October 25 2010

Cell Phones OFF and ON the Desks

Housekeeping: (Suggested: 5-10 Minutes) For Today, you had to read Tillie Olson’s “I Stand Here Ironing,” and write a one-page blog post on education and sacrifice.

Here’s some of what you said:

1)

Education has become more and more important as time has gone on. Back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, many men/women wouldn’t even finish high school and just go into work. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, many men/women would go right to work after high school like, for example in my town, they would go right into the mill and work there for the rest of their lifes. Nowadays, you can’t even get a job without at least a high school diploma. Education plays a big part in life and career success. I chose to carry on my education after high school be going to Beal College for two years. After I finished there, I decided that for my career choice, I would need a bachelor’s degree and enrolled into Husson University.
There are other ways to be educated too. Not all of what you learn is in school, but you can also learn many things about your surroundings and upbringing. Common sense would be a great example learned in everyday life at home. You’ll quickly learn right and wrong, what you can do or you can’t do, and everything else in life that will help you. This is how me and my brother differ. He is the all A’s and B’s student in school, but when you throw him into a real world situation, he can’t get out of his own way. Me on the other hand, I was a B’s C’s student in high school, but I can provide for myself and learn many things hands on. A great example of this would be how I can cook and clean for myself, and he struggles to clean his room.

2)

Personally I would sacrifice a lot for an education, but I do have my limits. I have made many financial sacrifices for a good college education in the field I desire. I have had to work long hours at jobs I have not always cared for so that I can pay off bills and loans. In addition, I have had to take out loans, that I know I will one day have to pay back once I am graduated and employed. This is a sacrifice that I am willing to take, because I know that one day I will be able to pay them off and it is necessary for my education.
One area that I am not willing to sacrifice now is geography. I spent some time traveling after high school, and it was an amazing experience. One major thing I learned was that I wanted to permanently live in Maine and be near my family. Therefore, I go to a school where I can live in a place where I grew up and be near my family.

3)

Giving up things for education can be a difficult experience. When I decided to come to this University I knew I would have to leave my friends, my home town, and all the people that I knew and really focus on learning. Leaving was a great experience and liberated me from all other things that seemed important in my town. I stepped out of all the things I had been involved with my whole life, public schooling, drama, girls, boys, friends, enemies, and the feeling of being treated like a child. I suppose I would sacrifice a ton of money to go to school because it is extremely expensive. I put my credit on the line and get myself into great debt due to my drive to learn. I would give up time with my family and friends to be educated. I would give up drinking heavily and going out with friends so I can become an intelligent individual. Mostly why I left my home town was so I could focus on an education and not have so many options for distraction. I would give up six days a week to dedicate to education so I could get myself a good job and a better future. I enjoy being able to talk to people and be able to knowledgably respond to the subject they are bringing up. Education allows you to have intelligence and I enjoy being a smart girl.

We will be coming back to this conversation today as we consider “I Stand Here Ironing.”

For the past few weeks, we have been thinking about the world of work. We have a few basic concepts down. Now it is time for us to think about how we enter that world.

Let’s start the conversation this way:

Journal Entry: (Suggested: 10 Minutes)

Was it right or wrong for Emily’s mother to send her away? What do you think? Use your annotations to back up your answer.

Group Work:  (Suggested: 10 Minutes) Perform an analysis of “I Stand Here Ironing” – come up with an argument about the story – by interpreting the story through the frame of either work or professionalism. You will need three good examples to support your point. One of you will present to the class.

Discussion of Paper Two: (Suggested: 5-10 Minutes) Now that we have written three précis, we are ready to begin work on our second major writing assignment this semester. Will begin work on this paper this week. There will be two drafts.

Prompt. At this point, you have read several stories, all of which touch on issues related to play and work, though in different ways. You job is to draft a paper that clearly articulates how and why specific scenes from these stories either relate or do not relate to “work” as the concept can be related to concepts of “income” and “class”.

This paper will require that you develop good working definitions for your key terms, and then that you develop your argument and explanations through close readings of the stories in question.

Homework:

Identify two important plot points in three stories we have read this semester. Provide a brief summary of what happens in these scenes, and the major details that relate to “work,” “income,” and “class.” Have this with you in class next time.