ENL 111: "One King, One God: Christianity in King Arthur's Court"

Jolene Brown

Dr. K. Smith

English 111

12 May 2009

One King, One God: Christianity in King Arthur’s Court

Religion is an important thread that runs through the many tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The virtues that the court is said to uphold, though they include other non-Christian influences, are representative of Christian virtues, and the idea of a single God is brought up continually throughout the works. As one of the earliest works that mention King Arthur and his court, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain set the standard for the integration of religion, virtue and valor into the politics and kingships of Britain. In this way, Arthur’s rise and fall as King of Britain can be seen as an attempt to advocate Christianity over paganism, specifically monotheism as superior to polytheism. By criticizing the in-fighting of Christians for power Geoffrey argues that Christians should instead turn their fighting to outer foes, spreading the word of the Christian God, thus creating a larger support network, and ultimately the expansion of both Christianity and British power.

Religion plays an important part in the virtues attributed to Arthur by Geoffrey, and those virtues are what make Arthur popular among his people. Geoffrey, in Book 9, describes Arthur as a “youth of outstanding virtue and largesse” whose “innate goodness made him exhibit such grace that he was beloved by almost all people” (163). Geoffrey also says Arthur is one who “possessed both great courage and generosity,” but it is clear that these virtues are reserved only for his people, as the line finishes by pointing out Arthur’s determination “to attack the Saxons so that he could distribute their riches among his men” (163). But even his violence towards the Saxons is justified by another virtue: “Justice spurred him on as well, since by right of inheritance he ought to have control over the entire island” (163). The listing of these virtues and the attribution to Arthur not only makes him a worthy candidate for the throne, but also allude to a higher authority that gifted such virtues to the man. It is also important that Arthur wants to protect his own people over the Saxons, choosing the “justice” of inheritance over the allowance of peace. In making this decision Arthur is choosing to not only spread his own power, but to also further reaches of his virtues, granted by God.

An early example of Arthur helping Christianity is his actions after driving out the Saxons from Britain: “Arthur then rebuilt all the churches that had been destroyed and established communities of religious men and women there” (170). Arthur restores both churches and communities while simultaneously strengthening the ties of the church to these distant realms. He also becomes a symbol for the power and virtue of Christianity establishing that God can place such a man in power, but can also give that man the strength to drive the pagans out of Britain and allow for the reestablishment of the Christian church. Arthur also shows his virtues to those people who he restores their faith by also restoring “titles and property to all those who had been driven out by the Saxon occupation” (170). This generosity of both his faith, through the restoration of the churches, and of his wealth, through the distribution of property, speaks highly of Arthur’s character and also of the God that he represents.

In the spreading of the Christian faith through all the lands of Britain Arthur comes to inspire faith in other, ever more distant, lands. The court that he creates gains renown through all of Britain, as the word spreads about the grandness of Arthur’s Round Table. By inviting “all the bravest men from the far-flung reaches of his domains” Arthur is able to “cultivate such refinement…that people far and wide sought to emulate it” (171). This act of emulation both by individuals and by other royal courts speaks as a metaphor for religion. Religious ritual is meant to be copied, reenacted by others for the sake of faith, and by copying Arthur’s court the subjects of Britain are not only showing faith in Arthur, but also faith in the religion that created him. However, religious devotion can also spread fear to those who do not know or understand the purpose for the ritual, which explains the reactions of the other European kings: “The fame of Arthur’s great generosity and prowess then spread to the furthest ends of the earth, and great fear beset the kings across the sea” (171). The kings were afraid of losing their lands to Arthur, but part of their fear one could attribute to the ritualistic fashion in which British subjects sought to copy Arthur’s court so fastidiously to the point that “Every young nobleman was tempted to hang himself unless he could dress or bear arms like the knights of King Arthur’s court” (171).

Through a combination of his virtues and warfare, Arthur wins over domains far-reaching from his inherited kingdom. Arthur’s influence spread past Britain into Europe as “There did not remain one prince of any merit on this side of Spain who did not attend his court when summoned…Arthur’s generosity was renowned all over the world and this made all men love him” (175). After several years of ruling peacefully over Britain, Arthur “rejoiced at being universally feared” and when he realizes that he “desired to submit all Europe to his rule” (171). This conflict of virtue with greed gives a clue into the downfall of Arthur: the end of the round table will come from within. It is Arthur’s decision to spread his power throughout Europe that, one could argue, ultimately leads to his downfall, and it is significant that it is the fear that others have of him that drives him to make this decision. When Arthur is compared to God, God also commands a form of fear from his followers, however it is believed that since God is a perfect being that the fear will not be manipulated for personal gain. Arthur, however, is only a man, and as a man has inherent flaws that prevent him from realizing the mistake he makes in manipulating the fear of his neighboring kingdoms for his own gain. Though it seems though Arthur is only continuing spread the Christian faith, this move is different because it is driven by his desire, and not the “right of inheritance” that was given to him by both his earthy father, Uther, and his Christian father (163).

The giant that Arthur fights can be seen as a symbol of this inner conflict of greed with virtue, as the giant represents the power hungry man that Arthur is becoming. The giant takes a young maiden, who in her fear can be compared to those kingdoms who fear Arthur, and attempts to rape her; when she dies in the attempt, the giant rapes the old woman instead. This juxtaposition between the young maiden and the old crone brings to mind the new kingdoms that Arthur has his sights on, and the old kingdoms of Britain that he is forced to settle with. By killing the young maiden in the attempt to rape her, the giant never gets his satisfaction from the maiden; Arthur never gets his satisfaction in taking Rome despite winning her because he is forced to return to Britain to defend her, his crone, instead. Another important factor in this story is that Arthur is insistent on defeating the giant himself: “For King Arthur possessed such strength and courage that he scoffed at bringing the entire army against such monsters. He wanted to impress his men by vanquishing the creature himself” (183). His insistence on going alone to defeat the giant only reinforces the inflated ego that has developed since he learned how he is feared.

