A Semester Looking Back At Ya: A Reflection
I decided that I was going to write about some of the issues that the Native American youth are facing, in Salt Lake City and some other areas on the reservations in Utah, I am Native American and I really wanted to focus on the youth because that is where I found that I had a lot problems growing up. I was bullied for not knowing very much about my culture and for not being raised in the traditional ways. I always wished that there was somewhere that I could go in school, or in Salt Lake, to learn more about everything that I did not know. I am hoping that with the magazine that I wrote, The Local Native, more people will see that we need to make more resources available in Salt Lake City and more Youths will look into studying their own cultures.
Looking back at this semester I think that I really had a rough time. I did really well at the beginning and had no problems with the assignments. About halfway through this semester I found myself really struggling with finding the motivation to keep working with my classes, I would start to stress out and would give up before I even started. I was running out of ideas to write about and did not know how to go about starting them. Eventually, I got it together and started to focus. I would brainstorm ideas and then I would think of what I could do with them, I would make a web like diagram. If I felt like there was not enough ideas to go with a subject, I would ditch that subject and think of another. I would also think about issues that Mrs. Begay talked about in my profile piece and would go into further detail with them. I found that this helped a lot and made it less stressful to write papers.
The reason that I chose to write in the mediums that I did was because it was what I am most comfortable with. I have only ever enjoyed writing in the mediums I am comfortable with because I really dislike and struggle with any other different kind of medium. I think that the piece that i am really proud of would be my Profile project. The medium that I chose to write in really encased the type of person that Mrs. Begay is and how she really helps the Native youth community at her Salt Lake City school. I chose to put that profile piece and the persuasion effect in The Local Native because they are two very different pieces. One is showing the reader what some issues are and the other is more of an opinion that I found Native youths in Salt Lake City/Utah share. The feedback that I would receive from the labs and peer reviews helped so much because they were from an outside point of view, They really helped with giving me ideas on how to present the topics. I think that I did pretty good with my goals and accomplished all of them. My new goals would probably to try to get more comfortable with different mediums and to really make sure that I stay on track.
When I look at the first big idea I think that words are very powerful and can really have an impact on the reader, sometimes if the wording and idea of the piece is strong enough it could even maybe change someone's life. That is the effect that I want to have on someone today. The specific projects I think of when think about the first big idea are my profile project and my persuasion effect. Those projects really mean a lot to me and I hope that they mean a lot to others as well. When I think about the second big idea I think that rhetoric is important because it could open up someones mind to something that they may not have considered in the past. With my persuasion effect paper, in The Local Native, I hope that I was able to make a reader change their mind about Columbus Day.
I had a really good experience with this class and hope to use what I learned and apply to future classes.
Looking back at this semester I think that I really had a rough time. I did really well at the beginning and had no problems with the assignments. About halfway through this semester I found myself really struggling with finding the motivation to keep working with my classes, I would start to stress out and would give up before I even started. I was running out of ideas to write about and did not know how to go about starting them. Eventually, I got it together and started to focus. I would brainstorm ideas and then I would think of what I could do with them, I would make a web like diagram. If I felt like there was not enough ideas to go with a subject, I would ditch that subject and think of another. I would also think about issues that Mrs. Begay talked about in my profile piece and would go into further detail with them. I found that this helped a lot and made it less stressful to write papers.
The reason that I chose to write in the mediums that I did was because it was what I am most comfortable with. I have only ever enjoyed writing in the mediums I am comfortable with because I really dislike and struggle with any other different kind of medium. I think that the piece that i am really proud of would be my Profile project. The medium that I chose to write in really encased the type of person that Mrs. Begay is and how she really helps the Native youth community at her Salt Lake City school. I chose to put that profile piece and the persuasion effect in The Local Native because they are two very different pieces. One is showing the reader what some issues are and the other is more of an opinion that I found Native youths in Salt Lake City/Utah share. The feedback that I would receive from the labs and peer reviews helped so much because they were from an outside point of view, They really helped with giving me ideas on how to present the topics. I think that I did pretty good with my goals and accomplished all of them. My new goals would probably to try to get more comfortable with different mediums and to really make sure that I stay on track.
