Foot- Pleasure/school reading

I am currently reading Unwind for the pairing project in Dr. Pytash's class, and I must say that it is really good. I would definitely recommend it for your summer reading lists. For the project, it is paired with Brave New World. It is about futuristic America after a civil war known as the "The Heartland War." It was fought between the pro-life people and the pro-choice people. In the end, both sides lost and the Bill of Life was passed. This made it so that a child could not be killed from the time they were conceived until the time they turned 13. From 13 to 18, parents can choose to have their children unwound. This means that all of the child's organs, limbs, etc. would be harvested and used to help others. The child would remain living, but inside other people. The story is about three Unwinds: Conner, Risa, and Lev. It follows their journey as they escape from their fate.

This book asks a lot of questions about the value of the individual. Many of the characters ask if it is such a bad thing when troubled kids are unwound to help others survive. It is a book that confronts a lot of difficult questions about the worth of the individual. I think I would definitely consider using it in my classroom.

Foot: Romeo and Juliet

After talking about Romeo and Juliet in Dr. Pytash's class on Tuesday and hearing multiple references to the 1996 modernized film version of the play, I decided to watch it on Netflix. I did this for two main reasons. The first reason was because I was intrigued to see if it would be something I could use in my future class. The second reason (and possibly more importantly) was because Leonardo DiCaprio is in it, and he is pretty much really hot. 

As soon as the movie started, I was surprised to hear the Elizabethan English being used in this modernized version of the play. At first it seemed very out of place for the time period the movie was taking place in, and I was sure that they would revert to the more modern English at any moment. When they didn't, I was very surprised. As I watched the film, I saw how pairing the Shakespearian language with the modernized story really helped to understand the language used in the original play. I think that this is something that could really be used in a high school English classroom because it can help students get a better grasp on the language.

I also think it was good to use the original language because it lets students see that Shakespeare really is universal. He is not an old dead guy whose literature doesn't mean anything anymore. Even with the modernized setting, his original words still made sense. I think this shows that his literature is still relatable to today's audience, and students will really benefit from realizing this. 

After watching this, I think that I will use this film in my classroom. When I was in high school, my teacher used the old version that is set in Elizabethan times. I did not enjoy this version when I was in high school because, although it added a visual to the confusing language of the play, it was still not something I could relate to. By setting it in a modern time, the newer movie gives students a view of the play that they can relate to. It is also very fast-paced and at times funny, so it is something that they are used to. 

Foot- Graphic Novels

Text and Dialogue

Balloons- In Naruto, there was two different types of balloons. Round balloons seemed to be used for normal conversation. When the characters were shouting or excited about something there were no balloons, or they become jagged. In Pinocchio, all of the speech balloons are round.

Captions- In Naruto there was a couple of captions but not really anything substantial. In Pinocchio they were a little more prevalent, and they were in square boxes. They were used when Pinocchio was narrating what happened to his father.

Emanata- These were used more in Naruto. I think that this is to be expected with manga. In my experience, I have noticed that manga use a lot more of these than regular graphic novels. Naruto used a lot of lines to indicate force, anger, or action. Also there was a lot of clouds and smoke used when magic was being used. In Pinocchio, the same sorts of things were used. Swirling smoke was used for when vampires died.

Labels and signs- In Naruto, there were some signs throughout the town in Japanese letters. In Pinocchio, there was a sign above Geppetto’s shop. Signs and labels were not a big part of either of these stories.

Lettering- Much like the balloons, Naruto has different lettering for normal speech and excited speech. For normal speech, the lettering is consistent in size and boldness. When characters get excited, however, the sizing gets inconsistent and it becomes bold. In Pinocchio, all of the lettering in conversations is consistent. In both books, the lettering for sound effects is artistic and large. In Naruto, the lettering for these sound effects actually takes on the appearance of the sound being portrayed.

Sound Effects- Like most manga, Naruto has a ton of sound effects for everything that the characters are doing. This includes sounds like slurp, much, thunk, glug, and sizzle. There are also sounds that don’t really make sense such as SHF, FWP, HMF. In Pinocchio, not as many sound effects are used for random things. The sound effects in this book are used to emphasize the fighting, which is the main aspect of the story.

Visual Effects

Characters- In Naruto, the characters are very detailed and have very strong facial expressions. In Pinocchio, the characters are very shaded and dark. Their expressions are always full of fear, anger, and hate. Both of the books use the appearance of the characters to help set the mood of the story.

