Reflection 2

“One day the world will flash before your eyes. Make sure the world is watching.” –Anonymous Life is as they say is full of choices, situations we must overcome, and things we must accept. In living we begin to grow and each moment in our lives is another opportunity. As an individual, we find ourselves constantly changing. The two articles are full of values we all know we should have. However, upon reading this I realized how much I really do need these values. A blinding flash of insight, the article made me look into myself and my past experiences. In my life, there have been many eye opening experiences which have led me to grow up much faster than usual. I do not regret any of these experiences because it has made me who I am today and I now have a deeper appreciation for what I have. On a daily basis, many people go through changes. Whether it varies from hairstyles, to fashion trends, to having an epiphany, people are constantly moving forward because there should be no regression only progression. The articles make me want to take a stand against biases because it opens your eyes to the tragedies these unfortunates go through and helps me empathize with them. The subject of homosexuality touches me specifically because so many of those I care about are homosexuals. It angers me to know they have been given fewer rights than any other human merely because of their sexuality. My best friend is a homosexual. It sickens me to know that he and his significant other will not have the same rights as married couples do even though they consider themselves a married couple. We as a society need to stop holding on to values that no longer make sense. Every era we have always found a select group of people to use as our “whipping boy.” The blacks, the Jews, the Muslims, the Christians all have been subjected to our taunts and tortures. Now we have come to the realization that racism is wrong and tolerance is needed. However we have still managed to find another outlet for our hate. It is important to be adaptable for times are constantly changing and we must change with it in order to reach our full potential as humans. There are those who live with regrets and never come to term with who they are and what they can accomplish, they live their lives in the dark approaching dead ends and boxing themselves into their ignorance. This is how they live and this is how they will die, I wish to go beyond that. When I am within my last moments and taking my last breaths I wish to have that peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that I may not have been perfect but I have tried and lived with open eyes.

Relfection 1

Every present must have a past and every creation must have a master. We as a society would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for the progressive thoughts of man and the inventions they have birthed. Among the many inventions man has perfected some include the invention of the wheel, the control of fire, and evolution of the written word. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus defied the Olympians and faced their wrath in order to give mankind the gift of fire which would be used for cooking and for protection. While we know that fire is no gift, that does not diminish its importance and uses. While we may not know how fire was created, we have come to learn interesting facts of our own physical development and interactions amongst one another. For example, the jaws of prehistoric man became smaller and the teeth became less animalistic due to the lack of raw meat in their diets. They learned more civilized “house hold” skills such as cooking. Even our prehistoric mothers have had the luck of slaving over a “hot stove”. The female was more vulnerable to the theft of the meals which led to finding a mate who would dominate and was physically capable of giving protection. It’s hard to imagine life without all the inventions the wheel has led to. From automobiles to computer disk drives, the wheel has been a necessary gadget to the evolution of mankind. Transportation is vital to our current lifestyle. It is absurd how we have taken for granted how simple our everyday tasks have been made due to the development of the automobile. Life has been made easier by certain inventions such as the wheel. The history of writing can be traced back to the Sumerian civilization. The primitive style of cuneiform led to the more finesse style of the Egyptians pictured hieroglyphics which was the first step to creation of the alphabet. These were the humble beginnings of the world wide phenomenon that is writing. The fascinating thing about writing is that every culture has its own form. However in essence it is all the same. I believe as a future educator it is important to learn the history of these pivotal inventions to have a better understanding of our world today. With this understanding we as educators can inspire the future generations to further develop our world’s technologies for it is impossible to move forward if you do not know and understand the past.

Ariella Perez Introduction

My name is Ariella Perez. I was born in New Jersey on April 13, 1986. My family and I moved to Florida when I was nine years old. I have been dancing since the age of three and now I am currently a dance teacher for the City of Hialeah Parks and Recreation. Ever since I started teaching dance I knew education was the career for me. I know that education and giving dance lessons are completely different but I love working with children. For my first education class I had to complete fifteen hours minimum at any school. Being that I work with children ages varying from six to twelve I decided to complete my hours at an elementary school. The experience was wonderful and it took away any doubt that I wanted to become a teacher. However, working with children in a class room was a rude awakening for me. It was much different than just giving dance lessons. I realized teaching in an elementary school was not for me. Since last year I have been volunteering hours at Hialeah High School with the chorus teacher. I am one of the choreographers for their singing troupe. Working with high school students gave me my final decision. I wanted to become a high school teacher. I love the feel of the environment in high school classrooms. I am currently working on getting my degree to become an english teacher with a minor in dance. I am also taking dance lessons at a studio to help perfect my technique in the hopes of one day being able to educate aspiring dancers. I plan to earn my masters in education and hopefully one day I will be able to open my own dance studio. Even though some say education is a thankless job, to be able to do what I love most would in my eyes be enough of a payment.