3b: Beaches

Contains a title using the format listed above.

3b: Beaches

Contains a web link to your locations. (eg you can use the tools in your blog where you paste your work; there is a little icon that looks like a link).

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/pacbch.html

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/beach/video-pismo-beach.html

Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities.

Beaches in general have a culture of their own. I think it is safe to say that each and every one of us feels different at a beach than we do in city life. To me, it all has to do with our own connection to nature, which is a huge part of any culture. Both Pacific Beach and Pismo Beach have tourist qualities in addition to the local scene. With good food, good music and good shopping, these two beaches are ideal for many travelers. Humanities can be looked at in several ways. Most of us think about our own experiences in different places, but although the culture may be the same each time, every person experiences beaches differently.

What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location.

Some assumptions people have of each location is that they are touristy. While both the beaches are big attractions, there is also a community residing in each place.

List 3 things that make each location similar.

Each location has a lot of activities to partake in. I have been to both and noticed that I felt very welcome at each place. Another quality they share is the additional activities offered near by, like shopping, dining, etc.

List 3 things that make each location so different.

Pacific Beach differs from Pismo Beach in regard to college students. Every single time I have been to Pacific Beach there are swarms of college students. Also, Pacific Beach seems to be more of a party scene than Pismo Beach. Pismo Beach has a more old-fashioned downtown next to it than does Pacific Beach. It is more historically preserved.

Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience.

I would like to know which types of activities the two beaches do not share. I know that they offer a lot of similar things (surfing, etc.), but I am just wondering if the location has anything to do with the differences they have in what they offer.


5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here).

Dae-Hwan Kim taught me so much about China Town in San Francisco. I have never been there, but would love to go. Chinese culture is definitly a culture that intrigues me, but I have to be honest in saying that I have always been intimidated by it. I would love to learn more.

http://loftwick.blogspot.com/2008/06/2a-san-francisco-china-town.html

3a: World Cities

1. Contains a title using the format listed above.

3a: World Cities

2. Contains a web link to your locations.

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Home.aspx

http://cityofpetaluma.net/

3. Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities.

Berkeley, California has quite the reputation. Although in comparison to many cities in California it is actually quite small, Berkeley is widely known for academic success, the arts, free speech and scientific exploration. The people of Berkeley are very involved in the politics of both the city and the world. According to the Berkeley website, only 5 percent of the population in Berkeley are Republicans, while 63 percent are Democrats.

Petaluma, California has come a long way. With the new renovations taking place, Petaluma has still maintained to keep a tight grip on the historical charm. Petaluma is one of the oldest cities in California. Both of these cities have created a culture of their own and they both have embraced several different forms of art as a culture.


4a: What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location.

As far as Petaluma goes, I think a lot of people would assume that people from Petaluma have the "small town" mentality, or are more closed minded than some. Also, I hear a lot of people joke about how we are all farmers and love country music.

In regard to Berkeley, people often assume that Berkeley is full of extremely liberal "tree-huggers." A lot of social movements begin in Berkeley, so it is common to be stereotyped as being against the government.

4b: List 3 things that make each location similar.

Both Petaluma and Berkeley have somewhat tight-knit communities. They both seem to have a large portion of the community involved in expressing their beliefs whether or not they go against higher authorities. Also, they both have protests. They both have a lot of extracurricular activies involving the arts; such as dance, music, festivals, etc. Another thing I noticed during my research about the two cities was that they are both in the midst of major renovations.

4c: List 3 things that make each location so different.

One thing that is obviously different about Berkeley and Petaluma is size. In the year 2000, Berkeley was more than twice the size of Petaluma. Berkeley's reputation is far more sturdy in regard to free speech. Also, Berkeley is known to be highly explorative scientifically and very successful academically.

4d: Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places? When completing the question section, lead your audience into the question by stating a fact you do know, yet you still have the related question. This way, both your audience and you will have an educational experience.

I would like to know exactly how diverse each city really is. I know that both cities have a wide variety of different races and ethnicities, but it would be interesting to see numbers that correlate with this.

5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from one student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here).

