I start to look at page 360 at the end of the chapter. There are terms from the chapter, as well as questions. This gives me a chance to see what I have learned. I look at the definition of a wave which reads, "A wave is a rhythmic movement that carries energy through space". What does that mean? I hate the fact that we take something so beautiful like a wave, and explain in such a matter of fact way. The definition takes all the life out of the magical word wave. Aristotle believes that a word has meaning in and of itself. He does not believe a word needs context. I say the word wave to myself. I begin to say the word louder. My brother comes down the stairs and tells me to stop screaming. Yes, it's true a word does have meaning in and of itself. The word wave is such a strong word, but when given context or when it is defined, it loses all of its luster. 'Water waves form as wind blows across a body of water" I picture the waves crashing at the shore, the Gods are mad. I see romance in the air as a man and woman walk holding hands on the beach as the tide comes crashing at their feet. Then I look at the definition and don`t see any of that. I just see, yet another explanation taking away all magic from the beautiful masterpieces this planet has to offer.
"The height of a wave depends on the speed of the wind ,the distance over which the wind blows, and the length of time the wind blows". Has the wind ever seemed less powerful than it does while reading that definition. I am not knocking science. Science is beautiful. It is us. It is life. However when its being taught, can we not insert some of that life into it. It makes me think of the New Rhetoric style of teaching writing. This philosophy believes that knowledge or truth is not static, but a result of interaction between opposing elements. It believes that language helps create truth. therefore I wonder if we use different language in defining these science terms, would it then change the meaning. The truths of today become myths tomorrow.
"Tides result from the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun and the Earth". I knew that. I recall reading that earlier in the chapter. I feel a sense of pride and achievement in knowing that definition. There is something good that comes from learning information that one had no knowledge of previously. However I just feel that there are many ways to teach facts, and they do not always have to be handed to students as absolute truths. Textbooks too often speak in absolute truths, and there is no absolute truth when it comes to science or anything else for that matter. The world was flat and now it is round. The Earth is the center of the universe and now it is not.
I start to look at a question. "Identify the parts of an Ocean wave". I recall the Crest is the highest point of the wave and the trough is the lowest part of the wave. Does that make me right. I am not sure, but I am going to give myself two in a row. It comes to me what a great thing it is to learn. What a great thing it is to read. How lucky I am to be able to read. I can see how some can say my points of view seem to be changing from word to word. I agree, but so what. My truth changes as I read, and then changes again as I write. There is no need for it to come together, but rather only a need to write the truth as it is the moment its felt. At least that is the way I feel about writing, which once again goes back to the New Rhetoric style of writing. I care more about the questions I know, than the ones I don`t know. That is something that I think is true of all students of all ages, a student will always be more interested in things they know, rather than things they don`t understand. Therefore success or failure of teaching comes down to making the students believe they know the information even before they do. Reading the summary and the questions really got me going on a rant, but I hope that is what this whole process was about.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
blog number six, number two on partners content area
"You awaken at daybreak to catch the Sun rising from the dark horizon." That is the first line on page 314. This line gets my mind racing. how simple of a line, but how all so complicated at the same time. This doesn`t make me at first think of science, but rather the reality of life. The Sun fights every morning to rise above the darkness. This is the same thing we do as humans, we fight every day to find some light in what can be a very dark and confusing world. The book then asks the question is the Sun moving or are we. This makes me thing back when I was a kid in the car and I would race the Sun. I would follow God`s magical tool with my eyes, and become so frustrated as no matter whose car I was in, I could never beat it in a race. I guess I wasn`t a very smart kid.
I move on to read about how Earth rotates around the Sun. This process takes 365 days. It takes one year for our planet to travel around the Sun. What hits me when reading this is that we are in space. Again this is a simple notion, where else would we be? However I rarely think about Earth being in space. I am moving around in space around the Sun as I read and write about it. It kind of makes me feel like I play a role in this magical process. I feel like a pawn on a chessboard, like a pawn I may only be a small piece, but a part of the game I am. I wonder if I had a teacher when I was young teach science that way, would I have been more interested in it. I never liked the idea of facts or absolute truths. Therefore science has never appealed to me, however I have read these 20 pages now two times, and using this reading process has helped me come to a new appreciation of science. This reading process allows the reader to redefine the subject content and relate it to oneself.
I notice something I did not see the first time I read these pages. I see Benjamin Franklin`s name brought up. This first of all is an example of WAC in the classroom. That is because the textbook is combining both history and science to reach its point. The book states that Franklin use to receive complaints about why the mail took longer to receive a letter from England, than to send one there. Franklin who was the Deputy Postmaster at the time investigated this. He found out that going against the gulf stream delayed ships sailing west from England by up to 110 km per day. The first thing that stands out to me is that I have read a lot about him in my life and I did not know he was the Deputy Postmaster. It makes sense though since he traveled abroad so much. This also connects science and communication. The currents of the sea were in control of when you got your mail. It makes me think of the battle of New Orleans in 1814. This battle was fought after the war was over. However the people fighting in the battle did not know the war was over, because news traveled so slow those days. In reading this I am able to realize that as science increased, the world got smaller.