When I look at the first big idea I think that words are very powerful and can really have an impact on the reader, sometimes if the wording and idea of the piece is strong enough it could even maybe change someone's life. That is the effect that I want to have on someone today. The specific projects I think of when think about the first big idea are my profile project and my persuasion effect. Those projects really mean a lot to me and I hope that they mean a lot to others as well. When I think about the second big idea I think that rhetoric is important because it could open up someones mind to something that they may not have considered in the past. With my persuasion effect paper, in The Local Native, I hope that I was able to make a reader change their mind about Columbus Day.
I had a really good experience with this class and hope to use what I learned and apply to future classes.
Notebook Activities
Week 2 - 5g
On The Many Issues Facing the Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is made up of four areas of the U.S., Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. These areas are also know as The Four Corners. The Navajo Nation is made up of nearly 300,00 people, being one of the largest federally recognized tribes in the United States. When talking about the Navajo Reservations, people may think that it is a piece of land that was given to them with everything that they could ever need, but that is incorrect. There are many of the same issues that are facing the Navajo people today as there were almost 100 years ago. Some of these issues are, not having the proper resources to keep crops alive, not having running water, violence against Navajo Women and children, not having proper health care facilities, the education of children that are living on the Navajo Nation not being beneficial to them or just as simple as the Navajo Language being forgotten. I want to explore the reasons that may be behind these issue and ways that these issues could possibly be solved. I am hoping to educate outsiders about my people and let them know about ways that they can help as well.
The Navajo Nation is made up of four areas of the U.S., Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. These areas are also know as The Four Corners. The Navajo Nation is made up of nearly 300,00 people, being one of the largest federally recognized tribes in the United States. When talking about the Navajo Reservations, people may think that it is a piece of land that was given to them with everything that they could ever need, but that is incorrect. There are many of the same issues that are facing the Navajo people today as there were almost 100 years ago. Some of these issues are, not having the proper resources to keep crops alive, not having running water, violence against Navajo Women and children, not having proper health care facilities, the education of children that are living on the Navajo Nation not being beneficial to them or just as simple as the Navajo Language being forgotten. I want to explore the reasons that may be behind these issue and ways that these issues could possibly be solved. I am hoping to educate outsiders about my people and let them know about ways that they can help as well.
Week 3 - 2a
What is your personal experience with your social justice issues?
I am wanting to move towards the idea that Native American children who grew up outside of the reservation are often losing touch with there culture and traditions. My kid sister and I grew up away from our Navajo family, so we did not have the connections that my cousins had. I feel like if you grow up away from your native grandparents, that it is often hard to stay close to ones culture.
One day, I was at my high school, helping with an after school project for our club. I was working with one of my friends on a poster, talking about how excited I was for the event. Out of nowhere, my full native friend, called me "white washed". I was really hurt by this comment and later went home and talked to my mother about it. That was the day that I realized that it is possible to be look down on just because you were not "full blooded".
The research that I am wanting to do for this social issue would probably be about why some people think like that. I want to know if other half native kid have had similar problems with this. Places I could find information on this may be at my old high school, my grandmother or cousins who also grew up on the reservation or even my sister or mother.
I am wanting to move towards the idea that Native American children who grew up outside of the reservation are often losing touch with there culture and traditions. My kid sister and I grew up away from our Navajo family, so we did not have the connections that my cousins had. I feel like if you grow up away from your native grandparents, that it is often hard to stay close to ones culture.
One day, I was at my high school, helping with an after school project for our club. I was working with one of my friends on a poster, talking about how excited I was for the event. Out of nowhere, my full native friend, called me "white washed". I was really hurt by this comment and later went home and talked to my mother about it. That was the day that I realized that it is possible to be look down on just because you were not "full blooded".
The research that I am wanting to do for this social issue would probably be about why some people think like that. I want to know if other half native kid have had similar problems with this. Places I could find information on this may be at my old high school, my grandmother or cousins who also grew up on the reservation or even my sister or mother.
Week 4 - 4b
Interview a key player in your community organization. - I decided to interview my old high school counselor for this.
Who is responsible for the group you serve?
"I would say that it is the parents, grandparents and people who work at the Urban Indian Center. They have big impacts on the youths,"
What are the stereotypes and assumptions that surround the particular group(s)?
