Maria Jackson's blog

Final Portfolio

Posted April 29th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

Portfolio

First, I would like to express my lack of technical knowledge. Being enrolled in this class has really broadened my horizons in this sense because I only knew the basics (i.e. - word documents, Internet browsing, spreadsheets, etc.). Now, when I visit my family, I am always bragging about the new techniques (i.e. - Gimp, Audacity, podcasts, blog posting, etc.) I have learned. I know it may seem as though this class is extremely easy to most people, but I beg to differ. By just looking at the finished projects, you do not really get a sense of how much effort went into the project. I, for one, have revised every project at least four times before I was comfortable with submitting it. Granted, some received more work than others did. Moreover, the overall content of the class was just as interesting as learning the aforementioned techniques. Coming from a small town that is predominantly Native American, I was unaware of many issues discussed in this class. Of course, I was provided with the basic historical knowledge taught throughout the high school curriculum, but I was never exposed to the various ideals surrounding said curriculum. I found myself unable to notice things such as racism, feminism, and symbolism while reading the assigned texts. Which leads me to my next topic, the texts for this class were interesting; a lot different from the novels I am used to reading in English classes. The idea of centering a class on short stories is appealing because you are able to discuss a variety of topics. Therefore, in short, I really enjoyed this class because unlike many of my previous English classes, I can honestly say I learned valuable information that can be applied in many different settings. Therefore, to show my appreciation, I have collected all of my work thus far to trace my progression throughout the course. Expansions on each posting is available by clicking on the link provided to show what elements were changed and why. ENJOY!!!

AESTHETIC LITERATURE
*Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/15
*Blog: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/15#comment-227

To be honest with you, at first I thought I misunderstood the assignment. I specifically looked for well-known art that evoked some kind of literary element by either influencing literature or telling a story within itself. I chose The Scream and the Mona Lisa simply because I felt like there was a story being told and the artist decided to paint a still image from that story. Moreover, they are two of my favorite works of art :) After looking at all the other blogs, I realized I wasn’t wrong after all. I forgot the term “literary” takes on various meanings ranging from written text to songs and art. I guess it’s all in the way you interpret it.

PLAYLIST
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/23
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/179
*Blog: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/23#comment-26

This was one of my favorite assignments and consumed the bulk of my semester in this class! Since I decided to make my playlist personal, I wanted to make sure it relayed my message in the best light. My childhood was pretty non-existent, but growing up was just lonely. I've always had to take care myself and thus developed a fear of dependency. I came from a broken home of absent parents, resulting in my "numbness" toward life. Even today, I struggle with letting others in because I'm afraid of what may happen. That is why I put so much time and energy into this project (I'm talking more than 20 hours, partially because this was all new to me). I was a little frustrated with my first attempt because I didn't know how to submit such a large file. Therefore, I revised my playlist for two weeks before realizing I could have submitted it as an attachment. Of course, it didn't look as appealing as all the others, but that was the only way I could get it on the site. Overall, I was happy with the results.

COLLAGES
ME, MYSELF, AND I
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/74
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/132

MOTHER TO SON
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/75
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/178
*Final Revision: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/236

I honestly enjoyed working on the collage assignments simply because they altered my perception of a collage. I have always thought a collage was a bunch of pictures thrown together with no sense of organization. Whenever I tried to create one, I would always organize the pictures in some form and there would be spaces between them. Now, I know that a collage does not have to consist of millions of pictures. The collages I created during this class required a lot of organization and TIME. I worked weeks on them, trying to convey my message and some kind cohesion between the elements. At first, I was creating them for me. I remember most of the class did not understand my first collage because I deliberately things throughout. After reading their comments, I decided to change a few things because it is not worth the time and energy I put into it if no one understands it.