On page 357 the book points out that the high tide and low tide are caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon. I think back to times I spent on the Cape with my uncle who is a fishing man. The tides played a role in so much, yet I never ever thought about the connection it had with the Sun or the Moon. I go on to read that there is two high tides and low tides each day, that I did know before reading this. However how organize this whole system is freaks me out a little bit. I kind of like to think as the ocean as a separate life form all to itself, deciding on its own what to do and when to do it. However this book clearly shows that is not the case. It is controlled, just like ever thing that is traveling in what we call space is controlled. There is a reason for it all. I cannot find anything in these 20 pages that the book cannot explain. It troubles me some for my mind has a hard time with that philosophy. It seems like nothing is random, we are all puppets on a string controlled by this vast universe. However in life the more you learn, the more you come to realize how little you know. This book will change as it has many times over throughout the centuries, for what we know today in Science, shall be different from what we know tomorrow.
I move on to read about how Earth rotates around the Sun. This process takes 365 days. It takes one year for our planet to travel around the Sun. What hits me when reading this is that we are in space. Again this is a simple notion, where else would we be? However I rarely think about Earth being in space. I am moving around in space around the Sun as I read and write about it. It kind of makes me feel like I play a role in this magical process. I feel like a pawn on a chessboard, like a pawn I may only be a small piece, but a part of the game I am. I wonder if I had a teacher when I was young teach science that way, would I have been more interested in it. I never liked the idea of facts or absolute truths. Therefore science has never appealed to me, however I have read these 20 pages now two times, and using this reading process has helped me come to a new appreciation of science. This reading process allows the reader to redefine the subject content and relate it to oneself.
I notice something I did not see the first time I read these pages. I see Benjamin Franklin`s name brought up. This first of all is an example of WAC in the classroom. That is because the textbook is combining both history and science to reach its point. The book states that Franklin use to receive complaints about why the mail took longer to receive a letter from England, than to send one there. Franklin who was the Deputy Postmaster at the time investigated this. He found out that going against the gulf stream delayed ships sailing west from England by up to 110 km per day. The first thing that stands out to me is that I have read a lot about him in my life and I did not know he was the Deputy Postmaster. It makes sense though since he traveled abroad so much. This also connects science and communication. The currents of the sea were in control of when you got your mail. It makes me think of the battle of New Orleans in 1814. This battle was fought after the war was over. However the people fighting in the battle did not know the war was over, because news traveled so slow those days. In reading this I am able to realize that as science increased, the world got smaller.
On page 357 the book points out that the high tide and low tide are caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon. I think back to times I spent on the Cape with my uncle who is a fishing man. The tides played a role in so much, yet I never ever thought about the connection it had with the Sun or the Moon. I go on to read that there is two high tides and low tides each day, that I did know before reading this. However how organize this whole system is freaks me out a little bit. I kind of like to think as the ocean as a separate life form all to itself, deciding on its own what to do and when to do it. However this book clearly shows that is not the case. It is controlled, just like ever thing that is traveling in what we call space is controlled. There is a reason for it all. I cannot find anything in these 20 pages that the book cannot explain. It troubles me some for my mind has a hard time with that philosophy. It seems like nothing is random, we are all puppets on a string controlled by this vast universe. However in life the more you learn, the more you come to realize how little you know. This book will change as it has many times over throughout the centuries, for what we know today in Science, shall be different from what we know tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
blog number five reflection on partners reading content
I begin to read and realize how important science is to the world. It is life. I read that the Earth is made up of seventy percent ocean water. It makes me picture the Earth as just a little island covered by water. I see the pictures of the volcanoes and the water vapor being released from it and realize how beautiful the Earth is. My mind drifts off and I imagine being in Hawaii staring at the beautiful masterpieces this world has to offer.
I start to read about the tides of the ocean and think about the last time I was on a cruise. I can picture the boat just swallowed up by the ocean. The boat all by itself in the middle of God`s vast playground. I see a picture of the Moon and realize how amazing it is that space has an effect on the oceans of Earth. It is such a simple notion, but when you think more deeply into it, it's amazing how the Solar System works.
I start to read about deep waters in Antarctica. The first thing that comes to my mind is a giant iceberg. Even though I know the Titanic did not go anywhere near there, it still comes into my mind. They talk about the dense water forms around Norway. I recall being told many times by people what a beautiful country Norway is. It occurs to me how deep the ocean`s waters really are and how many mysteries must they have the answers to.
Then comes the Sun. The most powerful tool in the tool box. I think for a second, is the summer really gone. Then I begin to think about all the things the Sun does.The farmers of the world growing crops appears in a vision to me. It keeps us alive. I read about the impact the Sun has on our planet, and it's unreal how well organized this universe is. I am not a science person, but reading this makes me wish I have read more about it in my life. I guess it is never too late to start. Many people have many different beliefs about how all this started, but one thing for sure, that it was a job well done.
I start to read about the tides of the ocean and think about the last time I was on a cruise. I can picture the boat just swallowed up by the ocean. The boat all by itself in the middle of God`s vast playground. I see a picture of the Moon and realize how amazing it is that space has an effect on the oceans of Earth. It is such a simple notion, but when you think more deeply into it, it's amazing how the Solar System works.
I start to read about deep waters in Antarctica. The first thing that comes to my mind is a giant iceberg. Even though I know the Titanic did not go anywhere near there, it still comes into my mind. They talk about the dense water forms around Norway. I recall being told many times by people what a beautiful country Norway is. It occurs to me how deep the ocean`s waters really are and how many mysteries must they have the answers to.
Then comes the Sun. The most powerful tool in the tool box. I think for a second, is the summer really gone. Then I begin to think about all the things the Sun does.The farmers of the world growing crops appears in a vision to me. It keeps us alive. I read about the impact the Sun has on our planet, and it's unreal how well organized this universe is. I am not a science person, but reading this makes me wish I have read more about it in my life. I guess it is never too late to start. Many people have many different beliefs about how all this started, but one thing for sure, that it was a job well done.
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