For the Film-Based Project I worked by myself. Personally, I think that I wasn't as productive as I was in the past. I feel that I work better with others rather than alone. Working alone wasn't my best idea because when I work alone I tend to get distracted a lot easier. The most difficult part of my writing process was getting the project started and making it interesting. The movie Step Brothers is a very hard movie to write about because of how immature and scattered it is. I found it hard to write in a mature and professional manner when the movie itself is far from that. I tried my best to overcome this obstacle by incorporating my own personal experiences that related to the movie to add humor to the writing. I started this project in class the day it was due. I finished it minutes before the deadline was up. This was a horrible approach however, since I have been so busy this was the only time I was able to do it. When I started the project in the classroom I felt I got a lot of the project completed because I didn't have many distractions around me. I finished my project at my kitchen bar. Both of these locations was much better then trying to complete my assignments in my bedroom. I chose to write about the way parenting can affect children and their emotional state. I used personal experiences that I have witnessed to back up my argument and try to persuade the audience. I know that I have to work on time management for many obvious reasons. Also, I know that in the future working with others helps with the productivity of my assignments and helps to keep me on track.
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In Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset Research Dweck goes on to explain ways to change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. The first method is to praise a student on their effort alone rather than only praising them on their successes. Another method is giving kids a challenge to get them thinking. However, with this the teacher must problem solve and strategize with the students. Using feedback is another good method so that the students know what their strengths and weaknesses are.
In The Perils of "Growth Mindset Education" it goes on to explain how in school as students we are crammed with forgettable information. However, the quality of education can be improved. If the students become more engaged and interested in their work, improvements will be recognized. To do such a thing, adopting the right attitude is a huge part of this. The students must think optimistically and learn to not put themselves or others down. A fixed mindset is the most common and the most harmful. It is the belief that you are either good or aren’t good at something with no in between. They also believe that a fixed mindset is based on your inherent nature, because you are who you are. Basically a person with a fixed mindset doesn’t look to improve themselves because they feel that it’s no use. A growth mindset is the belief that there is always room for improvement. Growth Mindsets believe that our abilities are proven through our actions and practice makes perfect. As a college student I would say I now have more of a growth mindset. In high school I was absolutely described as having a fixed mindset. I was never open to new ideas or methods and never fixed my approaches even if I failed. However, in college my fixed mindset changed into a growth mindset. I became more positive and I try to turn every negative situation into a positive situation. I am now open to feedback to improve my work so that I can succeed as a college student. In the article of teaching adolescents to become learners (Chapter 5 pg. 28-38). I read up on all four types of academic mindsets in attempts to identify myself. The four types of academic mindsets include:
Title: Nightcrawler.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, and Bill Paxton. Length: 1 hour 57 minutes Availability: Netflix and Amazon Prime Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Rated: R In this movie Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) plays the part of a petty theft looking for any way to get money. He searches for many jobs but seems to be unsuccessful from the jump however, this does not stop him from trying. He soon discovers that he can make money off of action packed crime and accident footage. He purchases a police scanner and cheap video camera to start this system up. At first he is unsuccessful and clumsy about his work but after hitting the streets his work improved and was able to sell his videos to a local TV producer Nina (Rene Russo). Lou becomes very involved in the crime investigating and ends up catching evidence that is very crucial to a deadly home invasion investigation. With the shocking footage Lou caught there could be a reward but there could also be a consequence for crossing boundaries. Possible writing topics include...
Prompt:
For my hiraeth assignment, I turned to the help of my younger sister. My sister and I talk about almost anything and everything that crosses our minds. I personally feel that this was a good approach for the fact that she is always completely honest with me and does not hold back her opinions. I explained to her what a hiraeth is and we sat there reminiscing on stories of our past and how certain smells and songs remind us of the things we experienced as children. I think the most difficult part of my writing process was trying to remember the past as if it was a recent event. My past was not the best due to the many illnesses that ran throughout my family. I honestly struggled to find a topic to write about that was worthy enough to want to return to it. To overcome this obstacle, I took a look back at pictures from my past to try and conjure up some emotions and remember a good time from my past in which I would not mind to return to at least one more time. I wrote this project in my room late at night, hours before it was due. This however was a horrible approach because I was tired and it stressed me out which caused me to have a horrible night’s sleep. Also, choosing to right this in my room made me even more tired because I wrote my hiraeth while sitting on my bed. I wrote this project because I had some sort of emotionally connection to the story. It was that type of past where I find joy in writing, or even talking about it. I will revise my writing process by doing my assignments in a timelier manner so that I can actually review and revise my work instead of posting shitty drafts. I feel if I actually stick to my methods that I posted about becoming a better writer, I could actually do well on this assignment. However, the first step is actually getting the motivation to do it.