The conflict that begins within Arthur ultimately destroys his kingdom, and leaves Britain in ruins after his defeat. In Book 11, Geoffrey outlines the folly of the British people:

O you hateful people of Britain…Because your kingdom was so divided against itself…because your pride did not allow you to obey a single king, you shall behold your land laid waste by impious pagans. Your houses shall indeed fall, and your descendants shall indeed mourn…they will barely ever be able to regain their former state of dignity. (202)

This lament for the people of Britain, though it is referring directly to their failure to accept Arthur as their “single king,” also speaks in religious overtones as their not accepting God as their “single king.” It is a call against polytheism, and the pagan religions that called people away from the Christian guidance provided by the church. Geoffrey also tells the reader that “the Britons thus lost the crown of Britain for many years…they did not follow a single king but instead obeyed three separate warlords who constantly ravaged the land fighting one another” (203). Instead of only one “king” or God, there were more than one, lending itself to pagan rituals and practices. By succumbing to these many gods, the Britons had lost both the crown, and the dignity that it had while under the rule of a wise, Christian king like Arthur.

In writing the history of the British people this way Geoffrey integrates religion into politics so subtly that the implications are not immediate. This view of a King as a symbol for God helped to forge the groundwork for the later Anglican religion, which places the monarch at the center of both the church and the state. By uniting the people under one religion that served the King as a representative of God, and by integrating that religion into their politics the Britons were able to create a vast world power within only a few hundred years of Geoffrey’s writings. Britain became Arthur, and through religion and warfare managed to take over most of the world, but like Arthur, they were not able to sustain it.

ENL 168: "'The Fish' and Freedom"

Jolene Brown

Dr. A. Williamson

English 168

May 5, 2009

“The Fish” and Freedom

The poem “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop tells of a fisherman who catches a very old fish. Though at first the fisherman is not impressed with the fish, except for its obvious age, he begins realize the significance of the catch through observation of its appearance, and the meaning of a few snapped wires and rusted hooks. The story in the poem itself seems rather simple and straightforward, however there are many subtle clues, similes and metaphors in the course of the poem that allude to a greater meaning for both the speaker and the reader.

The poem begins with a fisherman lifting a fish half out of water. The speaker states in a very straightforward, yet disappointed tone:

He didn’t fight.

He hadn’t fought at all.

He hung a grunting weight,

battered and venerable

and homely. (lines 5-9)

The speaker blames his disappointment on the fish. Its lack of fight is interpreted as weakness, physical and in character, and not worth the effort to pull it into the boat. One of the draws of fishing is the feeling of triumph that man feels when overcoming his game, so when the fish succumbs to its fate by not fighting, it has ruined this triumph for the fisherman. It is clear that this is one of the reasons why the fisherman has not immediately pulled the fish into the boat, and instead leaves the fish in a state of limbo, half out of the water beside the boat.

Another factor is the outward appearance of the fish, as the speaker describes the fish as both battered and homely. Even when compared to a rose, an object known for beauty, the speaker describes:

…his brown skin hung in strips

like ancient wallpaper

and its pattern of darker brown

was like wallpaper:

shapes like full-blown roses

stained and lost through age. (10-15)

It is obvious that the speaker is disappointed at first description of his ancient catch. The combination of the fish allowing the speaker to reel him in without any fight, and the unattractive physical nature of the fish disappoints both the speaker and, subsequently, the reader through the description.

The author uses many similes and mixed metaphors, like the one above, throughout the poem in significant ways, giving the poem a tone of both sympathy and beauty to an otherwise disgusting fish. In fact, there are six obvious similes in the poem, and each of them compare a description of the fish to an object that is inherently beautiful or heroic, and usually these comparisons are in direct contrast with other lines. An excellent example of this use mixed metaphor is lines 27-28: “I thought of the course white flesh / packed in like feathers,” where the speaker calls the flesh of the fish “course,” in the first line is in direct contrast with the word “feathers” in the following line. Another example is lines 61-62, where the idea of medals and ribbons are described at a contrast to what the reader imagines: “Like medals with their ribbons / frayed and wavering.” The significance of this placement of similes can be traced to the fish, such that the fish is not at first what it seems to be. In fact, the speaker has to take in the whole of the fish before he can understand how these disgusting outer features do not tell the whole story of this venerable fish.

In fact, the fish only seems determined to accept death. In lines 34-44 the speaker describes staring into the eyes of the fish and not recognizing any intelligence or consciousness. It seems the fish as given up, as its eyes “They shifted a little, but not / to return my stare. / —It was more like the tipping / of an object toward the light.” The last line, which begins with a hyphen, almost as an after-thought, tells the reader that the eyes of the fish are like an object heading “toward the light.” This can be seen as the fish succumbing to the inevitability of its death, “toward the light” in the way that near-death experience has been described. This is another example of the fish accepting its inevitable demise at the hands of the speaker, which can be interpreted, by both speaker and reader, in an anti-heroic manner.

