Final draft/ Paper #3

Heather Mews

English 101

Professor: Begert

5/31/2014

                                                       Embracing a Pain Rehabilitation Program

                It is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide – suffer from some form of chronic pain. Chances are – you know somebody that is going through this - or you may be suffering yourself. Most people - try to hide their physical pain - due to the shame of losing their independence – often times isolating the ones that are closest to them. Pain is likely to be recognized in the form of anger, anxiety, and most of all depression. Chronic pain not only affects the person suffering from it, but it affects our loved ones as well. The most common practice for treatment of pain - are prescribed opioids – or medications such as, methadone, oxycodone, etc., because they are fast, and relatively cheap - however the long term affects that these medications might have on you, and your loved ones just aren’t worth it. This is where the introduction of pain rehabilitation comes in. Although some might be reserved about a pain program – consider doing a little research before you form an opinion. In his blog post How I Learned to Program Computers, Feross Aboukhadiejeh states, “It doesn’t take super human ability.” It just takes a willingness to want to learn, and to move forward -so keep an open mind. You may just decide it is worth a shot.

                A pain rehabilitation program generally tends to be made up on the principles of both traditional, and nontraditional forms of education. You will spend a certain amount of time in a classroom setting – which is where they will teach you about the biology of pain, and how it affects you, mentally, and physically. They will also teach you about the effects that different forms of treatment can have on you – this will help to aide in the decisions you make regarding your treatment - in the future. You might feel that you already have enough information on pain, and you just don’t want to waste your time in a classroom learning a bunch of psycho babble – or as Mike Rose states in his web article, I Just Wanna Be Average, you may want to “escape quickly while seemingly at least half alert.”  Most people would probably support your feelings, but it is recommended that you stay alert, because you will acquire a great deal of knowledge pertaining to the types of medications that are out there, and their long term effects.You will learn about pain, and depression - how they almost always link together, and the effects it can have on your loved ones. Believe it or not – your loved ones can be just as torn as you are, because they don’t understand where the anger, and depression might be coming from – leading them to feel like they are the cause of your emotional outbursts. Along with daily sessions in the classroom - you will also be expected to participate in several other more hands on learning activities – designed specifically to meet your needs, and your goals.

                In these hands on sessions, you will be assigned a physical therapist, who will design an exercise regimen that you will perform daily. They will adjust it as you progress toward your goal, and will oversee your progress to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly – so you don’t further injure yourself. They will also see to it that the program is meeting your expectations – working right alongside of you throughout the whole process. Unfortunately most are misinformed, and believe that you are just given the tasks, and then tossed aside - although it may be the case in some situations – odds are that you will either really bond with your therapist, or you will want them to leave you alone, because they are up your tail nonstop.  The same goes along with occupational therapy. It is likely- that you will perform a series of tasks that you would normally do in your everyday routine. The therapist will assess your postures, movements, etc. – possibly videotaping you, so they can study your movements closely, and design a program to help you perform these tasks easily, and in a manner that will be less painful – or less likely to make your injury worse. They can also help you come up with alternative ways to play the sports that you love, or the hobbies that you enjoy. You might be surprised at how important it is that you continue to do things that are considered entertainment, but it is actually a huge part of keeping your mental well being healthy. Marie F. Hassett, Ph.D. states in her article What Makes a Good Teacher, “You can’t be good in a generic sense; you have to be good for something.” In other words - when you do things you enjoy – you are more likely to feel satisfied, and less likely to become depressed.  Depression only amplifies your pain – as the receptors in your brain for pain, and depression are very similar, and feed off of each other.  Along with your physical therapy, and occupational therapy – you will also be introduced to several different forms of meditation, and stretching techniques. These techniques will provide you with a variety of options for natural pain reduction – some of them might include - Tai Chi, breathing exercises, yoga, etc. – stretching helps to keep your body mobile – which actually will reduce your pain. During the process of your active rehabilitation – you will also be assigned a personal psychiatrist, a personal physician, and a vocational counselor.   

You might think that there is no reason for you to speak to a shrink, but most pain patients suffer from some form of depression – due to loss of independence, lack of sleep, and loss of energy. The shrink is there - not only to help you with these things, but they are also there to help you process what you are learning in the program, and whether or not it is helping you. Talk therapy is a great way to relieve some of the ongoing stressors that have formed due to your pain.  Your physician will be there to check on your physical abilities, and to make sure you are progressing in a positive direction – not making your injury worse – as some tend to get to excited in the beginning, or stray toward old habits that make the pain flare up. The vocational counselor is there to help steer you toward a new job goal that will be feasible with your type of injury. For most – being able to work, and provide for their family is extremely important – so knowing that there are other options out there – even with your injury – can be very enlightening.

 Over all – for most pain patients – a pain rehabilitation program might sound a little intimidating at first and you may be a little reserved about trying a more hands on, and less traditional form of treatment – such as medications, surgery, etc., but the long term affects that these medications could have on you, your health, and your family -  just aren’t worth the risk. Living a more active life, and being able to do the things you love, in some form – will be far more rewarding. You owe it to yourself to live the best life possible – as we are only given one life.                                                                                                                              Rose, Mike. "I just wanna be average. Lives on the Boundary: A Moving Account of the   Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Under prepared. New York: MacMillan,   1989. Web. 24 Dec. 2010.
Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. "How I learned to Program Computers." Feross.org., 13 Sept.            2011. Web. 30 May 2014.
 Hassett, Marie F. “What Makes A Good Teacher.” users.rowen.edu. Web. 2                        June 2014.

Beginning 1st draft/paper #3

Heather Mews

English 101

Professor: Begert

5/31/2014

                                                       Embracing a Pain Rehabilitation Program

                It is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide – suffer from some form of chronic pain.

Chances are – you know somebody that is going through this - or you may be suffering yourself. Most  

people - try to hide their physical pain - due to the shame of losing their independence – often times  isolating the ones that are closest to them. Pain is likely to be recognized in the form of anger, anxiety, and most of all depression. Chronic pain not only affects the person suffering from it, but it affects our loved ones as well. The most common practice for treatment of pain - are prescribed opioids – or medications such as, methadone, oxycodone, etc., because they are fast, and relatively cheap - however the long term affects that these medications might have on you, and your loved ones just aren’t worth it. This is where the introduction of pain rehabilitation comes in. Although some might be reserved about a pain program – consider doing a little research before
you form an opinion.  You may just decide it is worth a shot.

                A pain rehabilitation program generally tends to be made up on the principles of both traditional, and nontraditional forms of education. You will spend a certain amount of time in a classroom setting – which is where they will teach you about the biology of pain, and how it affects you, mentally, and physically. They will also teach you about the effects that different forms of treatment can have on you – this will help to aide in the decisions you make regarding your treatment - in the future. You might feel that you already have enough information on pain, and you just don’t want to waste your time in a classroom learning a bunch of psycho babble – however you will acquire a great deal of knowledge pertaining to the types of medications that are out there, and their long term effects. According to an article about patient facts on painmed.org [nearly half a million emergency room visits occurred - due to the misuse of pain medications in 2009]. You will learn about pain, and depression - how they almost always link together, and the effects it can have on your loved ones. Believe it or not – your loved ones can be just as torn as you are, because they don’t understand where the anger, and depression might be coming from – leading them to feel guilty. Along with daily sessions in the classroom - you will also be expected to participate in several other more hands on learning activities – designed specifically to meet your needs, and your goals.

