Post 24 - Blogging

Blogging is something that I've grown to love since my first composition with Professor Hamon.  It's really great to have an outlet to put down some of my thoughts and to document things that are happening in my life.  I didn't realize how many blogs I've seen and read throughout my life.  I assumed that a website was a website was a website!  I'm now more aware of what I'm looking at when I'm surfing the web and I will continue blogging even when this class is over.  I hope my fellow students do the same.

Post 23 - Using Personal Learning Networks in the Class

I expand my personal learning network with every semester of classes.  You never know when you may need someone to turn to for a forgotten assignment or clarification on an assignment.  I also try to make an attempt to ask questions or have a small conversation with my professors during class or in that time we have on break and before and after class.  This semester I began to see that there is no point in trying to have an argument with another is pointless if I don't stop and think about where the other participant(s) are coming from or why they think or have the opinion that they do.  A conversation with a professor helped me to really think about this and to ponder the many circular arguments that I've had with others.  I began to not even bother with expressing my opinion in many circumstances.  Trying to understand why the other party holds their beliefs helps me to be far more tolerable of others who don't share the same opinion as I do.

Post 22 - Using a Wiki in the Class

I appreciated the class wiki in my Composition I class.  It's a great resource to turn to when I need to figure out where I am in the class and what assignments I need to do.  The addition of the calendar for Composition II was a great way to see a visual, easy to read layout of our assignments. 

Class Wiki - A+

Post 21 - Is American Justice Really Blind?

I can't believe the news recently.  Why are cops allowed to kill people unnecessarily without them suffering any consequences?  It's unfathomable.  I believe that Michael Brown and Eric Garner's families at least deserve for the police officer's to stand trial.  It should be up to a regular jury to decide the guilt or lack of guilt of an accused.  This process of a local prosecutor who doesn't seem to seek an indictment giving all of the evidence to a grand jury doesn't seem to be offering even the semblance of justice to the families of these victims.  The Eric Garner case seems to be especially hard to comprehend.  There is a video that shows the entire incident from beginning to end.  The police officers on the scene showed so much indifference to Eric Garner and that is not the role that the police are supposed to play.  Their job description is "to protect and serve".  That is not what they did for Eric Garner and there should be consequences for that.  I think Lady Justice was peeking out of her blindfold in this case for sure.

Post 20 - Getting Married

I recently decided to set a date to marry my fiancee.  I will finally make an honest man of him.  With one really bad first marriage under my belt, this was a really big, personal decision to make.  He's been asking me to marry him for years, but I kept saying that I wasn't ready to change our relationship in that way.  I don't need marriage to affirm our relationship and feelings for each other, but he seems to need this.  He bought me a ring and proposed last October and I didn't have the heart to say no but I procrastinated on setting a date.  Now that I've agreed to follow through on this and actually say I do, I'm getting kind of excited now.

Post 19 - Dropping the Ball

With my children being as sick as they were over the last couple of weeks and the Thanksgiving holiday last week, I have completely dropped the ball with my class work.  My kids are feeling better and the holiday is over, so I'm ready to get going but this class seems to be mostly over.  I'm very disappointed in myself.  I think that possibly I made my bed and I now have to lie in it!! :- (

Post 18 - Christmas Too Early?

My seven year old asked me the other day, "Why is there Christmas stuff out when it isn't Thanksgiving yet?" I asked him what he thought about that and he responded with, "We should eat turkey first." To him This was how it should be. His yearly calendar is discussed from one holiday and family member's birthday to the next. Seeing Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving is not natural from his perspective. I agree with this thought. What do you think?

Post 17 - Sick kids

My children have been home from school sick this week.  They are absolutely driving me crazy with their bickering....it's like the summer all over again.  It's crazy that no matter how sick they are feeling they can still muster the energy to fight with each other.  With that said, my poor babies are all home sick and I'm completely worn out from taking care of them.  Hopefully they will pull out of this so they are feeling better for the holidays.

Post 16 - The Difference a Day Can Make

My fourth child turned seven yesterday and he has decided that he is now a very grown-up "big boy."  With just the knowledge that he is officially another year older, he has made a personal choice to comport himself with more decorum and maturity.  I'm simply amazed that his knowing that he is now seven, and not just six like the younger kids in his class at school, has made such an impact on his attitude and observance of his own behavior.  This is another lesson that one of my children has taught me.  Waking up with the knowledge of one new fact about yourself can provide a person with all of the impetus that is necessary to make big personal decisions and changes.  I did this when I recently got divorced and immediately enrolled in college courses here at South University, and my son has affirmed this fact.  Oh, the difference that just one important day can make to an individual!!