"Some of the assumptions would be poverty, relying on the government, quiet and shy."
Reflect on how you yourself might have previously employed stereotypes or assumptions about this group.
"I don’t think I have employed the stereotypes but for some reason, while at work, I found it sometimes difficult to connect with the native students. I think I felt a lot of pressure from the other staff and faculty to help them because I am Native American, and I think it scared me."
How might your credibility (ethos) as a writer be affected by this?
I think that it may be affected because I have a past with Mrs. Begay. She was a big influence in my life and people may think I have a bias towards her because of this.
Who is responsible for the group you serve?
"I would say that it is the parents, grandparents and people who work at the Urban Indian Center. They have big impacts on the youths,"
What are the stereotypes and assumptions that surround the particular group(s)?
"Some of the assumptions would be poverty, relying on the government, quiet and shy."
Reflect on how you yourself might have previously employed stereotypes or assumptions about this group.
"I don’t think I have employed the stereotypes but for some reason, while at work, I found it sometimes difficult to connect with the native students. I think I felt a lot of pressure from the other staff and faculty to help them because I am Native American, and I think it scared me."
How might your credibility (ethos) as a writer be affected by this?
I think that it may be affected because I have a past with Mrs. Begay. She was a big influence in my life and people may think I have a bias towards her because of this.
Week 5 - 2j
Pretend that you are going to write about this space (a place connected to my public issue) for one of your essays. How would you write about it in a report? Evaluation? Position? Proposal? Profile? Memoir? Where should the story about visiting and experiencing the space begin? What research could you include to flesh out your experiences there and its connection to your issue?
I decided to write about my Navajo Language class in a memoir style.
I walked into the building where my Navajo language class was going to be taught on a chilly fall day, feeling very excited for what the class had to offer me. I mean, how cool was it that they finally offered a language class that was usually only on the reservation. I felt like I was finally going to get a little close with my culture. I took the elevator up to the third floor and walked past empty classes. I finally got to the room where my class was going to be held, but I thought I had the wrong room number written down. All of the lights were off, leaving the computer screens to put off a light blue glow. I walked through the classroom door and noticed that I was the first one there, besides the instructor. "Yá’át’ééh, go ahead and write your first and last name in the desk over there" the instructor said with a dull tone. I wrote my name on a piece of paper and found a set the was in the back of the class. More people showed up, but no one that I knew. Finally, the instructor began to fiddle with some cords and eventually turned on a projector. "Take out a notebook and a pen and just take notes as the video goes." While I was digging around for a pen in my backpack, I thought to myself, "What? This class is only based on videos? You have to be kidding me, this is not what I wanted?" I sat in the classroom for 20 minutes, wishing that we had a person teaching us in person. Finally, the lights turned on and I felt like I learned absolutely nothing. I grabbed my stuff and left, feeling angry that I wasted my time.
I feel like this experience of mine really shows how native youth can have a really hard time learning their language and traditions. I feel like if the state of Utah had more resources for students to learn about these things some would feel like they aren't completely lost.
I decided to write about my Navajo Language class in a memoir style.
I walked into the building where my Navajo language class was going to be taught on a chilly fall day, feeling very excited for what the class had to offer me. I mean, how cool was it that they finally offered a language class that was usually only on the reservation. I felt like I was finally going to get a little close with my culture. I took the elevator up to the third floor and walked past empty classes. I finally got to the room where my class was going to be held, but I thought I had the wrong room number written down. All of the lights were off, leaving the computer screens to put off a light blue glow. I walked through the classroom door and noticed that I was the first one there, besides the instructor. "Yá’át’ééh, go ahead and write your first and last name in the desk over there" the instructor said with a dull tone. I wrote my name on a piece of paper and found a set the was in the back of the class. More people showed up, but no one that I knew. Finally, the instructor began to fiddle with some cords and eventually turned on a projector. "Take out a notebook and a pen and just take notes as the video goes." While I was digging around for a pen in my backpack, I thought to myself, "What? This class is only based on videos? You have to be kidding me, this is not what I wanted?" I sat in the classroom for 20 minutes, wishing that we had a person teaching us in person. Finally, the lights turned on and I felt like I learned absolutely nothing. I grabbed my stuff and left, feeling angry that I wasted my time.
