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Why Write?

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Today, I sat at my computer to write and…

The words did not flow. Although I had plenty of ideas and some partially written paragraphs that only need a tweak here or there, I just didn’t feel like writing. I glanced at a couple of articles from the paper thinking I could explore some of the issues raised, yet somehow the inspiration that seized me yesterday, abandoned me today. To be fair, I have spent the day writing year 12 reports and this may account for my current mood. I feel as though I have already said all I want to say. I feel as though I have to write, rather than I want to write.

 But…

I made a commitment; a commitment to myself to post each week.  And a commitment to self is difficult to break without emotional consequences. Guilt. It is almost impossible to placate yourself because there is always that inner voice reminding you what you promised. I realised I could offer myself all sorts of excuses; reasons why I didn’t really need to post today but I acknowledged, excuses they were. So I decided to follow the advice I have given my students on countless occasions and just write. Write your way through it, write your thoughts and be honest. Therefore, rather than resisting the frustration, I chose to allow myself to feel it and see where it led. So, I wrote through the block. Guilt dissipated before it had an opportunity to take hold.  I found, even just by writing how I felt (14 sentences ago) the words started to flow a little easier.

Hopefully you have been indulgent enough to read this far. If you have, I would like to share a little insight. This is why your English teachers ask you to write; to write reflections, to write stories, to write evaluations. The process of transferring the electrical impulses of your brain into a tangible form offers the opportunity to actually see and physically manipulate your ideas. In this way you can consider your thoughts from a more objective ‘dispassionate’ stance. Which brings to mind a ‘yet to be discovered’ particle, that a friend brought to my attention, called Higgs Bosun. Physicists believe it will explain why particles have mass. Please remember I am an English teacher, so I realise am probably about to commit all kinds of scientific faux paux but… the reason Higgs Bosun comes to mind is that the search for it reminds me of my motivation to write. Stay with me and I will explain.

Thoughts are intangibles, however we know they ‘exist’ because we can recognise them. Similarly, feelings are every bit as ‘real’ even though we cannot actually take them in our hand to look at them. They are pieces of ‘massless’ energy, electrical impulses that direct our physical actions and become ‘mass’. Yet, how often do you feel ‘out of sorts’ without really knowing why? Can you recall times when it was difficult to define your thoughts or explain how you felt? Science and psychology can offer many different explanations, but…  how would you answer these questions? Have you even asked yourself questions such as these?

I have posted recently about the benefits of mediation and the importance of recognising a ‘connection’ to the places within yourself. Mediation is one way to begin understanding the connection between your thoughts, emotions and actions. Another way is to write. In fact the writing process is a valuable accompaniment to mediation.

This post is ‘proof’. I began writing with no clear thought about what to write. I realise now it was because I had expectations of what I should write, and felt the pressure of a self imposed commitment to write. Yet whatever it was that I thought I should write (or why I should write), it was not in harmony. Therefore an internal battle ensued leaving me with a general ‘blah’ feeling I could not define. So I chose to write what flowed out naturally. This led me here. To a tangible idea; that thoughts and feelings, although intangible, have tangible consequences. As we allow those thoughts and emotions we can move through them to a place where we can actually ‘see’ them for what they are, rather than constructing excuses for actions or behaviours.

So, next time you are feeling an emotion or think a thought which causes ‘dis-ease’, dis-comfort’, frustration or even guilt, maybe you could write. Write what flows though your mind. Write until you can actually see what underpins those feelings and thoughts. Then, look honestly at those emotions and thoughts. You may find yourself viewing a situation from a different point of view and with this new perspective you can observe Hope  (‘nic’s particle’). In other words emotions or thoughts running wild and unchecked can build into ghost particles which are difficult to manage. Yet when we look closer we can gain a measure of real control. With a sense of control comes the understanding that we have a choice. We can choose what we ‘write’, we can choose the consequence of our emotions. And from here we know we can achieve what we want to achieve.

Can you see how this may be useful for you when you know you need to study?

Yes! I wrote my post.

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Why Facebook

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Why Facebook? Why is Facebook so often in the news and why does it generate so much passion; after all, isn’t it simply a website?