Post 15 - Writing Doc 2

After doing more research on my chosen Doc 2 argument, I decided to change my topic and thesis statement.  I have a paper due for American History 2, so I'm writing my paper for that class.  I've been struggling for a topic that really interests me and I also had the same struggle for my first paper that I had to write for the same class.  I don't really like having so much freedom for my document topic.  It seems like having more areas to choose a topic from would be easier, but I don't find it to be so.  I definitely prefer being given a definitive topic, or a list of topics to choose from helps me to focus on the assignment better.  We were given a written essay as part of our midterm exam that we got to choose from a list of possible essay topics, and that helped me to get my thoughts around the paper.  I chose from the list, webbed the pertinent and relevant facts, and pulled it all together when I sat for the midterm.

Post 14 - Internet Dangers

My daughter came to me this evening and told me that an Internet predator contacted her on her social media accounts.  She's completely upset and frightened.  Unfortunately, in her fear she deleted all of her accounts and with the accounts all of the messages that he sent.  I understand why she did this, but I really wish she had kept them so that I could have taken her phone to the police.  This sicko sent her an explicit picture of another little girl and threatened to send it to her dad and uncle telling them that he would say that it was a picture of her unless she agreed to saying that he owned her.  I'm literally sick to my stomach thinking about it.  Does anybody know if this information can be phished back out of her phone so he can be tracked down?  This is why I feel the need to protect her so much...it's a scary world and technology has added more danger.  You don't only have to worry about abuse by a friend or neighbor, but now you have to try to keep up with the danger of the Internet.

Post 13 - Letting Go

My daughter went to her first boy/girl middle school dance on Friday night so I'm facing the reality of having to learn to let go in my role as a parent.  It's much more difficult than I thought it would be!  Being a daughter myself, I always said that I would never treat my boy and girl children different.  As a teenager, I hated the double standard that my parents implemented in our house and I didn't want my future daughter/s to live with the same double standard when I was the parent.  I see now that it is a hard position to take.  I can empathize with my parents feeling that I should be protected from the harshness of the world while they assumed that my brothers weren't in need of the same protection.  We raise our boys to be tougher and they're naturally less emotional (or at least they seem able to deal with negative emotions easier than girls).  I know the hurt that becoming a woman can invite and I want to guard my daughter from the type of emotional pain that can come from being a female in our society.  Society itself has a double standard and my job as a parent is to teach my children to function within this society.  That fact of life causes parents to incorporate this same double standard in our homes, if just to teach our daughters that it exists.  I'm fighting the urge I have to hold on a little tighter to my daughter than I have my teenage son, but it's a challenge that goes against my instincts as a mother.  Letting go is hard to do....

Post 12 - Logical Fallacies in the Media

 I received a couple of responses to my last post about logical fallacies in politics.  I think that I was misunderstood and I would like to clear the confusion.  I wasn't trying to say that the recent elections were not a representation of democracy in action.  I thoroughly believe that the people spoke, either by casting their ballot or their lack of participation in the election.  I also don't think that the election was "rigged" or that the Republicans cheated in any way.  They obviously won the popular vote and therefore won most of their races.  I was attempting to communicate my opinion that the Republican party is better at telling the people a message and having their audience believe in that message.  I think that this is a prime example of illogical fallacies in the media.  The Democratic party tries to explain their positions on topics to the point that people stop listening, and the Republican party pushed an anti-Obama message that was repeated over and over to the point that the people heard it.  I'm being critical of the Democratic party not the Republican party!!  If anything I'm in awe of the Republican party's expert ability to take a message and have masses of people hear it and, in turn, repeat it for them.  They've built a logical fallacy machine of massive proportions and I wish that the Democratic party would play the political game using the same rules that the Republican party have defined.  I was attempting to communicate my admiration for the Republican's skill in the use of logical fallacies, not to criticize the election results.  I'm not happy with the results, but the people spoke and, as a citizen, I accept the results of the voice of the majority.

I apologize for not communicating my point well and I would appreciate your reevaluation of my last post.  I am not looking for an Internet argument about politics....I've learned that a political argument never turns out well, either in person or on the web.  Politics and religion are not casual conversation topics and I try not to hold a discussion on either with people that I do not know.