                In these hands on sessions, you will be assigned a physical therapist, who will design an exercise regimen that you will perform daily. They will adjust it as you progress toward your goal, and will oversee your progress to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly – so you don’t further injure yourself. They will also see to it that the program is meeting your expectations – working right alongside of you throughout the whole process. Unfortunately most are misinformed, and believe that you are just given the tasks, and then tossed aside - although it may be the case in some situations – odds are that you will either really bond with your therapist, or you will want them to leave you alone, because they are up your tail nonstop.  The same goes along with occupational therapy. It is likely- that you will perform a series of tasks that you would normally do in your everyday routine. The therapist will assess your postures, movements, etc. – possibly videotaping you, so they can study your movements closely, and design a program to help you perform these tasks easily, and in a manner that will be less painful – or less likely to make your injury worse. They can also help you come up with alternative ways to play the sports that you love, or the hobbies that you enjoy. You might be surprised at how important it is that you continue to do things that are considered entertainment, but it is actually a huge part of keeping your mental well being healthy. When you do things you enjoy – you are more likely to feel satisfied, and less likely to become depressed –which in turn amplifies your pain – as the receptors in your brain for pain, and depression are very similar, and feed off of each other.  Along with your physical therapy, and occupational therapy – you will also be introduced to several different forms of meditation, and stretching techniques that will provide you with a variety of options for natural pain reduction – some of them might include, Tai Chi, breathing exercises, yoga, etc. – stretching helps to keep your body mobile – which actually will reduce your pain.

 

Works Cited

Rose, Mike. "I just wanna be average. Lives on the Boundary: A Moving Account of the Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Under prepared. New York: MacMillan, 1989. Web. 24 Dec. 2010.

X, Malcom "Learning to Read. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Random House Inc., 1964. Web. 30 May 2014

Dead Poets Society. Dir. Peter Weir. Perf. Robin Williams. Touchstone Pictures, 1989. DVD.

Freedom Writers. Dir. Richard LaGravenese. Perf. Hilary Swank, Scott Glen, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey. Paramount Pictures, 2007. DVD

Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. "How I learned to Program Computers." Feross.org., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 May 2014.

Beginning Argument Exercise - Paper #3

1) What was the experience I had with the pain rehabilitation program, and why was it at-least as important as an in school experience?
    The experience a person will have when they go through a pain rehabilitation program can be a real eye opener. There is so much to be learned in a good program. The most important thing to keep in mind - is not to form an opinion about these programs before you are will to give them a shot, or at the very least do your research - so that you go into it with proper knowledge. Be prepared to learn as much - if not more then you will in a traditional classroom setting.

2) Who is the audience that I need to persuade?
    The audience will my peers, students at the college, others that have been injured, or suffer from pain, and my teachers.

3) Why should they care about this? What are their beliefs about education?
   Pain rehabilitation is something that can improve a persons well being. It teach you how to change your perception on pain - as well as how much you can actually tolerate, and alternative methods for doing things in everyday life - so it can be more fulfilling. Their beliefs might be that pain rehabilitation is just another waste of their time, and more money that has to be thrown away.

3) What will their children, or society in general gain or lose?
    They will gain a better understanding of a pain rehabilitation program, and how to keep an open mind about alternative programs before going through evasive treatments.

4)  Reasons they should agree? "because" statements?
    1) Keeping an open mind is important in everyday life. Learn before passing judgement - then form an opinion upon having enough information. They teach you an abundance of information - as well as physical alternatives.
    2) This program could very well be the key to a more fulfilling life. You learn how to manage your emotions, related to pain. Meditating, thought process, etc.
    3)  You will not get benefit the same in a traditional classroom setting. Pain rehabilitation teaches you several physical and mental alternatives, and you will perform these methods for several weeks with the support of the staff. This program helps to reshape your way of moving, and your way of thinking about your disability- in turn leaving you with a more positive outlook on life.

5) Reasons they might not agree? Possible objections they might raise?
     1) They might feel that it is a waste of their time because they are being required to go.
     2) They may feel the cost could out weight the benefit.
     3) They may feel that drugs ( which most pain patients are addicted when going in to the program) are the only form of relief, so they will be afraid to detox. Plus it is a lot harder to go through the program rather then to pop a pill - so if they are lazy they may reject it all together.

6) Answers to their objections? "My idea is superior because":
   1) At first it might feel like it is taking to much of their valuable time, but the amount of time they will waste trying to rehab from surgeries and other treatments - far out weights the time they will spend in the rehabilitation program.
   2) The amount of money they will spend on all of the other treatments that may not work will be far more then going through the program. It would be best to try the program first, to possibly save them thousands of dollars in the future.
   3) Drugs might be something that will help mask the pain, but they do not help you to live a more productive life, and they actually cause numerous other health problems. The pain rehab program teaches you - not only how to manage your pain, but how to live a more enjoyable life - which is hard to do if you are hopped up on medications.

 7) Statistics, facts, examples of similar problems, solutions, or situations - that will support the argument.
 

   
   
   

Details and examples

   Underlining detail words: I used to long for some Hearst Free Milk Fund Milk, in one of those cute little bottles with their red and white tops, but my mother never allowed me to have any, because she said it was charity, which was bad and demeaning, and besides the milk was warm and it might make me sick.

   Audre Lorde Sentence: I know it must have been early spring or fall, because without the protection of a heavy coat, I can still feel the stinging soreness in the flesh of my upper arm.

 

   My sentence: I always knew when Christmas was approaching, because the warm scents of cinnamon and pine would consume the air - almost as if I could taste them.

   Mike Rose Sentence: I hadn't been there two months when one of his brisk, face - turning slaps had my glasses sliding down the aisle. 

   My sentence: I knew something wasn't right when a sharp knee buckling pain - had me quickly dropping to the floor.

Revised point for paper #3 Thesis - 3rd person

  The main point: The main point of my education narrative was, you can get through anything if you keep an open mind and put in the effort to try to change. At first I was very skeptical about the rehabilitation program They were sending me to so I didn't think it would do me any good. Once I gave it a shot, It helped me in a big way.

Revised main point: The main point of the education narrative was to explain that a person can get through anything if they are willing to keep an open mind, and put in the effort to try to change. At first people might be very skeptical about a pain rehabilitation program that they are being required to attend - however it is best to at least keep an open mind, and give it a shot. The end results might surprise you.

   Grand scheme: A person is more likely to gain something very valuable,  if they are willing to keep an open mind, and put in the effort to try to change.

   Grand scheme revised: Many people are very skeptical about pain rehabilitation, and resist attending, unless they're required to. The end result could surprise them however.

Beginning final draft paper #2/Final draft

        Teachers are said to play one of the most important roles in a child's life - aside from their parents. The impact a teacher can have on a student was demonstrated in many ways throughout the movies "Freedom Writers and Dead Poet Society."  Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were both compassionate and genuinely cared for their students. They both came up with very creative methods to gain the students interest, and they both went beyond the classroom to support their students.       Although they were both good teachers, neither of them seemed to have regard for the schools current structures; this could have lead to struggles beyond high school, and in a more typical classroom setting.

        The compassion both teachers had for their students was apparent on several occasions throughout the movies. Mr. Keating - an English teacher in the movie Dead Poet Society attended the all boys preparatory school himself when he was a boy, and he could relate to the boys. He was aware that students weren't typically aloud to make their own life choices, and he wanted to make it clear from the beginning, that they should  learn to think for themselves - be free thinkers.

