Tracy+Byrne

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Reading out loud helps me learn. Writing lots of notes as I'm listening also helps me learn. I hate working with computers in the classroom :) Outside of the classroom, I like cooking, traveling, and learning from my friends and our experiences together. I'd like to learn the similarities and differences between my colleagues and myself.



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Byrne Reading Response

Starbucks Observations

In Chapter 3 I think Nathan started doing a better job looking at the less obvious points, and also observing things that may be different now than when she was in college the first time. I think that Nathan makes extremely valid points when discussing non-participation being a problem on college campuses. This is something that I have seen first-hand during my university experience. I was a little surprised to find that the University (ANYU) that she was attending wasn’t very interested in Greek life. There was even a quote throughout that specific passage that mentions kids didn’t want to “conform” or, “give up their lives”. I think that although some people at Bloomsburg may agree, a large percentage of college freshman here decide to rush a fraternity or sorority to feel more welcomed and fit in. I think both aspects make complete sense. The best part about this chapter, or the most sensible part for me, was when Nathan was making the comparison about how not only in college life but in American society as well, the things that keep us connected (such as clubs, sororities) are sometimes the things that make us feel trapped. Nathan later goes on to make some valid points about college students wanting to remain with their own clique. I agree fully with this as well. Although living in dorms is supposed to provide some sense of community, more often than not people meet their “friends” within the first couple weeks of school, and have no interest in meeting any “new” people after their other important relationships have already been established. It’s sad but true!

Questionnaire

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(ROUGH DRAFT 2/15)

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(What does it mean to be well-educated...Reading Response)







This is an example of a satire, because in the first example (before) you can see that there are people of different races. The second example, everyone is in yellow, so you can no longer tell the races of the individuals.

(WHAT A COLLEGE DEGREE MEANS TO EMPLOYERS)

I believe that the purpose of an education is to help a person realize who they truly are. We all know that the math, science, and literature that you learn in a classroom is important in order to expand your knowledge; yet the knowledge that you receive from education as a WHOLE is more important than anything else. By this I mean that education doesn't necessarily have to come from a high school, or a college, or a graduate class. Being educated means having the inspiration to always be a better person. Maya Angelou's famous quote, "When you know better, you do better," has shaped my education, because this means that I will never stop learning. Once you are taught something, you have no excuse not to apply that in which you learned to your whole life! Moreover, my mistakes that I have made in my life- betraying people close to me, feeling invincible- have brought me to my lowest points, yet these have also shaped me and taught me more about my life than any classroom lecture could have. To be educated, I think, means that you should be able to TEACH people what you have been TAUGHT by others. Again, being able to live productively by what you have learned from the world, not just from a classroom. Good and bad experiences in life will teach you different things. Good and bad teachers will teach you different things. Falling down and getting back up will always teach you something. I think EVERYTHING in life has a meaning or a purpose, and that is to teach. No matter what, education to me, is one of the most important things in life. We all owe ourselves the ability to gain as much knowledge and life experience as possible while we are here on this earth, and we owe it to others to teach what we have learned!
 * TELL STEP 1**

//This piece meant a lot to me because as we've been talking about education in class, it didn't even occur to me to bring up that being educated means CHANGING oneself. The power of education is incredible, as seen is Oatmans case. When I wrote about education (above) I thought a lot about the abstract things that education means. I seemed to have forgotten that education in the form of knowledge has just as much power as education in the form of shaping who you are. Knowledge in itself can shape who you are, and learning even just one simple thing can change your life forever. Oatman said that he has learned the benefits of "research and reading, of debate and listening," so maybe THAT is what it means to be educated- realizing that these things have power over who you are.// //I liked how this began with questions about what makes a person smart, and then she goes on to say that if you abuse your knowledge, it may be all for nothing. Again, this is something that I hadn't necessarily thought about in this way before. People can spend thousands of dollars on a "good" education, and they may be considered to be "smart", but if you don't use that education in a positive and productive way, are you really that smart at all? Her nona is a perfect example of this, since she had almost no education at all yet chose to learn, not only for herself, but learn for others around her so that she would eventually be able to teach her granddaughter things of importance. To me, that's the best kind of smart there is...with or without an expensive education.// //Laycock is clearly using his education in a positive way, and teaching what he has learned in his life to his students who need guidance. He talks about how every day is a spiritual struggle for him, yet he has obviously found his passion and his place in life if he's helping his students in their spiritual struggle. I enjoyed that he was never scared of these "at-risk" students that were seen to some as dangerous. Laycock looked passed all of this and clearly saw the good in his students. It seems that this is a smart approach at both teaching and learning-breaking down the boundaries that you may be afraid of!!!!// // (REVISED!) (4/7/11)//
 * Admittance to a Better Life- Michael Oatman.... (READING RESPONSES)**
 * THIS I BELIEVE..**
 * LIFE IS A SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE**



After reading the first chapters of //A Hope in the Unseen// and //Hunger for Memory//, it is obvious to me that there are very different types of education. These two stories were also told from very different perspectives. I found it incredibly sad that Cedric was scared to be honored for his achievements because people were clearly jealous of his intelligence. There should be no reason to be ashamed about being smart or trying to do the best with your education. The autobiography of Richard Rodriguez was moving to me because of the things that he overcome. My favorite quote from the preface says, “It is education that altered my life. Carried me far.” This is so powerful because he knows what his life would have been like had he not had a good education. He appreciates his education and therefore did something good with it because of the hardships that he overcame. Being a Hispanic-american during his time here was difficult, but Rodriguez clearly learned quickly.
 * READING RESPONSE**