For Dad: just writing

The music of my childhood
makes the memories start.
I know you do not know this
but it always hits my heart.
So many that have come and gone
time they took from me.
Gone just like a mistress
leaving you and me.
I have not forgotten
the good times and the bad.
I love the music in your heart
for it's what makes you Dad.
I love you more than anything
I have music too.
It makes up part of who I am
and that its part of you.

Through: not assigned just writing

Through

While lying here in bed
 my thoughts have turned to you.
I'm thinking of how glad I am
for having all this room.
You once were such a part of me
and now we are all through.
If by chance you think of me
I'd have to say, "You're screwed!"
You've taken all you will from me
brought crazy to my room.
Why don't you just fly away
upon her whisk of broom.
You see I am different now
my heart not filled with gloom.
I have found a place without you
clear of all the doom.
I can finally say,"I was mistaken"
the faults are all on you.
So slink away quietly
for that is what you do.
I have gladly wiped you away
like a piece of shite on my shoe.

self evaluation of task three

• What is the thesis for your paper? My thesis for this paper was education and how important it is. I stress how being a nerd should be what we aspire to be. My thesis statement was, "I spent more time getting ready in one morning, than I did on my homework the whole year." 
• List the main points you make in your paper. I described my high school studies or lack there of and compared them to my friends and others. I also touched on the idea of having some social skill classes in lower grades and putting more emphasis  on acedemics than sports and other activities.

• What was the most helpful advice you received from your peer evaluation? Everything from grammar, sentence structure and mistakes in my quotes.

• What was the most helpful information you received in class for your paper? Once again, everything, you lead and I follow. I would like to say that the tests for this class are very helpful. I like that you get an idea of what other students have done and when you see some mistakes in the book itself, it makes you feel like you don't have to be perfect. It makes me less afraid to just put myself out there and see where it goes.

• How many drafts of this paper do you think you wrote and how/when did you write them? For example, did you compose at the keyboard, did you write lots of notes to yourself, did you pre-write or outline, did you write in small chunks of time or sit down and produce an entire draft at one sitting? I usually write down some ideas and then just spill all out at one time on the keyboard. This task however, got me a little. I got half way through my paper and just went blank, I couldn't go any farther. I woke up the next morning a did a little more. a together, total time at keyboard, I would say was six times.

• What would you do differently with this paper to make it more effectively, or what did you try to do that you just don’t think you got a good handle on? I had trouble pulling it together, I didn't have problems with ideas and situations, I had trouble putting me in it. I don't know,does that makes sense.

• What are most pleased with about this paper? I think, a small think by the way, that I improve each time I write something. I am not sure. I am scared to death of task four.

Analysis: "America Need Its Nerds"

     In Leanoid Fridman's, "America Needs Its Nerds", he makes some good points. What really got my interest was when he spoke of "importing our scientists and intellectuals from abroad." pg 210 He then says, "America's culture has not adapted to the demands of our times, to the economic realities that demand a highly educated workforce and innovative intelligent leadership."pg 210 Is it any wonder that companies are choosing to do more business overseas, to me this explains it. I have to admit that I am guilty of this "nerd/geek" attitude myself and I have to say I am ashamed. Is this a way that we protect ourselves from embarrassment, by pointing a finger and laughing at someone that truly has something no else has, a mind and intelligence, not Gucci or Channel, it really is something to think about.

task three, reflection

     I am not sure yet where my focus is, all of this touches me, Leonid Fridman's "America Needs Its Nerds" and "In praise of the F Word", grabbed my attention the most. Kozel interests me greatly, however, I think there is to much information there to be examined. I could do a lot of research for this one, in fact, I talked to my son's science teacher briefly on the subject and there is to much to put in an essay. I am still thinking about it. I am thinking about going large and using both of these essays.

Analysis of one aspect Kozel examines

     I find it very disturbing that in the school system there are so called professionals sleeping in class, while there students are left to "talk quietly." pg 50 Kozel "Savage Inequalities" To me this has nothing to do with the location of the school or the funds it takes to run it. It is an injustice that should be stopped. I think the blame lies entirely on the teacher and the head of that school system. In reading this text, I was so surprised and I found I was more than a little naive about how some of our children live. I have always been an advocate for our children and I will remain to be. This book is just opening my eyes to how bad it is, granted this was several years ago, however, things have more than likely not improved. When he spoke of the teacher holding the baby in the middle of the classroom and her approach to education, I wondered where this school was and then to find out that she was just down the hall from the other 5th grades class rooms I was astonished. How is this not child abuse? My heart hurts for those little ones. How do the children feel being in a classroom with such disruption when right down the hall is a teacher with love and goodness in her heart. I wonder if they feel "not chosen" or somehow wronged by not being in that classroom. It is no wonder the world is the way it is. This just enforces my opinion that it starts at home and I am including the teachers upbringing.

Response to question for task three

     Teacher, Mother, Friend, Child are all subjects you can learn from. If you participate and are active in the world, you will find that you are taught many things daily. The traditional role of student and teacher would be a person in front of the classroom, sharing  knowledge they have with someone. In turn, the person they are sharing with is to take in the knowledge and learn what it is that is being said, done, etc.
      I like the thought of learning from everyone, I am sure that even the "teacher" learns things from students. I know I have learned from my girlfriends, things not to do on dates, places to go and even who not to go with. My son helps me sometimes with my homework and he definitely educates me on the drama at school, I get an update every night. My mother has taught me to cook, clean, do my finances and to work hard. She has also taught me faith and love. My teachers have taught me that a mind is amazing. It can dream, put you in the book you are reading and it never runs out of room for information. I have been the teacher, I have been the student and I love both roles.