A Future Teacher & Beowulf

As a former homeschooler and (prayerfully) as a future homschooler, I often think about what I want to teach my children. What curriculum will I use - if any? What books do I want my children to read? What history to I want them to know? What should I learn more about now to help guide them later?

Do y'all think about this?

For my Adolescent Fiction class at WVU, we were assigned Beowulf. But not the one you think. :P I had the pleasure of reading the graphic novel... Here are my thoughts.

Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf could be an integral part of a multi-media English curriculum. While Beowulf is the oldest epic of the English language and is revered by many teachers, it often remains inaccessible to students. Incorporating film, music, and art (such as graphic novels) would help students to appreciate the great poem that is Beowulf.

Hind’s Beowulf follows the original poem very faithfully. Aware of the hideous monster Grendel, Beowulf of the Geats arrives at the homeland of the Danes to destroy the beast. In a heroic struggle, he kills Grendel. However, his fight is not yet over; Beowulf goes on to battle Grendel’s mother and the dragon before his tragic death. Hind’s Beowulf traces Beowulf’s journey, but his audience is quite different from the original poem’s audience. Fans of comic books and graphic novels will be entertained by Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf. Even studious, stodgy English students may find themselves surprised by how much they appreciate Hinds’ graphic version.

Graphic novels never cease to surprise me; I am a word-oriented person, yet I am always captivated by the beauty of the artwork. Imagination is a wonderful gift; readers can create their own images to go with the story. The greatest strength of the graphic novel is the imagination of the artist on the page. Even the font of the text can be inspiring. While reading, I especially loved Beowulf’s fight with the dragon. Seeing the elderly Beowulf stand up for his people really makes the text come to life.

Drawn to the battle sequences, young men are will appreciate Hinds’ graphic version of Beowulf. Young women of diverse tastes (like me) will admire Beowulf despite its gore. Visually appealing, Hinds’ Beowulf is exciting because it is new and different. Most young adults will never get the chance to read a graphic novel in the “standard” English classroom. Perhaps the “standard” English classroom needs to change.

When I was a young teenager, I read voraciously; I also watched an abundance of films. A fair part of these films were adaptations of novels I had read or wanted to read. The films inspired me to read more. Comparisons between the novels and the films made for great discussions. While the text should still be the most important element of the English literature classroom, many types of media could enhance and enrich our understanding and appreciation of the great works of literature.

So what do you think? Is a multi-media approach appropriate? Or should we stick to the text alone?

My Curious George

What does that make me in this analogy? The Man in the Yellow Hat?

Challenge: Comments!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I rarely comment on other blogs. Even the ones that impress, excite, thrill, or move me... I want to break that habit. Blogs need feedback, and I read a lot of blogs. My challenge for myself (and for the rest of you!) is to post a comment every day for 2 weeks. Old posts and new posts... posts that I should have commented on a long time ago. I'm gonna add my 2 cents. So you do the same; comment on all your favorite blogs for the next two weeks.

And spread the word! Along with your comments... add a link to this post.

At the end of each week, I'll share the various blogs and posts that I've commented on. =)

Searching for something to comment on?
Check out My Blog List!

My Emo look

Before y'all start worrying about my self-esteem or guilt issues -- don't. This isn't what you think. I hardly ever take my hoodies to school in the early fall... It's too warm outside to wear them. But, the Mountainlair seems sub-zero; I FREEZE during lunch.

Having a brother comes in really handy! Daniel always takes a hoodie. Guess who wears it during lunch? I really do look like an Emo kid though. It's three times my size and black. :P

Thank God for brothers, yeah?!

Falltime - Part 3

Ah, there's nothing like preparing for the winter and year to come... with a freezer full of meat. Is anybody ready for stew?

John Keats has got himself a movie

Partly because I studied Keats last semester and partly because I adore the regency era costumes, I would LOVE to see this movie. Anyone else interested?

"It's the Economy, Stupid"

Yep, I just quoted Bill Clinton... Scary, huh?

I am fascinated by the economics of politics. Politicians use economics (and the current state of the economy) to persuade voters, but economics has a lot to say about the political arena too.

I've been reading about Median Voter Theory in Economics recently... Y'all will probably see some Median Voter Theory economic posts in the next few weeks... Until then some pictures to whet your appetite.

Grocery Store Wars

The Knudsen girls shared this with me... Tee hee hee! Enjoy!

A Culinary Delight

While in NYC 2 years ago, I tried a yummy treat... One that I have enjoyed many times since. Not wanting to be selfish, I decided to share this recipe with all of you. =)


~NYC Bagel~
One bagel toasted (I prefer onion, but I'm sure other kinds would be equally delicious!)
Cream Cheese
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Red Onion.

Combine. And Enjoy!

Bring on the Superheroes!

Chris, Dee, and I all wore superhero clothing to the last dance practice... Perfect time for a photo op!

If it ain't broke... Weekly Economic Tidbit

Creative Destruction
A term coined in 1942 by Joseph Schumpeter in his work, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, to denote a "process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one."

Investopedia Commentary
In other words, creative destruction occurs when something new kills an old thing. A great example of this is personal computers. The industry, led by Microsoft and Intel, destroyed many mainframe computer companies--but in doing so, entrepreneurs created one of the most important inventions of this century.

Schumpeter goes so far as to say that the "process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism." Unfortunately, while a great concept, this became one of the most overused buzzwords of the dotcom boom (and bust), with nearly every technology CEO talking about how creative destruction would replace the old economy with the new.

