Road Map to Learning

Blog Assignment: Road Map to Learning

I have listed questions below to help you reflect upon your reading and writing experiences in this class. Answer all or 3 or more questions to help you get started in reflecting upon your journey to learning. Take the following 20 minutes to develop a thorough response and then be prepared to share your findings in our final class discussion.

1)      Did you achieve your writing goals?

2)      What are the three most important reading/writing skills and tools did you develop in this course?

3)      What are the three things you desire/wish you could do as a writer? (skills for development).

4)      What have you discovered about yourself as a writer?

5)      What have you discovered about your writing? Give specific examples.

6)      What has helped you most with your writing this trimester?

7)      Our topics of discussion have been focused on freedom. How have these discussion helped you as a reader and writer?  

First of all, I have enjoyed this English class so much because it has really pushed me to formulate my thoughts better and to be able to convey what I wish to express more effectively. 

In response to question 1- I think I was able to reach more of my goals than I originally thought that I would. I feel like I have a better understanding of how to properly formulate a paper into more complete thoughts and to be able to dig deeper into what another author means a more in depth "reading between the lines" if you will. 

In response to question 4- What I have discovered about myself is that I love to write. I also have found out that I don't really see things from an analytical viewpoint like I once thought. I tend to write more from what's really on my mind and focus more on feelings, and come at things from a different lens sometimes. I feel like this is good at times, and not helpful at others. 

In response to question 6- I believe that something that really helped my thoughts and writing really develop and flow together were the blog assignments. Those had to be my favorite. I loved being able to just take a subject that I don't normally think about and find that I have strong opinions or convictions about it. Being able to put what I was thinking down into words really made me feel accomplished. I also enjoyed our open class discussions and how I always felt that I could be myself and be heard, while listening to others and learning from them as well.

Faith and Fear

The major theme is the value of the “better story.” As Pi puts it, “The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no?” How we interpret reality can be, as it is for Pi, our faith. We need to believe in something beyond the seen. It helps us deal with fear. It helps us find a “better story.” Everything about life is a story and we can choose our own story. Martel’s point is that the story that is more imaginative is the better story. The reader can choose whether Pi’s life is real-life fiction or imaginative fiction. 1) Take 15 minutes to Freewrite on the following: Share a part of your life story that explains how you developed your faith. How has your faith helped you deal with “fear” and how has your faith helped you gain an understanding of “freedom.” 2) Take 5 minutes to respond to one of your peer’s response. 3) 5 minutes for open discussion

Music has always been a big part of my life. I've loved singing since I was toddler. I would run around the house singing praise and worship songs at the top of my lungs. It didn't matter where I was, if I had a song on my brain, I would most likely be belting it out. 
       As I got older, however I became really timid, especially with singing. I can't really explain what was holding me back, it was like this invisible lid on my pipes. I could no longer sing in public without a nagging fear that someone would hear me and think I was bad. Or worse, actually think I was good and then I'd have to do it in public more often. This was my line of reasoning. It went on this way for a while till I was about thirteen and the youth leader asked me if I could play the piano and sing on the worship team. I was horrified! How did he know that I could sing? My parents caught wind of it and asked me what I wanted to do about it. I said I didn't want to join of course. They said they would pray about it and that I should to. The next couple of days, my parents were saying that I had to join for a year just to at least be doing something at church and to use the talent God had given me for His glory. I was frustrated but mostly fearful when I heard this. I reluctantly agreed. 
            Being on the worship team was hard at first, but as I began to step out more and more I learned that I loved glorifying God in this way and that He had gifted with me something that I shouldn't hide. I ended up staying on the team all through High School and gradually God began to give me more and more until I was given the position of worship leader in the children's ministry. I know that without stepping by faith into that position, I would've never experienced the freedom I have now in that area of my life. I have learned through my fear to give every thing I have to the Lord and that He will take care of you when you think you have nothing to offer. He was growing me and stretching my faith to prepare me for what I am doing now and also for what I hope to do with this gift in the future. I am definitely free because of my faith. I know that the Lord gives confidence and strength when you feel like you can't break free from fear.  

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion (Experience from Mardi Gras)

    I recently got the chance to go to Mardi Gras. But not for the reason you think. I was there to share my beliefs about Jesus Christ, or even more specifically to exercise the American rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
    I think we almost always think of freedom of speech as just being able to say whatever you want, whenever you want. But I think there is a lot more to it. Usually whenever we are talking about our opinions and beliefs, we are in a small setting with people we know. When it is in this atmosphere, it can be easier to freely express what we are thinking and the message we want to get across. This is how I usually feel free to speak, but in New Orleans this was taken up a whole notch.
   Imagine a street crowded with people, filling almost every empty space. Now imagine yourself in the middle of it, with the intention of getting anyone's attention that you can so you can convince them to believe in what you know. Scary, isn't it? This was exactly my experience. I was intimidated at first. Mainly because I was afraid that my freedom of religion and speech wouldn't be respected and listened to. That people would reject what I was telling them and turn me down at face value. Of course, there is always that possibility. That is another freedom that we have, we don't have to listen to other people's opinions.
   What I found out however, was that when I truly stepped out into the freedom of speech of sharing my religion, most people would listen. They didn't always agree or come into agreement with me, but that's not the point. The point is that being able to share with other people freely what you believe is a right that should never be taken away. It is something that thousands of people have died for in America and it is something that if you took away, we would be nothing more than a people who think and say what they have been taught to say, in a way a slave to society, with no true freedom of their own.
  Having a freedom to be able to express in public places what you believe is amazing. As long as we aren't causing trouble with the police and getting arrested we should be able to continue using that freedom. Having that freedom doesn't mean that we don't respect authority higher than us.

Freedom

What comes to mind when you think of the word freedom?
Jot down no less 3 points.
Respond to peers' points. 

When I think of the word freedom, I instantly think of the American flag. My mind takes a trip back in time to the civil war and I realize freedom is something that has to be bought and fought for. It isn't something that is just given away.
    I also think of the world's view of freedom which is being totally independent from anyone and anything. To be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. But that isn't true freedom. Freedom actually carries and consists of accountability and responsibility. Two words that scare a lot of people, but hold a lot of power. In order to maintain freedom, you have to have these two elements, otherwise you will end up with chaos.
   The final example I think of is when I didn't know Jesus. I was born into slavery, chained to the natural inclinations of mankind. To sin was all that was known, and sin is like a rocket to death. Because of this, I was dying quickly inside. But Jesus bought true freedom from this when he died and rose again, taking back the keys of death from the enemy. He did this for all mankind to be free to live the way we were intended, the way God made us to be; free from sin and in complete reconciliation with Him.