He wanted them to believe that passion, romance, and love are what we live for. This implicated that their happiness was important to him. Ms. Gruwell also showed compassion for her students throughout the movie Freedom writers. One of the many kind things she did for her students, was when she took on a second job to purchase materials. She purchased journals for each of her students, and then encouraged them to write anything they would like to her. She told students that the journals could be placed in a cupboard that would stay locked , and that nobody else would be able to read them. She opened the cupboard that she had told them to put the journals in, and found that they all had written something. She did not leave the classroom that day, until she had read every one of the students journals. Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were not only compassionate and caring teachers, but they were also very creative. This proved to be an important role for both teachers in helping to get through to their students.

        The students found Mr. Keating to be at the very least an interesting fellow - suggesting that he was a bit weird or possibly even crazy, after he came into the classroom whistling and cracking jokes about Shakespeare. He also had the students partake in tearing pages out of their textbooks -telling them that J. Evans Prichard was excrement. The students were so bewildered by Mr. Keating that they decided to look him up as a former student at the school. The students found him in an old yearbook, and asked him about the Dead Poet Society. Once he knew he had their interest - he told them about a place he and the other students used to sneak off to and read poetry. He planted a poetry book for his students to sneak off with - and it didn't take long for them to do just that. This made them feel as though they were a part of something, and gave them courage to explore who they really wanted to be. It made since that Mr. Keating would have to use such strange methods to get through to his students, because he was teaching in a very structured and controlled environment. Unlike the preparatory school that Mr. Keating taught at - Ms. Gruwell was taking on a classroom that had no structure at all. She learned very quickly, if she was going to get through to her students - she was going to have to change her topic of study all together. She used the history of the holocaust to compare the student’s current situations in gangs. The Holocaust caught their attention, and the students wanted to learn more. She then took her students to a museum so they could learn more, and arranged a dinner with survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students. This was one of the many things Ms. Gruwell did to make her students want to learn. Both teachers had to be creative in their classrooms to get their students attention, but they did not have to go beyond the classroom to support their students as they did in both movies.

        Mr. Keating showed support for one of his students "Neil" when he came to him upset because his father wanted him to quit acting. Mr. Keating told Neil that he should tell his father how he really felt about acting - thinking that Neil's father would listen. Mr. Keating brought several of his students to support Neil's role as Puck, in A Mid Summer Nights Dream, but sadly, he realized that Neil hadn't talked to his father at all and that Neil did not have the support of his father. Neil would later go home with his father and try to tell him how he really felt about acting, but his dad told him that he was going to send him away to military school.  Neil knew his father did not care about what he wanted so he found his fathers gun, and committed suicide in his office.  Ms. Gruwell went out of her way on several occasions as well. Perhaps the most selfless act that she did was taking on a second, and then a third job to support her students, and purchase supplies -  this would eventually break up  her her marriage, because she was never home, and her husband felt that he was put on the back burner compared to her students. They took first priority in her eyes. She also offered to give Eva a ride home if she had to stay late, when she was having difficulties with her family because she told the truth in court.

       Creativity, compassion, and the willingness to go above and beyond - are only a few of the many things that made Mr. Keating and Ms Gruwell good teachers, however one must also consider all effects that their alternative methods could have on the students - good and bad. Showing students that it was okay to be defiant, or to act out at the preparatory school, by standing on their desks, or cracking a joke with students after one student received the paddle for taking on a fake phone call - which was disruptive during a serious school meeting - left one student to be expelled for his actions. Ms. Gruwell not teaching her students any traditional classroom methods - may have lead them to difficulties in a college setting- which may have hindered their abilities to succeed in a more structured or traditional classroom setting. We must consider both the positives and the Negatives of every teaching style - as it is our duty as parents and as teachers to see to it that our children will be functioning, and able bodied citizens in our society.

Paper # 2 Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell Beginning Rough draft

      Teachers are said to play one of the most important roles in a child's life - aside from their parents. The impact a teacher can have on a student was demonstrated in many ways throughout the movies "Freedom Writers and Dead Poet Society."  Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were both compassionate, and genuinely cared for their students. They both came up with very creative methods to gain the students interest, and they both went beyond the classroom to support their students.            Although they were both good teachers, neither of them seemed to have regard for the schools current structures; this could have lead to struggles beyond high school, and in a more typical classroom setting.
      The compassion both teachers had for their students was apparent on several occasions throughout the movies. Mr. Keating - an English teacher in the movie Dead Poet Society attended the all boys preparatory school himself. He was aware that students weren't typically aloud to make their own life choices, and he wanted to make it clear from the beginning, that they should  learn to think for themselves - be free thinkers.
He wanted them to believe that passion, romance, and love are what we live for. This implicated that their happiness was important to him. Ms. Gruwell also showed compassion for her students throughout the movie Freedom writers. One of  the many kind things she did for her students, was when she took on a second job to purchase materials. She purchased journals for each of her students, and then encouraged them to write anything they would like to her. She opened the locker that she had told them they could put the journals in, and found that they all had written something. She did not leave the classroom that day until she had read every one of the students journals. Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were not only compassionate, and caring teachers, but they were also very creative. This proved to be an important role for both teachers in helping to get through to their students.
      The students found Mr. Keating to be at the very least an interesting fellow - suggesting that he was a bit weird or possibly even crazy, after he came into the classroom whistling and cracking jokes about Shakespeare. He also had the students partake in tearing pages out of their textbooks -telling them that J. Evans Prichard was an excrement. The students were so bewildered by Mr. Keating, that they decided to look him up as a former student at the school. The students found him in an old yearbook, and asked him about the Dead Poet Society. Once he knew he had their interest - he planted a poetry book for them to sneak off with, and read in the woods. This made them feel as though they were a part of something, and gave them courage to explore who they really wanted to be. It made since that Mr. Keating would have to use such strange methods to get through to his students, because he was teaching in a very structured, and controlled environment. Unlike the preparatory school that Mr. Keating taught at - Ms. Gruwell was taking on a classroom that had no structure at all. She learned very quickly, if she was going to get through to her students - she was going to have to change her topic of study all together. She used the history of the holocaust to compare the students current situations in gangs. The Holocaust caught their attention, and the students wanted to learn more. She then took her students to a museum so they could learn more, and arranged a dinner with survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students. This was one of the many things Ms. Gruwell did to make her students want to learn. Both teachers had to be creative in their classrooms to get their students attention, but they did not have to go beyond the classroom to support their students as they did in both movies.
      Mr. Keating showed support for one of his students "Neil" when he came to him upset because his father wanted him to quit acting. Mr. Keating told Neil that he should tell his father how he really felt about acting - thinking that Neil's father would listen. Mr. Keating brought several of his students to support Neil's role as Puck, in A Mid Summer Nights Dream, but sadly , he realized that Neil hadn't talked to his father at all and that Neil did not have the support of his father. Neil would later go home with his father and try to tell him how he really felt about acting, but his dad told him that he was going to send him away to military school.  Neil knew his father did not care about what he wanted so he found his fathers gun, and committed suicide in his office.  Ms. Gruwell went out of her way on several occasions as well. Perhaps the most selfless act that she did was taking on a second, and then a third job to support her students, and purchase supplies -  this would eventually break up  her her marriage, because she was never home, and her husband felt that he was put on the back burner compared to her students. They took first priority in her eyes. She also offered to give Eva a ride home if she had to stay late, when she was having difficulties with her family because she told the truth in court.
     Creativity, compassion, and the willingness to go above and beyond - are only a few of the many things that made Mr. Keating and Ms Gruwell good teachers, however one must also consider all effects that their alternative methods could have on the students - good and bad. Showing students that it was okay to be defiant, or to act out at the preparatory school - left one student to be expelled for his actions. Ms Gruwell not teaching her students any traditional classroom methods - may have lead them to difficulties in a college setting, which may have hindered their abilities to succeed. We  must  consider both the positives and the negatives of all teaching methods, even if the teachers are perceived to be good.