VIDEO COLLAGE
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/167
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/190
*Final Revision: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/252

This assignment was a little confusing at first, but that was probably due to my lack of sleep. Anyway, I initially thought it had to be about literature or an important literary movement/historical event. When I tried to relate it to literature, I decided to recite a poem I found about cosmetic surgery. After racking my brain for a couple of days, I realized I didn’t even need the poem because cosmetic surgery has not only affected the society, but art as well. And as we established earlier in the semester, art is literary; YEAH! Unfortunately, I didn’t spend the usual amount time on the original version of the project. Even though it took a while to collect everything, I still didn’t like it. So, I looked at for at least five times before deciding to change the intro music, the volume, the credits, and the outro. For some reason, the revised version just seemed to flow a little better than the original.

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER
I know I’m not the only one that feels this way, but by the end of the Litwiki project, I was tired of hearing about The Yellow Wallpaper. Initially, it was one of my favorite stories because it reminded me of Poe. I’ve always enjoyed his works, so it wasn’t difficult to like this one. It was interesting to hear everyone’s opinions during class. There were some things I overlooked while reading that they brought up. I guess reading a story like this is better with other people because you’re able to analyze every aspect of the text. My only issue with this was the feeling that everything was being over-analyzed. I know I don’t pick up on certain things like feminism, but I felt it was like perceptual set. I remember this from Psych because it basically meant you see and hear things because you’re looking for it. In my opinion, there was a lot of that going on while we were interpreting certain parts of the story. However, the video helped clear some things as well, but I felt like there were a couple of instances wherein the two (movie and text) didn’t match. For instance, the movie had a different ending and this completely altered my interpretation of the text. Even though I tried not to place so much emphasis on the movie (since that’s just someone else’s interpretation), everything kind of ran together and I couldn’t distinguish between the movie and text. As for Litwiki, I absolutely hated this assignment because it just seemed like a burden. By the time we started on it, everyone was tired of The Yellow Wallpaper. I believe that is why the discussions weren’t maintained.

LITWIKI GLOSSES
*But these nervous troubles... (Literary Research): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=But_these_nervous_troubl....
*The wallpaper as I said before… (Post): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=The_wallpaper%2C_as_I_sa....
*For there are hedges… (Post): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=For_there_are_hedges_and...
*I even said so… (Post) http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=I_even_said_so_to_John_o....
*He takes all care from me (Post): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=He_takes_all_care_from_m...
*Fireworks (Group Discussion): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=Fireworks
*And what can one do? (Group Discussion): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=Talk:And_what_can_one_do...
*There comes John… (Discussion): http://www.teachmix.com/litwiki/index.php?title=Talk:There_comes_John%2C....

FINAL PODCAST
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/217

I really enjoyed this assignment because it allowed for an in-depth interpretation of particular aspects of the story. My group choice to analyze the role of identity and change as portrayed in John Updike’s A&P and Louise Erdrich’s The Red Convertible. At first, I was a little nervous because I’m very soft spoken and I tend to be a little shy in front of others. I think we did really well on the podcast, but I’m sorry we forgot to mention our names at the beginning. Moreover, I was disappointed that I didn’t provide any information about John Updike, but the correspondence between my group and I was limited, seeing as how I had to return home every weekend and my Internet didn’t function properly in class. Aside from this, our presentation flowed quite nicely, in my opinion. I loved the way it seemed as though we were just talking, as we do in class. I noticed that I didn’t have very much to say after I listened to the podcast on our website, but as I thought back to that day, I remembered I found it hard to add on to what they were saying. Even though everything I wanted to say was said, I just found it difficult to speak up because I didn’t want to cut over anyone or return to a subject after we’d moved on. All in all, our presentation served its purpose and we achieved what we set out to do.

BLOG POSTINGS
For the most part, the blog postings were insightful; I felt as though they helped me improve on my work tremendously. By reading everyone's comments and participating in little discussions, I felt as though I was nearing my goal for the particular project. However, this is really one aspect of the class that I really need to work on. For some reason, I just cannot remember to comment on at least three postings a week. I know it does not sound like much, but between working a full-time job and being a full-time student, I find it hard to complete a task that I am not reminded of or that does not have a specific due date. Do not get me wrong, I love the laid-back feel of the class, but this is just one bad habit that I have to break as a college student. You know, it is time to grow up; I cannot expect someone to hold my hand throughout my entire life.

