When it comes to the projects and
blogs we have completed within this class, there is nothing I did where I did
not learn something new. Each project completed within this class was able to
tie together all of the discussions and research done outside of class. From
the very beginning when we took on the current event research project the class
began to tie together with what we were reading and helped show how things are
happening around the world. Accomplishing this project opened my eyes to a lot
of tragedies going on around the world. The project also showed how secluded we
are from a lot of the issues going on all around us. After the completion of
the first project, the second project helped to add to the class in terms of
tying everything together plus the fact that we were able to hit closer to home
with many of our topics. Personally, taking about the topic of same sex
relationships proved to be tough. In turn though it pushed me to break out of
my normal comfort zone and experience a topic that will need to be talked about
within a classroom setting. Getting out of my comfort zone made it so I was
able to discover an entire genre of literature that I did not know existed. The
fact that this topic was a little uncomfortable made the presentation that much
more special and beneficial as it made me exit my normal topics of discussion.
The fact that this topic was tough is not because I am against same sex
relationships, but because I have never talked about them in a presentation.
Looking at same sex literature and being able to find ways for possible use
within the classroom brought up interesting ways to add this literature into a
classroom setting. It will be interesting to see how same sex literature is
added into the classroom setting along with how long it is before we see same
sex literature used on a more regular basis. Last but certainly not least, the
graffiti wall was probably my favorite project. The graffiti wall allowed each
of us to take a different look at art work everywhere around the world and each
gain our own understandings. Each piece I chose linked all of our class
discussions and books read within the class. I was able to find four different
pieces of graffiti that spoke to me and in turn explain how I was able to
relate my interpretation as it pertains to the piece.
The issues we discussed within class
were both eye opening and tough to talk about. With that said, the benefits are
exponential. The toughest things we talked about within class would be sex
slavery and child soldiers. The discussions about sex slaves within the class
seemed to bring a silence over the class and many of us seemed shy about speaking
up about this topic. Personally, I felt that talking about this topic was
beneficial and very eye opening. While this is not something that I talk about
on a regular basis, the fact that as small groups and a complete class we were
able to talk about this subject showed that even the toughest topics can be
discussed with the proper background knowledge. The best part about the large
group discussions was that it made tough topics like this something we dealt
with as a class and was not put on us as individuals. Another benefit is that
even though I may not have spoken up very often, I was able to listen and take
in all of the quality information the class had to offer. Equally as
challenging a subject was the discussions about child soldiers. This was a
topic hit on a few times as my current world problem presentation included
child soldiers and also when we discussed A
Long Way Gone. This topic was hard as both seeing and reading about what
children go through is something hard to handle. Once again talking within the
large groups helped as this topic could be rather difficult to understand and
cope with by ourselves. While not every topic was as difficult to deal with, to
first research by ourselves before coming back to groups proved worthwhile. Each
topic provided me with more information about parts of the world I knew little
to none about causing a greater understanding of things that go on around us.
As it pertains to my involvement
within the class and how I have been influenced by this course, the changes I
have seen are immeasurable. Most days within class I was learning something
completely new and attempting to decide where I stood on several different
topics throughout the quarter. Each day I was challenged mentally to not only
push myself to discover what is going on in the world around us, but to also
acknowledge that some of the worst things imaginable happen in our own state.
This class has made me realize just how small a part of the world we are and
how little our problems are in the large scope of the entire world. When I
think of myself as a citizen of the world, I began realizing just how little I
know about this world. This class really opened my eyes and has made me rethink
the role I play within the world. I now know I need to play a larger role in
the world and attempt to keep myself informed on the events taking place. My
hope is that from now on I can make myself a better citizen of the world. Realizing
how small a role I have currently been fulfilling, I am hoping that I can keep
myself better informed and up to date on the happenings around me.
Throughout this quarter I have been
thinking of what I could use for my plan of action. It is tough to think about
what my plans are going forward as currently my largest priority is attempting
to finish school and figure out where my life is headed. What I would like to
do my plan of action is to watch more news in attempt to stay up to date on
events happening around us, along with around the world. Another part of my
plan I gained from others in the classroom as many people spoke about an
attempt to travel and to see the world instead of only hearing about it on the
news. The watching the news more often will be the easy part of my plan. I want
to accomplish this so that when I happen to be watching television or looking
for something to do, I can take the time to see what is going on around me
along with learning more about the world. Taking a small amount of time to look
at current events and listen to the discussions surrounding events is something
minute that can make a drastic change in the knowledge I bring to the table
concerning the world. The second part of my plan is something that will take
more time and dedication. Traveling is something I have always thought about
but never had the time or money to make happen. I feel like it is better that I
have not really traveled outside of the United States much to this point
because knowing what I do now I would want to know more about a place before I
embarked on a trip. Adding this into my plan of action is something that I
think will help force me in the long run to get out of my regular life and go
see what the world has to offer. I do not necessarily want to only travel to
popular places, but rather places where I can learn more about what has
happened around the world along with learning about how cultures and people
live compared to the conditions we have. My best reasoning for this part of my
plan is to see things in person. I am a firm believer in seeing things in
person to capture all of the beauty and realness that places have to offer. It
is hard to convey to someone the sense of feeling you get in person, so I want
to acknowledge that things are different around the world and experience them
for myself.
I would like to take some time to
say thank you Dr. Agriss for teaching this class and pushing us each day on
subjects that often are not covered. It was very enjoyable to engage in both
small and large group class discussions. I enjoyed how each project tied the
class together and in the end I was able to see the large picture once all of
the projects had been completed. Once again, thanks for everything and I can
not wait to take classes from you in the future.