Objects- The objects in Naruto are very detailed. Readers are able to see a lot of the minute details of things like clothing and even toilet paper and milk cartons. In Pinocchio, objects aren’t detailed as much. As a matter of fact, there aren’t a lot of objects to be seen. The main focus is on the characters. The main object seen in this book is Pinocchio’s nose. I think this is because the main thing the reader is supposed to focus on in this book is the anger and hate in the characters.

Icons- The main icon in Naruto is the symbol on the headband. This represents what Naruto wants more than anything else—to become a ninja. In Pinocchio, the main symbol is his nose. I think it really represents the innocence that has been taken away from him through the vampire attack. He used to be this cute puppet whose nose would grow if he lied. He now has to take this and use it to fight to the death.

Scenery- Naruto focuses a lot on scenery. The scenery is very detailed. Many of the panels are extreme long shots of this scenery. The setting seems to be very important. This is opposite of Pinocchio. In Pinocchio, the scenery isn’t shown as much. A lot of times, the panel behind the characters is completely white or black. I think this is, again, to emphasize the characters.

Depicted Action- Both of these books have a lot of action in them. Naruto, for me, was sometimes hard to follow at times because of this. Many panels would be close-ups of punches or kicks. In Pinocchio, the action is much more violent. There are staked and burning vampires all throughout. This adds to the mood a lot.

Borders- The borders in both books are pretty uneventful. In Naruto, the borders are plain, black thin lines. In Pinocchio, they are thin and black, but they are not perfectly straight.

Gutters- Once again, these are fairly uneventful. In Naruto, they are all white. The horizontal ones are thick, while the vertical ones are thin. In Pinocchio, they are either black or white (contrasting with the images on the page).

Panels- In both books, panels are varied sizes of squares and rectangles.

Open Panels- The open panels are the images that I think look the coolest. They are used in both books. In Naruto, it seems that a lot of action happens in these open panels. In both books, things that are shocking or exciting appear like this. I think this is because this is where the reader’s attention focuses because it is different from the rest of the panels.

Splash- This seems to happen more frequently in Pinocchio. Much like the open panels, scenes that were overly shocking or exciting were the ones that were given this treatment. An example of this is when the Pinocchio is hung from a tree or when he stabs a vampire through the throat as he tells a lie. In Naruto, this does not happen as much. The most readers see this is in the chapter titles and when there is an exciting battle scene.

Angles and Frames

Bleed- In Naruto, there is a lot of bleeding from regular panels. There will be a panel with three distinct sides, with the fourth bleeding off the side of the page. In Pinocchio, the only time the reader sees any bleeding is when there is a full page splash.

Close-up- In both books, close-ups are used to show extreme emotion. They are also used to show action such as punches and kicks in Naruto and vampires being staked in Pinocchio.

Headshot- These seem to be used in both books when focusing on one character when they are speaking. They are also used to show emotion just like the close-up.

Head-shoulder shot- These seem to be used for the same reasons as the headshots.

Full-figure shot- In both books, full-figure shots are used when there is more than one character in the frame. Also these are used when there is some sort of action.

Long shot- In Naruto, long shots are used a lot to look at the scenery around the character. As there is not a lot of scenery in Pinocchio, the long shots deal a lot with the action of the plot.

Extreme long shots- These are used a lot more in Naruto. There are many times where there is an extreme long shot when two characters are talking. This shot is so long that the characters cannot be seen—just their speech bubbles are present among the trees or building tops.

Reverse- Both books use this technique a lot. It is used largely when there is an emotional scene where the characters are conversing. This reminds me of a movie scene where the camera is going quickly back and forth between the two characters.

Rhetorical techniques applied in texts, visuals, and design

Exaggeration- Both texts used a lot of exaggeration. In Naruto, like in most manga, emotion and sound were exaggerated by emantas and sound effects. In Pinocchio, the hatred and anger felt by Pinocchio were exaggerated by the extreme shading used in the graphics.

Empathy/identification- I think that the reader can identify with characters in both books. However, I can see this happening more in Naruto. In this book, readers can identify with Naruto’s feelings of isolation and his lack of friends. Everyone, at some point, has felt left out and unloved. In Pinocchio, I think the main thing readers would be able to identify with is the loss of a loved one and the feelings of sorrow that come with that.

Mood/tone- The mood/tone of the two books are completely different. Naruto, although it has some intense moments, is very playful and funny, while Pinocchio is very dark and menacing. This mood is portrayed wonderfully by the illustrations and shading.