Final Pretty Senseless

Posted April 29th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

After reading all the comments and reviewing my video, I completely agreed with everyone. So, I turned the audio up a little and deleted some of the images in the beginning to slow the part down. For some reason, when I submitted the video, the sound was kind of softer. So I made sure it was pretty loud before I submitted it this time. Hope it's better now!

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Midterm Portfolio

Posted April 12th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

Portfolio

AESTHETIC LITERATURE
*Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/15
*Blog: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/15#comment-227

To be honest with you, at first I thought I misunderstood the assignment. I specifically looked for well-known art that evoked some kind of literary element by either influencing literature or telling a story within itself. I chose The Scream and the Mona Lisa simply because I felt like there was a story being told and the artist decided to paint a still image from that story. Moreover, they are two of my favorite works of art :) After looking at everyone else’s blogs, I realized I wasn’t wrong after all. I forgot the term “literary” takes on various meanings ranging from written text to songs and art. I guess it’s all in the way you interpret it.

This was one of my favorite assignments and consumed the bulk of my semester in this class! Since I decided to make my playlist personal, I wanted to make sure it relayed my message in the best light. My childhood was pretty non-existent, but growing up was just lonely. I've always had to take care myself and thus developed a fear of dependency. I came from a broken home of absent parents, resulting in my "numbness" toward life. Even today, I struggle with letting others in because I'm afraid of what may happen. That is why I put so much time and energy into this project (I'm talking more than 20 hours, partially because this was all new to me). I was a little frustrated with my first attempt because I didn't know how to submit such a large file. Therefore, I revised my playlist for two weeks before realizing it could be submitted as an attachment. Of course, it didn't look as appealing as everyone else’s did, but that was the only way I could get it on the site. Overall, I was happy with the results.

COLLAGES
ME, MYSELF, AND I
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/74
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/132
MOTHER TO SON
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/75
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/178

VIDEO COLLAGE
*Original Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/167
*Revised Posting: http://www.teachmix.com/itsfiction/?q=node/190

Pretty Senseless Revised

Posted April 12th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

I must admit, I didn't really spend that much time on the original version. After looking over it again, I noticed a couple of things I disliked. For instance, I changed the opening music because I thought a upbeat song would grab the listeners attention quicker than a slower one. I also tweeked the volume a little because I, along with Mr. Anderson noticed a couple of parts were louder than others. And finally, I altered the ending because I didn't like the voice-over nor the rolling credits. I hope this version is better!

