peacocks, sectionalism, and pattern detection
thought one: on peacocks
"[T]hepeacock starts life with an inauspicious appearance....the color of those large objectionable moths that flutter about light bulbs on summer nights." But after two years, when the bird has fully attained its pattern, "for the rest of his life this chicken will act as if he designed it himself." ~ flannery o'connor, quoted in a slice of infinity
thought two: on sectionalism
The book we're reading in "my" 8th grade language arts class is set in California in the early 1970s, and Vietnam comes up. I was telling the kids how in previous times, when America went to war, everybody was like, "Me too! I'll go fight for my country!" but with Vietnam, people really started opposing the war, saying "That's stupid. I don't feel like going off and dying." (AND, they subsequently started doing stuff like burning draft letters and moving to Canada, which my kids thought was kinda funny, for whatever reason.)
And this one little one speaks up and says, "Isn't that like..." and i think he's going to say, how everybody hates the war in Iraq or somesuch, but he says, "... how gangs, you know, fight for their hood or whatever. when you defend your territory from the other gangs."
so i didn't know what to say. [i'm no good at thinking on my feet and my analogous thinking is bad already.] i said something about how it was not because gangs kill innocent people [which wars do], make it worse for the people inside the neighborhood [note: Germany- WWI, Germany/Japan- WWII, South- Northern Agression, et. al.], and just happen to sell drugs and guns and stuff on the side [eh... pirates and smuggling during blockades is different. fighting for free trade.]
now, i KNOW the issues are dissimilar. i just cannot logically think of why. i NEED to work on my logic. any recommendations? (don't mock me.)
thought three: From the ESL website Literacy Connections
"Research suggests that the brain is a pattern detector, rather than an applier of rules. If our brains are indeed "pattern detectors," then we should provide our students with plenty of opportunity to investigate and organize those patterns."
Cause... and effect...
CAUSE... and effect...
cause... and EFFECT...
actions => consequences.
really really.
even if i don't always believe it.
and my kids have never heard of it.
it's true, the Divine Will aside.
***Tupac update***
He's good; he's great; he has many great lesson plan ideas up his gills that i'm sure he'll let me in on some day. The other day in class a boy asked me,
"Is Tupac still alive?"
me: "Of course he's still alive! He's all happy, living in my living room."
another kid, lacking context, "TUPAC'S STILL ALIVE?!?! for REAL?! man, i knew it!!!!"
:)
"[T]hepeacock starts life with an inauspicious appearance....the color of those large objectionable moths that flutter about light bulbs on summer nights." But after two years, when the bird has fully attained its pattern, "for the rest of his life this chicken will act as if he designed it himself." ~ flannery o'connor, quoted in a slice of infinity
thought two: on sectionalism
The book we're reading in "my" 8th grade language arts class is set in California in the early 1970s, and Vietnam comes up. I was telling the kids how in previous times, when America went to war, everybody was like, "Me too! I'll go fight for my country!" but with Vietnam, people really started opposing the war, saying "That's stupid. I don't feel like going off and dying." (AND, they subsequently started doing stuff like burning draft letters and moving to Canada, which my kids thought was kinda funny, for whatever reason.)
And this one little one speaks up and says, "Isn't that like..." and i think he's going to say, how everybody hates the war in Iraq or somesuch, but he says, "... how gangs, you know, fight for their hood or whatever. when you defend your territory from the other gangs."
so i didn't know what to say. [i'm no good at thinking on my feet and my analogous thinking is bad already.] i said something about how it was not because gangs kill innocent people [which wars do], make it worse for the people inside the neighborhood [note: Germany- WWI, Germany/Japan- WWII, South- Northern Agression, et. al.], and just happen to sell drugs and guns and stuff on the side [eh... pirates and smuggling during blockades is different. fighting for free trade.]
now, i KNOW the issues are dissimilar. i just cannot logically think of why. i NEED to work on my logic. any recommendations? (don't mock me.)
thought three: From the ESL website Literacy Connections
"Research suggests that the brain is a pattern detector, rather than an applier of rules. If our brains are indeed "pattern detectors," then we should provide our students with plenty of opportunity to investigate and organize those patterns."
Cause... and effect...
CAUSE... and effect...
cause... and EFFECT...
actions => consequences.
really really.
even if i don't always believe it.
and my kids have never heard of it.
it's true, the Divine Will aside.
***Tupac update***
He's good; he's great; he has many great lesson plan ideas up his gills that i'm sure he'll let me in on some day. The other day in class a boy asked me,
"Is Tupac still alive?"
me: "Of course he's still alive! He's all happy, living in my living room."
another kid, lacking context, "TUPAC'S STILL ALIVE?!?! for REAL?! man, i knew it!!!!"
:)
posted by berekkah at 11/12/2007 01:28:00 p.m.
2 Comments:
on thought two - i disagree, there seem to be a curious number of similarities between gang warfare and international warfare and perhaps this is why you were having trouble thinking up an argument? i think it was a rather insightful comment.
if you still want to defend wars, perhaps you could bring up that most (at least, as presented to the public) have the intention of eventually helping those in the nation they are opposing instead of destroying them outright.
i am none too hasty to defend wars... i just wanted to hate on gangs.
your suggestion was a good one, though; that would have at least been a better reply. America's wars at least mention ideology (which is generally the thought that democracy is best for ALL) whereas gang warfare is straight up, "Whatever about you; it's all about me and mine."
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