Post 11 - Logical Fallacies in Politics

This is how I felt last night!

I'm absolutely disgusted with the results of the elections held yesterday.  I stayed up all evening and proceeded to get more discouraged with every race that was called.  The Republicans won over the electorate with their uncanny ability to use repetitive rhetoric to convince the general population that they are representing them.  This is the furthest thing from the truth.  If you're not an old, rich, white man, then the Republican party is not representing your interests.

I'm also completely disgusted with the Democrat's lack of ability to express their views in a limited scope so that the average American that doesn't follow politics and keep up on current events can understand that Democrats are looking out for the regular people.  When Obama's campaign messaged "Hope" and "It's Time for a Change," the people came out in overwhelming numbers to support a candidate that they felt represented them personally.  Why did this tactic for bringing out the masses not stick within the Democratic party?  I don't know.....

Post 10 - Progressive Advertising

I was watching the GE commercial that has a little girl talking about the amazing projects her mother is working on as an engineer for GE.  I think that listening to this girl discussing how her mother is engineering several wonderful, environmentally-friendly products is completely enthralling. 



After being absorbed by this commercial for like the hundredth time, I started to think about the what this advertisement says about the value and place in society that women now hold.  It implies that women are smart, strong, and creative.  The ad also speaks of the place that women have in the workplace.  Not very long ago in our country mother's were looked down on for trying to juggle having a family at home and also a career.

This is so different from the advertising directed towards and about women just a few decades ago.  In a different time within our country's society, women were solely in charge of their home.  Advertising by companies like GE focused on selling women household appliances and they were portrayed as housewives that cooked, cleaned and did laundry.  I find it amazing that women have progressed so far in such a short period of time.  You can really see how society's viewpoint has evolved by looking at the advertising that we are inundated with on a daily basis.  If our viewpoint had not changed, then advertising agencies would not portray the image of a strong, intelligent, creative, working mother to sell it's image.

Post 9 - Peer Evaluations

I have mixed feelings about the peer evaluation process that we do in our English Composition courses.  On one hand, I enjoy getting feedback on my papers because I'm always looking for ways to improve on my coursework during my college education.  I also enjoy helping my fellow classmates with their writing and their ability to earn a good grade on their essays and papers.  I think that I provide them with good criticisms and suggestions.  The only thing that I struggle with is when I'm given papers to look over that contain poor grammar and are difficult to read and make sense of.  I read whenever I have spare time, so reading a paper that does not read easily presents more of a challenge to me that the sometimes complicated text of the nonfiction books that I enjoy reading.

Post 8 - Halloween

I just got home from taking my kids trick or treating and I started thinking about the difference between the experiences of children and adults during holidays. My kids had so much fun tonight and I really enjoyed seeing their joy, but it's also so much work!! It's the same for the winter holidays....the thought of Christmas is stressful, yet as a child the same thought fills you with wonder and excitement. The contrast is amazing and makes me wish I could feel the same things my children do.

Post 7 - Academic Olympics

My 4th grader was just invited to be on his school's Academic Olympics team and I could not be more proud!  An activity like this was the type of thing that I enjoyed through school so when my children participate in the same type of group it gives us conversation topics that we can bond over.  I generally have a difficult time finding something to converse about with him and this will now provide me with another way to build on our relationship.  I'm also super proud that he is doing so well in school that his teacher chose him to represent the school in their Academic Olympics competition.

Post 6 - Animals Taking American Jobs

I was sitting here observing my children watching a movie that has dogs, cats and various farm animals acting out a movie called Air Buddies.  These are jobs that could be performed by perfectly good out-of-work actors.  Why would we hire animals to do a job that an actor needs?  And how do we know that they are even legal to be here in this country?  The type of papers that an animal has for identification can easily be forged.  I don't think this practice should be legal.  Why doesn't anyone ever complain about the work that is being taken from actors?

This point that I'm making is completely ridiculous, but it reminds me of the argument made by some regarding illegal immigrants.  Like there are so many Americans that are willing to work the jobs that immigrants work.  The jobs are available to American citizens, yet they won't take them which makes this argument invalid.  Their argument is just as crazy as my argument against animals taking the jobs of out-of-work actors.

Post 5 - The Great Scare--Ebola!