Sentence correction from first paper

If they had just done this in the beginning I would have been well on the road to my recovery and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments, the government wastes enough money as it is.


I would have been well on the road to my recovery, and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments; if they had just done this in the beginning. The government wastes enough money as it is.

Drafting exercise paper #2 / Beginning theses statement

       Mr. Keating was a good teacher, however I did feel that he had no regard for the structure that the students were used to. He wanted the kids to think for themselves which is something I completely support, but it seemed as though he was steering them in a direction of defiance. Ms. Gruwell was a good teacher as well, but she left me to wonder if her methods were all together correct; I am not sure if they would be able to handle a normal structured teaching environment. Both teachers cared for their students. Both used alternative methods. So the students would enjoy learning. Both teachers helped students outside of the classroom. Both pushed students to succeed.
     
       Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were dedicated, they cared about their students, and they were both willing to adjust their curriculum so they could involve all of their students.

G&P exercises

1. The police officer bit the dog; the cat ran away.   I used a semi colon to connect the fused sentence
2. The cat ran up the tree, so the dog ran home.    I used a coordinating conjunction.   
3. Pat drove to the store, but I went anyway.    I used a coordinating conjunction.
4. We were having fun - they wanted to have fun too.    I added a dash to connect the two.
5. Getting to work is much easier now, because I learned to drive a car.    I added to the sentence and used a comma to pause before finishing.
6. Although Jim had bought a car, we still needed money to pay for insurance.    I added to the subordinate sentence so it wouldn't stand alone.
7. Jimmy played in the sandbox, whereas we had started to play in the swimming pool. I added to the sentence so it would no longer be a subordinate sentence and I added a dash to connect the two.
8. Whether we came home or went on to the store, James was still going to be angry.   I added to the sentence.  So it wasn't a subordinate sentence and added a semicolon to join the two.
9. If I had ten dollars, we could go get ice cream.   I used a dash so I could connect a sentence.
10. Upon arriving at the bank, we found out that we were millionaires.  I used a semicolon to connect the two sentences.  

Compare and Contrast Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell

      Mr. Keating was confident. He was whistling when he walked into the classroom, which got the attention of his student. The students did think he was a little strange at first. One student called him strange.
      Ms. Gruwell was figiting alot on her first day. She kept rewriting her name on the chalkboard and she was unsure of the expression she should have on her face when the students arrived to class. The kids were aware of her lack of confidence and and challenged her confidence as well as her experience.
       Mr. Keating seemed scattered and didn't seem to have much of a structureed learning environment for the students, which is what the students were used to.
       Ms. Gruwell learned quickly that she had to teach the students in a differant way , but she made it clear that they would be learning about the holocaust. I am still not sure what Mr. Keating was teaching the students dirrectly.
       Mr. Keating seemed to have no regard for the structure of the school system, where as Ms. Keating wanted to inforce the schools integrated program, which other teachers and staff didn't show any interest in, nor did they seem to care about the students education.

      

2nd half notes on Freedom writers

You just exercised the point. Swim against the stream. A statement Mr. Keating made to a student who chose not to participate in a lesson he was teaching while marching outside. In a since it feels like he is telling the kids not to conform. Not sure if I feel that is the best way to influence the kids in a school that is all about tradition and discipline. Kids are all doing things that they might not have done before. Tossing a gift off the roof of the school, drinking and putting moves on a girl who has a boyfriend. They do have more courage and are discovering things that they enjoy rather then what others expect them to. This suggests that they are implementing what they are learning from Mr. Keating. To be free thinkers. They start doing things that are a bit destructive and finding that there are consequences. Charlie publishes an article that says they should have girls at the school then during a school gathering stages a phone call from god. He receives severe punishment but will not tell who the dead poet society is. He does not reveal them. The teacher is accused of unorthodox teaching. Mr. Keating says kids should learn the dangers of conformity. That they should think for themselves. School feels that kids should not be able to make their own decisions. Neil chooses to join theater and act in a play against his fathers wishes. His father finds out and tells him he will not make a liar out of him. He has made a lot of sacrifices and his son is not to let him down. Neil goes to Mr. Keating upset about his fathers reaction. Doesn't like that his father is planning his life for him. Mr. Keating tells him he has to talk to his father. Prove to your father your compassion and love for acting. Neil is not convinced his father will approve. Knox goes to school to confess his love to the girl he likes. He walks into her classroom and reads a poem to her. Even though she didn't say anything he was content knowing he did it. Neil tells Mr. Keating he talked to his father and he is letting him stay with acting. He could tell that Neil was not telling the truth, because he was trying to convince himself while lying. Knox takes Chris to the play. Neil does a great job acting in a mid summer nights dream, you can tell he loves what he is doing, people really enjoyed his acting. His father shows up and is angry.  Mr. Keating is clearly sad for Neil. He takes him home after the play and tells him he is sending him off to military school. He tries to tell his father what he wants but his dad tells him to for get this acting business. Neil clams up and won't tell his father how he truly feels. His dad didn't really give him a choice. Neil clearly feels he has no choice in his own happiness, and commits suicide with his dads gun. Mr. Keating and the students are heartbroken. His parents try to place the blame on Mr. Keating so the school forces students to sign a letter to have Mr. Keating fired. They arrive to a structured class. Mr. Keating comes to get his belongings and the students stand on their desks to show him support and that they didn't blame him.

Teachers Similar and Differant

        I found that both teachers cared about their students and took a nontraditional approach to teaching.
For example Ms. Gruwell was seen dancing with her students which assured her bond with them and Mr. Keating was lifted by his students after playing soccer with them during English class. Soccer is not exactly a traditional way to teach English. They both encouraged their students and both went against what the school expected of them. Mr. Keating  encouraging the kids to think for themselves, which from what I could tell was far from the way these kids were being taught.  Ms. Gruwell actually cared enough to teach her students where as the rest of the school just figured the kids would eventually drop out and no longer be the schools problem. I am however conflicted about a few things It was very apparent that Ms. Gruwell had the students best interest in mind when teaching them, but I am not so sure how I feel about Mr. Keating. It felt as though he may have  had his own agenda in mind and had no regard for the schools style of formality. He was only teaching them what he believed to be so "J Evans Prichard is an excrement" or Passion, Romance, Love, is what we live for"  and not giving them the option to learn or think otherwise. It was very apparent however that the students of both teachers formed a strong bond and vise versa.

Teachers similar to Ms. Gruwell and Mr. Keating

     Unfortunately I do not have a teacher to compare to Ms. Gruwell or Mr. Keating. I don not have much of a history in school and what little experience I did have, I do not remember due to past circumstances. This is only my first quarter at the college so I am not comfortable comparing my current teachers in such a short period of time. I will say that the one teacher I feel is the closest to both teachers at this point would be my math teacher. He jokes with the class and tries to make it fun for everyone. I can also say that it is clear to me that all of my current teachers care about their students as did Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell.

