5c reflection

1. What difference did you notice in your choice of topics in the first part of the class versus the topics found in the texts My California and Train Go Sorry?
Well, the topics that we started out with were very comparative and dealt with a variety of places, locations, and the all important Paulo Freire. In the earlier topics the chose of what to write was far more open and enjoyable then say the more specified and more recent topics associated with Train Go Sorry. My California was of very little interest at first, I think that was more to do with the fact my last name begins with M because the other essays I read were of far more interest to me than the ones I was assigned. I enjoyed the earlier topic choices much more because they left the student to explore and relate their individual findings back to a basic theme in the form of our blog posting topics.
2. What difference did you notice when you read your classmates work regarding the same topics versus your own opinions? Did their works make you think of something different?
I did notice some differences, Californians really love California and that's not really a negative but it can be when it leads to delusion and unfounded praise for yourself. This phenomenon is by no means exclusive to California. Strangely living here has been similar to living in Japan, in the way that so many people from the area have never left where they are from and relate to the outside world through stereotypes and second or third hand information and are easily angered by anyone who does understand just how great a place California is. I wanted to use my earlier blog postings to try and demonstrate that like any place on earth you have both the negative and positive aspects in any society, including California. Utopia is a farce, you can find peace and happiness anywhere you like. The name tags and price tags are an illusion. On the other hand reading my classmates blogs helped me shed some of my own stereotypes that I have held about California since I lasted lived here in 2000. I have to take my own medicine and admit that I have many east coast biases which is natural, but I like the many of the Californians I complained about held many views about groups and regions that are unfounded and based purely on "Cali is full of freaks and Mexicans " east coast beliefs and attitude.
3. How would Freire and the idea of dialogue and scaffolding play into your answers?
The idea of dialogue between all the participants in this class has been fantastic in that it really helps people express themselves, evolve, and rethink ideas or previously held beliefs.
4. What was your overall experience with these topics?
Positive, any teaching style, idea or movement can really take off if everyone is one board and willing to participate. The topics were overall satisfying and gave me an opportunity to look in to many topics and ideas that I may have never looked into myself. The topics also provided a place to post your ideals and view those of other as well. So overall I only wish the topics would have been little deeper in subject matter, but this has platform that allows you to take a topic and look into it as deep as you would like.