Review on Class April 30th

 Today we had our LLA lecture with the best ELA teacher to exist, Rab. winkwink
Anyways, Rab basically explained to us how the media was controlled. The medias are all going after one thing only and that is money. They would do anything to get a few extra dough, even if it meant exaggerating the news to get more ratings or editing bits of it to make their sponsors satisfied. This reminded me of the one time my old high school was on the news. An incident occurred in our school and I remember news reporters being everywhere. Because I was  a student there, I was told the actual story. However, when I saw the news air at night, I noticed how the media completely distorted the story. I finally realized then and there, how the media worked. The media didn't need the actual story, they just wanted 'a story', one that would sell, one that would make them look good. Just as it is said in the movie Citizen Kane,  the people will think, the way the media wants them to. It is such a frightening statement but nothing could be more truly said. During the Arab Spring as well, Gaddafi was conclusively killed. In the media, we saw numerous videos and pictures showing the Libyan people chanting and celebrating his death. However, did you know that he actually did good for his country and continent? Of course he was a dictator who controlled the people's lives, slaughtered many Libyans and commit other horrible actions as well but what people don't know is that he actually saved a lot of Libyans from poverty. Gaddafi was one of the few African leaders to try making an African based bank for the gold and mines that could be taken from the land there. Now, because the US and other western countries wanted complete control of it, Gaddafi was pictured as a complete threat.

 Now with the internet prevailing and convenient social networking sites, it is as if the media has taken its turn for being a more democratic source. However, after hearing about how the comment section was completely shut down when Margaret Thatcher passed away and about Gaddafi's other half of the story, it just makes you wonder. Also, I've heard that there are several fake twitter accounts and facebook accounts that come out as being normal civilians' but actually are of people from companies or the media trying to spread rumors and sometimes call out for a protest.

This all leads to one certain question, then what should I believe? Whether we like it or not, this world is full of lies. We just need to critically examine and contrast every single information to get as close as we can to the truth.

Review on Class April 29th

1. How to sign up for tutorials

2. Points on Previous Blogs

3.Discussions
  a) Why would the textbooks write that Columbus was the first man to discover that the earth was round when it was so easy to prove he wasn't?
   
     Even if a lot of other sailers had known that the earth was round, there is no denying that Columbus's expedition itself did prove it. Also, the textbooks probably exaggerated a bit just because they wanted to make Columbus, the man who 'discovered' the great america, an even bigger heroic figure.
 
b) What culture do you think dominates yourself?
 
 This was a very interesting topic to discuss. I moved to the states when I was one years old and came back when I was just about to turn seven. Even though my stay there was not comparatively a long time, because I was at such a young age, my roots are rather American than Japanese. Sometimes I have trouble understanding the ways and culture of the Japanese society. However, if someone were to tell me that I would suddenly be moving to America for good, that would honestly intimidate me.  The tricky part of being a returnee is that we don't have a particular country that we feel is our home. We can love America but we will never be true Americans. We can live in Japan and also have a Japanese nationality but never love the country itself. My group members were talking about how there exists a returnee-culture. Returnees tend to have issues understanding their identities and never feel like they fit in. That kind of feeling and ways make up a whole new culture itself.

c) You cannot judge people based on the standards of today.

 If there were a segment on this blog that said quote of the day, this would be it. We cannot criticize people for having a biased opinion without putting some thought into what kind of age this person was living in. A great example of this would be a controversial topic that is being discussed still today; gay marriage. I remember the one time I asked my friend in Japan how she felt about it. She simply said that she thought it was disgusting. Now, I have no intentions on criticizing her for it was the way she was raised and the way the Japanese society is. However, 100 years from now (maybe 200), when hopefully gay marriage is legalized in every part of the world, people might criticize my friend for having such a view when in reality, it was completely normal at the time to think that way.
 All in all, we cannot think of every data as contemporary and need to dig a little deeper to understand each situation.