How the Schools differ

     In the movie Freedom writers, Woodrow Wilson was a high school in Long beach California where the objective was for kids to become integrated with each other. Instead the kids formed gangs and fought in class. Teachers did not seem to care what happened to these students calling them stupid and claiming that they will eventually just drop out.
     In the movie Dead poet society, Welton Academy was an all boys preparatory school that focused on structure and discipline, preparing students to move on to an Ivy league school. Teachers in this school were opposite of Woodrow Wilson, pushing the students very hard to achieve the highest of standards.    

Dead poet society notes part 1

Preparatory boys school considered to be the best boy school in the united states. The setting seems to be around the late nineteen fifties time frame.  Parents and teachers have high expectations of their kids. School is very structured and students are expected to follow the 4 pillars. Students don't seem to have a choice in their career paths. They are agitated by their parents control. They form a study group. Mr. Keating comes into the classroom whistling. First words are Oh captain my captain. Tells students they can call him by his name or oh captain my captain. Tells students they are food for worms. He seems a bit odd. Wants students to believe they are destined to do great things. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary. Students felt his lesson was a bit creepy. Doesn't seem to have much regard for the school calling it hellton in front of the students. In class he has a student read a section of the book and then had all of the students rip out that section of the book. Stating that J Evans Prichard is an excrement not allowing them to decide for themselves. Only seems to want students to learn what he feels is relevant. Thinking for themselves. Says passion, romance, love is what we live for. Then states a powerful play goes on inside you and you contribute a verse. What will yours be? He wants them to look at things in a different way.  He sets the students up to tear away from the structure and become defiant, by sneaking off to the cave that his group the dead poet society used to go to. The teacher seemed to plant things into the kids heads so they would want to do things his way. Students seem a little conflicted. They know what they are doing is wrong but can not resist the temptation. The teacher plants his old book in a students room for them to read, which suggests he knew he was encouraging them to be defiant. The study group students start doing things that are against what the school and their parents would want. Students don't seem to be doing what they want to in school so it seems that the teacher is just trying to encourage them to do things that make them happy. Tells students just don't let your poems be ordinary. Students seem to really like Mr. Keating and look up to him.

Beginning draft. Paper #2

      At this point I only have one teacher. I will be using Mrs. Gruwell from the Freedom writers  and the other teacher from the next film we watch because I have no memory of my past teachers.
      Mrs. Gruwell was an outstanding teacher, she proved that she would go to great lengths for her students and at almost any cost, including taking on 2 extra jobs to purchase learning materials because she had no support from the school, and demonstrating a huge amount of dedication to her students which would eventually cost her her marriage. She really seemed to care about what the students needed and how she could get them interested in learning. She observed the students and then refused to give up on them or to allow the other staff at the school to shape her opinion of the kids. She instead came up with a solution to make the kids trust her and want to learn. Although there are many great teachers out there, I do believe it is hard to find a teacher with this much dedication and love for there students. I don't even think I would go to the lengths that she did, and I consider myself to be a pretty over compassionate person. I would say that she is rare. She refused to give up on these kids. She quickly came to realize that she had to show authority and demand respect. Once she showed the students that she would not tolerate their mis behavior, they decided to give her a listen. She planned her lessons around the students and there lives, which helped keep them engaged and made them want to learn. She was fun, yet firm, compassionate, creative, and dedicated.
       
 

2nd half notes on Freedom Writers

       Mrs. Gruwell took her students to the museum to learn about the holocaust. The kids were all very moved by what they had learned, particularly about a five year old child that died. The teacher then invited survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students over a nice dinner that she had organized through work at her second job. Speaking with the survivors taught them that they could over come anything. She made the students feel special that day, as they realized that she had done all of that for them. One student states that he can't believe that she did all of that for them.                                                                                                     A student in honors class was disrespected by her teacher because she was black and he felt she should speak on behalf of all blacks. She decided to switch classes. The staff was angry. Students arrive to class. The teacher has students do a toast to celebrate a new beginning . She is trying to teach them that they can learn, and they can change, and they should stand up for themselves. One student reads a heart felt letter to the class about his life,the students stepped forward to show him support and Mrs. Gruwell assures the students that she is there for them and that they are home.   Each students received 4 books that reminded Mrs. Gruwell  of the students . She purchased the books herself. The diary of Ann Frank seemed to have the most impact on the students. She comes home to husband who is rather cruel stating that they are her kind of kids, not learning what normal kids have learn, he is clearly frustrated and seems to feel inadequate next to her and her enthusiasm and will soon leave her.
       Students read the Diary of Ann Frank and are moved by her story. They want to raise money to meet the lady that helped hide her. They worked very hard together and built a strong bond. Eventually the day came and the students got to meet the lady that one student called his hero. She tells students that she is not a hero, anyone can turn on a small light in a dark room, they are all the heroes. (Very Moving)                                Ava does the right thing and tells the truth in court, after a struggle she goes to the teacher for support. It is clear that she has a strong bond with her students and she will do almost anything for them. Students are afraid when they find out that they can't move on with their teacher. They want to fight the administration. Her dad who didn't support her at first, now tells her that she is an amazing teacher that is special and has been blessed with burden, and that he admires her. The staff does not want to let her stay with her students, they seem to want to let them fall back into the cracks to prove that she was not a good teacher and that the students are just stupid.  She tells the students not to lean on her, they made it to their junior year.                         She has students do a final project writing a book with their journals called the freedom writers diary, so they are not forgotten. Eventually they find out that she will get to be with them through their junior and senior year. She eventually moves on to help other school systems implement similar programs.

Is Ms. Erin Gruwell a good teacher?

    After viewing the first half of the film freedom writers, I felt Erin Gruwell was a good teacher. It first became apparent to me after a couple of her students got into a fight in class. Although she was unnerved, she did not give up. Most teachers would have likely high tailed it out the door and never looked back, and I would not blame them, instead she came back the next day only to be greeted with another fight, it was then that she started to observe the actions of these students and I think she realized that no one seemed to care what they were doing, or learning for that matter. You could see the emotion that she was feeling as she came to realize this, anger, sadness, and disappointment. I think it was then that she decided she needed to find a way to get through to the kids because no one else would. She first used the incident with the picture that a student had drawn and passed around the class, making fun of another student. She challenged the students true knowledge of what it meant to be in a gang, and used the opportunity to sneak in a little history lesson. This lesson caught one students attention and he wanted to learn more. Soon her job would consume her life as she started to spend more time focusing on the kids and less time at home. She took on a second job to purchase materials that the school would not supply, which showed her determination to teach these kids. She came up with a way to show the kids their similarities and get them to relate to one another, which showed her dedication. She eventually raised money so she and her dad could take the students on a trip to learn about the holocaust.
     These are just a few examples of what I felt made her a good teacher. It seemed that she would go to great lengths to stand up for these kids and their education, including breaking a few school policies.
       

Freedom writers notes part 1

    Erin Gruwell starts out excited to be a teacher in a new system of integrated students.
She learns quickly that she has no support from the staff as they think the students don't want to learn, and they can just sweep them under the rug because they will all soon give up and stop going.
Students start out with no respect for their teacher. They refer to themselves as being in the dumb class.
Teacher realizes she has no control when students start to fight in the classroom.
It was not what she had expected.  teachers didn't seem to concerned with the (OTHER) students education. She was angry, and says maybe if I teach them.
tries to joke and relate with the kids, still has no control when a fight starts outside. She then observes that their is no ingratiation and nobody cares about the students.
She realizes she has to assert some authority and discusses respect with her students after they are caught passing a hurtful note. She also used this incident to start a discussion about the history of gangs as well as  the Holocaust, which caught the kids attention.
She went to the school hoping to get materials that the kids would be interested in but soon found that she would have no support from the school.

