Learning to Embrace Learning

            Around the age of 4 and 5 we establish a routine of waking up early, every weekday for around 180 days of the year, and going to school. We construct this schedule for solely the purpose of learning. We learn basic subjects like Math, English, Science, etc. Every year it’s the same routine of learning a higher level in that specific subject. We are taught that these subjects will benefit us. And yes, they will, but only for the purpose of obtaining our degree in a university that has been in our hopes in dreams. That is what we are told to do since the beginning of this routine. Of course, all this is part of my big dream, but where am I going to learn all the real dealings outside of my education; the journey and the obstacles I’m going to face to obtain that degree aren’t going to be easy. Each year as I enter a new grade and have different teachers with different ways of teaching, I’m learning that in between every Math or English or Science lesson, the teacher is a person who is willing to teach us the reality of being outside of school. During my junior year of high school, Dr. Preston, my English teacher, taught us from the complicated novel “Brave New World”, to being safe on the internet, to ways that helps us calm our levels of stress. During this course the diversity of the lessons were a start to my endorsement for learning.

            Being honest coming into this course I expected something much more different than what I was exposed to. As I heard the title “Dr.” in my teacher’s name, I told myself this wasn’t going to be an easy class. I expected so many writing assignments, so many different books to read and tight deadlines. However, my expectations were completely wrong. The level of trust our teacher put into us in this course was insane for a high school teacher. He introduced us to portraying our work online, via a blog that anybody could see. With this came him trusting us to complete assignments on the blog. Speaking for myself, the amount of trust was earned, but not honored enough. I had the responsibility of using this platform to show my intelligence in a way that I know I’m capable of doing. Dr. Preston could’ve easily given us standard vocabulary tests, and reading assignments, but he treated as colleagues and relied on us. I believe my classmates and I took a slight advantage of his trust. We could’ve fully honored it by completing all the assignments that should’ve been on our blog. I’m grasping the possibility that there will be people and teachers, like Dr. Preston, who will give us such opportunity.  As we reach the end of this course, I’m using this as a valuable way to improve my growth in embracing learning and the way it is taught.

            My growth as a student and as a person has changed since the beginning of the year. Dr. Preston introduced us to articles, novels, authors, and true experiences that in a way I can relate to. In the article by Maria Popova she introduced us to John Steinbeck's, “ Good and Evil, the Necessary Contradictions of the Human Nature, and our Ground for Lucid Hope”. This article led me to find the part where it talks about the difficulty of breaking up with a friend. Breaking up with a friend is by far worst than breaking up with a boyfriend. As I lost a friend, it helped my growth as a person. I realized if somebody truly cared, they would be there for you no matter what, just like you were there for them. That is exactly what John Steinbeck talks about in his publishing. “The disloyalty wounded Steinbeck deeply and he distanced himself from his former friend.” The wound was profound, but the lesson was valuable. Nick Carraway from “The Great Gatsby” often served as a confidant for others and I feel like I’m a person who others can rely on. I feel like therefore my best friend and I grew apart, because I put myself in a place that was for her convenience.  Guy Montag, a dynamic character from the novel “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury believed he was happy, but as things happened, he realized he was just pretending to be. I feel like I’m a happy person most of the time, but my true happiness is yet to arrive. Not only did this course help me in learning academically, but also in the real life. Having stories and characters to relate to, was a helpful reminder that I could get through anything.

In 6^th grade I was recognized for my writing and it was something I loved doing. As I entered middle school that passion for writing started fading away.   At the beginning of the school year, we learned that we had to write in a journal every day at the start of the period. I hesitated the first few entries, but as time passed I re-grasped writing as a tool to help me cope with my tough times. I even bought my journal to continue writing at home. Writing helps me ease my mind and untangle my thoughts. I never thought I would get into writing again, but I’m thankful I was reintroduced to it. Writing drives me to do better. As I continue in my learning experience, I will use writing every day to help me excel. Part of my hopes and dreams is to write a poetry book based on true experiences, so I’m thankful for the chance to bring this dream back to reality.  

