my mom, as well as many other students. Although she made great grades, she easily got bored with classes. As a result, once she graduated high school, she did not foresee my self going to college, feeling that it would be such a waste of time and a bore.
I think that the education difference between my parents and me will also be just as different from that of me and my future children, but in other ways. Who knows, maybe children won’t even be required to leave home to attend class, it could all be done on the Internet. And I am sure that the computers we know today won’t exist; they will probably all look like a laptop, or smaller and lighter and their connections will be faster. Who knows, maybe their teachers will be robots. (;
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Man sometimes people really push my buttons...
How about some jerk called me today at work and yelling at me because a bus driver was going "90 miles an hour" on this road. I kinda laughed a little and was like alright let me give you the number to transportation and you can call them and they will take care of it,because I know nothing about the buses, that's not my job its a whole different department. He told me, "no this is something you need to handle personally." I replied, "I'm sorry sir but that's not possible all I can do is call transportation and ask them to communicate to their bus drivers to slow down." He didn't know the street name or the bus number so the only other thing I could do for him was to give him the number to transportation. Well he didn't like that idea, and preceded to yell saying that I needed to transfer him to transportation. I explained to him that this was not possible, being that they are not on our phone network its a separate number. He continued complaining about how I was making him waste all of his minutes because I wouldn't handle the situation, and how he has no more minutes to call transportation to complain. Then he made a comment like "that's what you get for letting a damn women drive the buses". That's when I realized there was nothing that I could do to satisfy this man. So I simply said, "alright, I'll see what I can do," and hung up. Later I got another call from another gentleman; the same thing except the second guy asked me for my name and told me he was going to write down that he called me and that he was going to sue me if i don't handle the situation. Grinning, I said "alright here is the number for the bus lot you do what you feel you need to do," and hung up the phone once again. It is the situations like these that make me honestly believe that some people in this world sit around scoping out unsatisfactory things, to complain about. I feel sorry for the people today who have such little gratification in their life's that they result to this, carrying so much pessimism that they feel the need to harass the first person that crosses their path.
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