What I feel makes a good teacher

   I have to say that I don't remember my teachers, as my last year in school was in the 6th grade and I don't really have any memories of elementary school. I can however go off of my experience with my children's teachers. My daughter Amanda who is now 19 would likely tell you that her favorite teacher was her fifth grade teacher. What made him a good teacher was his willingness to get to know each student and to build confidence in each of them. He would dance with them at events and joke around with them to make class more enjoyable, but in the long run he also made sure that every student understood what he was teaching, adapting to meet each students need  as" Hassett states in, What makes a good Teacher"   It was very apparent that he loved his job and would go to great lengths for the students in his class and their families if they were struggling. He even moved up with his students from 4th grade to fifth grade so my daughter had him for 2 years in a row. I feel that  teachers can be one of, if not the most influential and important people in a child's life and if they go into their job with that kind of an understanding and build off of it with patience and yet a good structure, we will have good students as well as good teachers.

Audre Lorde's teachers

        I have to say that I really enjoyed Lorde's essay. I found myself wanting to learn more about her life and experience in school although it didn't seem to me that it was very pleasant as "Lorde illustrates her first grade teacher at the catholic school and how stern she was by stating that "she ran the first grade with an iron hand in the shape of a cross". She them moves on to show her teachers feelings of the children stating that "caring for was not always caring about. And it always felt like Sister MPH hated either teaching or little children". Lorde then moves on further to illustrate  what I felt was a lack of confidence that her teacher had in her and an almost demeaning tone which is down right cruel when she placed her sentence paper on the chalk channel. "That was to much coming from a Brownie. Sister Mary of PH frowned. This was to be your own work children," she said. "Who helped you with your sentence, Audre?" she told her she had done it alone, and her teacher then went on to say, "Our guardian angels weep when we don't tell the truth, Audre. I want a note from your mother tomorrow telling me that you are sorry for lying to baby Jesus."
       I could easily go on to describe the many ways I feel that her style of teaching was wrong, but these were different times. I am just thankful that we have so many options these days and our children don't have to be belittled by their teachers.
     

He is stating that schools kill creativity and we need to rethink the principle on which we are educating our children. I highly agree with his findings, however I think there must be a balance between creativity and the structured learning system as well. All children should learn some form of math,english, etc. because it will be used in most life situations at some point.  The arts help to expand more on personality, enjoyment, etc. His style of teaching was interesting. I enjoyed the humor that he used to engage the audience, and help them to relate which he used to his advantage. Once he got their attention, he would make his point. It was effective but a little distractive from the point.   It seems that what he states may be more of an opinion then facts because he doesn't present enough evidence, but he is convincing.

What was main point of ed narrative

The main point of my education narrative was, you can get through anything if you keep an open mind and put in the effort to try to change. At first I was very skeptical about the rehabilitation program They were sending me,  so I didn't think it would do me any good. Once I gave it a shot, It helped me in a big way.

Education narrative final draft. How I learned to live with a painful disability.

                             
Heather Mews
English 101
Professor: Begert                    
                           How I learned to live with a Painful Disability 

Most people who don’t know me on a personal level are unaware of the debilitating pain I am faced with daily. I was midway through my work day - when I had to run an extension cord underneath a sleeper sofa - this was part of my usual routine so I didn't think twice when I  lifted the sofa, and twisted to reach for the cord - it was then that I realized something didn't feel right. I reported the incident, but continued to work with my injury for several more weeks - due to fear of losing the income that I needed to support my 3 children. Little did I know - these actions would soon lead to what is now a very permanent, and painful disability.

After several years of spinal injections, physical therapy, chiropractic care, laser therapy, and massage therapy - basically every form of treatment that did not involve taking drugs - I came to the decision along with several orthopedic surgeons - that surgery would be my best option. Upon making this decision - I was informed that L&I would require me to attend a very extensive pain rehabilitation program before they would allow me to move forward with the surgery. In my opinion - this seemed to be yet another way for them to avoid taking the necessary steps for my recovery. If they had just done this in the beginning - I would have been well on the road to my recovery, and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments. I feel  the government wastes enough money as it is. I had spent an ample amount of time preparing myself for the surgery - so I was not happy about this little adventure they were about to send me on.

It was the beginning of December when I got the call "your rehabilitation program will start on December 11^th, and you will need to stay here for the duration". Not only did I hate the big city, but I felt they had no regard to the fact that they were making me leave my family over the holidays - my dog whom I felt played a huge role in helping me manage my depression, and the comfort of my own home. When I first arrived in Seattle I was angry, and had already formed an attitude that the program they were requiring me to attend - was going to be no more effective than the other treatments I had received prior. The apartment I was to stay in was cold and drab, impersonal, and there were people camped out on the side of the road with their sleeping bags - leaving me with little comfort - as I was by myself. I missed my family immediately, and I just wanted to give up and go home. Little did I know - that attitude was about to change.

The next morning - I was to meet with the doctors, therapists, etc. First I met with the doctor - she performed several tests - after doing so she gave me the opportunity to ask questions about the program, and my injury - you better believe I had questions, and I can assure you there were many. I had every intent on breaking down this little program of theirs, and exposing it for the scam that it was. I also asked her to explain my  injury, and the procedure - this is where the education began. She presented me with an over whelming amount of evidence pertaining to the outcomes of my procedure, and the results were very alarming. I decided it would be a good idea to do some further research on my own. What I found out - supported what she had told me. On average there was only about a 20% chance that a spinal fusion "a metal plate on each side of my spine to secure it" would fix the damage to my spine, and there was a higher risk that it could make me worse in the long run. It would be likely that I would need to have a new fusion to support the next section of my spine, and so on - then by around age of 50 it was possible that I wouldn't be able to walk. It was then that I began to realize "Hmm L&I might actually be looking out for my well being, and not just their pocket books". After learning all of this information - I was still reserved, and not yet willing to make any decisions, but I did have a more open mind.

The next step after meeting with the doctor - was to meet my occupational therapist. They had me perform a series of  tasks as I normally would at home - while videotaping my postures. We then went over the film, and she customized a routine that would help me to better compensate for my injury. This routine would be performed twice daily - as it takes 30 days to build a habit, and would hopefully enable me to perform everyday tasks much easier. My occupational therapist then introduced me to Linda, "my physical therapist" she ran me through a bunch of tests to see what my physical abilities were - so she could customize a plan with realistic goals in mind. I realized early on that she was a lot like me - to the point - no bull, but with a good since of humor. I told her not to put up with my stubborn butt, and to push me as hard as she felt appropriate. She did exactly that, but we laughed our way through the whole process. I noticed the impact that the positive energy had on the other patients - so I began to encourage others, and joke around to lighten the atmosphere. Even the staff was having fun. We also dedicated 30 minutes a day to learning different forms of meditation - which helps to relax the muscles, and take the strain off of my spine. I found that I enjoyed Tai-Chi the most. After meeting with my physical therapist it was time to move on to psychology.

I met with a psychiatrist several times, and attended classes daily - that I found to be very informative. I learned that the effect Pain has on your mental well being, and vice versa was quite significant, and when I started to find alternative ways to do the things I love - I began to live again. On my last day - I met with each of my program leads - so they could assess my progress, and report back to L&I. What a difference from their first assessments of me." Dr. Forseit my psychiatrist" Heather seems to be depressed.  She feels she has let everyone down, and has an unhealthy amount of guilt. The last Day "Dr. Forseit" Heather has played a key role in helping, and encouraging others in their recovery. She has been a model patient. She will be missed.