Daniel Dibert and I both share very similar feelings on Truckee. The air there is so pure and it makes it a lot more enjoyable. I grew up spending many summers in the Truckee area. My best friend had a cabin in Tahoe, but we would always stop in Truckee on the way.

http://humanities7dan.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-2-project-2a-truckee.html

2c: Gay Marriage

Contains a title using the format listed above.

2a: Same-sex marriage

Contains the sources you used with links to these sources.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jul/050711a.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/136/story_13601_1.html

Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities.

Same-sex marriage connects to my study of humanities because the issue has created a cultural war. It has become a battle between morals, religion and personal opinion. It become a part of our culture that exists whether or not we choose to take part in it. Especially now that same-sex marriage is legal in California, those of us who reside here will be effected by it.

4a:Observation

I chose same-sex marriage. When I think of this choice I feel sad that something people cannot control is held against them living a happy life. I see a lot of judgment taking place and I hear a lot of derogatory comments being made toward gay people. I hear people discussing other people's lives as if it effects their hapiness.

4b:Interpretation

My choice is about the fact that laws are made against people who were not born with the exact same sexual desires as the average person. My choice is about how some people do not have a choice on how they live their lives, particulary their private lives.

4c:Judgment

What led me to my choice is the fact that I have a friend who is gay, but would never come out because of the disapproval this person would receive from not only his own family, but a vast majority of the people around him. I feel this way because people continue to use the word "gay" and many others I won't mention in his presence. It makes me sad that such an amazing person can't express who he really is, comfortably.

4d:Questioning

I would like to know why some people are more accepting than others when it comes to same-sex marriage. I know that many religious beliefs have a lot to do with people not accepting same-sex marriage, but where did that begin and why? One thing I do know is that a lot of younger people adobt their parents' beliefs on sexual orientation, not to mention the pressure of "fitting in."

5. One thing you learned from one student.

I know that my answer to this question may not be exactly what was asked, but I wanted to bring up something I learned from several students. I have noticed that a lot of people are taking this class online to save money on gas. I started taking classes online for the same reason, and because I have to work, which is another thing I noticed I have in common with several students.

2b: Museum of Making Music

Contains a title using the format listed above.

2b: Museum of Making Music

Contains the sources you used with links to these sources.

http://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=53

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Making_Music

Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities.

Since the discovering of music, it has continued to be a popular way of human expression. No matter the instrument and whether or not there are words, music is an important form of sharing thoughts and feelings. Each culture has different ways of using music as a way of expressing themselves and that is how music is strongly connected to the study of humanities.

4a: Observation

I chose the Museum of Making Music. When I initially made this decision I was thinking about how important music is to me and how much it effects my life. It has the power to make me feel almost every emotion possible. Even if the emotion is a less-desirable one, I usually feel relieved after having listened to which ever instrument or type of song.

4b: Interpretation

My choice is about the history of musical instruments. The Museum of Making Music was founded in 1998. It explores the multifaceted history of the American music products industry from its beginnings in the 1890s to today. Housed at NAMM Headquarters in Carlsbad, California (north San Diego county), the Museum tells stories of hard work, challenge, inspiration and pioneering innovation, and reveals the profound relationship between the industry, popular music, and global culture. The Museum serves as a resource for the community of NAMM members through the preservation, interpretation and sharing of the industry’s collective history in a public museum context. In addition, it reveals the unique and often unknown story of the music products industry to the general public. And, through intimate concerts, films, discussions, hands-on workshops, volunteer opportunities and programs for underserved youth, the Museum opens doors to enable people of all ages and walks of life to find their way into the richly kaleidoscopic world of music making (http://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=53, 2008).


4c: Judgment

As I stated in my 2a assignment, a very close friend of mine died almost two weeks ago. What I have found is that music is one of the only things helping me express and sort out my feelings. I have always known that music is important to me, but it was not until now that I realized how important it is as a way of expressing myself. What led me to my choice is the realization that music is a huge part of the culture I live in, as well as various other cultures. I feel glad that I chose to learn about the Museum of Making Music because I have never really studied music culture.

4d: Questioning

While I am already aware that there is such a thing as "music therapy," I would like to know more about it. Instead of one-on-one counseling with another person, or medication, many people choose to use music as their therapy. There are even music therapists. I would like to know exactly how it works and why certain types of music are used for certain types of situations.

