Kenneth Bruffee's "Collaborative Learning and Conversation of Mankind"

Collaborative learning is a topic that can be debated about in terms of its effectiveness in the learning and working environments. Working with peers, whether they match one's intellectual level or not, can be a very valid and helpful tool in receiving advice, feed-back, and support on a particular project. Collaborative learning does not strive to change the content of what students learn nor dumb down the content, rather, collaborative learning aims at setting up a new social context in which students can learn. Peer criticism, or work done in small student groups, can be extremely helpful in creating a suitable work environment for students who are not inclined towards the traditional classroom setting. The way in which students converse about given material determines how they will think and how they will write. Working with peers also encourages the students to get more emotionally involved, more focused, and comfortable. Once all of these are achieved, it is easy to get right to work.

Knowledge is made through thought, conversation, reading, writing, and social interaction. Knowledge can be considered one's personal motivation to learn, question, and think. Conversations and thought begin within the individual and slowly externalize themselves through various conventions. For instance, when assigned an essay, there are many steps that an individual takes, sometimes subconsciously, when sorting out his or her knowledge on the subject. The day that the professor assigns the essay, students may have thoughts running through their heads regarding what they want to write about. This is reflective thought, more or less, and can be externalized by being written on paper in the form of an outline or talked through with peers by way of collaborative learning practices. The knowledge of the student will be ultimately expressed in the written essay. Knowledge can also be learned and expressed through social interaction. By sharing experiences with other people, learning side by side, or even by simply having conversations, knowledge is spread through direct contact with peers.

I do not think that is is necessary for alike intellectuals to converse exclusively when it comes to peer criticism and the furthering of knowledge. I definitely think normal discourse and peer criticism with like intellectuals is helpful, not completely necessary, but very helpful when it comes to seeking advice on a piece that is quite focused in its subject. In other words, I believe that more likely than not, it turns out to be useful and productive to partake in conversations with a group of knowledgeable peers. Once a set of conventions are set among a group of people, the group can just cut to the chase and get right down to work. Personally, I find it frustrating sometimes in class when working with others is practically forced upon the students, especially with no choice among who one wants to work with. It is refreshing to work with someone in a similar field and with someone who possesses the same level of motivation as me in that field. Overall, I think peer criticism is a valid option in terms of learning because not only does it help individuals learn more about the topic about which they're studying, but it enables individuals to come away with valuable social skills that can be used in greater communities. In this way, knowledge can be attained through the course material, and through the personal experiences of the peers who are working in a collaborative manner.

Language as a Slippery Vehicle

Language is a slippery vehicle. It's hard to steer, yet once mastered, can be very powerful. Language is composed of words, and words have definitions. Frequently, writers juxtapose words together that simply sound nice or evoke a meaning that the author wishes were the case in the actual context he or she is using. Overcome with eloquence, some writers rarely say what they mean or have difficulty describing what they are observing in an accurate manner because they are too caught up in using pretty words.

I think this is what Hass is getting at in his poem. It is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us. Writing, and poetry, does not always have to be over-the-top in terms of word usage and imagery. Poems can be plain and still engage the reader. Writing is not a competition, and language is a gift. When putting the pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, it is important to say what you mean. Don't over-embellish because then no one will know what you're saying. In this way, meaning can be assigned to every word written, and the words chosen are important when deciding what to put on the paper because it will portray different pictures depending on what words are chosen.

In Jones' poem, it is very clear that he is addressing language as one of the most prevalent forms of illustration. No image like the image of language. He encourages the reader to unleash all inhibitions when writing. People should use their vocabulary to the most of their abilities because it is a beautiful vehicle of communication. Through the coconut shell full of rum and coconut milk on the ocean and let it wash over you. Let the words envelop you and use them to the utmost potential because through their usage, meaning is derived.

The Twelfth Night at Hofstra University's J.C. Adam's Playhouse

Thursday night, I was in attendance for Hofstra's production of The Twelfth Night. Overall, it was a great performance and unique interpretation of the play. I personally did not enjoy the setting of the play taking place during the Reconstruction period in Georgia. Shakespearean literature is already difficult enough to understand when spoken; adding a Southern accent atop all of that was a bit much. For some characters, it was difficult to understand what they were saying because Americn, British, and Southern accents meshed and voice proliferation was on and off. I would have preferred seeing a different setting for the action of the play. The set design was beautiful and intricate though for the given setting. The pillars and Spanish moss gave off a Southern feel while complimenting that classic feel that Shakespeare's writing emits.

My biggest surprise while watching the play was the performances of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. While reading the play and even while watching the movie version in class, I was not very entertained by the roles of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. However, while watching Hofstra's performance, I found myself awaiting their entrances on stage. They were simply hilarious! The actor who played Sir Toby was easy to understand and the perfect example of a party animal. His acting was spot on, his accent was perfect, and he was easy to understand on stage. Sir Andrew was the perfect amount of awkward for a flawless performance. While watching, Lindsey and I could not help but whisper to each other about how funny the two of them were in conjunction. Together, they were a spectacular team that stole the stage.

Viola's performance was a bit underwhelming. I expected a captivating performance from a character who's on stage the most during the production. For a student performance, the actress played her role very well. However, the fact that she was supposed to be a man was not very convincing, nor did she perform with a Southern accent like the rest of the cast. In my opinion, her acting was far from spellbinding and made the play drag on a bit in certain spots where in the movie, I would have been completely engrossed by the actress playing Viola.

The actress playing Olivia played her role well. Again, the Southern accent threw me off for the most part when she spoke. She seemed less contemplative and day-dreamy than she was in the text of the play. There was not as much believable chemistry between her and Cesario during Hofstra's version of the play. For all versions of the Twelfth Night I've seen, I wish there were more appearances made by Orsino. I enjoy his character a lot, perhaps because I can relate to him. The actor who played him did a great job in Thursday's performance. Feste, the Fool, was played very well also. He had a beautiful singing voice and many different identities. I actually found him to be more of a clown than the Fool in the movie. He was constantly using funny voices, jumping around like a prankster, and using a maniacal laugh.

Overall, I was able to sit through the entire performance, however, I was not enthralled. I am one who enjoys the theatre and productions of all sorts, especially Shakespeare. However, this particular show did not particular excite me. I was more eager to watch the film on YouTube than I was to sit through this performance. It was a nice take on the text, and the actors made a great effort. I will be excited to look out for another performance of the Twelfth Night elsewhere in order to experience different interpretations that drama company's have.

Lend Your Ear 3/4/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

Here is the thematic montage Lindsey and I made based on the motif of music. It is featuring the song "Easy" by Justin Vernon. Comments would be helpful. We put a lot of work into this project and we would love critiquing!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com