Simplicity/complexity- I would say when comparing the two books, Naruto is definitely the more complex story. The mythological backstory and number of characters can get kind of confusing. This complexity is illustrated in the graphics as well. Characters, objects, and settings are drawn with a lot of detail. Pinocchio, in my opinion, is a much simpler story. While there is a small backstory, it is extremely simple and does not cause confusion. The illustrations are simple as well, using two main shades and focusing mainly on characters, with few objects and background images.

Irony/satire- In Naruto, the irony comes when the child that is hated by the townspeople and does bad in school is discovered to have great power. In Pinocchio, it is ironic that Pinocchio has to lie to do good and save those he loves.

Realism/icons/symbolism- I don’t really think that either of the story had a lot of realism. I guess you could say that some of the issues that the stories dealt with were realistic. I think that the nose in Pinocchio was symbolic, like I said before, because it represents the children’s story and shows his loss of innocence. I also think that in Naruto, the fox inside of him represents the things that he can’t change about himself.

Order/disorder- Both of the main characters have disorder in their family lives. Naruto has no family and doesn’t even have a lot of friends that he can rely on. I think that him trying to become a great ninja can be seen as him trying to create some order in his life. Pinocchio also has no family because the vampires “killed” his father. Once again, I think that the revenge that he seeks is his way for looking for this order in his life that he doesn’t have.

Juxtaposition- I believe that both books deal with the juxtaposition created between the relationships of good and evil. In Naruto, this can be seen within the main character himself. He has both good and evil inside of him. The nine-tailed fox is the evil part of him that no one likes, but he is also a very loveable young boy. In Pinocchio, the good verses evil is much more evident with him fighting vampires. I also think the ending of this book introduces a very interesting aspect—love for his father, but hate for what he has become.

Relationships- Naruto is hated by almost everyone in his village, which is one main cause of conflict. Only a few people such as Iruka and Konohamaru really seem to like him. I am interested to read the rest of the books to see how these relationships progress. Pinocchio’s strongest relationship is gone. With his father dead he is almost all alone except for the carpenter and the fairy. I think that this causes a lot of sorrow for Pinocchio.

Point of View- Naruto is told in a very childish sort of way. The personality of Naruto is the main reason for this. Sometimes it also seems like part of the story is coming from the 3^rd Hokage when background information is told. In Pinocchio, the hate and revenge can really be felt in the narration. Even when getting background information, the reader can hear the sorrow for what was lost.

Pytash- Chapter 7

It is sad that a lot of people think that "only students bent on pursuing careers in university English departments need to develop the ability to analyze literature" (150). It is even worse that many professional people believe this as well. In one of my literature classes, I learned that colleges and universities are beginning to cut the liberal arts requirements for students--some schools cutting classes down from over a hundred to less then 50. I think this is appalling. Literature can do so much for you, even if you don't plan to be an English major.

As Jago says, "literature frequently provides a context in which to examine moral dilemmas"(150). Literature, in my opinion, is the conscience of society. It raises issues that many people many not think about otherwise and brings attention to problems involving things like sexism, racism, etc. If students are not subjected to this kind of moral examination through literature in a time where morals continue to be trampled upon and many times are not taught in the home, where will they get it?

I also think that the ability to analyze literature can help students in their overall academic lives. It takes a certain kind of thought process to do this kind of work. Jago stresses the importance of focusing on things like literature analysis instead of other, sometimes more appealing assignments. She says that doing literary analysis helps students to "think analytically and to marshal thoughts in an organized fashion" (154). Assignments such as these also help to develop in the students the ability to construct arguments, which will be helpful all through their lives.

Pytash- Final Reflection

It is hard to believe that the semester is almost over. Our class has really helped me become more confident with my teaching skills as I approach student teaching. Before this class, I had never written a lesson plan, and that bothered me. It was nice finally getting to do this. I think it really helped doing this with a text that most schools have their students read and that we will most likely teach in our careers. It gave me a much better handle on the text we read and made me see how I can do this with other texts. It was also really nice to see the groups present their lesson plans to get different ideas on how to present the text.

Just like last semester, we had a pretty good textbook. I didn’t enjoy reading this book like I did Beer’s text, but I did learn a lot from it. I liked how she had an example for everything she was talking about and shared lessons and activities she used when teaching a text. I found that I didn’t agree with her on everything. After spending so much time looking at YA novels last semester, I was kind of upset at her feelings toward the genre, and I thought she was a little extreme at times in her opinions at times. Overall, however, I think reading the book was beneficial.