While speaking to my fiancée the other night, he asked me if I had heard about the new findings that said the Ebola virus is airborne.  Hearing him say this really upset me because I pride myself on being well-informed and I know that putting out misinformation like that is a tactic used by some public figures to create a fearful society.  Those on the ground in Africa fighting the virus and one doctor after another have stated that Ebola can only be caught through contact with the body fluids of infected individuals that are showing symptoms.  I get frustrated with the continued encouragement by some to have rumors circulating that create chaos and panic among the general population.  The misinformation being given about the Ebola virus reminds me a little bit of those who still won't admit that global warming/climate change has still not been proven.  With the studies that have been done and a consensus among scientists that global warming is real, how can the fact of it be denied?  It's really unbelievable.

Post 4 - Doc 1 Topic--Registration Issues

I decided to make my argument on my Doc 1 topic, registration issues, by first brainstorming reasons for South University to handle the registration process in the current way.  I think that the best way to make an argument is to consider the opposing side's views first, and then to articulate why I believe that point-of-view is invalid.  I think that having paperless, online course registration is beneficial to everybody involved, so my goal for Doc 1 was to refute the reasons for the registration process to still be handled in person.  The problem that I had with this method was that it was extremely difficult to think of valid reasons for our school to not already have online registration!!  It seems entirely nonsensical for the school to have this process set-up the way it is now, and it is a total waste of time for every single person involved in the current procedures.  When students should be focusing on studying for end of class finals, we are forced to stand in a long line to register for the following semester's classes.  There are a few easy fixes that could streamline the process and give student's access to information that would be valuable throughout our school careers.

Post 3 - Mother of a 16 year old!!

My oldest son is turning 16 today and I can't believe that I have a child that can legally drive!!  The time goes so fast.  I had him when I was 18, so we've grown together.  Being a parent at such a young age was tough, but has been a wonderful learning experience overall.  He's been my buddy since I had him!  I'm now looking forward and thinking about the upcoming experience of sending him off to college.  With four other children I won't yet have an empty nest, but I will be really sad to say goodbye.

Post 2 - A Recent Argument

I recently had an argument, or rather a "discussion," with my teenager about his career goals.  We were talking about what he would like to have as his major in college and he informed me that he would like to be an actor.  Oh boy!!  This is not exactly what I had dreamed of for his future.  I don't think that any parent would like to hear that their child's ambitions were headed in that direction.  I immediately had an angry reaction that stemmed from my doubts and worries for him.  That was definitely a poor choice on my part.  He dug his heels in and became even more rooted in his belief that acting would be the career for him.  I then came to my senses and thought of something my mother always told me, "As soon as you begin to argue with a child, you've already lost."

I let both of us simmer down for several weeks before I addressed the topic again.  I spoke to him about my worries regarding his ability to support himself while waiting to get a "break."  I also offered him some alternatives to this problem, like choosing drama as a major and something else as a minor.  He would have a way to support himself and still be able to seek an acting career in his off time.  We have a great relationship, so having a discussion rather than an angry reaction by me worked out well for us.  After considering all of this, he decided a couple of weeks later that maybe he didn't want to be an actor (thank God!!).  I learned that I shouldn't overreact and thought back to how many times I changed my mind as a teen about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  This was a consideration that I should have made when he initially announced his chosen career!  Parental lesson learned.

Post 1- No Access to Course Registration Online

So far I have really enjoyed being a student here at South University in West Palm Beach, FL, but when it comes time to register for a new semester of courses it turns into a chore that is very bothersome when the end of the semester is looming.  We really should be studying and prepping for final exams, but instead the school has us waiting in line to register for new classes.  If they allowed online registration like EVERY OTHER COLLEGE IN EXISTENCE it would make life easier.

Using Google+ in the Class

I have an Android cell phone, so I already had a Gmail account which automatically transfers to a Google+ account.  Having Google on my cell phones has been really awesome and something I appreciated before taking this English Composition course.  I love the ability to have all of my contacts transferred whenever I upgrade my cell phone.  Also, the auto-backup of the rest of my information has been a lifesaver, especially when it has come to my photos.  I don't know how many times I've lost a cell phone memory card, computer, or CD with photos of my family on them since the digital age made cameras with film that was developed a thing of the past.  I began to use Google+ like I use Facebook at the start of this class and it's growing on me.  It doesn't seem to be catching on as quickly with the population at large, though, so I'm not sure if it will be as useful in the long run as some of the other features Google provides.