It is only when the speaker notices the hooks hanging out of the mouth of the fish that it seems as though the fish made a decision to allow the fisherman to catch him. The speaker notices the condition of the fish:

…then I saw that from his lower lip—

…hung five old pieces of fish-line,

or four and a wire leader

with the swivel still attached,

with all their five big hooks

grown firmly in his mouth. (48, 51-55)

These hooks that are “grown” into the mouth of the fish not only show the determination that this fish had for living, but they are also symbols of past battles, as the speaker refers to them as “medals with their ribbons/frayed and wavering,” but they also signal the wisdom of age, as they are also seen as “a five-haired beard of wisdom/trailing from his aching jaw” (63-64). Suddenly, the fish is deserving of reverence, and even a source of pride: “I stared and stared/and victory filled up/the little rented boat…” (65-67). It is not until this line that the reader realizes the significance of this catch to the speaker, because in a rented boat, this fisherman is one that could be considered an amateur, so by catching this fish the speaker had done what others before him were not capable of. The fish also takes on a mythical quality, and at the close of the poem, when it is the speaker who succumbs, not to death, but to enlightenment.

This poem was written in a free-verse style, and by writing in free verse, the author is free to tell the story of the fish and the fisherman in such a way that is unlimited in its rhymes and rhythms. Free verse is also symbolic: it allows the fish, the fisherman and the author freedom, which is a theme throughout the poem. This style also makes what little rhyme and repetition that the author does use more obvious to the reader, signaling clues to important passages that might be lost if the poem had more meter or rhyme. Repetition, instead of rhyme, becomes the focus of the reader, as there are several points of repetition that play an important role in the transitions of the speaker. In lines 48-49 the speaker repeats the word “lip” twice, both as the last word in the line. This is an important signal in the poem, as it is when the speaker notices the heroic lines hanging from the lip of the fish. It is a change of heart for the speaker, and a transition for the fish from helpless victim, to former hero. Repetition is used again at the second to last line where the word “rainbow” is repeated three times. Again it is a signal of change of heart, as the speaker reaches a climax of realization—an epiphany, which in a chant of “rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!” comes to its fullest extent.

The rainbow that spreads from the oil stain in the boat emerges out of the speaker’s victory and from an epiphany, when the speaker suddenly realizes the significance of the catch. The fish becomes a symbol of something greater: freedom; by capturing the fish the speaker not only strips the fish of its freedom, but captures freedom itself. The fish can be seen as a symbol for freedom, in that the fish has obviously struggled to retain its freedom, as evidenced by the many hooks and wires hanging from its lips, but also by the its surrender. By surrendering to the speaker, the fish forfeits its own freedom, perhaps for the sake of the other younger fish, which alludes to a self-sacrificial generation that gives its own life for the sake of the future: much like those generations that fought wars for freedom. It is this combination of fighting and self-sacrifice that gives the fish the quality of a martyr, and the rainbows that emerge as a result of the speaker’s epiphany are clearly meant to enhance this ethereal perspective. By releasing the fish, the speaker allows freedom back into the world, and the fish becomes an immortal for both speaker and reader.

Works Cited

Bishop, Elizabeth. “The Fish.” The Norton Anthology of modern and Contemporary Poetry, Volume 2, third edition. Editors: Jahan Ramazani, et. al. W.W. Norton and Company, New York and London, 2003. Pages 21-22.

UWP 104D: "Statement of Purpose for Submission to CSUS Master's Program"

Jolene Brown

Dr. S. Herring

University Writing Program 104D

March 20, 2009

Statement of Purpose for Submission to CSUS Master’s Program

Whether it was teaching my stuffed animals the importance of colors in relation to my coloring book, instructing my younger brother the intricacies of the multiplication table, training employees on-the-job, or assisting other students in my classes when I can—I have always been a teacher. It was a surprise to me when I decided that I wanted to be a college professor, but many of my friends and relatives were not at all surprised at my decision. It was not until I was in college that I realized I wanted to teach, when I was around students that I understood and could relate to. It came so naturally to me to assist fellow students, volunteering myself to those who needed an extra hand in my classes when I felt I could help. Being in college was a natural fit for me, and as I approach my first goal at UC Davis have come to realize that I wish to remain in the classroom giving the gift of education to future generations of college students. For this reason I wish to apply for the English graduate program at Sacramento State University, to study English composition and also receive a certificate in reading in adult education.

I believe that teaching is more than just explanation to students. As an English major, much of my education has centered on writing papers, but writing has not always been my strength. In fact, much of my college career I have suffered from a fear of writing that I have managed to overcome with the help and encouragement of some excellent college English professors. This is my motivation to instruct college English students, many of whom suffer from the same phobia as I did, and give them the motivation and self-confidence they need to write well and learn to enjoy at least some aspects of that which they loath. Specifically, I see the connection between good reading and good writing, and want to dispel the myth that they are separate entities, guiding students to conquer their fear of both.

One teacher, specifically, has inspired me to pursue teaching and has become a mentor for me throughout my college education. She was my English Reading 312 instructor at American River College, Professor Sue Rooney. Her class was the first class I took when I returned to college after a four year hiatus and it was the most challenging class I have ever taken. More important than just a grade, the next semester I realized how useful everything I learned in her class was and my success as a student improved dramatically because of what I learned in her class. She taught me something more important than better ways to read: she taught me the importance of student responsibility in education. Learning is more than reading a book and regurgitating the material; learning is students taking a pro-active approach to the material presented in every class, using it to explain the world around them, relating it to everything they do and committing to themselves to apply what they learn to their own lives. Whether it is nutrition, science, mathematics or literature, what students learn in school should become personal. Student should be taught to see the application beyond abstract ideas.