   
   

Lies My Teacher Told Me Chapter 2

 I still recall the time I went on this Columbus-experience-boat when I visited Boston as a child. A man wearing a black costume with a hat on his wig escorted us on to a boat and started talking about 'his' discovery of a new land. I remember the rushing feeling I got that was quite similar to one that you get when meeting Mickey Mouse at disney land. You know he's not the real deal but still, you've heard about him only in stories and go through a starstruck like experience.

Although throughout my high school history classes I gradually found about how Columbus was not the very first person to discover America, I did not know about the horrific treatment the Native Americans were receiving and after reading the second chapter, I was completely distraught.

"Transform Columbus Day Alliance: Transform Columbus Day." Transform Columbus Day Alliance: Transform Columbus Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2013.

In actuality, what frightened me more than Columbus himself was the consequences of his actions. Columbus was one of the many to encourage slaverism and genocides of Native Americans and Africans. Those actions connect to the common belief of superiority amongst the white that still resides with us today. The idea of the whites being the 'leaders' is too common that we never think to question it. Well, maybe not never but still, it is as if that was the way things were when we became humans and the term 'race' was born. It is certainly a vicious circle. The textbooks don't give us the full story so we never realize that there is a hidden information that connects to the current situation that must be questioned. 

 To me, Christopher Columbus was much more than a historical figure. He was a symbol of the great America. Now, I finally realize that he is not the symbol but one of the factors that create this perhaps mythical 'great America.' 

Review on Class April 26th

  During yesterday's class, we learned how to use google reader and feedly. It's such a shame to hear that google reader is going to be discontinued since it is such a useful site and I just found out about it.

 Anyways, later on, we watched a video of a woman dancing either clockwise or anti-clock wise. To me, it seemed as if the woman was randomly switching the direction she was moving in the center. I don't know if this proves that I have no control of my brain's functioning but it was certainly a 'weird' experience. 

 Next, we looked up some stereograms. I understand the fact that Rab was trying to teach us that we need to change the angle and how we look at things to actually see what is actually hidden there, but it was honestly very frustrating for me, simply because of the fact that it took me twice the time of everybody else to see what was there in every picture. My brain probably isn't as flexible as I thought it was. haha

 Lastly, we looked up two other videos on Youtube. One was called 'Mother of All Funk Chords' and the other was a fan made cover of 'Angels on the Moon' by Thriving Ivory. It was amazing to watch the first video since every different clip blended so well together. I was extremely surprised to hear that every clip was of someone playing a different song. The second video was nice but it was just a combination of one too many things, but might I add, I fell in love with the song, itself. Anyways, I loved how Rab taught us in a metaphorical sense that we need to make information and writings integrate well to make one final piece good. I will probably think back on this lesson when we have group projects later on during the semester. 

Extra

 After I started browsing through others' blogs using feedly and google reader, I found out about how others are posting cool pictures and videos. I would like to join them by posting this cool video of Obama singing Call Me Maybe. haha
I guess it is related to the lesson we learned today since it is a well combined video of different clips. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX1YVzdnpEc

Have a nice weekend everybody. 

Review on Class April 24th

Discussions

1. Hellen Keller and Socialism
2. Woodrow Wilson
3. Overall Review on Chapter 1

Extra: Is Japan a democracy?

1. Hellen Keller and Socialism
 My original stance towards Loewen's take on Helen Keller was very critical. Since there is a general idea that Americans hate socialism, I immediately thought that Loewen was trying to use that for his own good; to create surprise and despair among the people who read his book. However, after the discussion, I finally realized that I was being too critical or should I say cynical that I was blinding myself from looking at the bigger picture. Loewen was simply trying to tell us that there is always another side to the story. The chart that Rab showed us today was very intriguing. There are both bad points and good points for both A and B but when you delete the bad points of A and the good points of B then automatically A would turn out to be superior to B. This happens everyday in our lives; whether its the news or us just trying to explain why we couldn't finish our home work.  We just need to understand the fact that every opinion is biased and in what way that is.
 