Using Google Drive in the Class

I learned to use Microsoft Office when it first became the most popular word processing and spreadsheet program to use. Since then Microsoft added the other programs in the office suite and I learned to use them along the way. With my comfort using Office, switching to Google Drive was an experience that took me out of my comfort zone. I very quickly realized that it was used almost exactly the same as Office and had many other additional features that can't be done with the Microsoft programs. Being able to share my documents with others and both, or all, with access seeing the changes to the document in real time was one of the features that I really like about Google Drive. Also, the benefit of my documents being saved to the cloud so that they can be accessed from anywhere that I have access to a computer with the Internet is extremely beneficial in my role as a student. Gone are the days of "forgetting" a paper or assignment. I find myself using Google Drive for more and more rather than automatically pulling up my former go-to, Microsoft Office.

Blogging in Class

I had serious reservations about the blogging portion of this class when we first started.  I thought that blogging was something that other people did.  In the beginning I was using the topics provided by the professor, and, with his focus on us learning all about the flipped classroom, I was extremely bored.  I got really tired of the subject long before it stopped being a major focus of our assignments.  I learned a lot about the flipped class with the paper that was assigned on this topic.  The research that I did won me over on the benefits of using the teaching method.  I would have liked to skip the group assignment and gone right to that topic.  Our class seemed very redundant with the repeating subject.

When the professor gave us permission to explore other subject matter in our blogs besides the suggestions that he provided, I began to see the charm.  We were able to truly and openly express ourselves and, with the added assignment of reading other classmate's blogs, we also got to know each other through our writing.  When we began to personalize our writing, it opened the door to gaining insight into each other's thoughts and, sometimes, lives.  Blogging has given me an outlet in which I can get some thoughts out of my head instead of letting them swirl around endlessly.  I can now appreciate the assignment and experience.

Brilliant Advertising!! Kudos to Coca-Cola...



I would just like to say how absolutely ingenious the creators of the new marketing campaign that the corporation, Coca-Cola are proving to be.  I've always been more of a Pepsi drinker, and have never liked Coke, but I now find myself looking through every display that I pass by in a store to see if I can find a bottle with my children's names on them.  Not only do they have a name on each bottle, but they have the family and friends labels.  I, along with many in the country, have an urge to gather a group of bottles with my family's names and arrange them with the "Share a Coke with Family" bottle.

I'm three bottles in for my children's names, but unfortunately, they don't have a bottle with little Hope's name. :-( They do have her middle name, so I guess I'm going to have to settle for that.  The amazing part of the whole advertising campaign is that I NEVER buy Coke. I am completely aware that I'm being drawn in to this very obvious personalization that is the basis of the entire advertising scheme, and yet I'm still purchasing their product for the sole reason that there are the names of my family printed on the labels!!

With a family the size of mine, I will end up spending a little over $15 on a product that I never would have bought without the names on the labels!  To entice a person that would not normally be a customer of yours in this way, is the epitome of an absolute success with the use of advertising!  So I again say, kudos to Coca-Cola!!

***By the way, if any of my classmates happen to see a bottle with James, Brittany, Brett, or Emily on the labels I would appreciate it if you would grab it for me and I'll reimburse you for it!***

I rest my case.....brilliant advertising!



Traits of an Effective Teacher

I've always noticed that some teachers are more effective than others, but now that I'm back in school I'm even more curious as to what qualities effective teachers have in common.  With my experience through K-12, four children now in school, my current attendance in college, and homeschooling three of my children for two years, I've been exposed to many teachers that have ranged from horrible to absolutely wonderful.  I also have the added experience of being on the other side of the desk with the two years I spent homeschooling my children.  A great teacher can make all the difference in a person's education.  My children have had teachers that made them dread school, but they've also had teachers that they rave about daily.  What makes some teachers inspire a desire to learn and others inspire dread and poor attitudes in their students?  The Chicago Tribute published an article on their website that delved into this topic.