Comparing this class to last semester’s class, I must say that I did prefer YA lit to this one. This, however, had nothing to do with the teaching style or activities. I just liked the subject matter better last semester. I did learn so much, though, and I definitely feel more prepared for student teaching because of this class.

Foot- Final Reflection

Many of the things that I have learned in this class will help me in my future career as a teacher. I can really see myself using the multi-genre autobiography. I think that this is a great way for students to see how texts have affected their lives. I also think that it is a great way to introduce the students at the beginning of the year. Also, after reading Dr. Kist’s book, I am a lot more open to the idea of using technology in my class. I now know how to use blogs, wikis, and nings in my classroom, and I definitely think that I will—especially blogs. They can be used for responses and portfolios for students. One thing that I really like is the use of Facebook. At first, I thought that this was really unprofessional, but I thought that I could at least start a Facebook group to alert students to homework and tests. After participating in the Facebook discussion groups, I can see the bigger projects that it can be used for. Overall, I definitely view technology in the classroom as more doable. I don’t think it will all come at once, but I would like to use some of these strategies in my classroom. Students are using these modes of communication in their everyday life, so why not incorporate them in their school life? It might even make class a little more interesting.

I think using these multi-modal means can enhance communication with both students and their parents. The Facebook group that I mentioned above is a great way to keep students reminded about different classroom activities. It also gives students a space to ask questions about class. I also think that blogs are a great way to keep in touch with students’ parents. Announcements and information about what their kids are doing in class would be interesting to them. Students’ work could be posted on the blog to share with family members at home. I really do believe that using these forms of communication can keep both students and parents in the loop and interested in what is going on at school.

Looking back at my blog posts and reflecting on my blogging experience, I see that I have become a lot more comfortable blogging. It doesn’t seem as forced anymore, or at least it didn’t until the end of the semester quickly approached, and I had a million other things to do. I see that as the semester went on, I began to include a lot more multi-modal aspects into my blog. I have videos, pictures, and links. I realize now how easy it is to send viewers to different parts of the web that relate to my posts or even bring those parts of the web directly to my blog.

I also have started to see blogs as things that I can get great teaching information from. In my blog about my Firestone experience, I mention such a blog. Also, when I was looking for links for my Wiki, I found a few blogs where teachers talk about their classes. I think that this is a great way to hear from other teachers and find out what worked for them and what didn’t.

Looking at the class as a whole, I must say that it was extremely complicated. Out of all of my education classes, this had to be the one that made me the most stressed—which I thought was really unneeded. Some of the assignments were much more complicated than they needed to be and I feel as though even though I learned from them, it wasn’t enough to make the tediousness of the assignments worth it. Although I felt like this for many of the assignments, I did learn some valuable things. 

Pytash- Canonical Wiki Reflection: 1984

Making this Wiki was extremely frustrating. The site was very buggy, so it was hard to adjust the format and make everything work. Also, finding 20 different lesson plans was tough. There were so many times that I thought I had found a great website for lesson plans, and I had to pay to get on it. I don’t think this is right. Reading Jago made me realize that teachers should be more open with their lesson plans and that we should all get ideas from each other.

Other than those two difficulties, I really think that I learned a lot from this project. The lessons I found would be fun and engaging for a large number of students. They aren’t just discussions and papers. Some are projects involve the internet, interactive role-playing, or projects involving art and creativity. I was discussing some of the lesson plans I had found with a friend who is a senior in high school and he said, “Why can’t our teachers find fun ways like those to teach the novels we read.” This made me really happy and I realized that there might be ways to get students into books that they may not necessarily want to read. The lessons that I picked can also easily be paired with the Ohio education standards and they are very diverse.

I learned a lot about my book while doing this as well. I learned about the climate of the world when Orwell wrote the novel. I also learned about a lot of things that are going on today that fit with what Orwell wrote about in 1984.

One thing that I learned about teaching this text is that it doesn’t have to be dry and boring. Some of the lessons I picked out I would even like to do because they sounded fun and educational. I am really excited because my cooperating teacher at the school I am student teaching at told me to think about some books that I would like to teach. I will definitely recommend 1984 now that I have all of these great ideas.  I really think that they would engage students and make them appreciate the novel more.