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Playlist Revised

Posted April 8th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

Playlist

1) My play-list begins with an image of a little girl in the corner of her room, a room with walls as bare as her soul. Forced to live in disguise, the girl no longer knows who she is. The mask with which she hides behind is just as real as she is. It is as though her life is a script and she is constantly in character. So much that she cannot even distinguish between the two. With head between knees, she cries out for the world, and more importantly, herself to take notice of the girl behind the mask.
• Reflection- Christina Aguilera (0:00-1:06)
2) Wiping away her tears, she tries to envision the person she wants to be. Free… is the only word that comes to mind. Constantly trapped by her desire to please everyone, she longs to break free and run with the wild horses. However, she realizes this desire is nothing more than a means of escaping herself, and she cannot help but notice that her plan is failing miserably.
• Wild Horses- Natasha Bedingfield (1:16-2:44)
3) With dried tears, she picks herself up off the floor and stands in front of the mirror hanging on the door. She does not recognize the person staring back, only the heartache she has endured while trying to be flawless. She grabs a permanent marker and scrawls the word “PERFECT” across the mirror. Staring blankly at the red smudge across her reflection, she quickly shatters the mirror with a fist of fury. She soon understands perfection is unattainable and questions the source of that desire. The tears began to swell again as she realizes it began by wanting to please her parents, as an attempt to stop their abuse, taunting, and absence. Naively, she thought if they were pleased with her, they would want to be in her life and love her as parents should love their children. Unfortunately, her plan backfired.
• Perfect- Simple Plan (2:11-3:32)
4) Just as before, she silently slumps to the floor as tears run down her face. Unable to understand how a child can be undeserving of their parent’s love, she internalizes all the torment and pain hoping to hide it. As the pressure mounts, she yells at the top of lungs “Did you care at all for me?” and falls back into a fetal position.
• Reflections-Mariah Carey (1:06-3:19)
5) Noting the failed attempt at voicing her pain, she decides to transfer her emotion physically instead and trashes the room. Screams and cries again escape the walls of her confined little world, but everyone refuses to listen, or is deaf to the pain in her voice. Realizing her attempts are futile, she slides back down to the floor, in the same place and position as before. She looks up and her face is unrecognizable; it is cold and devoid of all emotion. Numb.
• Numb- Linkin Park (0:03-1:09; 2:03-2:21)
6) Although the world sees only the cold, empty shell, she is at constant struggles within. Hiding seems to work at first, but then the nagging sensation of loneliness and despair soon take a fervent hold on her life. Feeling like an imprisoned wild beast, she fights to break free of the chains of the past. Their hold on her becomes tighter and tighter and we soon see rivers of blood pouring from her wrists as the iron cuts into her flesh. She begs someone to wake her up from the horrible nightmare; the lie she has been living for so long. She looks up and a single tear escapes her eye and falls to the floor. In midair, the tear pauses and the scene is frozen.
• Bring Me To Life- Evanescence (2:50-3:57)
7) As though there was an internal awakening, a second chance at life, the scene is rewound and there is a sense of deja vu in the air. We see her standing in front of an unbroken mirror, no longer with the mark of pain written across her face. She has erased herself and started again. The twinkle in her eye is no longer a premature tear, but evidence that her cloud had passed.
• What I’ve Done- Linkin Park (2:13-3:17)
8) Afraid to return to her old habits, she completely alters her perspective. The skies that fill her morning are smudged slightly with the misery of her past, but she is more focused on the rising of the sun. This is her chance to be not as she once was, and live the life that she pretended to lead as a child. Therefore, she internalizes the pain and decides to develop a system so as not to be hurt again. She finds strength in her independence and vows never to allow anyone to tear her down again.
• Me, Myself, and I- Beyonce (2:09-2:59)
9) She begins a new chapter in life and takes pride in the fact that the remaining pages of her life are unwritten. She now looks forward to the coming of tomorrow with arms wide open. Released into the pages of her past, her inhibitions were forced into the shadows of what is yet to come.
• Unwritten- Natasha Bedingfield (1:22-2:28)
As you can see, my piece is extremely emotional and therefore, I decided to weave the moments of despair and anger together because I wanted to show her struggle. As with most torment, there is a thin line between heartache and fury. That is why I chose songs with upbeat tempos (to note the passion and rage) and those with slow tempos (during times of sorrow). It was somewhat tricky to use the music to play up the story because it is so easy to jump between the two, but I felt as though weaving some of the lyrics into it helped. I changed the ending because I did not think it flowed with the rest of the story. The revised ending is more appealing because it notes the uncertainty in life and leaves the character room to grow.