5 traits of effective teachers (Chicago Tribune)

 

1. Open mind Learning and adapting are two of the biggest parts of being a successful teacher.*

"Lynn Columba, program coordinator of the College of Education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., says the best teachers consider themselves "lifelong learners" who are "willing to explore new teaching strategies and methods" as well as "act on current research in the classroom."*

"Effective teachers are not born, they are made after an enormous amount of hard work and dedication," Columba says."*

2. Flexibility and patience*

"One of the core doctrines of teaching should be that everything is in a constant state of change."*

 

3. Dedication*    

"Summers are a time when many teachers learn new skills, teach at summer school, attend teaching seminars or work on earning a graduate degree."*

 

4. Positive attitude*

"Some of your students will likely come to class with a negative attitude toward the class, so it's best to try and counteract it with positivity and a sense of humor."*

 

5. High expectations*

"An effective teacher should have high expectations and strive to raise the bar for his or her students. If you go in expecting less effort, you will undoubtedly receive less effort."*

*All quotes were taken from the article retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/chi-teaching-habits-education-careers-20111107-story.html

  Do you agree with the traits of an effective teacher that are listed from this article?  What other characteristics do great teachers have?

A Personal Rant About a Difficult Class....

When I looked at the classes that I need for my degree and began to plot my courses for this term, I knew that I wanted to take statistics.  I may have lost you already at this point!!  I realize that most people don't enjoy math, but I've always been one of those nerds that love it.  In high school I took extra math classes as electives (I know.......not normal!), and I did as many math classes as I could for dual enrollment credit.  So the only math course that I had left for my degree was statistics.  With my love of math, I knew that this class would be easy for me.

I've been in for a rude awakening!!  My statistics course has become the class that I dread walking into and I panic when there's an exam.  As the course as gone on, my anxiety has increased.  I'm really not used to feeling like this about anything that I'm trying to learn.  I live under the belief that if a student puts the effort into any class, then they will be successful.  With my research on the flipped classroom, I stumbled onto the Kahn Academy website (https://www.khanacademy.org/) and have since utilized the site as an additional resource with this class.  I pay attention in class, sit in the front row hanging on the professor's every word, do my homework, and have mastered every topic that we've covered in class on the Kahn Academy website.  With all of this time and effort that I've put in, my test scores have progressively gone down.  I'm finding that my attitude towards the subject is being drastically altered with just one course.

I'm now asking myself what the problem is......is it me, the subject matter, or the teaching method being used?  I know that I'm doing everything humanly possible to improve my knowledge on the subject matter, so am I the issue?  Maybe.  With my mastery scores on the Kahn Academy site, I am showing a command of the subject matter being covered, so I don't think that's the problem.  I feel like I understand what I'm about to be tested on and I'm as prepared as I can be going into the exams, but then I can barely swing a C on the tests.  Maybe I'm over-analyzing the exam questions.  When I look at some of the questions that have to do with vocabulary (True/False, ugh!), sometimes I think that I'm speaking one language and the professor has put another on the test.  And the kicker is, that the exams are open book and notes!  My last test I turned in feeling completely confident and thinking that I may have missed one of the true/false questions, and I ended up with my lowest test grade yet.  I've now arranged to go over my tests with a tutor at the university to see where I'm going wrong, so I guess I'll find out soon enough!  Are any of you taking a class that makes you feel like I am about my statistics class this term?

(This is me when I see my test scores!)



How I Conclude a Document

I like to conclude a document with a summary of the ideas I expressed within the paper itself.  I also attempt to come up with some kind of a catchy sentence that gives impact to the reader as they finish the document that I've written.  Depending on the type of paper that I'm trying to conclude, this sentence should show the proper type of emotion that I'm wanting the reader to feel about what I've written.  Sometimes this comes easy, but there are other times, like when I'm not very interested in the topic that I've been given by a professor, that forming the words to convey the exact message that I want the reader to receive can be extremely difficult! 

I Accepted!!...and My Challenge is Completed! You're Next.....

#icebucketchallenge

 

 

I am now challenging our English Composition class to the ice bucket challenge.  I want to see some great videos posted on your blogs!!  Let's do it!

Raising Money for the Ice Bucket Challenge...

Please share this link!

If the goal of 591 shirts sold is accomplished, then at least $10,000 will be donated to alsa.org!!  More that $15 of every t-shirt purchased will apply towards the donation.  The balance of your purchase applies to the cost of printing the shirt.  If the 591 shirt goal is not reached, then the shirts will not be printed and your credit card will not be charged.  Unfortunately, there will also not be a donation made either.  The initial request you make for purchase is just a reservation and a charge will not be put through to your card until the 2 week time limit is over.  Please share the link provided so we can make this happen. 
I know that as college students we can't all afford to make a donation to an important cause, but it's nice to get a shirt that, with your purchase, also serves to give to a great charity!  You have the option to purchase a regular t-shirt as shown, a premium t-shirt, or a woman's fit shirt.  The premium is a few dollars more, but the woman's fit shirt is also at a $25 price point.

http://teespring.com/iacceptedtheicebucketchallenge

 

 

My Fiancee Completing the Ice Bucket Challenge...