As a teacher I would commit myself to each student, maintaining standards that are achievable, but challenging. I consider myself an untraditional student because I did not attend college right after I graduated high school, instead going out into the work force for several years, and realizing through that experience that I wanted to pursue higher education. I managed a record store, a dream for any student out of high school, and in doing so gained valuable inter-personal skills as a manager and through interactions with very different kinds of people on a daily—even hourly—basis. I know this experience will allow me to reach out to every student, regardless of their position, culture, background, age, race, or gender. I have a special appreciation for returning students, especially those who have taken a substantial amount of time off from school to raise families or work full time. These students who have decided they want to pursue their education in spite of their lives outside of school are the ones I have a particular desire to help. I want to encourage them not to give up their dreams, regardless of their personal struggles, and see them realize their dreams no matter what those dreams might be.

The California State University, Sacramento has a program that would be perfect for me to see through my goal of teaching at a community college. The school offers the program I want to apply for, namely English composition, but also the certificate needed to instruct adult students in reading. Many instructors I respect and admire are graduates from the program I wish to apply for, and so I am familiar with the final product of education through Sacramento State. However, more importantly, the campus is also located in the community that I wish to remain a part of. As a Sacramento native, I want to give back to my community, assisting those people in Sacramento and giving my time to my neighbors. If I am accepted to Sacramento State I will have the opportunity to pursue my degree, and my future, in the city I call home, with people I love, surroundings that I am familiar with, at a school that allows me every opportunity to be the best college professor I can be. I look forward to working closely with the talented professors at Sacramento State University, pursuing my dream of helping and motivating others to pursue theirs.

UWP 104D: "Integrating Technology into College Classrooms"

Integrating Technology into College Classrooms

Technology is now a mainstay in our lives as Americans, and indeed as people living during what is no doubt the middle of an age determined by technological breakthroughs. It is no longer an option, more of a requirement, that a person be computer literate in order to market themselves as an ideal candidate for even the most basic jobs. It is for this reason that technology be integrated into college classrooms, both as a tool, and as an instructional method, to help adult students gain marketable skills for the work place. The importance of integration of technology, as both a tool for learning and communication, in a college class room is the most important task educators must face in the next decade. It must be taught to all levels of people as a skill that can be mastered for real-world application in a technologically demanding job market.

The digital age is upon us, and those countries catching up are learning to focus their attentions on the use of computers and digital technologies as a way of inching up the world ladder. It is the younger generations that have the edge in the job markets of tomorrow, having been surrounded by technology from early ages. This trend leaves many adults scrambling to catch up in an increasingly foreign job market that emphasizes the use of computers and technology that they have little or no experience with. This is exactly why adult education must integrate technologies into their classrooms. The article Technology and Equity Issues in the educational handbook Kaleidoscope realizes that “it is also clear that technology should be one of the principal tools by which students learn to manage the ever-increasing base of knowledge they will need to achieve success” (Ryan 412). The integration of computer literacy into the foundations of the college system, much like the standards of basic reading, writing and math skills, would be one way for adult Americans to get and keep their edge in the already competitive job market.

Even the simplest technology integrations into the college classrooms can prove effective for students. One teacher preparation program at a community college integrated the use of digital photography into their program, using digital photos of good student work as examples for current and future students (Wursta 788). This, in turn, inspired the teachers-in-training to use creative technologies to show their own student’s work off through digital formats. Explaining the move to technology integration Melanie Wursta writes: “In the past, some teacher educators have stressed the importance of presenting engaging, motivating lessons to children yet sometimes expected college students to learn primarily through reading and listening. By combining verbal discussion with visual documentation and hands-on learning, faculty can create dynamic, vibrant, college learning environments” (793). In using technology in the education of future teachers, the faculty is also showing those teachers how to integrate it into their own classrooms, while creating a fun, multifaceted learning environment.

It has become a trend to take an ‘all or nothing’ approach to classroom technology, with many schools opting for purchase of expensive, and often useless, technology for classrooms over the traditional school necessities. Programs such as music, art, field trips and libraries suffer for the sake of having the newest computers, hardware or software. To compound the problem, the colleges often lack the funding to train their teachers how to effectively integrate it, leaving students to figure it out on their own. Another Kaleidoscope article titled The Mad Dash to Compute points out the unproven educational outcomes of computer use in classrooms: “Computers, which have as yet demonstrated questionable effects on student learning, must not be bought at the expense of proven staples of mental development, such as art, music, drama, debate, physical education, text literacy, manipulatives, and hands-on learning aids” (Ryan, 389).

There are definitely risks that educators take when focusing their time, money and efforts on using computers in the classroom. In the book titled The Cultural Dimensions of Educational Computing: Understanding the Non-Neutrality of Technology addresses the shortcomings of technology in relation to cultural differences among students. Although the book was written a decade ago, many of the arguments are still relevant to the education of students by computers. One example is regarding computer use replacing such necessities as cultural education. The book argues “The cultural orientations that are weakened in the classroom include the forms of authority and skills associated with the oral traditions: folk arts and technologies, substantive traditions of the community…the fine arts, and the values related to…care, competence, and frugality in the use of the world” (6). This one sided approach of technology in education can be avoided through integration of technology into the classroom. Instead of marginalizing other forms of instruction computers should be used as a way of highlighting other methods of instruction. Computers are integrated into the workforce, and education must use the workforce as an example to build curriculum helping students use technology as a means for their education, rather than as an end of education.

