I have to say, when starting out the semester I was worried about having class at four pm.  I would rather be done with class and have the rest of the day for what ever else needs to be done. This class however, proved me wrong. I was always delighted to go back to school for the pure enjoyment of the class. The environment that was set up by Kim Jaxon a the rest of my peers reminded me every class of the joy that can come out of the profession we are all working towards. There was a great fellowship in the classroom that was one of the most positive classes I have ever had the opportunity to take. Thank you everyone and Professor Kim Jaxon for all of that.

Now, to talk about what I took from the classroom. The real truth is that I still struggled to get some of the readings one hundred percent read. I did however, always have a solid idea of what was going on and what needed to be taken away from the reading. Class discussions brought color because so many of us had different interpretations of what was read. The readings were all over the place and really made me step out of my comfort zone for a lot of the readings. I liked that we were reading books that our future students may be interested in. I have to say for fairy tales it gave me such a broader view of what the world and culture plays into literature.  Reading original fairy tales up to the more modern day spins of them makes you really reflect on where societies have been and where they are heading.  This idea helps because we will be exposing all of these ideas to the future society! I had a blast doing the galley walk for Series of Unfortunate Events. I do not know how I never read those books in elementary school. My guess is that I didn’t want to read something depressing (which it clearly warns it will be). We were able to be creative and have a real hands on approach to reflect on the series.  I feel that every unit was able to give me some kind of surprise. I loved the humor and power of series, the idea that poetry doesn’t and shouldn’t be scary for us or our students, the continues themes in Laurie Halse Anderson’s books, my new connection and like for graphic novels, and my ability to be in a “book club”.  I was never bored during the semester and that really says a lot.

Overall, I wish I would have managed my time a bit better to be able to say I was able to fully read this semester. However, I can say that my mind has been opened to a much broader love of literature. I am excited for summer to be able to continue reading. I am also thankful for the great resources that have been brought to light for me. From the actual readings all the way to twitter. I never thought of using the social media for the profession of teaching. It has so many great ideas and resources. Once again thank you to everyone for a great semester!

Jenifer Galetti

Book Club: Feed

1. The author sends out a clear and strong message as to how the media and technology is significantly taking over people’s lives, and he thinks, that is not for the better. Readers should be talking about what are the values and relationships that we should really value in life. I think that the reader is forced to reflect into their own life and see what is important to them and what may be distracting them from what is important in life.

2. I connected this read a somewhat dystopian novel that was similar to movies and ideas that are similar to situations we are in on a day to day basis. With the idea of feed, it connects for me immediately back to Facebook. Constantly we are capable of checking up on the latest status, immediately update photos, and like or comment our opinions to all our peers. Not only is Facebook a constant check in of all peers, there are also advertisements on the sides of the page that go along with previous searches made on a computer or mobile devise. To go off of feed, we are so close to having access to information due to cell phones and portable tablets, that we might as well be able to just have the information imported into our brains. This book also reminded me of a movie I recently watched on Netflix. I do not remember the exact name of the movie; however, the movie was about implantation of a “timer”, rather than a “feed”. The timer in the movie would give you a countdown to the exact moment of when you and your soul mate will meet. Similar to the feed the timer was a normal part of life that most people partook in. Similarly, there are those who are against the main stream system and seek what is really important.

3. I think the only assumption about children that Feed tries to elude is that they are very easily persuaded. The feed is takes over the lives of the teens that are the main characters of the novel and it is clear that they allow and trust technology over their own thinking. This is the danger the author is warning teens and children to stay clear from.

4. The characters that the novel portrays are believable in the sense that they are just normal people; however, the surrounding world is that of the future and a future that most people today does not sound intriguing. The idea of a no big deal spring break on the moon is one that to me and you may seem unreal and farfetched. The actually personality of the character’s on the other hand I see as right on point. With greater advances in technology and media, the less enthused we are as humans. What once was a big deal may seem as just a simple everyday situation now. The same goes for this idea that going to the moon was no big deal and nothing to be impressed about.  I took things that were literal in the story as a bigger picture to how it affected the characters.

5. The text relates heavily for me to other dystopian novel such as Brave New World, Hunger Games, and the newer Divergent Series.

6. The book seems to fall into a variety of children’s literature categories to me. I would describe a fantasized dystopian realism to engrave a bigger and more meaningful message to readers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY  

That Link leads to a cool video that is really interesting and goes along with today’s issues with social media and the impact it is having on people. It is also very poetic! Enjoy

Jenifer Galetti

1. I believe that Williams may be looking out at a red wheel barrow just thinking about all of the work that has been done with the help of that red wheel barrow. I think that he is giving significance to something that is normally seen as significant to emphasis his feelings that he feels as he stairs out into the rain. Williams might have been feeling a pause in time where he was thinking about all of the work that he does while using the wheel barrow and is running around with the chickens. This is a pause in time and a reflection of himself through a unimportant object.

2.

So much depends

upon

my leather sandalswalking

ripped and warn

in the grass

still