| Journal Entry- January 16, 2002 My screen saver at home is of my mother and me sitting in our backyard at night. Truthfully, I have taken for granted the revolutionary advances that have occurred from the 1960?s to now. Everytime I glance at that picture it brings memories of that night and the fun that we had just sitting there in the dark talking and laughing, but this particular reading gave me a better understanding of the actual process and struggles it took Bill Atkinson to create and help revolutionize the beautiful pictures of nature and interactions with nature. Bringing nature and interactions with nature to the technological spectrum will allow yet another use of computers. Not only will I see the same beauty in a lone pine tree on my way to work everyday, I can now take a picture of it and scan the picture downloading the print to my computer, I will then allow my mother to see the same beauty of nature. So then I will be able to share nature with others. I can share the same feelings and emotions of nature with others by using the computer. Not to mention, with a better quality picture than the actual Kodak print. That was one of Bill Atkinson?s observations with the scanning of prints onto the computer. Detail was more obvious and hard to see significances of a certain picture protruded and were made easier for the naked eye. Although I believe there is a set back to this discovery. For me to take a picture of anything I have to get into that moment, some type of enjoyment or excitement was running through my veins which caused me to take the initiative and capture that moment on film. This moment will get lost. That feeling I felt while taking that picture will not be seen or felt by the person on the receiving end of the computer looking at my scanned Kodak photo. So therefore some significance will be taken away from the importance of the picture to me on the receiving end. There have been more technical advances with the discovery of digital cameras and live webcams etc. Scanning photos and downloading them to a computer only allows that picture to become a memory, but nothing compares to the actual moment |
| Journal Entry -January 16, 2002 Reading the pros of discovery learning on page 62 of the textbook concluded in a better understanding of this nature writing course lay out. Being able to solve a problem or answer a question with a hands on approach will allow me to learn on my own. Allowing me to see things my way, and interpret things in my view and not the view that the instructor wants me to see, will work to my benefit throughout the course. As mentioned in one of the readings assigned, students become "student-teachers" and teachers become "teacher-students" (Bump, 64-65) This balance is the result of discovery learning. Teachers that allow me to learn by activity concludes in the better understanding of the material presented. While actively taking part in a learning experience it will allow me to make mistakes and be okay with the outcome because I will not look at the mistake as hinderng my learning process but as an actual learning experience or lesson. Figuring out things on my own allows me a deeper understanding of the situation. How did I come to this conclusion and why did the events that took place play a significant role on my interpretations? The events that take place in my learning process become part of the conclusion. How I get there will be what I write as my answer and my answer will be based on the events which consists of discoveries and findings that allows me better understanding of the problem. With discovery learning, the term nonconventional becomes the basic thinking of all interpretations. For example, a conventional way of learning would be sitting in class and listening to the teacher teach ancient fact upon mid-ancient fact to modern fact I become bored of just being able to memorize the evolution of the fact itself. Discovery learning will allow me to be the founder of the fact and allow me the freedom of expression. Expressing my feeling and emotions that arise from the situation will allow a new and more interesting learning process for me. I am going to enjoy being creative by using discovery learning especially allowing me to broaden my horizon of thought, grasp the ideas that are most important to me and allow me to teach myself the lessons of everyday life and how I interact with nature, the basis of life. |
| Journal entry- January 22, 2002 Mill, "Autobiography" To be depressed ad hate everything aroundyou is a feeling I know all too well. I have felt depressed about many issues in my life, school being on of these issues. I didn't know if I was going to even make it back this semester. I attended college first in 99-00. That was to be my first and last year up until now, two years later! I messed up my first year...I had no friends, I knew no one, I was lonely. Music helped me through this time as well as the writer of the passage. I love the idea of downloading music onto my computer. IMESH was my best friend, some what like Napster. I was the only one from my graduating class to attend this school. Talk about being lonely, I know exactly how it feels. The two years I wasn't attending school I worked in my hometown. Everyone that saw me asked when I was going to back in school. Hometown residences wanted an explanation and I was too embarrassed to say I failed out. During that time I thought about what a waste my first year of college was, why I didn't apply myself, why I was so upset with myself for messing up in such a manner. I actually hated thinking about the situation, because I knew that I was smarter than that. I knew that if I was given a second change that I would apply myself and I would reach my goals and learn to look at myself in a different way. I would have accomplished something and that would make me feel great about myself, love myself. I needed that in my life, love . I was given love from my parents and siblings but I didn't love myself. I put up a shield around me, I seemed strong but inside I was hurt to know that I have failed at something. Something happened one day, something that I will never forget. I was hurting badly inside, I was drowned inside with doubt and emotions on whether or not I would be able to get back into school this semester. I got off of work around midnight one day and I couldn't go home in the confused state of mind I was in. I went for a ride and parked on an overpass...I had brought a candle with me, the wind was calm and the stars were so bright that night. I remember turning off my car lighting that candle and sitting on that overpass. I was crying so hard. I had to release myself and that was the only way I could think of doing it. I started looking at the things aroud me and appreciating what I had and where I was going in life. I thought about where my application statuses for school were and how I was doing financially and there was nothing to make me feel this way. I had my life in control. I was too blind to see that I had friends, a loving family and a pulse! I had to start thinking differently about myself and not let the little things bother me. It took that one calm beautiful starry night to allow me to release myself and think about issues of mine. |