I guess the most obvious response to this question is ‘no, it is not simply a website’. It is a place, a home, an expression of voice, a space to connect and an opportunity to share. As a result, supporters of Facebook guard their right to its use, defending it as ardently as any heavily fortified ‘Castle’. However, with equal valour, others (dwelling in different Castles) seek to dismantle it, or at the very least, impose restrictions on its use. I realise the castle analogy may seem unusual given Facebook’s philosophy of open communication. However I use it here to illustrate how attitudinal walls have created a grand divide between those who understand how to use Facebook, those who think they know how to use Facebook and those who don’t know how to use Facebook.

Today, in the Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew Taylor reported on Ben Self’s suggestion that Facebook (and other forms of social media) may be useful in emergency and disaster situations. According to Self, Facebook offers the opportunity for ‘real-time’ updates that are not restricted by press release rules and time frames  (‘The Social Networker’, 28/08/11, p.3 Sunday Extra).

However, even as I type this I can hear the collective outcry of those who suggest social media may have devastating consequences in these same situations, especially when ‘untrained amateurs’ or ‘rubber necking’ glory seekers offer false or misleading information. Of course there is also the danger of being exposed to tragic circumstances involving family members before ‘official notification’ is given. Worse, are the bullies who use Facebook as a means of torture and worse still, are the heartless (faceless) individuals who deface tribute pages.

These arguments are frequently raised (particularly by parents, politicians and school administrators who do not use or understand, Facebook), as evidence that Facebook’s use should be restricted or even banned. But, isn’t this a case of blaming the tool, when really, it  is the wielder of the tool? After all, a simple fork (designed as an eating utensil) may become a toy in the hand of a child in a sandpit, or a weapon in the hand of an assailant.   

It is with this in mind that I offer two suggestions, one to parents, politicians and school administrators; and the other to the team who administer Facebook.

To parents, politicians and school administrators I reiterate the need for education. Rather than banning Facebook in schools, we should be actively teaching how it is used. We need to teach the responsible use of Facebook in much the same way as we teach the creation and evaluation of media and advertising. Students should be encouraged to be critical responders and composers within the social media sphere so that they may develop a responsible digital profile. It is vital that young people fully appreciate the consequences of their digital actions. They must  recognise how their Facebook chat may be perceived by future employers, friends and family. To facilitate this, teachers, administrators and parents should also learn about how to use Facebook responsibly; both in social contexts and more specifically, in an educational sense. As the ‘walls’ shrouding Facebook from the eyes of ‘naive’  ‘digital immigrants’ are torn down, perhaps fear and uncertainty will be dispelled. In the absence of these restricting emotions, the positive uses of social media (such as those raised by Self) may flourish. Facebook may even foster a greater sense of community.

Nevertheless, Facebook administrators must also recognise their responsibilities. While free speech is to be commended; prejudice, cruelty and defamation must not be tolerated. Therefore I would like to see Facebook programmers add a ‘comment moderation’ option to the privacy settings (particularly for Tribute Pages). This would provide page administrators with the opportunity to ‘approve’ comments before they were made ‘public’ (in much the same way as comments on WordPress blogs may be approved before they are posted). Perhaps, since their audience would shrink considerably, this would discourage ‘bullies’ and ‘vandals’.

Of course these suggestions are not new, I simply add my voice to the countless others who seek to work with (rather than against) technology induced changed. I would love to hear what you think.

Looking for my Place… Belonging

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NSW students will be particularly well acquainted with the concept of Belonging (English: Area of Study). You will have studied the ideas and emotions in depth; pouring over prescribed texts and wading through supplementary options. So, by now you probably have a detailed understanding of how the texts you have studied communicate both individual and group desires to establish a connection to people, place and culture. You will appreciate that there are times when we ‘choose’ to belong and other times when we do not and sometimes, we are not even given the opportunity to belong. You will recognize the barriers, challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome before a sense of belonging can be established. You will have contemplated the importance of self-awareness, or identity. And hopefully, you have also reflected on your own experiences of belonging and considered how the texts you encountered this year influenced your perspectives.

