For your new blog response, complete the assigned reading. Then choose either the Malcolm X excerpt or LOP reading and write a one-paragraph response to it. You can discuss your personal reactions, things the readings made you think of, questions you had, etc.
Due: Before our next class
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
after reading the life of pi chapters i think i can definitely identify wiht what he had to go through when he was being teased about his name. i'm sure we've all had to deal with being teased by other children at one point or another. i think pi dealt with it in a good way by not resorting to violence or teasing them back. when pi changed his name it was like he was telling the world that he's not going to take it anymore and that pi is his name from now on.
ReplyDeleteIn LOP, when the narrator talks about the zoo I felt like he was trying to persuade the reader to not look at zoos as if they were prisons for animals and that in fact it was a good thing for them. But towards the end he says that he doesn't care if they closed down, which made it a bit confusing as to whether he cared or not. This topic caught most my attention since I don't agree with watching caged animals as being a sort of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the LOP chapters I feel I can relate to them in one way. In Chapter 5, Pi writes his name on the board for everyone to understand and he even writes down a nickname for which people can call him by. He did this in all of his classes. He does this so his fellow classmates can learn his name. Another reason is so his classmates won't tease him about his name. I can relate to Pi since my name is often mispronounced by some teachers and students. To fix the problem I just tell them how its supposed to be pronounced and eventually they learn it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X. This powerful man in history tought himself everything he knows!! It's so inspirational to hear how he learned so much from his own will power and effort to read, and become educated an a true intellect. What he talks about is very true. The only way you can keep yourself away from becoming ignorant to the truths of the world is by willingly informing yourself. There is soooooo much i don't know, but really want to know. I really like this little except... it really made me think. haha
ReplyDelete"My homemade education gave me, with every additional book that i read, a little more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America."
wow. :]
In the LOP i found it intresting how he talked a lot about the ZOO. It made me think because before I would feel sad and always thought that having animals in cages was cruel and torture. However he explained it as a good thing. He said that the animals were safe and never had to worry about certain things. They were always fed. Also he said how even given the chance to leave the animals wouldnt want to. Then he related life to the ZOO. And explained how him being raised working in the ZOO. It gave his life a sense of rituals and regularity.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm X is truly a man with great character and determination. Everybody could admire and appreciate his acts and thinking. His pursuit of education should inpire all of us to be better motivated.
ReplyDeleteWho would have ever thought of prison as a place for acquiring an education? Malcolm X educated himself in prison through his discovery of reading. 'I have never been so truly free in my life'(pg 211) just shows how gaining knowledge was liberating for him despite being in prison and also made him sensitive to issues affecting black race in America ,how most of the literature lacked any information on contributions by the race in spite of their huge involvement. Therefore, the idea that current education is not what it ought to be due to lack of funding, lack of teachers, poor schools material ,equipment and building cannot hold water since Malcolm X overcame it all in one of the impossible places to gain an education. He had no teacher, no school with that “ideal” education system and funding to give the right environment. To him it’s all about books (his alma mater ) a good library, self motivation and time -with no distractions like in current schools .The problems facing education therefore, cannot be just addressed by making available books, best teachers , state of the art buildings and equipment and failing the backing from eager students , parents and government. It is the thirst for knowledge and high value placed for a good education that will push for the kind of environment conducive for learning. If it’s treasured; funding will be available, books and teachers too and willing disciplined students with encouraging parents and with a supportive government will work together to improve education.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Learning to Read by Malcolm X, I felt motivated to read more books. How he learned most of the things he knew from reading in jail is amazing. His curiosity of history and the things in life, and also his willingness to learn new things makes me realize why he was “one of the most articulate and powerful leaders of black America during the 1960’s” (210). A question I had after reading this excerpt was: who assassinated Malcolm X? and why?
ReplyDeleteThough a competent speaker, Malcolm X's frustration with writing prompted him to do something about it. It was striking to read about what can be achieved with a strong sense of purpose and perhaps just as importantly, how helpful an ideal environment can be. Something of an audacious beginning to his mission where he literally copies out the first page of the dictionary, it reminded me that not everything can be perfectly planned out prior to, that you sometimes have to proceed despite apprehension or uncertainty. Prison makes nobody's ideal environment but it being a rehabilitation-centered one enabled him to focus on reading free of major distractions. It served as a lesson for me to prioritize my duties.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Malcom X passage, alot of questions have been answered in my head. I've always felt bad for the slaves that entered America. In my mind I wondered how they got treated and what they did on a day to day basis. This passage supports my ideas because the author feels the same way towards slavery.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: If there was a revolt, then why didn't other slaves act like "Nat Turner"
I've always been pretty inspired by Malcom Little. He seemed so determined and strong willed. This excerpt was really interesting. I always thought about reading the dictionary but never really got around to doing it. Malcom X's revolution seemed to have started from a dictionary. From there he learned how to read and educate himself. He used his resources wisely and researched about black history. Having your own willpower and eagerness to really know about something can really cause a change. This article made me realize how I need to better manage my time to make it more compatible with education.
ReplyDeleteLOP
ReplyDeletei thought the way pi taught people to learn his name was rather smart, also i can relate to him because growing up i had to deal with people messing up my name and in some occasions make fun of it but i also taught people to call me FROY instead of my full name which is rather complicated for some people also i thought the concept of the zoo was rather interesting because it really got me to think about my pet turtle and how it lives in his tank and weather i should ever set it free since i never pay attention to it anymore but like the animals at the zoo its always well fed and i don't think he would survive in the wild anymore since its not accustomed to hunting.
For Malcolm X's "Learning Power," i was first impressed by his thirst for knowledge and drive to carry it out by copying the dictionary and staying up past alloted hours just to read as much as he could. That was inspirational to me, the fact that a person in an unideal situation can take it upon them self to become better and more educated even if the odds seem against them. I think Malcolm X is awesome, i have his poster on my wall with the caption "by any means necessary" under his face. I try to understand his situation and mental processing the best i can, but i will never be able to completely, because i have had a complete different upbringing and life experience then he did. Honestly, reading about "the white devil" got to be redundant, but i understand that at the time, somebody needed to speak out harshly against social injustice in order to give us the more tolerant and less prejudice society that we have today. I am glad that Malcolm X was a part of our history and his story is truly an inspiration to everybody, that you can rise above, you have what you need and that you can make a difference through being educated and persistent.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the excerpt of Malcom X, it made me want to learn about him more and more. By a man being in prison, and getting his basic education from there, he expanded his education out more widely. This made me respect him and all of the things that he has done, as well as made history. I was very much impressed by his willingness to learn and to be educated. I am really impressed with what I had read about him.
ReplyDeletethe Malcom X exerpt was really inspiring to me to hear that someone could be so driven to learn to educate themselves becasue they want to. He kind of reminded me of myself becasue when i was little I always wanted to learn new things and read many books with big words and if i didnt know them i asked my dad. I always wanted to fill my brain up until i couln't anymore. I think that its really cool how he wanted to better his letters, and that being in jail inspired him to want to do something about his grammar. this essay makes me feel inspired to keep learning new things and reach for help, because if malcom can teach himself, then i think its possible for me.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X I was in awe how he taught himself to read and write. I couldn't imagine reading the dictionary and copying word for word. He was an extremist but such an inspiration to people that want to make a difference in the world. It made me think about how people are racist, and how i just don't understand how someone can hate another human being by the color of their skin or where they came from. I enjoyed reading this story very much.
ReplyDelete