I continue to stay in touch with the staff at RIW to this day, and can say that my new career choice was influenced by this program. I am studying to be a chemical dependency counselor to help pain patients - as most at some point will become addicted to pain medication. I try to keep up with my home therapy as much as possible, but I would be lying if I said my pain is gone. What I can say - is although I chose not to have the surgery for now - I feel I can live with my disability, and be a functioning, and contributing person in our society - which is enough for me.

Education narrative Rough draft. How I learned to live with a painful Disability

                             
Heather Mews
English 101
Professor: Begert                    
                           How I learned to live with a Painful Disability

Most people who don’t know me on a personal level are unaware of the debilitating pain I am faced with daily. I was midway through my work day staging and inspecting furniture when I had to run an extension cord underneath a sleeper sofa, this was part of my usual routine so I didn't think twice when I  lifted the sofa and twisted to reach for the cord, it was then that I realized something didn't feel right. I reported the incident but continued to work with my injury for several more weeks due to fear of losing the income that I needed to support my 3 children. Little did I know, these actions would soon lead to what is now a very permanent and painful disability.

After several years of spinal injections, physical therapy, chiropractic care, laser therapy, and massage therapy, basically every form of treatment that did not involve taking drugs I came to the decision along with several orthopedic surgeons, that surgery would be my best option. Upon making this decision I was informed that L&I would require me to attend a very extensive pain rehabilitation program before they would allow me to move forward with the surgery. In my opinion this seemed to be yet another way for them to avoid taking the necessary steps for my recovery. If they had just done this in the beginning I would have been well on the road to my recovery and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments, the government wastes enough money as it is. I had spent an ample amount of time preparing myself for the surgery  so I was not happy about this little adventure they were about to send me on.

It was the beginning of December when I got the call "your rehabilitation program will start on December 11^th and you will need to stay here for the duration". Not only did I hate the big city, but I felt they had no regard to the fact that they were making me leave my family over the holidays, my dog whom I felt played a huge role in helping me manage my depression, and the comfort of my own home. When I first arrived in Seattle I was angry and had already formed an attitude that the program they were requiring me to attend was going to be no more effective than the other treatments I had received prior. The apartment I was to stay in was cold and drab, impersonal, and there were people camped out on the side of the road with their sleeping bags, leaving me with little comfort, as I was by myself. I missed my family immediately, and I just wanted to give up and go home. Little did I know, that attitude was about to change.

The next morning, I was to meet with the doctors, therapists, etc. First I met with the doctor, she performed several tests, after doing so she gave me the opportunity to ask questions about the program and my injury, you better believe I had questions and I can assure you there were many. I had every intent on breaking down this little program of theirs and exposing it for the scam that it was. I also asked her to explain my  injury and the procedure. This is where the education began. She presented me with an over whelming amount of evidence pertaining to the outcomes of my procedure, and the results were very alarming. I decided it would be a good idea to do some further research on my own. What I found out supported what she had told me. On average there was only about a 20% chance that a spinal fusion "a metal plate on each side of my spine to secure it" would fix the damage to my spine, and there was a higher risk that it could make me worse in the long run. It would be likely that I would need to have a new fusion to support the next section of my spine, and so on, and then by around age of 50 it was possible that I wouldn't be able to walk. It was then that I began to realize "Hmm L&I might actually be looking out for my well being and not just their pocket books". After learning all of this information, I was still reserved and not yet willing to make any decisions but I did have a more open mind.

The next step after meeting with the doctor was to meet my occupational therapist. They had me perform a series of  tasks as I normally would at home while videotaping my postures, we then went over the film and she customized a routine that would help me to better compensate for my injury. This routine would be performed twice daily, as it takes 30 days to build a habit, and would hopefully enable me to perform everyday tasks much easier. My occupational therapist then introduced me to Linda, "my physical therapist" she ran me through a bunch of tests to see what my physical abilities were so she could customize a plan with realistic goals in mind. I realized early on that she was a lot like me, to the point, no bull, but with a good since of humor so I told her not to put up with my stubborn butt, and to push me as hard as she felt appropriate. She did exactly that, but we laughed our way through the whole process. I noticed the impact that the positive energy had on the other patients so I began to encourage others and joke around to lighten the atmosphere. Even the staff was having fun. We also dedicated 30 minutes a day to learning different forms of meditation, which helps to relax the muscles and take the strain off of my spine. I found that I enjoyed Tai-Chi the most. After meeting with my physical therapist it was time to move on to psychology.

I met with a psychiatrist several times and attended classes daily that I found to be very informative. I learned that the effect Pain has on your mental well being and vice versa was quite significant, and when I started to find alternative ways to do the things I love, I began to live again. On my last day I met with each of my program leads so they could assess my progress and report back to L&I. What a difference from their first assessments of me." Dr. Forseit my psychiatrist" Heather seems to be depressed, she feels she has let everyone down and has an unhealthy amount of guilt. The last Day "Dr. Forseit" Heather has played a key role in helping and encouraging others in their recovery, she has been a model patient. She will be missed.

I continue to stay in touch with the staff at RIW to this day, and can say that my new career choice was influenced by this program. I am studying to be a chemical dependency counselor to help pain patients, as most at some point will become addicted to pain medication. I try to keep up with my home therapy as much as possible, but I would be lying if I said my pain is gone. What I can say is although I chose not to have the surgery for now, I feel I can live with my disability and be a functioning and contributing person in our society, which is enough for me.

The narrative I enjoyed most

                  The Narrative I Enjoyed Most
      I actually had a hard time deciding which narrative  out of my two favorites I enjoyed the most. I found Malcom X's narrative very interesting as he described in depth how he taught himself to read. Even though he was not in an ideal situation, he made the most of it. Which is something I can relate to because I have been in less then ideal situations for the better part of my life, and tried to make the best of those situations. I plan to purchase this book so I can read the whole story. The narrative that was my favorite though was Mike Rose's I just want to be average. First I felt he did an incredible job describing his surroundings, and the people in his narrative, I almost felt as if I was seeing the story through his eyes. (The second drifted through neighborhoods with trees, parks, big lawns, and lots of flowers) Which lead me to to believe it may have been a warm sunny day.  (There was Bill Cobb and Johnny Gonzales, grease- pencil artist extraordinaire, who left Nembutal-enhanced swirls of "Cobb" and "Johnny" on the corrugated walls of the bus. And then there was Tyrell Wilson. Tyrell was the coolest kid I knew. He ran the dozens like a metric halfback, laid down a rap that out rhymed  and out pointed Cobb, whose rap was good but not great-the curse of a moderately soulful kid trapped in white skin.). His description of the characters really brought out their personalities. I could likely break down this whole narrative and point out things that I liked about it, but as I have learned through reading all of the narrative so far, a blog is meant to be more simple and not quite so formal.  This is just my opinion of course.
 