Discussions with my classes have led me to the belief that a ‘connection to place’  is fundamental to feeling, ‘I belong’. Connection to place occurs when we feel accepted, valued and comfortable within a particular space. With this sense of being ‘at ease’ comes the understanding that, even though challenges will arise, ‘I’ have the foundation (mindset and skills) to achieve what ‘I’ set out to accomplish. Let me clarify; when I speak of place, I am referring to both the physical location of our ‘room’ or ‘home’ (or even ‘State’ and ‘Country’) and the more significant ‘inner’ place. The inner place, as I see it, is that ‘space’ within ourself that is known only to us. Metaphorically speaking, it is the ‘multi-roomed home’ ‘inside’ us. When we can locate that ‘place’, and recognize the rooms and their functions, we are less likely to seek external means to ‘fill’ a perceived inner ‘emptiness’.

 How do we find a ‘connection place’? Partially the answer lies in our ‘connection to people’. Those we feel connected to may offer the extra support and ‘fuel’ we require to keep moving when it seems as though the path ahead is dark. Equally, at the times when our path is ‘well lit’, our connections to people provide us with much appreciated companionship and laughter. Of course, connections to people also present the opportunity to be mentored, trained and encouraged, so that we may develop new skills and perceptions.

 However connection to people may not be enough. Perhaps we also need a ‘connection to culture’ since this bond offers a sense of being a part of something that has existed for a long time. As a result, a connection to culture provides the opportunity to refine and measure our internal guidance system. The existence of an established behavior or belief pattern may become reassuring since it offers a ‘well worn’ or established path for us to follow. While it is true that ‘culture’ may be restricting, once we are secure in our ‘place’ and with our ‘people’, culture offers reassuring familiarity and support. Of course, I should add, as Robert Frost suggested, sometimes taking “the road less travelled” has much to recommend it. Nevertheless, even if standing in a “yellow wood”, being secure within our ‘connections to culture’ allows us to consciously choose the ‘less worn path’, rather than embarking on a fear fueled attempt to escape or rebel.

 The film, Looking For Alibrandi offers an ‘easy to digest’ illustration of what I have just written. My favorite quotes are,

 “I wonder what it would have been like growing up an Andretti, who never was an Alibrandi and should have been a Sanford and may never be a Coote.”

and

“What’s important is who I feel I am… I’m Michael and Christina’s daughter and I’m Katia’s granddaughter and we’re not cursed, we’re blessed.”

 So, if you are looking for a bit of ‘down time’ which may also help you clarify your understanding of the concept of belonging; watch the movie. Even if you do not have a migrant background, following Josie and her friends as they experience the trials and triumphs of their  HSC year, may just bring a smile to your face (perhaps even a tear).

I guess I should warn you, the film does contain mild sex scenes and a suicide so please watch from a critical mindset to understanding ‘Belonging’. I am sure you will find many aspects you can relate to. 

image from SBS.com.au

How Do I Write a Good Personal Reflection

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How do ‘I write a good personal reflection?’  Many students are riding intellectual waves, devoting hours of mental and emotional energy to examination preparation so, today’s post is a practical one inspired by a question from my year 12 students.

How do I write a good personal reflection?

First it is useful to clarify, ‘what is a personal reflection?’ As is the case with most reflective writing, a Personal Reflection is a response to a particular stimulus. Often, it is written by an individual to explore personal experiences, feelings and events. A personal reflection is an opportunity to reconsider events, thoughts and feelings from a fresh perspective. Many blog posts are written in this style. However you may also be required to write a Personal Reflection within an academic context.

In the English classroom, personal reflections are usually a response to what you’re studying. For example, you may be required to offer a personal reflection during examinations. In these cases, examiners want to gauge how successfully you can interact with a text (previously seen and unseen). You need to show that you can evaluate ideas and draw a comparison between those ideas, and your own. At other times you may be required to reflect upon your own learning in order to identify then evaluate, which approaches have been helpful or unhelpful. You may also be asked to consider your own role in the learning process.