Laura's version... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a myth. Break it! AND make it better. =)

Falltime - Part 2

Saturday morning dance practices are a BIG reason why I love the fall. Although this is only the second year we've had them, I look forward to every one as if it were an established tradition.

The Soldier's Joy

The Quarnden Hill

The Waves of Tory

The Salty Dog Rag

SNACKS!!

There was a new, young married couple
Tricia & Matt. :)

Mothers & Sons

Fathers & Daughters

A Ladies' Chain

The Black Nag

Men: Figure Eight

Waiting for The Black Nag to begin

Whoot! Can't wait until tomorrow night...

Descent into Twilight

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. - Genesis 2:17

Unless you've been living in a cave somewhere, you've probably heard of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. The books, movies, music, & posters populate our culture. We're bombarded with images of Bella & Edward. No doubt all of you have an opinion of Twilight, whether good, bad, or indifferent... But regardless of whether your a obsessed teen-age fan or a horrified college student (can you guess which I am? :P), Twilight is in our culture. It needs to be addressed... So without further eloquence, here are my thoughts:

Girls love "love stories." Surely this comes as no surprise to anyone. Girls love Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice... we love Bronte's Jane Eyre and Gaskell's Wives & Daughters. We rejoice when Aragorn & Arwen reunite, when Anne & Gil finally marry, when Prince Charming kisses the Sleeping Beauty, some of us even wish the Pan had never left his Wendy. A girl's desire for marriage and family are God given. However, romance novels are not healthy; they make reality seem less than satisfying. Twilight is a romance novel for teenagers. The whole plot revolves around Bella's relationship with Edward. She admits it herself, "I was consumed by the mystery that Edward presented. And more than a little obsessed by Edward himself" (p.67). Bella's whole world is Edward; he is her idol. Everything in her life is in relation to him. Her thoughts, her emotions, her behaviors -- all in direct connection to Edward.

The problem with Bella is her bad example. Girls reading this novel want their existence to be for one man. And that's the problem. We weren't created to exist for each other. We live to glorify God alone. Yes, we do love, marry, and work together in marriage. But neither the husband or the wife lives solely unto the other. Other concerns include, Bella's disrespect for her father and mother & lying about her relationship with Edward.

Edward is just as beastly. Ok. Pun not intended. For a guy that's a hundred years old, he sure is selfish. Several times during the course of the novel, Edward warns Bella to protect herself... by staying away from him. "It would be more... prudent for you not to be my friend. But I'm tired of staying away from you Bella" (p.84). Seven lines later, Edward continues, "You really should stay away from me. I'll see you in class" (p.84). I'll admit I have trouble keeping up with his roller coaster of emotions. The "I want to be with you, but I could hurt you... so I'm going to follow you around, until we quasi-date, even though I could easily kill you... " is terribly shallow to me. Where is the depth of morality? The dying to yourself for the other? Edward cannot "help" himself. Is he really that noble? He gives in... but keeps warning Bella to flee. How can she flee if he is constantly around?

The immorality. Everyone has different standards for appropriate behavior in a dating/courting relationship. I'm not here to say my way is best. But, a girl being alone with a boy in her bedroom without the knowledge of her father is inappropriate! Bella and Edward's privacy was awkward to read. The level of the intimacy between them was strange considering the early stages of their relationship. (Um, wait until marriage anyone?) Excessive contact between the sexes is not a lesson we want young ones to learn.

Despite my criticism, I'll admit... I want to know how the series ends. Despite every flaw, despite every frustration, I want to know what happens. The avid reader in me craves an ending, a conclusion, a resolution. All that being said, I would not recommend this series to any young girl. The danger is too great... Meyer's Twilight is too wrapped up in the crush world to be edifying for anyone. The problems with her characters are too numerous to be a healthy read. The themes of love, obsession, and secrets are not admirable.

However, my English professor had another theory; she proposed that Twilight's central theme was self-control. James, the vampire who believes in wholly in unbridled passions, lusts after Bella's blood, and it destroys him. Edward MUST control himself not to prey on Bella; even when he drinks her blood, he does so only to save her life. Metaphorically sucking out the poisonous venom of James' philosophy of life. Maybe, Dr. Juckett has a point... Meyer's Twilight may have a message of self-control. I can certainly see it now. From the cover with the "tempting" fruit to the quotation of Genesis 2:17... yep, the message IS there. I just wish it was more clear. Having read the book myself, the message is murky and dark. I think I'll stick to books with clearer messages... rather than make the descent into darkness. The descent into Twilight.

Smallville Season 9

YAY! Only 1 1/2 weeks to go.

Falltime - Part 1

I love autumn! It is my favorite time of year. The crisp air & beautiful colors bring joy to my heart. Each year, there are lots of things I look forward to... over the next several posts, I'll share some of them.

Fall Scenery

I may not always love to study... but coming back to campus in the fall is not without its joys. Nothing can beat the WVU downtown campus for beauty in the fall. Woodburn circle... All the trees... the flowers. Gorgeous!

The leaves beginning to change

The hazards of reading economics outside

Even the colors at home...

And who can resist fall clothing?

School hoodies are the best!

Random conversations

...Never cease to provide amusement for the rest of us.

Guy 1: You thought it was indestructable!

Guy 2: You told me that! That the iPhone had like a self-healing case! It's like the Wolverine. That's what we'll call it, Dude... THE X-MAN.

Ironing Man

~The Morton's shared this on their blog. :P It's too funny.

Weekly Economic Principle

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

"The Making of" and/or "Blooper Reel"

While working on an instructional video for Old South Balls, we had a bit too much fun. :P