2. Woodrow Wilson
We did not have much time to discuss Woodrow Wilson and also, people who lived outside of America did not know much about him. However, we did agree on the fact that we were surprised to learn that he was such a racist president. Just like the story about Margaret Thatcher recently, if the media or any powerful source tries to shield information, the people will not even know what they don't know.

3. Overall Review on Chapter 1
 I think in this chapter, Loewen did succeed on convincing me that we really do need to doubt textbooks. Perhaps I was being a bit too apprehensive about the fact that Loewen might be the one trying to brainwash me with these new information. In more simple terms, Loewen is trying to tell us what Rab told us today; that it is impossible to write the full story in a book. From then on, we need to be cautious of what piece of information did the author exclude or include for his own good.

Extra: Is Japan a democracy?
 I honestly do not think there is a country where democracy itself exists. However, I do believe that Japan is 'more democratic' than a lot of other countries. Of course at times I do feel like my rights are being violated. For example, during the Fukushima disaster, there were numerous protests going on around the whole country. Yet, the government decided to reactivate another nuclear plant. Wait, I thought the government represented the people and the people are clearly saying....
Still, looking at the Arab Spring and the poor poor malnourished children of North Korea, I do feel like I have a lot more of a say and also, a lot more information about my country because in many of the 'undemocratic' countries, the people barely have information of what exactly is happening in their country and moreover around the world.

Review on Class #3 April 23rd -LLA with Rab-

 Today we learned the key points of giving a presentation. During my high school years, there were many times where I had to give presentations or speeches in front  of the class. However, after taking today's class, I finally realize how little I had known about public speaking.
 Steve Jobs, Dan Pallotta, my high school english teacher and Rab; these are the people I look up to when it comes to public speaking. They all seem so confident and sure of what they want to say. It's not just the way they talk but also the way they stand, the way they move and the words they use. After I once watch them give speeches or presentations, it just seems so easy, but the second I stand in front of a crowd, I forget everything I thought I should be careful about.
 At the end of the day, I guess it all comes down to how much experience you have and how much you've practiced. I hope during this term, I not only improve in my writing and reading but also my public speaking abilities;)

Review on Class #2 April 22nd -The Wonders of Zotero-

 Although I had heard of Zotero before, I never actually had the chance to use it.  Today, we learned just how useful and efficient it is to cite your sources by using Zotero.  I remember citing every source one by one during my high school years. Now, I realize just how much time I was wasting. With Zotero, the process would be a lot more easier and faster with a lot less work.
 However, I am a bit worried if I will be able to handle Zotero. I honestly thought I was one of those people who were good with computers and new technology but ever since I met this gmail account, I have lost confidence and that has affected my stance towards Zotero as well. I am certain that once I get used to all of this, Zotero and this gmail account will become my best friends but hearing today that everything we learned during class about zotero was only 10 % of its actual abilities, I feel like I have a long road ahead. For now, as Rab said, we just have to play around with it to get used to it.

Lies My Teacher Told Me Chapter 1

 First of all, I was very surprised to find out that Helen Keller was a devoted socialist. In my junior high school, our class actually read a play based on Helen Keller’s life but not once was her favor for socialism brought up in discussion.  If it had not been for this book, my image of Helen Keller would have forever been just a blind and deaf woman who overcame her disabilities, which is a great lesson alone but now I realize how her life was much more than that. Second, Woodrow Wilson was always a man who represented peace to me. He advocated the 14 points in order to create the League of Nations. Now I realize how wrong I really was. The president's decision to invade Latin America and to intervene in Russia's civil war was far from world peace and possibly and probably connects to the instability of many regions that are still at war today. 