            Plus, there was people who made this growing and learning experience good. Having my cousin, Daniela, in this class was a bonus. Along with Citlally, they made it fun. We would totally get distracted sometimes with all the laughter, but we would always put each other back on track whether it was inside of school or outside. However, at some point each classmate did or said something that made us laugh and enjoy being there at that moment. Along with moments of laughter, there was moments of learning from our classmates with their Masterpiece presentations. Maria’s confidence as she presented the topic of believing god helped me register that confidence is the beginning to it all. Daniela’s awareness for the question of cancer was affirmation that people truly care. Abby’s presentation about art and its connection with people taught me to make the best out something. She made us play Pictionary and the purpose of guessing the drawing brought us together. Evelin’s hope to become a writer and Miguel’s presentation of becoming a successful streamer showed me that dreams can become reality, if you have patience and learn from your mistakes. I think entering this course something we all had in common is that we didn’t know the things we’d be learning.

            This course and year have been nothing but a learning journey. I’ve learned that my teacher came back to high school after teaching at UCLA, because he believes in us. That aside from education there is reality to learn about and that there’s people willing to teach you. I faced challenges and overcame them. My hero journey just began, because I’m just learning myself. Although my journey will be a continuous one, as I learn things endlessly, I aspire to be a hero and mentor for someone else. I hope that I can teach them to embrace learning whether it’s in a math class or going through a breakup, because something valuable can come out of it, if you actually pay attention.

Ignite Talk

My big question is: why are people the way they are? Over break I basically googled my big question and read articles that seemed on the topic. I learned that many things can cause people to be the way they are including: childhood, traumas, experiences, or simply the way their brain works. This can apply to any character from past books we have read in class like F451, The Great Gatsby, and Brave New World. Characters from Brave New World are conditioned to do or not to do certain things. In this case, they are controlled to be someone and to act a certain way. The thing I will do next is ask people questions to see if there's any connections that affects the way they are now as a person. 

Brave New World Ch 18

The savage is making himself throw up because civilization made him
Bernard and Helmholtz leave because they are heading to the island the next morning
Mond refused to let the savage go to the island
The savage arrives at an abandoned light house
He whips himself when he finds himself being happy and recalls him not being the best person to his mother
reporter show up to the light house and he absused them verbally and physically
John whips himself even harder because he thinks of Lenina in a way
Someone who was watching him captures him whipping himself and in a few days so many people show up begging for him to whip himself
Lenina shows up and he rushes towards her and hits her and himself
johns emotions overwhelm the crowd

Brave New World CH 17

Mond shows the savage old forbidden books of God  becuase he says religion is also sacrificed
Mond says God isn't the same as machines, medicines, and happiness but the savage thinks its natural to believe in God
The savage says that God gives reason for denial which Mond says it's not beneficial
Mond and John disagree between society and individuality
Mond says that he believes a person can be shaped to serve society and that society leads everything
John believes that the individual controls all and the society should not try and dominate

Brave New World Ch. 16

They are in Mond's office and each with different emotions. 

After Mond asks him if he likes civilization and he says no, John continues to explain that he's one of the few who read shakespeare. only one of the few because they are taught to consume new things, not old. 

Mond explains the experiment in which the World State filled an island of Cyprus with Alphas, which eventually led into a civil war. 

Leisure increases chances to think which leads to more consumption of soma

Art and science have been renounce because of the stability

Bernard is anxious and fall to his knees and is taken to another room to be calmed down with soma

Brave New World Ch. 15

When John enters the hallway, twins from Delta come out as soon as they call out for Soma.
This makes him remember his mothers death and he believes soma is pure poison that caused her death. This angers the Deltas.
Helmholtz and Bernard rush to the hospital because the Savage is in need of help. the deltas get mad because he is throwing soma out of the window.
Helmholtz and Bernard fight off the Deltas but Helmholtz and the Savage and Bernard are taken into custody.

Brave New World Ch. 14

John gets to the hospital for the dying (Park Lane Hospital).
John is impressed with the sort of technology this hospital but he only wants to see his dying mother.
He starts humming the songs she used to hum.
John keeps his memories with his mother separate from the other memories.
The Delta kids are shocked because they see Linda.
John socks one of the kids and the nurse comes rushing in and all his memories of violent things he did come to his mind.
John is upset because when Linda starts waking up she whispers things about Pope.
When she begins to say something, at the end of that she basically dies. So John starts yelling for help.
He says God over and over again but nobody knows what that is.
A kid asks him if Linda is dead, so he knocks the kid and walks away.