5. One thing I learned from one student.

From Joseph Fitch, I learned that Paulo Freire received a law degree, but never ended up practicing law. I thought that was so amazing because most people spend their time in school working toward something they will actually use.
http://josephfitchsblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/hello-my-name-is-joey-and-i-am-taking.html

2a: Santa Barbara

Contains a title using the format listed above.

2a: Santa Barbara

Contains the sources you used with links to these sources.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33045-s202/Santa-Barbara:California:Culture.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara%2C_California

Contains a brief paragraph how it connects to your study of humanities.

Santa Barbara connects to my study of humanities in many ways. First, there are major cultural influences on Santa Barbara, particularly Spanish history. After researching this fact, I learned that much of the creativity in Santa Barbara stems from Spanish ways. It is not so much thought of as Hispanic or Mexican, but rather thought of as Spanish. Second, many Ranchero traditions are still present in Santa Barbara, like rodeos, barbeques and trail rides on horses. Even though a lot of time has passed since Santa Barbara came about, the old cultural influences still remain.

4a: Observation

I chose to look into the culture in Santa Barbara, California. I chose this particular place because a very close friend of mine passed away about ten days ago and he lived in Santa Barbara. I drove down there when I heard about the accident and realized that I did not know nearly as much as I would have liked to about his life in Santa Barbara. When I think about Santa Barbara I think about beaches. I hear the ocean and the sound of people outside being active. Anytime I visited him there were always people out and about enjoying the beautiful weather. I see a lot of younger people when I think about Santa Barbara, since it is a popular college town. What stands out in my mind the most is my friend, who has passed on, trying to make a life for himself.

4b: Interpretation

My choice is about gaining a deeper understanding of the last five years of my dear friends life. This whole experience has made me realize that we do not have all the time in the world and we should live every day as if it is our last. I cannot go back in time and redo the last five years, so I would like to learn more about his final years. Also, I would like to think about anything other than the hospital there, since that was my last time visiting.

4c: Judgment

What led me to my choice was the realization that from here on out I want everything in my life to be meaningful and of some sort of significance. I wanted to pick a place that meant something to me, instead of just picking a place that I already knew a lot about. I feel that the reason I chose this is because I am having such a hard time focusing on anything that does not in some way relate to my friend.

4d: Questioning

I learned that UCSB, for fifty years, has been a major contributor to Santa Barbara culture. What I would like to know is a rough idea on the leading majors at UCSB. Although I found out that Santa Barbara attracts many artists and performers, my friend was far from both of these career paths.

5: One thing I learned from one student.

I learned that Lisa and I are both taking two online classes over summer and we are both feeling like it is harder to manage than we thought. I think time management has a lot to do with culture. Our society is very fast-paced and when we cannot keep up with it sometimes we feel we have failed. I know that lately I feel like a failure in school because I am just now starting and I am extremely behind.

http://crosbyfan.blogspot.com/2008/06/assignment-1a.html

Week 1: Project 1C

Dorothy Guajardo is a psychology major. From her, I learned that Paulo Freire was imprisoned as a traitor for 70 days due to his compassion towards education. Also, I learned that he taught 300 farm workers to read in 45 days!

Denya Beaudry is a business and information systems major. She taught me that the reason Freire taught the farm workers to read was because of the law that one must be literate to vote in a Presidential Election. I also found out that liberation theology is a part of Christianity that focuses of the "origin of sin".

Week 1: Project 1B

A very important fact to acknowledge about Paulo Freire was the time he grew up. During the Depression, while living Northeast of Brazil, Freire was exposed to heart-wrenching and eye-opening issues. The first-and experience he had with hunger and poverty had a deep impact on his life path. It is important to understand his background before forming opinions on his work.

Freire's involvement in education is quite admirable, since most of us do not question how we are taught. He looked at education as a "banking" concept; the student being the empty bank account that the teacher would fill. He was against this idea and for a more equal approach to learning.

Freire's beliefs evolved into a social idea of critical consciousness. To elaborate on his ideas, he believed that learners should question their social situation, rather than just accept everything as is. In addition to this, Freire believed that both the teacher and student should engage in learning, questioning and reflecting. More often than not, it is assumed that the teacher knows everything and the student knows nothing.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire, http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/