Before technology is brought into a classroom there must be curriculum in place to guide the instruction of students in the online classroom. Instructors should be trained in the best methods of delivery when instructing students in the online environment: “…instructional designers need to look for innovative ways to facilitate quality teaching and learning recognizing that simply converting a face-to-face course to an online course does accomplish the task…methods of instructional delivery may need to be modified for the online environment” (Aragon 155). Funding for schools can be scarce at times, and it comes in cycles, and it is when schools become funded they jump at the opportunity to get technology for their campus, often without adequate planning in how to implement it. If the class curriculum for the implemented online classes is not adequate, students will not successfully complete the course. There are several reasons for this, including learning style, presentation of the materials, and overwhelming amounts of work. Making the class materials available comfortably and understandably becomes the online teacher’s primary goal.

Integration should be the primary goal of community colleges that wish to send out their graduates prepared for the workforce. Too often colleges try to move to an entirely online curriculum, when in reality is it rare that an employee is required to perform their job entirely online. One of the most important things that colleges should teach their students is the social skills and team work that comes with working with other students cooperatively in small groups or pairs. This aspect of education is what becomes more valuable to students in the workforce. Unfortunately, it is also this lesson in socialization that is lost in those courses that are taught poorly online, because teaching group cooperation in online environments can be done. A teacher who is more comfortable facilitating discussions in person should teach a hybrid online or an in person course, where they have access to their students in a real-life environment.

Teachers who have mastered integrating group cooperation into their online courses are those who grade forum posts and responses, have group assignments as a mandatory part of the course, and allow students to post pictures, setting up “profiles” so students can get to know one another beyond a text on a page. This kind of instruction can be welcoming for some students, who are accustomed to networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, but also allow older adults to get to know one another in a more familiar face-to-face way. However, this kind of freedom requires instructors to be aware of everything their students post, and to discipline those students who put inappropriate items on their profile.

Technology is not going to disappear from our culture because it is a means to make life easier. In fact, the easier technology becomes to use the more important it will be for adult educators to embrace it and prepare adequate instruction for their students. Teacher training should integrate technology into their curriculum, showing future teachers the importance and usefulness of technology as a route to effective education, from young children to adults. This will create a well-trained work force prepared, technologically, for any career the person chooses, and computers will no longer be a mystery for those adults who are only now realizing the importance of technological knowledge in their jobs. Integration of technology into schools will only create more opportunities for people outside of school, regardless of age, career, or culture.

Works Cited

Aragon, Steven R., and Elaine S. Johnson. "Factors Influencing Completion and Noncompletion of Community College Online Courses." American Journal of Distance Education 22.3 (2008): 146-58. ERIC. CSA. 9 Mar. 2009 <http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1080/08923640802239962>.

Bowers, C.A. The Cultural Dimensions of Educational Computing: Understanding the Non-Neutrality of Technology. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 1988.

Ryan, Kevin and James Cooper, eds. Kaleidoscope: Readings in Education. Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.

Wursta, Melanie, Judy Brown-DuPaul, and Laura Segatti. "Teacher Education: Linking Theory to Practice through Digital Technology." Community College Journal of Research and Practice 28.10 (2004): 787-94. ERIC. CSA. 9 Mar. 2009 <http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=H7EJUDE04N6LUD67>.

UWP 104D: "Purpose, Process and Reflection: Taking Bright Adult Students to the Next Level"

Purpose, Process and Reflection:

Taking Bright Adult Students to the Next Level

Sue Rooney reflected on the question for a moment before she answered. It was not a long moment; much of what she wants to say has already been said before, in other conversations at other times. She has always wanted to be a teacher; so much of what she is telling me is restatements of what she has told herself, her family, her friends, her children and her students over the last twenty years of her career. “You see,” she starts out, “I remember being in school, as young as grade school, and I could never understand why students who were really bright—I mean, really, really smart, you could just see it and hear it when they talked—why they would do so bad in school. They were the ones I was interested in. The ones who had learning disabilities always had extra help, but those smart ones, they never did—they were the ones I wanted to help.”

Professor Sue Rooney was my teacher for a class titled Academic Textbook Reading at American River College during the fall semester of 2005. She is an inspirational teacher who judges each student on the own potential and pushes them to achieve what she knows they are capable of. “When I was first hired at American River College, back in 1989, I noticed how little help there was for students who were not ‘basic skills’ but not quite ready for university-level college work. There was a gap that needed to be filled by English reading courses to help those students reach the next level.” She teaches every student in her class ways of improving their reading strategies, and by doing so, opens doors for students who never knew they were capable of achieving even the most fantastic dreams. Without her motivation and guidance, many students would have given up on their educational goals before even knowing their own potential.

“Reading is a process in the mind: when teaching a student to write well you have their finished product in front of you to judge, critique and see their problems. It is not the same with reading and poor writing is always a reflection of poor reading.” Professor Rooney saw a gap in the college education system for those students she wanted to help, and immediately sought to fill it. Her first step was to create a department at the college to be the foundation for those classes that students needed, and, with the help of another instructor, she founded the Reading department as a sub-department of English. “Teaching at a college is different from teaching K-12. People choose to go to college, and by doing so have made a decision to seek out their own education. Education comes from the Latin word educere which means to ‘lead out.’ That’s what I’m here to do—lead them out into the world better educated, amply prepared for their next stage, be it work or university.”

“So,” I ask, “is it safe to say that you take responsibility for your student’s learning?”

“No, absolutely not,” Professor Rooney answered. “I take responsibility for what is in my power: as a teacher I can only provide them with the right environment, give them the tools, and be there for them, but I do not take what is theirs. I want my students to be responsible for their own learning—these are adults, and I treat them like adults.”

“How do you do that?”

“I challenge the students to ask ‘why.’ I want them to question what they do in their classes, in my class, and it is when they find the answer to the ‘why’ they realize the power they have as students. They can think critically about their own education and they know what they are working for. I also ask myself the same question: an effective teacher should always reflect on why they do what they do. It is the teacher’s responsibility to teach as much as it is the student’s responsibility to learn.”

