Class Reflection

Firstly I would like to say this class was like no other I have ever taken. I admit it was not exactly what I thought it would be at the beginning of the semester however I learned a lot about a subject I honestly didn't know much about. I enjoyed the setup of the class in which I was able to sit back and listen to others on the subject matter in which each voice built on one another instead of being forced to voice my opinion on a matter I didn't really have enough of a knowledge base to form an opinion about.  On the other hand there were other times when I really did want to talk but by the time I was up we were on a completely different subject due to some of the tangents we would go on. In the end this was just a minor problem, the pros of the class setup significantly outweighed the cons. I definitely enjoyed the class and hope that I get the chance to take a class similar to it in the rest of my time at Fredonia.

John Plevel

Tattoos

In general before this weeks class when I thought of Tattoos I mostly imagined the hard nosed tough guy in prison whose got 10 or more of them, this is even though I myself have thought about getting one and many of my friends have 1 or 2. I don't know why, I have just always associated the word with people who some would say have overdone the body modification of it. When we broke into groups and saw the different versions of the blond girl my group called "Brandy" we really saw how different tattoos can represent different things and how tattoos can really change your judgment of people. I believe this is completely unfair, in my personal experience I had a teacher in high school who always wore long sleeve shirts even in the hot June summer times because he had arm tattoos he couldn't show while teaching. While we must work hard to improve the social perception of tattoos, those with them must understand that some may not understand their expression the same way they do.

class reflection

I really enjoyed this class. The topics that we covered were interesting. When I signed up for the class, this is not what I expected at all. I was thinking it was a history based class but enjoyed it anyways. I like how Jeff set up the classroom with the circle every class so that we could talk to each other. The amount of readings were a little much, especially combined with my other classes. Some were very relevant that we discussed in class but some were a little far fetched to relate. I loved the guest speakers, especially Meghan, she was so fun and interesting to hear her story. Overall, it was a good class. I learned a lot and would defiantly take another class with Jeff in the future.

Class Reflection!

When I signed up for this class I was expecting it to be my least favorite class. The description of the class didn't really get me excited about taking the class. When Jeff first told us what the class was really going to be about I still wasn't too  sure if I was going to like it. With that being said I would like to say that it was my favorite class I took this semester. I am so happy I signed up for it. I do agree with Jordan when he said that the course should be renamed with a new description for it. Once that is done I think that more people might take it. Originally the only reason I signed up for it was because it counted for my major and fit into my schedule. I think that this is the type of class that many people would like to take this class, and that they should because of all the different information that we covered. 


I really liked the way that this class was discussion based. I feel like that I learned way more than I normally would have if it was just a lecture based class. Being able to hear different viewpoints and opinions on the topics gave me a better insight on the subject matter. When there was a topic that I wasn't quite sure where I stood on it, hearing what other people thought about it helped me form my own thoughts. I really liked that our class was able to share our thoughts without fear of being judged or being wrong. I don't know if it was the individuals in our class that made it that way or something else, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Most classes where discussion is involved, it seems awkward and forced. This class was not, which was very refreshing. The material we talked about was eye opening to me in some cases. Other cases it made me really think about things that I never really gave a second thought as to how it affected me or society in general. The only thing that I would change is some of the work load. The discussion questions were great because they really made me think critically about the readings (which I also really enjoyed). I think that if all the papers (event paper, book review, and scholar activism project) are going to stay, they should be shorter. At least the event paper and book review should be shortened. I do understand the reason behind them being assigned and think that they are a good idea. However I do have tons of other papers, projects, and readings for other classes. The longer papers in this class added to my stress at times. 


I want to thank Jeff for making this class what it is and helping facilitate our discussions. I wish that I had more time left in my time here in Fredonia to take more classes with Jeff. I liked that he brought in the guest speakers to help us connect to our learning. I especially liked Meghan Tonjes. I was really inspired by her Project Life Size project. I am glad she sang for us, I listen to her music all the time now. I also want to thank everyone in the class for making this class as great as it was. I am kind of sad that it is coming to an end. I am glad that I could be part of such a great class.

Birth Rape?

This topic is a bit late in our discussion of women and childbirth but I just found this article on Yahoo and thought it would pertain to all that we have talked about. It is about a woman who was operated on (c-section) without her permission. This makes me so mad and I am sure it will anger you all as well. I am not sure what legal action was taken against the hospital and doctors who did it but I am sure that the woman and her husband did take action.


Click here for the Yahoo Article


Click here for the woman's original blog post

Reflection

This class has been an eye-opening experience.  The readings have been enriching to the point of enlightenment and represent everything that a college course should be.  We were tasked with reviewing material and formulating our own opinions.  As such, we were treated as adults who were capable of comprehending complex ideals and creating judgments based on them.  As if that wasn't enough, there was a genuine goal with the classroom discussions as well.  Discussing material in a group setting that is rational and calm is a very effective way to see both sides of an issue.  Unlike Jeff's section of 359, these classroom discussions didn't get as heated.  This could be due to the makeup of the classroom or the subject matter, but it was very enjoyable.  (BTW: That is not to say that heated classroom discussion wasn't fun or educational...it's my favorite).  The assigned readings were perfect for the topics and I think if the title of the course was changed a little bit (i.e. History of Medical Authority, Scientific Authority, etc.) more people would take it.  The current title conveys the idea that the course is focusing on governmental or military authority.  Many don't even take the time to read the course description.

The reading material was perfect because they presented relevant examples of everything that we were talking about.  All of the topics that we discussed in class were real-world examples, the speakers were first rate, and Megan Tonjes is the new love of my life.  This makes the class "hit home" a little more than basic lecture, study, test platforms.  Overall, I would say that all of this needs to stay exactly the same.  Perfection doesn't even begin to describe the way in which this classroom was taught.  As an education major, much of the focus is on Bloom's taxonomy.  This format mandated that we synthesize higher order questions and think at a level that might be outside of our comfort zone.  Regardless, we learned.

Reflection

I learned a lot in this class.  I liked how Jeff brought in the speakers class discussion was always interesting and engaging.  I also liked how he used different medium to engage the class.

What I did not like about the class was that nothing had a definite answer to it.  I like discussing the "grey area" but on some topics, I was interested in finding out a definite answer.  I also don't think that an event paper, book review and this scholar activism project is realistic. I take 22 credits, work 2 jobs and run three clubs finding the time to fit this all in with other projects that pertain to my actual major was difficult and sometimes I had to choose what assignment to do. 

Overall, I really did like this course and if the workload was adjusted, I would have been less stressed out about it.

Leslie Walter