I feel like this experience of mine really shows how native youth can have a really hard time learning their language and traditions. I feel like if the state of Utah had more resources for students to learn about these things some would feel like they aren't completely lost.
Week 6 - 3e
I am currently working on the revision of my Profile piece.
The most import figure in my piece would be Mrs. Begay or the Native American youth, without them I don't think that I would have been able to write about my issue. Mrs. Begay provided a voice for the youths that are not being heard and the issues that no one even knew about. I think that way that represented Mrs. Begay and the Native Youth was by showing the type of caring person Mrs. Begay is and what the youths are facing in their everyday lives. It gave them a voice that they never really had. I think that the way that I balanced everything was done pretty well, I can honestly say that all that I may need still is just a few more sources and then the piece will be finished.
The most import figure in my piece would be Mrs. Begay or the Native American youth, without them I don't think that I would have been able to write about my issue. Mrs. Begay provided a voice for the youths that are not being heard and the issues that no one even knew about. I think that way that represented Mrs. Begay and the Native Youth was by showing the type of caring person Mrs. Begay is and what the youths are facing in their everyday lives. It gave them a voice that they never really had. I think that the way that I balanced everything was done pretty well, I can honestly say that all that I may need still is just a few more sources and then the piece will be finished.
Week 7 - 2e
What I Know
- Suicide is one of the top leading causes of death in Native American Youth
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6708a1.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6708a1.htm
- Suicide with Native Youth usually happens between the ages of 10 - 24
- https://www.samhsa.gov/capt/sites/default/files/resources/suicide-ethnic-populations.pdf
- What are some of the causes of suicide in Native Youth?
- Poverty, sexual assault, drug addictions and many more things have a play into making the youth feel likes this.
- http://stateofopportunity.michiganradio.org/post/how-do-we-help-native-american-youth-plagued-suicide-poverty
- Poverty, sexual assault, drug addictions and many more things have a play into making the youth feel likes this.
- What areas does this affect the most?
- This one I struggled to find an answer to, hopefully I will be able to find something about it while I research more about this topic.
Week 8 - 3d
"First, look at the piece you're currently working on. Try to identify at least two other strategies for writing the piece than the one you're currently using. For instance, if you're writing a narrative, what are some other ways you could begin the piece? If you're working on an argument piece, how could you potentially organize it differently? Once you've identified and described alternate strategies, discuss what the advantages and drawbacks would be of approaching the piece in that alternate way."
The piece that I am currently working on is my Information Effect Project. I have had a really hard time when it came to writing about the issue I chose which was on Native Youth Suicide. Not only do I have first hand experience with this subject, but it is also something that is a fragile topic. At first, I ended up trying to change the subject, but I did not feel that the other topics worked for this piece like this one did. Two strategies that I have came up with to write this was to list all the things that I knew and the other one was to think about it like a five paragraph essay. I found when I thought about it that way that it was much easier for me to write. I was able to come up with an intro, the body paragraphs and a conclusion. I found that referring back to the list of thing I knew made it a lot easier to research things that I didn't know that helped make my piece stronger.
The piece that I am currently working on is my Information Effect Project. I have had a really hard time when it came to writing about the issue I chose which was on Native Youth Suicide. Not only do I have first hand experience with this subject, but it is also something that is a fragile topic. At first, I ended up trying to change the subject, but I did not feel that the other topics worked for this piece like this one did. Two strategies that I have came up with to write this was to list all the things that I knew and the other one was to think about it like a five paragraph essay. I found when I thought about it that way that it was much easier for me to write. I was able to come up with an intro, the body paragraphs and a conclusion. I found that referring back to the list of thing I knew made it a lot easier to research things that I didn't know that helped make my piece stronger.
Week 9 - 8f
"Look at “Collaborating Online” by Anthony Atkins. What opportunities do Googledocs or other open source tools for composing afford you as a writer? How do those compare with using a proprietary platform like Microsoft Word? How does each work for collaborating?"
Googledocs has many option as Word or other writing platforms may have, but you are able to access it where ever you are. You don't need to have the computer that Word is downloaded on. It makes sharing information and group work a lot easier. You are able to work with more than one person at the same time and you are even able to have a group chat on the platform at the same time. I think that it is much easier thing to use, but I have also been using it since high school.