Her philosophy on teaching comes alive in her classrooms, as Professor Rooney challenges her students who prove what they know. It is not only about passing tests; it is about the application of what they are learning in her class to their other classes that is the mark of the successful student. “I want my students to have ah-ha moments, when they realize how they can improve themselves.”

“Can you explain?”

“Well, just the other day in R.A.D. [Reading Across the Disciplines] I had a student who is seeing me for help with his political science class. He missed some questions on his last exam and we went over it question by question, and I was asking him why he missed each one. As it turns out, he knew exactly why he missed each question and could tell me those things he neglected to study in the first few weeks of the semester. The student was amazed! And, more importantly, he identified his weaknesses and strengths and is already changing his tactic to do better on the next exam.”

“What do you teach students in your class that you think is the most important?”

“Three things: purpose, process and reflection. These are what drive everything I do with students in my lecture class and in R.A.D.” I thought back to her class when I took it several years ago and remembered having to do different reading exercises and writing journals on them. “Is that why we did those journal entries in your class?”

“Exactly why! Metacognitive journals are an important part of the learning process. After students identify ‘why’ they are doing something, and they have completed the task, they then must reflect on the activity from beginning to end. This brings the student recognition of their strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses, and by doing so, they can begin to identify how to improve their next attempt.”

Sue believes that many teachers focus too much on the products of learning and not the process. In order for students to move through the learning process effectively they must have the ability to identify their purpose for learning because if there is no purpose students feel as though they are wasting their time and it becomes a mental block for learning. At the end of the interview, Sue offered me advice:

“Jolene, when you begin teaching and you’re standing in front of that class for the first time, remember that each student is an individual and for every student you have a different approach to the material. Always work on improving your class, your style, your approach, your interaction—the students will see the work you put into it, and they will match you. And, most importantly, never, ever, ever lower your standards. The moment you lower your standards to accommodate your students you are no longer a teacher and you are not instructing. I love this job, and the moment I stop loving this job I will retire.”

Professor Sue Rooney has seen her dream through for more than twenty years. She set out to help those students who needed a push to the next level, be it through instruction, encouragement, or a little of both. I am proof of her strength as a teacher; I give her credit for inspiring me, indeed many students, with making successful transitions to a four-year prestigious universities. Reading Across the Disciplines, or RAD as it is called around campus, has grown steadily and silently for eight years in a room slightly larger than a walk-in closet. Students now flock to the program en masse, leading to an expansion of the program outside of English students, to assist students in programs such as electronics, nursing, engineering, mathematics, paramedics and science. Her vision has taken off, leading to years of students who realize the importance of reading in their classes, and have gone on to be successful in four-year universities.

ENL 164: "Remainder:Reminder" Response to Remainder by Tom McCarthy.

I liked this book.  It reminded me of so many ideas that we have discussed in this course, and some of them nearly forgotten.  It was as though I were hunting out the concepts, much like our narrator was hunting for his building, and when I discovered them I was elated in my realization of them, much like he was when he discovered his building. It was a way of bringing to life those abstract ideas that, until now, were only floating around in the corners of my mind, and had not found a conception to pin themselves to: a seemingly realistic use of unrealistic abstractions.

On pages 55 and 56 our narrator describes a group of homeless people across the street from the coffee shop where he is enjoying his 'short cap:'  "I started seeing a regularity to the pattern of their movements...It was complicated though: each time I thought I'd cracked the sequence, one of them would move out of turn or strike out on a new route."  This is an example of the clinamen, in the pattern of the moving people, suddenly broken by one person who moves different from it.

Another part of the novel that reminded me of an idea we’ve discussed is page 96:

“I imagined looking on from overhead, from way above the city, picking out Naz’s people, each one with a kind of tag on them, a dot like police cars have to help police helicopters pick them out. I imagined looking down and seeing them all—plus me, the seventh moving dot, my turning and redoubling etching out the master pattern that the other six were emulating.”

This passage reminded me of something we had discussed that I could not quite place, much like the memories that plague this narrator. I realized that it was part of our discussion on Meillassoux: the seventh case, “a seventh side to the die that emerges as the die is thrown; a pure emergence that does not ‘pre-exist’ its own existence” (notes 1/22/2009). Our narrator, and indeed these new memories that have emerged to him as a result of his accident, are an example of the seventh case, which has emerged into his mind without existing prior to the accident.

There are also very obvious references to the simulacrum that Baudrillard discusses in his paper “The Precession of Simulacra.” Throughout the novel the narrator creates for himself representations—perfect representations—of certain experiences, places, and memories, for the sheer pleasure of doing so. On page 67 the narrator states: “I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my money. I wanted to reconstruct that space and enter it so that I could feel real again.” The house itself was a haven for the narrator’s “re-enactments of events that hadn’t happened but which, nonetheless, like the history in Kevin’s pop sing, were on the verge of being repeated” (134).

ENL 164: "Kelvin and Jarry: The Rationale of Making Rationality Ultra-Rational"

Kelvin and Jarry:

The Rationale of Making Rationality Ultra-Rational.