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My Playlist

Posted January 22nd, 2008 by Maria Jackson

My playlist is about the transition of a girl from early childhood to adulthood. It begins with her reminiscing about her past, and we begin to hear the soft music in the background as the image begins to blur. Now we see a little girl in the corner of her room, head between knees, facing a closed door, hoping to hide her true self from the world.
1) Reflection- Christina Aguilera (0:00-1:06)
She wipes away her tears, but we notice that there is something different about her surroundings. Same place, same position, but something is different...her age. The tears are no longer streaming, but more so dried. She has realized that her plan to please everyone as a means of escaping herself, to live through the eyes of others, has failed. Gathering herself, she picks herself off the floor and stands in front of the mirror hanging on the door.
2) Perfect- Simple Plan (2:11-3:32)
She grabs a permanent marker and scrawls the word "PERFECT" across the mirror. Staring blankly at the red smudge across her reflection, she quickly shatters the mirror with a fist of fury. Realizes that perfection is unattainable and acknowledges that she only wanted her parents to act as parents, without the abuse, taunting, absence, and regret. She questions their love for her and wonders if it was ever present.
3) Reflections-Mariah Carey (1:06-3:19)
She is angered and hurt all over again. Deciding to look at her pain externally, she trashes the room. Screams and cries escape the walls of her confined little world, but her parents and the rest of the world are oblivious to the pain. When it seems as though she is going to burst from releasing all her emotions, she slides back down to the floor, in the same place and position as before. She looks up and her face is unrecognizable; it is cold and devoid of all emotion.
4) Numb- Linkin Park (0:03-1:09; 2:03-2:21)
Hiding the emotions seem to work at first, but then the nagging sensation of loneliness and despair soon take a fervent hold on her life. Feeling like an imprisoned wild beast, she fights to break free of the chains of the past. They are hold on her becomes tighter and tighter. We see rivers of blood pouring from her wrists as the iron cuts into her flesh. She looks up and a single tear escapes her eye and falls to the floor. In midair, the tear pauses and the scene is frozen.
5) Bring Me To Life- Evanescence (2:50-3:57)
As though there was an internal awakening, a second chance at life, the scene is rewound until it is no longer recognizable. We see her standing in front of an unbroken mirror, no longer with the mark of pain written across her face. The twinkle in her eye is no longer a premature tear, but evidence that her cloud had passed.
6) What I’ve Done- Linkin Park (2:13-3:17)
The skies that fill her morning are slightly smudged with the misery of her past, but she is more focused on the rising of the sun. This is her chance to be not as she once was, and live the life that she pretended to lead as a child. Therefore, she internalizes the pain and decides to develop a system so as not to be hurt again.
7) Me, Myself, and I- Beyonce (2:09-2:59)
Stripping every situation of emotion seemed to work for a while, but she still felt as though she was missing something, as though an important element had slipped away. Although this system allowed for her to note that nothing is ever certain, as she reviewed her past, she realized that she overlooked one certainty. Finally serene, we see her kneeling in the very same spot, in front of the door, but this time to pray.
8) Raise Your Voice- Hilary Duff (3:05-4:38)

I'm sorry this is late, but I didn't know where you wanted it. Also, I was having trouble downloading the songs, so I figured I'd ask you in class Thursday, but I got sick and had to go home. I hope this is right, if not, I'll gladly correct it.

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1st Blog: Aesthetic Literature

Posted January 15th, 2008 by Maria Jackson

Mona Lisa - Leonardo Da Vinci: Simply because of the ambiguity, inviting features, and fame. When I look at this painting I'm wondering what she is thinking at the time because I've never seen such an expression before. Therefore, I'm pulled in two different directions: is she content or just hiding something? Either way, it's AESTHETIC LITERATURE AT ITS BEST!!!
http://www.digitalart.ab.ca/art/ren/mona-lisa.htm

The Scream- Edvard Munch: This is one of my all-time favorites because of the message behind it. I intepret the painting to be one's response to the present evil and suffering in the world. The only reaction to it would be to scream because of the overwhelming sense of helplessness. The entire painting seems to flow together and, it's just as famous as the Mona Lisa.
http://www.ece.mcgill.ca/~elotay//scream.html

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Introduction to Fiction

Maria Jackson's blog

Final Portfolio

Final Pretty Senseless

Midterm Portfolio

Pretty Senseless Revised

Playlist Revised

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1st Blog: Aesthetic Literature

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