Overall this year I have struggled with the formatting and citations in my paper, they are the one trait that I have lost points for all three papers we have written. I'm not sure what the problem is because when I am formatting the paper on my computer everything seems to be right. I just hope that I can fix this problem when I...... yes, rewrite my Literary Analysis.
I must be crazy for wanting to write this again but it was definitely my worst paper out of the 3 and we have to do one.... so here it goes.
I struggled with Ideas and Organization in this paper which is strange because typically these traits are simple and easy to get 10s on as long as I have an main point for my paper and details to expand upon it with. I had ideas in this paper just not ideas that I could easily explain. I was a bit confused with the purpose and the point of my paper from the beginning, which must have caused my execution of the insanity of thoughts in my head to be a jumbled up mess of ideas on the paper as well. This brought the organization down too just because I was lost as to what went where and how I should go about explaining the ideas that weren't completely making sense to me. So this time around I really need to get a good understanding of what I'm talking about, otherwise I really have no right to write about it.
My voice, word choice, and conventions always seem to do well in my papers. I'm not too worried about the sentence fluency although it was pointed out by Dr. D int he rubric. I think that if my ideas are straightened out and I find an organization that flows, then the sentences will too. So wish me luck as I try to rewrite something that I've yet to even completely understand.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Jane Goodall's Mistake
This whole situation seems extremely serious. If plagiarizing can put a student in danger of suspension even expulsion at Episcopal, then in the real world where this work had a chance of being published there could be enormous consequences. As they explained in the article, Jane is not a qualified botanist as she has never studied the subject or received a degree in that area of science. She is simply interested in the topic of plants. This lack of knowledge was what caused her to go searching for extra information and explanations on websites that may not even be trustworthy or correct. Jane's mistake shows just how serious giving credit to a source is, especially since this mistake may even make Jane look as if she as trying to pass off someone else's research and knowledge as her own.
I think that Jane and her co-writers/editors should just turn over a new leaf with this book. It seems as if a majority of the book is plagiarized due to the fact that it was all factual information that Goodall did not know. She could maybe release a different work that includes knowledge of her own and her stories, but not include such deep research due to the people she may have offended with her mistake. Not paraphrasing a paper or work is a mistake that could be almost impossible to fix, and Goodall will have to work hard to do so.
I think that Jane and her co-writers/editors should just turn over a new leaf with this book. It seems as if a majority of the book is plagiarized due to the fact that it was all factual information that Goodall did not know. She could maybe release a different work that includes knowledge of her own and her stories, but not include such deep research due to the people she may have offended with her mistake. Not paraphrasing a paper or work is a mistake that could be almost impossible to fix, and Goodall will have to work hard to do so.
Reading Details
Split: (Sarah Nguyen's book) it was really short and interesting!
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Friday: 45 minutes
- Saturday: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Sunday: 15 minutes
- Monday: 10 minutes
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Chapter 7: Nervous Conditions
Chapter seven was very eventful compared to some of the chapters in Nervous Conditions. Moving on from Nyasha and Babamakuru's intense fight we meet some new characters. Lucia, the wild, independent, and strong-willed younger sister of Ma'shingai meets Baba's family at the door as a bit of an unexpected surprise. After reading this chapter I understand her backstory and the true reason she has come to stay at the homestead.Since Lucia is pregnant with Takesure's baby (Takesure being a cousin of Babamakuru who came to the homestead for a job) everyone assumes she has stayed at the homestead in order to entrap a husband for herself. Some even believe that she is trying to trick Jeremiah into marrying her with her attractive looks and exciting life.
The real reason for her stay is her sister. Lucia and Ma'shingai seem to have a very strong sisterly bond. Lucia has seen the way Jeremiah treats her sister. Ma'shingai has been trapped with him at the homestead, with his lazy and disgustingly dangerous habits since she was only fifteen. Lucia wants to protect her now that she is pregnant and has an excuse to be with her at the homestead. SHe wants to ultimately take Ma'shingai away from the dilapidated house and the tiring and depressing work she's been living through for the majority of her life. Lucia will succeed in providing a better life for Ma'shingai by speaking out and conferencing with Babamakuru, but that is in chapters to come!
The real reason for her stay is her sister. Lucia and Ma'shingai seem to have a very strong sisterly bond. Lucia has seen the way Jeremiah treats her sister. Ma'shingai has been trapped with him at the homestead, with his lazy and disgustingly dangerous habits since she was only fifteen. Lucia wants to protect her now that she is pregnant and has an excuse to be with her at the homestead. SHe wants to ultimately take Ma'shingai away from the dilapidated house and the tiring and depressing work she's been living through for the majority of her life. Lucia will succeed in providing a better life for Ma'shingai by speaking out and conferencing with Babamakuru, but that is in chapters to come!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Reading Times
Nervous Conditions:
- Wednesday: Chp. 7 (45 min) with annotations
- Friday: Chp. 8 (30min) with annotations
- Sunday/Monday: Chp. 9 and 10 (55 min) with annotation
Multiple "Me"s
I definitely feel like I have tons of different personalities throughout my daily life. If I were to take you through my daily routine you'f probably meet a Mckenzie you never thought you'd know.