In comparing Lord Kelvin’s writings to Exploits and Opinions of Doctor Faustroll ‘Pataphysician by Alfred Jarry, one immediately notices how Dr. Faustroll enacts the thoroughness of science so exactly, and so rigorously that his science of ‘pataphysics takes on characteristics of the absurd. At first it seems a strictly satirical jab at the ideas behind modern science, but there is an element of respect for the ideas put forth in the unusual discussions and integration of Kelvin’s theories into the science of ‘Pataphysics. Jarry analyzes Kelvin’s ideas and supplants them into a realm of the absurd by exploring them so rationally that the ideas become irrational. In leaving the serious scientific implications intact, Jarry performs rational observation so intense it becomes ultra-rational, thereby transitioning into the realm of the absurd by using the measure of science on itself. By doing so he calls into question the very grounds of scientific reasoning and measurement, and Jarry exposes the inherent irrationality of that which is supposed to be rational about science, calling into question those things which sciences, and Kelvin, hold as truth.

One instance of Jarry’s emphasis on the ultra-rational scientific analysis is Dr. Faustroll’s absurd observations in his ‘pataphysical studies. Doctor Faustroll’s first telepathic letter to Lord Kelvin includes the observation that “The body is a more necessary vehicle because it supports one’s clothes, and through clothes one’s pockets” (247). In science it is the human body that is studied, but Dr. Faustroll sees the body only as a vehicle for the pockets in one’s clothes, without which one would not be capable of carrying their “centimeter” or measuring tool. This over-analysis of the purpose of closing takes the focus off of the human body and places it on the clothing merely for its usefulness is carrying a scientific tool. Clothing, an inorganic, senseless object, takes on usefulness not allowed by the limitations of the human body, the source of physical senses. Though the body is important, it is subservient to the clothing, as a “more necessary vehicle” but only a vehicle, nonetheless.

The body becomes a secondary concept to the ‘pataphysician, as Faustroll divorces the senses from the body when he dies, and is then “initiated into the science of all things…have reconquered all perception” (250). For Faustroll, the body is separate from the mind; death, which is understood as a cessation of physical sense, cannot stop him from his experimentation. The senses, at least in some form, are available to him after the death of his body, so it is perfectly reasonable for him to achieve ‘pataphysical understanding without the use of his earth-bound body. In contrast, Kelvin does not differentiate between the body and the senses, instead emphasizing the integration of the senses with the body and the mind when he states: “Now if I were to say that the weight of that piece of chalk is the fourth power of twenty miles an hour, I would be considered fit, not for this place, but for a place where people who have lost their sense are taken care of” (Brown 3). This ties together the body, mind and senses by pointing out that if the mind conceives of this absurd thought, and the body voices that thought as a serious consideration, then a body will put into a place where others “who have lost their sense” are taken. Kelvin also defines for the reader his stance on sanity, for those who are without sense consideration lack the ability to care for themselves, and thus must be institutionalized.

When Faustroll dies he expresses unhappiness at being separated from his ‘pataphysical tools when he telepathically writes: “I no longer had even my tuning fork. Imagine the perplexity of a man outside time and space, who has lost his watch, and his measuring rod, and his turning fork. I believe, Sir, that it is indeed this state which constitutes death” (248). Without his tools for measurement the scientist can no longer draw comparisons between two events, but a ‘pataphysician would hardly need the same tools for measurement in their studies that are similar to those of a scientist. However, without these measuring tools Faustroll is reduced a state that is similar to death, but contradictorily, he is making this comparison while in a state of death, so he is still making measurements of some kind. Death, as Faustroll explains, “is only for common people” but who those people are he does not say, except that he immediately agrees with Kelvin that “if one can measure what one is talking about and express it in numbers, which constitute the sole reality, then one has some knowledge of one’s subject” (247). The common person, based on this description, is one who has no concept of measurement and quantification, and therefore no concept of—in Faustroll’s case—‘pataphysics.

Jarry proposes that ‘pataphysics “will examine the laws governing exceptions” which is in contrast to modern science. Jarry proposes that:

[‘Pataphysics]… will describe a universe which can be…envisaged in the place of the traditional one, since the laws that are supposed to have been discovered in the traditional universe are also correlations of exceptions, albeit more frequent ones, but in any case accidental data which, reduced to the status of unexceptional exceptions, possess no longer even the virtue of originality. (192-193)

‘Pataphysics is content to examine each event on its own, and instead of attempting to correlate each event with others, allows them to be individual occurrences or objects. In this way, ‘pataphysics shows more consideration to the smallest details, analyzing the differences that exist between otherwise identical events. Instead of focusing on the ample similarities, the scarce differences are studied exhaustively, until the point where it is considered absurd by science. Science ignores the exceptions as anomalies, instead choosing to look for patterns and grouping the similar events together in an attempt to construct knowledge of the world. Where there are gaps in perception induction is used to create a rational, perfectly explainable, picture of the world. Based on measurements, history, previous knowledge, and perceived similarities, events are then lumped into various categories based on the similarities of the identical or nearly identical. It devotes energy to the discovery of new correlations which are based on the similarities of events rather than differences.

Measurement is the source of all similarities and differences, and so is the foundation of all scientific knowledge. Kelvin explains the importance of measurement in science when he writes:

The first step toward numerical reckoning of properties of matter, more advanced than the mere reference to a set of numbered standards, as in mineralogists scale of hardness, or to an arbitrary trade standard…is the discovery of a continuously-varying action of some kind, and the means of observing it definitely, and meaning it in terms of some arbitrary unit or scale division. (Brown 1)

Through measurement the scientist can relate to the world, and without it there is no basis for the correlation and categorizing of seemingly similar, albeit isolated events. By measuring an object a direct comparison is being made between two different objects, even though the second object might be absent, like through the use of a meter stick. In this way, the source of measurement is often something completely arbitrary, based on another object completely unrelated to those being measured. For example, Kelvin confirms the origins of the meter when he states that “The metre…was made originally as nearly as possible equal to the ten-millionth of the length of a certain quadrant of the earth” (Brown 4). Thus, all objects that are given a length in meters are compared to an arbitrary piece of earth determined by scientists as a basis for all forms of length measurement.

