Technology!

http://sigol.iste.wikispaces.net/Online+Learning+Awards

I am very grateful for the ability to use online learning and technology for my schooling, because I would not be able to attend school right now otherwise. I think that online learning is very different than the traditional classroom because you aren’t listening to lectures and having in class discussions, you have to do a lot of reading and writing. I noticed in all of my classes that are online there is a lot more reading and writing because they’re aren’t always the traditional tests and lectures. This makes it easier and harder in some ways. Sometimes doing open book tests are easier because you have the answers there, but it usually also means that the tests are a lot harder too. Also, if you’re not a big reader, online learning is almost all reading, messages, discussion questions, notes, textbooks, outside sources, etc.

The challenges I ran in to with my online classes this semester were managing my time and giving myself enough time to do all of my assignments. It’s almost like going to school at your own pace with set deadlines. This is great for flexibility, but sometimes makes it easier to procrastinate or underestimate how long everything will actually take. I think that with an English class in particular the biggest challenge online is not being able to directly communicate with the instructor, also, the ability to take notes on certain things. I think the videos are a nice change of pace because you do get more of the personal interaction.

The most beneficial technology to me this semester was probably the online library resource. It’s so amazing to be able to do research right from my home computer. When I was in high school this was not possible. I think that I will probably be using the library online throughout my entire remaining schooling and it will be a very handy tool to have from the comfort of my own home.

This website here has some great tips for online learning.

I wish everyone the best in their future endeavors. Good luck!

Class Reflections...

http://write-strong.com/

I feel that I have learned several new skills in this class, especially when it comes to writing. First, I have learned how to write a much better thesis than I ever could have before. Through each written assignment I have also learned how to revise much better and that it is, in fact, different from just editing. I think this class helped to strengthen my writing skills which will definitely help me in any of my future classes that require written assignments. I also got “schooled” about commas because I think that I have always been a “comma -holic” in my writing. If I was ever in doubt I put one in. I still think I could work on this, but I have definitely improved!

Some of the readings in this class affected me in different ways. The poetry readings in the beginning affected me more than I thought poetry ever could. I was especially affected by the messages and ideas of the poem, The Second Coming, which I wrote my poetry analysis essay about. I also quite enjoyed the poem, The Goblin Market, and actually saw it referenced to in an article I read while doing research for my final project on vampires. Speaking of which, this was the longest essay I’ve written in a long time and the first time I had my thesis before writing the paper. This essay taught me a lot about analyzing and how it differs from summary, as well as how to look for a deeper meaning in poetry, which I had never really done before. I’m still not a big fan of poetry, but I surely can appreciate it more.

My writing process has changed in that I have tried to spend more time revising than I ever did before. I also think that I can still spend even MORE time working on this process because I sometimes still rush through the editing and revising parts. My biggest challenges in this class were the writing and managing my time. I work full time and have a baby boy that keeps me quite busy, so it was definitely a struggle to find time to get my work done. I definitely fell behind in the middle and I feel I’m still playing catch up, thank goodness for the NQA option! I still struggle with time management every week, but I am trying to stay ahead on my work and work on things a little at a time, earlier, rather than all at once, later. 

All in all, I truly feel like I am walking away from this class a better writer with a stronger appreciation for literature and poetry. I may never read old literature or poetry ever again, but I can say that I respect what it means, stands for, and where it came from.  I also would like to wish everyone in class success in their future classes and maybe our paths will cross again here at Yavapai, if not I wish you well!

Here is a link for tips on becoming a better writer, I really liked a lot of these!

The Zombie Subgenre… means something?

http://www.zombiecommand.com/Zombies/

The Zombie Subgenre… means something?

When I first began reading this introduction I was a little skeptical. I was thinking to myself, really? Zombie movies reflect our society and culture? I don’t think so! But… I found myself more and more interested, mostly because I’ve seen many of the zombie movies that were mentioned, and I liked them all. So it turns out the zombie subgenre really is reflecting serious fears and issues relevant in our post 9/11 world, and an interesting fact I did not know, zombies did not get their beginning in literature like all the other monsters we’re familiar with (ie. Vampires, werewolves, etc.). They became popular through cinema, video games, and graphic novels.

What I learned from this introduction is that zombies have actually evolved from their first appearances in cinema. In the beginning, they were more related to Haitian voodoo with major racist undertones and the fear of communism. Today, zombies are cannibalistic, mindless, creatures that illuminate our fears of terrorism, infectious diseases, and the world coming to an end.

This introduction covers a complete timeline of when zombies first came to be and how they have changed over the years. The common thread throughout is the fact that the zombie stories are always reflecting our society and culture at that time. After all of the reading and research I’ve done about vampires for my final project, it seems to me that the majority of theses monsters that we have come to know and even love really are reflections of our society and how our society changes over the decades.

What I found really fascinating is concerning the study of “Frequency of Zombie Film Production by Year.” This study revealed how zombie movies were quite popular during the social unrest of the 60s and 70s and then in the 90s they had a major decline because everything, in a sense, was going really well, particularly in America. Then after 9/11 the zombie subgenre has seen another major increase in popularity. There have been remakes of the 70s classics as well as whole new takes on the zombies. 

What these modern films have in common is their similarity in showing post-apocalyptic worlds that have been decimated by zombies that are always incredibly contagious and usually created because of some kind of infectious outbreak.

Enjoying many zombie movies myself, I never really thought about or analyzed what they meant, or how they portray our society and culture. I can honestly say I don’t think that I will ever watch a zombie movie the same way after reading this introduction. I think I might even have to re-watch all of my favorites! If anyone has found that they are truly a "zombie freak", I recommend this website I came across, it's pretty much anything you can think of relating to zombies... I had no idea zombies had that big of fans out there!