Beginning at home I can tell you right now i'm an enormous pain. I love my sister but we rarely get along perfectly. We can never agree on things whether they're important or ridiculous and that causes lots of "screeching" (as my mom puts it) to ring throughout the house. To my parents I'm somewhat different. I really want to make them proud and do my best to please them. I mean of course i'm a teenager so I annoy them more than anything, but I also try to go the extra mile to help around the house or complete the tasks that need done. There are lots of extra daily events that take place in the Dorris household due to my sister and some of her new needs while off chemotherapy. Because of this and the past events i've been through I feel as if i'm become a very mature person at home. I take care of Larkin and the things she needs whenever my parents can't and i've become a personal assistant when not in charge. I enjoy helping and don't think I'll ever outgrow it.
Moving on to the moment I walk onto the school campus, I'm as immature as I can get. I think its an escape for me really. I home I feel like a lot depends on me and I have so much to prove, remember, and live up to. There's stress at school yes but my friends the family free environment just provide me with a sense of immaturity. I act like a kid and all of my friends can assure you of that. I don't act stupid or ridiculous just not uptight and mature like I am in front of my parents. I enjoy this Mckenzie the most I think, she's the girl I can be around my friends when i'm out or on campus, at sports or in a show, she's the Mckenzie I can be with myself.
When I enter the classroom some minor details are changed. I can say that yes i'm what you would call a "goodie two shoes" and unfortunately a lot of people know that. For the majority of my lower and middle school years I was copied off of and inquired of everyday during who knows what class because everyone just assumed I had the answers. What it really is is that fear of disappointing coming back. When I fail a test or screw up an assignment I get so angry with myself and I immediately want to improve. I pay attention in class because things don't always come as easily as people think they do. I have to work to know what I do.
Lastly for this post, when I reach my dance studio at the end of most every night, I just feel awesome. I love dance and the strength I seem to gain when I'm practicing or performing. The same goes for singing or acting, just being onstage and letting myself go is my favorite feeling. I also feel this sense of a team and the dependency we all have on one another when competing or performing difficult tasks. I love the feeling that i can try and eventually do anything i work for and I like to set goals for myself.
So i have the shy and uptight classroom Mckenzie, the loud and obnoxious 10 year old Mckenzie my friends all hopefully don't get too annoyed with, the hardworking worrisome stay home Mckenzie who really wants her sister to have the best life she can at this point, and the Mckenzie who is unafraid to put herself out there and reach new heights. I love all the Mckenzie's and they're all a huge part of Me.
Beginning at home I can tell you right now i'm an enormous pain. I love my sister but we rarely get along perfectly. We can never agree on things whether they're important or ridiculous and that causes lots of "screeching" (as my mom puts it) to ring throughout the house. To my parents I'm somewhat different. I really want to make them proud and do my best to please them. I mean of course i'm a teenager so I annoy them more than anything, but I also try to go the extra mile to help around the house or complete the tasks that need done. There are lots of extra daily events that take place in the Dorris household due to my sister and some of her new needs while off chemotherapy. Because of this and the past events i've been through I feel as if i'm become a very mature person at home. I take care of Larkin and the things she needs whenever my parents can't and i've become a personal assistant when not in charge. I enjoy helping and don't think I'll ever outgrow it.
Moving on to the moment I walk onto the school campus, I'm as immature as I can get. I think its an escape for me really. I home I feel like a lot depends on me and I have so much to prove, remember, and live up to. There's stress at school yes but my friends the family free environment just provide me with a sense of immaturity. I act like a kid and all of my friends can assure you of that. I don't act stupid or ridiculous just not uptight and mature like I am in front of my parents. I enjoy this Mckenzie the most I think, she's the girl I can be around my friends when i'm out or on campus, at sports or in a show, she's the Mckenzie I can be with myself.
When I enter the classroom some minor details are changed. I can say that yes i'm what you would call a "goodie two shoes" and unfortunately a lot of people know that. For the majority of my lower and middle school years I was copied off of and inquired of everyday during who knows what class because everyone just assumed I had the answers. What it really is is that fear of disappointing coming back. When I fail a test or screw up an assignment I get so angry with myself and I immediately want to improve. I pay attention in class because things don't always come as easily as people think they do. I have to work to know what I do.
Lastly for this post, when I reach my dance studio at the end of most every night, I just feel awesome. I love dance and the strength I seem to gain when I'm practicing or performing. The same goes for singing or acting, just being onstage and letting myself go is my favorite feeling. I also feel this sense of a team and the dependency we all have on one another when competing or performing difficult tasks. I love the feeling that i can try and eventually do anything i work for and I like to set goals for myself.