 It is as if the people who created these high school textbooks divide each hero or historical figure's roles; Helen Keller as the woman who overcame her disabilities and Woodrow Wilson as a great example of how America led the world to peace after the world wars. Any information that might intervene with their purposes shall be erased from history. However, textbooks do not make history. History makes textbooks. That is the way it is supposed to be. The first chapter taught me just how easy it is for textbooks and teachers to create history and manipulate the way we think. It is certainly terrifying. 

Review on Class #1 April 19th

Discussions

1.    Religion and Beliefs

2.    Authors are all American, does that make the text biased?

3. Is ICU subversive?

4.Is it possible to incorporate this textbook to present day japan?

5. Overall

1. Religion and Belief

 When you think of religion as simple as a belief then the hypothesis may make itself out to be true. However, religion is much more complex and different that we need to distinct it from other beliefs.

 For instance, the question to whether Jesus Christ actually existed is impossible to answer with logical explanation. Some people believe he did and actually worship him while some cast doubts. As Take explained during our discussion, religion is a spiritual matter and we cannot discuss a spiritual matter the same way as we discuss laws and politics. To simplify matters, lets say I killed a friend. Why is that bad? Of course we know it’s wrong to kill a person but there is no logical explanation towards it. It is because of our morals and our feelings that we cannot seem to explain in simple words.

 All in all, I do not think that Meiland is contradicting himself by being a Christian and also necessitating proof and reasons because the two are completely different matters.  

2.    Authors are all American, does that make the text biased?

 Overall, the content seemed very western. Unlike ICU, most colleges in Japan do not conduct office hours (mentioned in 1-27) nor do they have an environment where students feel free to ask questions during class (mentioned in 1-25) what with over 100 students in one classroom. In a general sense, the suggestions written in the text may be the ideal way one student should perceive college but it is not applicable to all colleges. 

3.    Is ICU subversive?

 The ideal answer would be no but at the same time I also think that it is impossible for any institution to not be subversive. Every institution has a purpose and ICU has one as well. As written in the homepage of ICU, the ICU’s purpose is ‘cultivating capable individuals, educated as internationally minded citizens, who will serve both God and people and who will contribute to lasting peace.’ Just as Rab stated, all professors who are tenured have to be Christians. This contradicts to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which we all signed, but if we think about this for a moment and imagine ICU where all tenured professors didn’t have to be Christians, then we could easily see that it is possible for every professor in ICU to become atheists. This would be a problem since ICU’s purpose is to cultivate individuals who will serve both God and people.

 ICU is an amazing university where people respect each others’ differences but even an institution like this, is subversive.

4. Is it possible to incorporate this text to present day Japan?

 It seems impossible at the moment. As Rab stated his experiences in other colleges, the educational system in Japan is being left behind other colleges around the globe. However, it is not just about the educational system but it is also about the kids as well. Say the Japanese government decided to higher the budget for colleges and improved the systems; would the kids be ready for it? These kids spent 12 years in classrooms taking very passive classes and had always perceived studying as a ‘memory challenge.’ Also, in general, Japanese college students have a low motivation towards learning at college. They think of the four years at college as a ‘summer break from their lives’ as Yuka stated. Some say college is merely the process of getting a job.

 If we are going to change the ways of colleges, then we have to change the students who will be learning there, which leads to the idea that we need to change the educational system from a young age. We need more active education in elementary schools, Junior high schools and high schools. Finally, we need a different entrance exam system for colleges.

 If we are able to achieve all of the above then it may be possible to incorporate the text to Japan but it seems unlikely that the educational systems will be changing in Japan anytime soon.

5.    Overall

Overall, the class was very thought provoking and made me think up to the point to say that ICU was subversive. It is strange to be saying that since a few months ago, I basically worshipped this school and was willing to do anything to pass the test but here I am now, calling this school subversive. However, I think this is one of the best things of the ELA classes and other classes at ICU as well. They let you be critical and actually find these contradictions externally as well as internally. I am excited to see what the rest of the classes brings to me.