Myth Writing

Creating the myth website was challenging but also allowed for the opportunity to get creative. My topic on the world of celebrity allowed me to tell a story of a popular figure in a satirical way that I felt was interesting and unlike any assignment I have ever been given before Professor Baxter’s. Unlike the Myth Presentation, the website presented more challenges because I had some difficulty starting the project. At first I thought of doing a myth on the color of the sky and a series of other ideas that I rejected for the lack of interest I had in them. With this assignment, I wanted to create a myth that would be interesting for any reader who found it, not just for my fellow students or professor. I chose the myth of celebrity because society has been flooded with people who only seek fame instead of finding a way to better the world or really master an art. Instead, many people today just want fifteen minutes of fame for whatever humiliation they are willing to submit themselves to.
Creating myth was different from studying myths because instead of reading ancient tales or religious stories, I was able to make a new myth that may be more applicable to a contemporary audience. I found myself engaged when writing my myth because it gave me the opportunity to have fun with an assignment. I learned that if I decide to teach a class, I would create assignments that would allow students to become imaginative and inspired by their world because that is what I achieved with this assignment.

Poetry Writing vs. Poetry Analysis

Writing poetry is much more difficult that writing about a poem as it requires more attention to detail. With fewer words, there is less room for error or confusion in the message that one is trying to convey. In writing poetry the last few weeks, I have found that even the slightest alteration in wording or sentence structure can change the meaning of the poem. Furthermore, the way in which I phrase words can mean entirely different things for multiple readers. When writing an essay about a poem, however, one is much more able to interpret the meaning of the poem for oneself. In reading poetry I have always found that it is important to take yourself as a reader outside of the interpretation of the poem. I find that I must look for the original meaning that the poet intended and as a result must dig deeper in the word choices and phrasing that author used. The exercises of writing one’s own poetry certainly reinforced this belief because if a reader was to interpret my work for an academic piece I would want my original intention to be obvious while also flowing well. I certainly found a new appreciation for the works of the great poets because I realized that creating an original, meaningful and succinct poem to be difficult. Not only because I had difficulty controlling my flow of ideas into one poem but also because there is such a vast number of topic to choose from. Even once I was able to find a topic to my liking, keeping the ideas to a minimum proved difficult. Poetry is an art that few can master which was quite evident in these exercises.

Media Technology in Education

In the twenty-first century, technology is constantly changing, evolving and improving connectivity between individuals and their culture. It may seem daunting to try to grasp these new modes of communication but in learning to use them, one will gain access to an unlimited flow of human knowledge. Which is why integrating new technologies into the classroom becomes essential to education. It is important not only because technology becomes vital in the workforce but also because it gives students more access to varying ideas and opinions.

In high school, the use of computers can aid in gaining access to a plethora of academic knowledge. Sharing their ideas on the web can help students speak freely with little opposition, providing a safe environment for an intelligent discourse to take place. In my own school experience, sharing journal entries online has allowed me to speak to my fellow students in a more open forum. Without the pressure of public speaking, which can be intimidating for many, a student can express their opinions in a productive way.

However, college has helped me make the most of the technologies at hand. With online classes that often require more thought than sometimes sitting in a stuffy lecture hall, I have felt that more than my physical attendance has been required of me. From posting feedback to other students on WebCT to find academic articles online, I am able to gain much more knowledge through the use of computers and they have made my academic experience much more fulfilling.