Reflection on Blogging

Personally, I don't have much to say about blogging.  I think it is a waste of time.  If people want to know what I think about a subject, I would rather talk to that person.  I am of the notion that my opinions are not static, they are fluid and because of that, I don't like having my ideas in such a static forum.  I have seen too many "blog" style forums become places where people rant and rave because a blogger didn't express themselves well enough or later on down the line, if the blogger changes his or her mind, they still have to accept that the original opinion is out there in the universe forever.  people can get the wrong idea about a person by their blogs.  for example, I'm a Christian woman but I went through a time where I had a hard time believing that there was a God and that he cared what I was doing.  If I had been blogging during that time in my life, people could look back at what I said at that time, compare it to what I say now and think "hypocrite" without me ever getting the chance to show them that it is not hypocritical but a change of heart.  I just don't like blogging.  sorry.  Also, with everything else that was going on this semester, it was hard to keep up with such an intangible assignment. 

Rap and Orality

This was an interesting article.  The idea of using popular culture to the class room is definitely one that should be used more often than I percieve it is now.  My only problem is I side with the teachers on the idea that some rap music promotes negativity.  A teacher would have to be very careful on what songs he/she chose.  Note, I am not saying that literature is always positive just that in the same vein that a teacher would have to be careful of the literature they chose to teach, they would have to be careful of the rap music they used in the classroom.  For example, we don't typically teach the merchant of venice in public school classrooms because of the antisemitism that is rampant throughout that play.

One of the teachers made the comment about deciding what is proper and appropriate when it comes to rap music.  This (even in light of the previous paragraph) was a tough one for me.  I am of the idea that it is the parents decision as to what is right and appropriate for their kids.  I believe it would be more important to get the parents to understand the assignments their children are doing in the classroom rather than offer alternative assignments.  The idea of alternative assignments further ostrasizes certain children.  This is one of the troubles that awaits a teacher who wants to buck the system.  But, I guess we are safe here in Texas where we only teach the test.  Right?  *eyeroll*