So i have the shy and uptight classroom Mckenzie, the loud and obnoxious 10 year old Mckenzie my friends all hopefully don't get too annoyed with, the hardworking worrisome stay home Mckenzie who really wants her sister to have the best life she can at this point, and the Mckenzie who is unafraid to put herself out there and reach new heights. I love all the Mckenzie's and they're all a huge part of Me.
Monday, March 4, 2013
From the Mind Of Nyasha
Returning home was confusing to be honest. I do not remember the language and the cultural details of my home do not come easily to me anymore. Everything has to be thought out ahead of time and translated inside my head. I really just don't have any desire to be here. My father forced us all down for the visit, but what i don't understand is why my father has to be the one in charge. He takes so much responsibility that he is always worn down physically, mentally, and emotionally. He does not understand that my mother and I have an opinion as well so we are forced to do what he wants and what he needs. This has thrown a wrench in our relationship and i'm not sure that we will ever agree with anything in the future.
Tambu is sweet. She wants to understand me and my "problems" but I think it's all too much for her to understand. I have been to England, not her. I have seen and interacted with the white people, not her. I have possessed their rights and decisions, not her. I have decided to be, in my own way, white, and Tambu will never be able to understand that. I see things differently and I can see how unfair our society that we call "home" is. I will do what I believe and what I want. I can smoke if it pleases me and I can read what will better educate me. My mother does;t understand. She gave what I will have up, freedom. She chose us, our family, but I will be wiser. I will make my own path and create my own life. Tambu can be there to comfort me if it pleases her, but I can do what I want and what I need on my own.
----Nyasha (Mckenzie)
Tambu is sweet. She wants to understand me and my "problems" but I think it's all too much for her to understand. I have been to England, not her. I have seen and interacted with the white people, not her. I have possessed their rights and decisions, not her. I have decided to be, in my own way, white, and Tambu will never be able to understand that. I see things differently and I can see how unfair our society that we call "home" is. I will do what I believe and what I want. I can smoke if it pleases me and I can read what will better educate me. My mother does;t understand. She gave what I will have up, freedom. She chose us, our family, but I will be wiser. I will make my own path and create my own life. Tambu can be there to comfort me if it pleases her, but I can do what I want and what I need on my own.
----Nyasha (Mckenzie)
C-Layer 1 Evaluations
Well... this post is way too easy for me. In case you didn't notice, on Friday I managed to create an entirely new project for c-layer 1. I was attempting to create a story board but for some reason it did not occur to me that a "STORY BOARD" meant a cartoon strip type project... (i mean duh). I really don't why that did not cross my mind. Anyways, I stayed up until a stupid hour of night trying to complete what I though should be a poster board with 3 images and captions per chapter. I did my best with what I thought was right and it turned around and kicked me in the butt. I hope I don't lose to much credit or dignity for my mistake and will make sure to fully understand Dr. D for the next 3 layers.
As for reading guides, blogs, and vocabulary tests, they were wonderful. All three were a good choice and easy to complete even on short notice... That's another thing. I definitely need to begin the process of these layers much earlier on so that I don't run out of time. This round I will be sure to start ahead of time and get a little of each project done night by night. That way I can get a good grade as well as an acceptable amount of sleep.
Reading Details:
Nervous Conditions:
As for reading guides, blogs, and vocabulary tests, they were wonderful. All three were a good choice and easy to complete even on short notice... That's another thing. I definitely need to begin the process of these layers much earlier on so that I don't run out of time. This round I will be sure to start ahead of time and get a little of each project done night by night. That way I can get a good grade as well as an acceptable amount of sleep.
Reading Details:
Nervous Conditions:
- Wednesday: 1 hour +annotations
- Thursday: 3 hours +annotations
- Friday: 30 min + annotations
- Sunday: 15min
- Monday: 45min +annotations
Friday, March 1, 2013
Chapter 3 : Nervous Conditions
Lots of events take place in chapter 3, but there was one point Tambu made in her head that really confused me. The tension between Tambu and her cousins was not something I was expecting as she always talked about them in awe and with respect in previous chapters. Tambu seems to immediately dislike Nyasha because of her short dress and the fact that she forgot her native language. She finds this offending and refuses to associate with her for the entire family gathering.....
but then, later in the chapter Tambu notices how uncomfortable Nyasha looks while the rest of the family is dancing and enjoying themselves. She actually tries to help Nyasha, but Maiguru prevents her from dancing. Really she prevents her from doing anything related to the Shona culture. This left me very confused. Why did Tambu have a sudden change of heart? And why is Maiguru preventing her daughter from enjoying her native culture?
Also in chapter 3, there is a scene after the death of Nhamo where Tambu's mother is grieving. She explains that her mother had lost three children already during childbirth, three boys to be specific. Boys are the only gender a family really wants because they are the only gender that could continue the family line after marriage. Tambu's family said to be cursed because of this unfortunate loss of so many boys and large amount of living girls. I think this easily can be added to the theme of Gender Segregation in this book.
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