Fall Semester Reflection

1. Do you read your colleagues’ work online? How often? What is it like to read their work?

 How does being able to see everyone’s work online at any given time change the way you do your work?

- I often would read other's work because I was curious of their opinions and sometimes I would be a little confused on a piece of literature and reading other's explanations would help me a lot. We are at an advantage by allowing our work to be viewed public because we are not only helping one another, but what if one day someone stumbles upon our blog and were looking for some information and we happen to have then well we have became a positive resource to that individual. Which I find to be amazing. 

2. How has the publicly and always visible course blog made this course different from one without a blog? How would the course change if the course blog disappeared tomorrow?

-If we didn't have our blogs then it would very different. The class revolves a lot around posting our work on the blog. By providing the knowledge others seek just like we were in their position. Being apart of this class is special and it is very unique compared to the rest of my classes. The blog has allowed us more freedom but yet it still has the feel of a college class. I would be sad if the class blog had disappeared. 

3. Has publishing your work for the public to see changed your approach to completing an assignment? How so? How would your feelings about the course change if you couldn’t publish your work that way?

-I feel like it adds a bit of pressure, because there are going to be people who will judge our work. That'd why I try to complete the assignment, and I always tend to complete one so I have no worries. My feelings wouldn't change much, just that it wouldn't be as unique and different compared to other AP classes. It'd just be like how it was back in 10th grade. Haha 

4. Has your experience of the physical classroom changed because of the open & online aspects? Where does your learning actually happen? 

- I am a strong believer in open source learning and find it working very well for me. I like how we are aloud more freedom. It takes away the feel of being locked up in school with so many restrictions and having the adults be pointing fingers at us for doing the wrong thing. My learning happens well in everyday living, I learn inside the classroom as well as outside. I learn something new anywhere I go. I never "shut my brain down", I guess you can say depending where I am at. 

 
5. You were described in the Macarthur Foundation/DML interview as “a pioneer”-- how do you describe the experience on the edge to people who haven’t been there (friends and family)?
- I would say that it is a whole new style to learning that makes learning fun and takes away the typical teacher/student relationship. You actually build a bond with your teacher as well as our colleagues. I remember being hesitant when I requested to take AP English. I felt like it would be plenty and plenty of work. Well turns out it is work, but if we are smart about then it wont feel like such a heavy load. I have no regrets in the decision I made when signing up for AP English. I am more than happy that I did. 

6.How do they respond when you describe the brave new world in which you’re working?
-Well it is something new and it is a change that will take getting use too. I am the type of person who enjoys change and trying new things. This is change we have signed up for will only push us to excel more.

7. What do their responses mean to you? What effect(s) (if any) do they have on you?
- I value everything I have learned this whole semester. I have learned so much and I enjoy pushing myself to do better. I came in with the mentality to push myself till I cant go no further. Till I receive the grades I aimed to get and to push myself into enjoying school. Having a more positive outlook about it all. All I have is nothing but happy feelings for ending this semester strong. 

Allegory in the Cave by Plato
Lit Anal

GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
-This story is about some men who live in a cave since they were born and have been living there life  chained with shackles and being powerless, unable to see what the world is like outside the cave. The men are facing a wall with a fire behind and there is a bridge which allows people to cross and with this, the shadows of whoever dares to cross are being left on the empty wall of the cave and these are the only live images of the outside world that these men are allowed to look at. They have no knowledge of life and how it works, until one day. One man breaks free and was lead into the light to learn and seek the knowledge of how life works outside the cave. It was a challenge for the man but he was willing to push through it in order to be enlightened. Once enlightened he came back to the cave to help the others so they as well can see the light and become knowledgeable of the outside world.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
- I will quote my sonnet off of Allegory in the Cave.
 "Great change will occur when he who is enlightened

But it is up to us whether we see the knowledge or choose to be frightened". 

In my opinion this is what sums up the theme of Allegory in the Cave. Plainly said.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
"And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he 's forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities." This quote explains a tone towards the character of disbelief. It is one tone where the author expressed some emotion of how there wasn't any belief in the prisoner who was freed to see the reality of being outside the cave. Believed that the freed prisoner wouldn't be able to handle the change, and would choose to go back down into the familiar.

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

Imagery- " He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?"

Simile- "But then, if I am right, certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put a knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blind eyes. "


Rhetorical Question- "And if there were a contest, and he had to compete in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the den, while his sight was still weak, and before his eyes had become steady (and the time which would be needed to acquire this new habit of sight might be very considerable) would he not be ridiculous? "

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
- 

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
- The freed prisoner expresses round and static characteristics in the story. He shows these qualities because he expressed a since of decision making like a human would. Being able to make a life changing decision is a big step, and the freed prisoner demonstrated it well. He also showed a static characteristic. The freed prisoner went from a cave prisoner, along with the others, and let himself become enlightened which proved him to grow as a person.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
- After reading this story I felt it was so real. I connected it to my daily life and it relates to it so much, which caught my attention.  I also started connecting to other things in life as well, and it appeared that it can be compared and have the same meaning behind it all. By far I'd have to say that this story and the play, No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre would have to my favorite literature of first semester.