How blogs differ from print books

                             How blogs differ from print books  
I have spent some time rereading the blogs and the book prints after researching the meaning of tone,depth, and style, in the form of writing. It is still all very new to me, but what I can say is oddly, I prefer the book prints over the blogs. The book prints in my opinion paint a larger and more in depth picture, because they give far more detail which then enables me to be more engaged in what they are trying to say, where as the blogs seemed very hurried. I do enjoy that they are a little more toward the point and not quite as serious or formal. Blogs are a great way to deliver information quickly without adding the extra details, (they can add links instead). How I learned to live google free seemed to have a little more serious tone as I felt he was concerned when he realized how much of our information just lingers in cyberspace for almost anyone to get ahold of, yet he had to spend quite a large amount of time retrieving it himself. This did cause me to ponder a bit over the amount of time I spend on google. The print narratives were more enjoyable to me though. I prefer the detail that is given (or the depth) because it allows me to place myself into what ever setting they are trying to portray, and draws me in. The tone to the print narratives Mike Rose and Malcom X were a bit serious and even sad at times, but to me that is what they are trying to relay. They were serious topics.  Mike Rose's Ed narrative angered me. To see that the school system  lacked the skills to educate  these children and really didn't seem to care made me feel anger toward the school, and sadness for the students and their families.                                 

Swimsuit writing activity

                              Swim Suit Writing Activity

A swim suit is an article or articles of clothing that most people wear when the weather becomes warm. When people hear the word "swim suits" most of us think of bikinis, but that's not the case. Swim suits have become very universal and very fashionable. Everyone can find a swimsuit that fits and shows their personality. Swim suits aren't restricted by colors, they come in any color you could imagine and they come in all sorts of styles, from one pieces to speedos. There is uniqueness that can show everyone's personality making them feeling equally comfortable and confident.

With all the unique styles available it is not surprising that swim suites come in many different ways. Even though they all look different they are made out of the same material. They can come in any pattern, color or design imaginable. You can get one in a almost any style you want. However the most common styles are bikini style or one piece. It just depends on how much skin you’re willing to show. All swim suits have the same purpose, which is covering your naughty bits. This is the common goal of all swim suits.  Even though covering is important fashion is becoming just as important.

Swim suits are very fashionable for nowadays. We can say in the fashion world swim suits are a big part in summer season. For women, swim suits come in varieties and women enjoy choosing them. For instance, we hardly see women wear the same style of swim suits on the beach, unless they buy it from the same store. Swim suits can give confidence to whoever is wearing it. Yet, it may motivate someone to be in good shape to wear it too. Swim suits are not just made to be stylish; it can warm our bodies when we are swimming. For example, no one would like to swim naked in the cold water. They would rather wear it even if it is just a bikini. Swim suits could be fashionable in the sports world too. They pay a lot of attention to what design of swim suit is great for sports. It’s not just about looking good it’s about expressing your personality as well.

I feel a swim suit can almost always shape ones first impression of an individual. For instance someone wearing a swimsuit with polka dots or bright colors may have a very open and upbeat personality where as someone wearing a swimsuit in one solid color might be more reserved. I feel the same goes for a 1 piece or a 2 piece suit. A 1 piece might reveal that you prefer to keep to yourself or that you are guarded. A 2 piece in my opinion states that you are more comfortable with yourself and may be more open or comfortable with your surroundings.  Although swim suites do many different things we can all agree on one thing that there is one for everyone.

My feelings about a swimsuit

        I feel a swim suit can almost always shape ones first impression of an individual. For instance someone wearing a swimsuit with polka dots or bright colors may have a very open and upbeat personality where as someone wearing a swimsuit in one solid color might be more reserved. I feel the same goes for a 1 piece or a 2 piece suit. A 1 piece might reveal that you prefer to keep to yourself or that you are guarded. A 2 piece in my opinion states that you are more comfortable with yourself and may be more open or comfortable with your surroundings.

Explore/ Examine How I learned to live with a painful disability

                     How I Learned to live life with a painful Disability

                                                       Explore/Examine.

       Most people who don't know me on a personal level are unaware of the debilitating pain I am faced with daily. I was midway through my work day (staging and inspecting furniture) when I had to run an extension cord underneath a sleeper sofa, this was part of my usual routine so I didn't  think twice when I lifted the sofa and twisted to reach for the cord, it was then that I realized something didn't feel right. I reported the incident but continued to work with my injury for several more weeks due to fear of losing the income that I needed to support my 3 children. Little did I know, these actions would lead to what is now a very permanent and painful disability. After several years of spinal injections, physical therapy, chiropractic care, laser therapy, massage therapy, (basically every form of treatment that did not involve taking drugs) I came to the decision along with several orthopedic surgeons, that surgery was my best option. Upon making this decision I was informed that L&I would require me to attend a very extensive pain rehabilitation program before they would allow me to move forward with the surgery. In my opinion this seemed to be yet another way for them to avoid taking the necessary steps for my recovery.  If they had just done this in the beginning I would have been well on the road to my recovery and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments. Needless to say, I had spent a lot of time preparing myself for this surgery including quitting smoking after 20 plus years so I was not happy about this little adventure they were about to send me on.
     It was the beginning of December when I got the call ( Your rehabilitation program will start on December 11th and you will need to stay here for the duration) Not only did I hate the big city, but I felt they had no regard to the fact that they were making me leave my family over the holidays, my dog whom I felt played a big part in helping me manage my depression, and the comfort of my own home. (How dare they)! When I first arrived in Seattle I was angry and had already formed an attitude that the program  they were requiring me to attend was going to be no more effective than the other treatments I had received prior. The apartment that I was to stay in was cold and drab, impersonal and there were people camped out on the side of the road with their sleeping bags, leaving me with little comfort, as I was by myself. I missed my family immediately, I just wanted to give up and go home. Little did I know. that attitude was about to change.
      Jumping forward for a bit. On my last day I had to meet with each of the program leads so they could assess my progress and report back to L&I.What a difference from their first assessments of me. Dr. Forseit my psychologist ( Heather seems to be depressed she feels she has let everyone down, and has an unhealthy amount of guilt ). The last day Dr. Forseit (Heather has played a key roll in helping and encouraging others in their recovery, she has been an inspiration and a model patient. She will be missed.

     

Thoughts on how I learned to love traveling Solo

                                             

              My thoughts on How I Learned To Love Traveling Solo!

    In my opinion, How I learned To Love Traveling Solo is a great read if you are looking for tips on traveling solo. However I am not sure that she touched on what I expected to be the main topic, (how I learned). It may be that I was focused more on her title then her opening paragraph , so I think I will have to explore that more in class and in our text.

        

        She started her blog by telling us a little bit about herself, and how she felt traveling solo. ( It was scary to set off by myself), moving on to explain why she likes to travel solo. Next she told an interesting story about an experience she had. ( I ate some poorly labelled peanut sauce, had an allergic reaction, and then got ripped off by a corrupt cabbie. This drew me in! Like in the Mike Rose's  Ed nar when he described some of his experiences in the class room or things he observed on the bus.  It made it easier for me to relate.

        In prior narratives they offered examples of how they implemented what they were learning. They also told us how they came to find this information (details). I felt Caty Huston did so as well, but I am not sure what makes her advice valid, as she offered no supporting evidence other then her word and experience. It also seemed apparent that she was lacking paragraph hooks (a device used to connect one paragraph to another smoothly) as defined in section 34 of our text Writing Simplified. I am still learning how to identify these details in our reading assignments, but it felt like she jumped from one paragraph to the next without a clear connection. I did however find that her transition from her topic sentence gave good examples of the main point. 

        Over all I enjoyed her narrative, and  feel that I took a lot away from exploring the examples in our text and comparing to others we have read so far. I am finding this exploration to be very helpful in preparing and understanding how to complete my first assignment.