The key to writing a successful personal reflection is to remember that it is a personal response made by you. Therefore, your responses are usually different from someone else’s. Your response will be influenced by:

1) Your opinions, beliefs and experiences

2) Similarities or contrasts to your own life (i.e. experiences you can identify with)

3) How real or believable a subject / text is

4) Your emotional state at a given moment

5) Sympathy or empathy with characters

 

Even though you have been asked to provide a personal response you will still need to justify your opinion. This means you need to give reasons why you developed your ideas.You can support your response through:

1) Examples from the text

2) referring to specific events within a text

3) referring to specific quotes within a text

 

Remember when writing a personal reflection, you are offering your opinions. However you are also demonstrating that you have thought about the issue carefully and, from multiple perspectives. So you need to show the development of your thoughts. For example;

“I used to believe …, however, after considering the effect of … my perception has shifted …. Once seemed obvious that … yet now it is more tempting to ask …. Perhaps …. is an assumption which relies too heavily on … Therefore it may be more accurate to suggest…”

Did you notice that reflective writing requires personal language?  Hopefully you also realised that, as much as possible, it is important to minimise the use of the word ‘I’. Instead, use connotation (the emotion or ‘vibe’ of a word) and modality (degree of meaning) to offer your opinions.

Remember a personal review is a critical piece of writing so it is important to write evaluatively.  This involves asking questions and proposing reasoned solutions.

Finally, in many ways a writing a personal reflection is similar to writing a Critical Review. In fact, the planning and writing stages required to produce a successful personal reflection will incorporate many of the steps required for a successful critical review (I have listed these steps below).  Perhaps the main difference between a personal reflection and a critical review is, when writing a personal reflection you focus on how you  interacted with the text and how you  changed as a result. Whereas a critical review focuses on evaluating the usefulness of the text (or a process) in general (or academic) terms.

 

Stages for Writing a Critical Review

1. Identify the audience, purpose

2. Identify the social, historical and/or cultural context

3. Identify the main or ‘controlling’ idea.

4. Identify the main ideas in each paragraph. Jot down notes and record your response  to them.

5. Identify key definitions and question, ‘do I agree?’.

6. Analyse the structure or organisation of the text. Is it clear?

7. Evaluate the controlling and supporting arguments;

i) are they based on assumption, opinion, belief or fact?

ii) how many alternative ways could the argument be considered?

8. Evaluate the evidence;

i) does the author rely on generalisations?

ii) how reliable is the evidence (research, statistics, hearsay)?

iii) is the research current, thorough and properly referenced?

iv) does the evidence relate directly to the main points or controlling idea?

v) have important ideas or facts been ignored?

9. Evaluate the language, is the writing;

i) objective or subjective

ii) personal or impersonal

iii) emotive or rational

iv) concise or convoluted

10.  Final (overall) evaluation

i) Does the composer achieve their purpose?

ii) When, where and by whom could the text be used?

iii) What recommendations could be made to improve the text?

Meditation: A Breath Away From Balance

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How often do you think you have ‘the answer’ only to find you’ve changed your mind?

We’re encouraged to identify who we are; we are told to set goals and decide what we want from life. However, this is challenging, especially when everything seems to be in a state of flux. Yet, if we can find balance we can recover a sense of stability and achieve harmony. I realise this is beginning to sound a lot like Mr Miyagi or Mr Han (depending on which version of Karate Kid you’ve seen) but what I find interesting is that this movie was re-made within the space of 26 years. Perhaps it highlights, or rather reinforces the message that young people (and not so young people) are struggling to find a path of peaceful co-existence.

Meditation may be described as a practice of focused breathing that helps you find a sense of balance. It has the potential to increase your capacity to concentrate, retain more of what you learn and access your inner creativity. Meditation offers you an opportunity to develop a focused, relaxed state. Over time, you are likely to notice yourself becoming aware of how your thoughts and emotions effect your beliefs and actions.

This is what mediation helps you do – it helps you connect to your ‘inside self’. This is why meditation is useful. It is particularly helpful when you feel as though you’ve been cast adrift. As you become more aware of yourself and your surroundings, you’re likely to feel calmer, more in control and more confident in your ability to respond to what lies ahead.

This state is often described as being ‘in the flow’.

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