Googledocs has many option as Word or other writing platforms may have, but you are able to access it where ever you are. You don't need to have the computer that Word is downloaded on. It makes sharing information and group work a lot easier. You are able to work with more than one person at the same time and you are even able to have a group chat on the platform at the same time. I think that it is much easier thing to use, but I have also been using it since high school.
Week 10 - 9b
Identify something about your writing that you're struggling with, or want to know more about. Find an article/book/website that addresses the issue (you can consult with your instructor if you want help with this) and discuss in detail what you found in this resource that helps you in your struggle.
The problem that i am currently having with this piece is getting the inspiration to write or start it. I am having writers block trying to figure out the proper into for my paper or just writing it. I recently discovered that I don't need this class for the degree that I have chosen to go with, I am having a hard time with continuing my work and getting the energy to finish it.
This is a resource that I have found on overcoming the writers block. I found what it suggests trying to be pretty helpful for me. I tried eliminating distractions and changing my environment. I found that if I did my homework in bed that I would think about it all night and lose sleep over it. I found a room in my house that I could use specifically to do my work in. The room that I am using for homework also helped with eliminating distractions because the people that I live with know that when I am in the room to not bug me. I even tried playing instrumental music, but that didn't really help. I often found myself changing the song which would then lead me to social media apps some how. To fix that I would put my phone on airplane mode.
The problem that i am currently having with this piece is getting the inspiration to write or start it. I am having writers block trying to figure out the proper into for my paper or just writing it. I recently discovered that I don't need this class for the degree that I have chosen to go with, I am having a hard time with continuing my work and getting the energy to finish it.
This is a resource that I have found on overcoming the writers block. I found what it suggests trying to be pretty helpful for me. I tried eliminating distractions and changing my environment. I found that if I did my homework in bed that I would think about it all night and lose sleep over it. I found a room in my house that I could use specifically to do my work in. The room that I am using for homework also helped with eliminating distractions because the people that I live with know that when I am in the room to not bug me. I even tried playing instrumental music, but that didn't really help. I often found myself changing the song which would then lead me to social media apps some how. To fix that I would put my phone on airplane mode.
Final Acitvity
The notebook activities that I chose to do were all pretty similar, I think that I played it safe and stayed in my comfort zone. I am not really big on trying different genres, I am just really comfortable with doing what I know the best. The one that I tried that I thought was different for me was week 7, I really struggled with it but it help. It showed me that I needed to spend a little more time researching the issue I was writing about and made it easier.
My favorite notebooks that I did were week 5 and week 10. I really enjoyed week 5 because I was able to talk about an experience that I had and I got to share it with someone from an outside view. I think it showed how I really felt about the class and how frustrated I felt. Week 10 was also a favorite of mine because I think that it is going to help me in the long run. Whenever I get stuck with any paper or project I am doing I refer back to the website or practice what I have done in the past.
The one that I like best would be week 2. I got to give a quick overview about what I was wanting to write about and teach people about the issues that my people are going through. The issue that I chose to write about were ones that were not really heard about or talked about in the media, they are subjects that are not getting enough attention from anyone.
I don't know I if will try any of the activities again but only because I think that they were all so similar. I did not really try anything new or try a different genre.
Some of the strategies that I got and that I might use again would probably be from notebooks week 5, 8 and 10.
My favorite notebooks that I did were week 5 and week 10. I really enjoyed week 5 because I was able to talk about an experience that I had and I got to share it with someone from an outside view. I think it showed how I really felt about the class and how frustrated I felt. Week 10 was also a favorite of mine because I think that it is going to help me in the long run. Whenever I get stuck with any paper or project I am doing I refer back to the website or practice what I have done in the past.
The one that I like best would be week 2. I got to give a quick overview about what I was wanting to write about and teach people about the issues that my people are going through. The issue that I chose to write about were ones that were not really heard about or talked about in the media, they are subjects that are not getting enough attention from anyone.
I don't know I if will try any of the activities again but only because I think that they were all so similar. I did not really try anything new or try a different genre.
Some of the strategies that I got and that I might use again would probably be from notebooks week 5, 8 and 10.