My fiancée, James Bryant, is the fourth person from the left.  His employer's donated $1,000 to the ALS Foundation if the employees of Brewology completed the challenge.  It's good to see the awareness that is being created and even better to know that he is working for a company that is willing to make a donation like that.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is Officially Accepted!!

 

I am accepting the ice bucket challenge made by my fiancée, James Bryant!! My uncle, Michael Horn, died 2 years ago from this horrific condition. I feel privileged to have known and loved him and I willingly accept this challenge. My Uncle Mike was a brilliant, highly educated scientist that made many contributions to the global society, and our family's loss is shared by all. It's a ghastly disease for every person who suffers through it, but for such an intelligent man to be forced... to suffer through it is absolutely dreadful. I can't imagine what he and his immediate family (my aunt and cousins) felt to watch his extremely rapid decline. I think that his suffering made their loss so much worse. My sympathies go out to them, and I will be doing the ice bucket challenge in his honor. I implore everyone to make a donation to the ALS foundation so we can find a cure. Look for my video tomorrow!!

I will always miss you, Uncle Mike.  You touched my life in many ways and I will always remember you.

Surviving Cancer

The picture above shows the thyroid cancer awareness ribbon.  I had thyroid cancer when I was pregnant with my fourth child, Alexander.  It's a fairly common type of cancer in women and can occur in women of all ages.  I was only 28 years old when diagnosed and it has had a serious impact on my life.  I had my first surgery only 2 months after I gave birth to Alexander.  Dealing with something like this with such a young infant, and three other children to care for, was an obstacle that I hope I never have to handle again.  I explained to my kids that my "butterfly" (because the thyroid is shaped like a butterfly) in my neck was sick which is why I think that the picture shown here is so perfect as a representation of this event in my life.  I went through serious depression, but came out of the experience with an appreciation for life and the determination to live mine.  Cancer is something that has touched all of our lives, either personally or in a loved one, and continues to create obstacles in mine.  With the thyroid affecting so many aspects of your health, it can sometimes be very hard to get out of bed and stay an active member in my own life.

My doctors said that I would probably not have anymore children because of my hormone variations, but five years later, I became pregnant again with my last baby.  We named her Hope Emily because I had several complications with her pregnancy due to my hormonal levels bottoming out with the changing physical needs of my body during the pregnancy.  We had "hope" that she would pull through healthy and normal.  She was born completely healthy (other than a crossed eye....) and is now a normal, active, completely spoiled  one year old toddler, thank goodness!!  That "hope" has continued with her presence in all of our lives.  I'm thankful every day that the doctors were proven wrong, even though we had many reservations about having a fifth child to raise.  She gives much joy to our lives on a daily basis and has been the impetus I needed to finally fulfill my desire for a higher education.  I'm finally open to living and full of "hope" for our future!

Writing with APA Format...Seriously, Not That Difficult

Writing a paper using APA formatting is not a difficult task considering the resources that have been provided by the South University library portal and our professors teaching the courses that require the use of APA format for their class assignments.  The library portal has a significant quantity of resources available for our use and has a citation tool that gives a citation for each source that is already in APA format.  With the use of this citation tool, it's just a matter of cutting and pasting into our papers.  This makes the compiling the resource page of our paper extremely easy.  In addition to the resources and previously written citations provided through the library portal, the professors that I've had thus far in my studies have all given a sample paper that contains the format that they are looking for us to use for any assignments we turn in for their particular course.  It's all really a matter of plugging our writing into this already formatted paper.  These resources and guides that are provided by professors and South University have made our job of writing an assignment in APA format as simple of a task as they can make it.  We just have to use the tools that have been given!

The American Dream.....My Doc 3!

I've been assigned a paper about the American dream in my sociology class.  The assignment is supposed to discuss what the American dream is, what my personal American dream is, and which sociological theory can be applied with the concept of the American dream.  Thankfully this is a topic that interests me and, at the same time, provides a forum in which I can express my personal opinion regarding the reality of a regular American citizen's ability to achieve this goal.  I'm very pleased that I have an assignment that I can enjoy during the additional exploration of the topic that we have been assigned for our third document.