Though it makes sense to have the ability to compare the lengths of two separate objects in terms of numbers, the source of the meter could be considered absurd. Jarry, however, formulates a super-rational form a measurement that Dr. Faustroll totes as his source of ‘pataphysical measurement: “I carry on me the one thousand millionth part of a quarter of the earth’s circumference, which is more honorable than being attached to the surface of the globe by attraction” (249). This form of measurement may seem absurd, but it is a rational idea when considered with the arbitrary source of the scientific meter, and is in fact “more honorable” because it is a fraction of the circumference of the earth, rather than part of an arbitrary length of ground.

Measurement is one idea that both Kelvin and Jarry agree on, at least in terms of its importance to both science and ‘pataphysics. Kelvin argues:

…a first essential step in the direction of learning any subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and methods for practicably measuring some quality connected with it…when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about; but when you cannot measure it…it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely…advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be. (Brown 2)

Kelvin makes an epistemological claim that knowledge is defined by its ability to be measured in numbers, by quantity of some kind, though he does not explain what that quantity might be. Therefore, he argues, knowledge can only belong to a person who can measure quantitatively the matter they want to know and science cannot be understood without knowledge. This is the relationship that Kelvin defines between measurements supporting knowledge that, in turn, is the foundation for science. The problem with this relationship is address by Jarry by Dr. Faustroll’s obsession with measurement lending itself to the satire of Kelvin’s measurement-knowledge-science relationship. As knowledge is based on measurement, and is also the foundations for science, yet it is science that establishes the justification for measurement. This creates a circular argument, where each part relies on the other as justification for its conclusions. Jarry over-extends the relationship between measurement-knowledge-science by focusing on the hyperfine aspects of objects.

One example of this overextension of the relationship is Jarry’s description of Dr. Faustroll at the beginning of the novel. Faustroll is described as being born in “1898 (the 20^th century was (-2) years old)”, when he was sixty-three years old, and that he was “a man of medium height, or to be absolutely accurate, of (8 x 10¹⁰ + 10⁹ + 4 x 10⁸ + 5 x 10⁶) atomic diameters” (183). This exactness in his description is absurd in its accuracy, but by mentioning the preexistence of the 20^th century, Jarry puts Faustroll in the realm of the modern science, the golden age of exact measurement. He was conceived in the 19^th century, but it is the 20^th century that births him, and allows the over-rational absurdity of ‘pataphysics. By focusing on this birth of a century, Jarry is giving the reader a foundation for understanding Faustroll, and though this point in time might seem arbitrary, it is no less unusual than most other forms of scientific measurement. Even Kelvin points that:

“It is interesting, not only in respect to the ultimate philosophy of metrical systems, but also as full of suggestions regarding the properties of matter, to work out in detail the idea of founding the measurements of mass and force on no other foundation than the measurement of length and time” (Brown 3).

In giving not only this exact, albeit absurd, description of Faustroll, along with this unusual date and circumstances of his birth, Jarry is setting the stage for the reader to have a means of measurement to that which we already know. It does not matter that the measurements are absurd or impossible to comprehend; they are still a means for comparison, and a glimpse into the ultra-rational ‘pataphysics.

By making the move from rational to ultra-rational ‘pataphysics is suddenly considered absurdist in its approach to knowledge. Science makes equally absurd moves in its logic, but since the focus is on categories and patterns of information the average person can relate to it, making sense of the explanations given by science to explain the world around them. Kelvin, a widely regarded scientist, gives the example of the infinitesimal satellite, and proceeds to explain why it is a justification for comparison: “These somewhat pedantic words are justified, because “infinitesimal satellite” is nine syllables to express three or four sentences; that is our justification” (Brown 3). By condensing a paragraph down to a few syllables Kelvin is giving a perfect example of science at its best in the defining and categorizing of the even the words on the page. It can be argued that this condensation is just as absurd as any ultra-rationale supplied by a ‘pataphysician such as Dr. Faustroll, no matter how absurd the observations might seem. One standard of arbitrariness cannot be imposed on one form of study, only to be absent from another simply because one explains the world more or less rationally than another without calling into question the ethics of doing so.

Both authors make a claim about the source and value of knowledge, but they do so in very different ways. Kelvin defines knowledge in terms of measurement and quantification, as a support for knowledge, and knowledge, in turn, supports scientific, rational reasoning. Though Jarry also defines knowledge through a form of quantification, it is of a different kind. If ‘pataphysics is the science of the imaginary and particular, then the tools for measurement must also be imaginary or at least based on each and every instance of the particular. In this way, ‘pataphysics might seem arbitrary, but in fact is more rational than science in the rigorousness in which the observations are pursued to explain even the most mundane differences between objects. It may seem absurd to argue against something as simple as the nonexistence of identical objects, but it is also known, even by science, that no two objects in the world are identical. When this is realized, the study of every object and event as its own entity no longer seems absurd, and instead becomes a more rational idea than lumping objects and events into arbitrary categories based on nothing more than their seeming similarities.

Works Cited

Brown, Nathan. "Lord Kelvin, Popular Lectures and Addresses, Vol. 1" Course notes. ENL/STS 164: Writing Science. English/Science and Technology Studies 164. University of California, Davis. February 12, 2009.

Jarry, Alfred. Exploits and Opinions of Doctor Faustroll Pataphysician. Trans. Simon Watson Taylor. New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1965.