Title: Step Brothers
Director: Adam McKay Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins Summary: In Step Brothers two families join in a late marriage. With the two parents marrying it leads to some family complications. Both Nancy and Robert have sons that are almost 40 years old that live at home. These two men are forced to live together against their will. They both are unemployed, immature, and have a sense of entitlement. Dale and Brennan start off in absolute hatred and anger. They grow more fond of each other as the movie progresses and soon become best friends. Their parents require Brennan and Dale to go out and find jobs so that they can move out and start a life. This process goes downhill as they failed miserable at every job interview they had. They eventually both moved out when their parents split and sold the house and were forced to get jobs to pay necessities. Dale found a job with a catering company and Brennan was hired to work with his Brother Derek. Brennan takes on this huge event for work called the Catalina Wine Mixer. He hires Dales catering company and invites both Robert and Nancy in attempts to get their family back together. Critique: Personally, I think this movie is hilarious. However, I feel that this wasn't a very logical choice of movie to use for a college English class. I find it difficult to write about such a childish movie. I feel that this movie is strictly for entertainment purposes not for persuasive or educational purposes. Quotes: “One time I wrestled a giraffe to the ground with my bare hands.”
I chose this song as a perfect representation of what a hiraeth truly is. In this song Miranda Lambert sings about how she longs for the chance to go home one last time to remember the past. She goes on to sing about all these good memories she has from living at this house and how her life has changed since then. She seems to have this strong emotional attachment to the house that built her and hopes to use it as a healing method.
For the past 4 years of high school I woke up at 4am every morning to practice for the big races and to better myself to be recruited as a D1 athlete. I spent more hours at the boathouse then I did at my own house. I created such a strong relationship with my teammates that they felt like my actual sisters. The thrill of the races and the closeness that I shared with my teammates is something I wish I could return to. My teammates and I practiced day and night in preparation for the National Championship. As we make our way up the start line at the SRAA National Championship,the nerves intensify. With every squared blade buried deep into the water, the rower’s bodies are aligned with their oars, anxiously awaiting the start.The light goes off and I feel the boat move with such power as each stroke is taken. There is a rush of water beneath the crisp white shell I remind the rowers to sit up, and breathe. Each and every individual athlete sitting before me looks with deep concentration and dedication. I gently reminded them, "This is your last race as a high school athlete, what are you going to do about it?" The rowers are exhausted, and are feeling beat not knowing where they are in comparison to their competition. I find my rhythm and control as I correct and remind the athletes to do the same. While the rowers push onward, I keep my voice controlled and remind them that pain is only temporary. As I make the calls to shift into a power state and slightly increasing the rate of the slide, the boat starts to move ahead. I tell the rowers, "You're in control now girls, pushing ahead!" The audience roars as the rowers breathe heavily. I turn my head to see that the boat I am sitting in is pushing from second to first place. All of the dedication and hard work put into practices is paying off. Reminding the athletes of the amount of time left and where their competition is what gets the rowers motivated. The athletes use every bit of energy and power left in them and push forward. I make the call telling them, "You're in first, give me everything you have left and take the gold". Nothing can describe the way I feel when the boat crosses the finish line after winning gold. The athletes are crying from the pain and the accomplishment. I can see the sweat glistening on their tired bodies. Reaching back, I grab my bow seats hand saying, "I've never been so proud of you Tor, you deserve the title of being first in the Nation!". I feel like a proud mother knowing that the rowers in the boat have used everything they had to push through to win first. This race plays through my mind all the time because now that I have graduated I can no longer go back to it. I wish I could return to the excitement and the dedication that was poured into this. My personal understanding of the term Hiraeth is a form of searching and seeking. It is the longing of something that we either once had or something that we wish we could have.
I sit there day and night longing to find happiness within my own home. I have to face the reality that I am home however, I find myself longing for a place away from reality that does not exist. |
Alina WesolowskiI am a current freshman student at DCCC who is looking to further my education and advance my writing abilities. Archives
December 2016
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