reflection 8

On this unit 8 in critical literacy, I had learned how to apply all kind of how to be more critical in critical literacy subject. In this unit also only have one article to be review, which is drugs or guns publish by time magazines pages 54-55 and written by Hawthorne, Peter on 2001, 10 December. The article is about the Presidents of Africa Thabo Mbeki are in the dilemma weather he has to choose guns or drugs. Africa had an upheaval politic, so the presidents of Africa thoughts that he needs guns to make sure that they will be save, but the presidents should think about his people who are suffer from AIDS. And the NGOS are questioning the power that the Mbeki have, because he spend $60 billion on buying guns, the NGOS thinks that the money should be use to help the people who suffer from AIDS.

In this unit, the activity that we do is only discussed in class. At first when I read the article I had a difficulties to understand, because the article is a long article and the writer only use drop cat in the 1st paragraph to make sure the readers understand the paragraph. I think that the writer should use several drop cats because this article is a very serious article, it talks about politics and not all love to read an article about politic in additions the article is a long article.

For the conclusions, in my opinion the precedents of Africa Thabo Mbeki, he should thinks about his own people who suffer from AIDS especially for women who pregnant and kids. They must been given mendicant to prevent and help them to be in batter life.

reflection 7

On the unit 7 in critical literacy, I had learned how to produce and evaluate critical writing. The information’s that I found interesting is dieting. This article had been publishing by random house, pages 174-197. The article is been written Seligman, Martin (1994) chapter 12 Dieting: a waist is terrible things to mind. The article is about wide range of current issue regarding of weight control. The writer also wants the reader that, they must not easily trust the commercially product providers because sometime, they just want to take advantage for making business.

In this topic, our class had been form in to, 2 groups. For me the article a very longs and its very boring to read, even though the writer make the sub topic between paragraph and insert a several of table, still it’s boring to read. The tables also are very difficult to understand, because the font that the writer use is very small and the numbers are dim

To conclude, actually it is very good for the writer itself to use their self as an example, because they have the experience and they know how to overcome the problems itself. This article wants the readers to know that they must know how to be on diet in right way so that they will not get the bad consequences. This article also wants the readers to realize that not all dieting product gave good effect, they must realize that sometime the person who sold the diet product just want to take an advantage because they want gain profits.

reflection 6

On this unit 6 in critical literacy, I had learned how to apply all the techniques in the previous five units in critical literacy. In this unit, its only has 1 article, which are invasions of the baby snatchers. The article is publish by Time magazine, page 40, and had been written by Kirn, Walter (2002, August 26). The article is about missing children’s seems very rampant nowadays. The writer also gives several of examples about missing children’s for example the British parallels are Sarah Payne, who left a game hide and seek with her siblings in July 2000 and was found dead 16 days later. In this condition the parents should care and give more attentions to their children’s.

In this unit I had been given the activity in the study guide. My groups and I will answer the 10 elements that we have learned in previous units. At first when I read the article, it’s hard for me to understand it. After I read several time, than I can understand what the writer try to said. At first I don’t understand weather the writer wants to condemn the media or want to thanks the media because for me it’s a little bit confusing in the article.

For the conclusions nowadays missing kids are really rampant. The best solutions is the parents itself has to know about their children’s activity. They should care about their own children’s because only they are close to them.

reflection 5

On the unit 5 in critical literacy, I had learned about establishing who the audience is, calculating the likely effect a text will have. The information that I found interesting in this unit 5 is the article about Australia Methadone Mess publish by Reader’s Digest pages 19-25, written by McMahon, Siobhan (1998, may). The article is about the Australia is facing a serious problems regarding of Methadone. Methadone is a drug, at first the methadone is to help drug edict to stave off heroin’s withdrawal symptoms. Because of the Methadone is easy to get and more cheep compare to heroin, the drug edict are misusing them. The effect of the methadone is more serious compare to heroin. This has been proving by the drug edict itself.
In this unit, the most difficult things to understand are metaphor written by Lee,D(1992). Chapter 4 metaphor. In competing discourses: perspective and ideology in language. New York: Longman, pages 65-90. For me, in this unit it is very difficult for me to understand because it uses difficult words to understand, for example like “the people are like a famished wolf in the hollow of a tree”. I also found metaphor and analogy is very confusing. For example metaphor: all the world’s a stage, analogy: people may treat the world as stage.
When I first read the article out of puff, I know it’s all about how to stop smoking. The writer also use drop cap to make the readers know that is the beginning of the article and to prevent the reader’s board while reading. The writers also divide the paragraph according to the sub topic, to make sure that the readers more understand about the article. It is very good for the writer to give the advice how to prevent smoking and give the consequences in smoking especially for the women smokers.
As the conclusions, this unit is very interesting and enjoy. I have learned how to establishing who the audience is, and calculating the likely effect a text will have.

reflection 4

On the unit 4, in critical literacy the information that I found interesting is body language that speaks to muggers. In this article publish by Psychology Today written by Rubenstiel, Carin (1980, August). The writers write about how muggers rob people by just look their body language. In this article, the writers also made their own experiment by video tape people who walk in Manhattans on three weekdays between 10 am and 12 noon. They taped each pedestrian for six to eight seconds. 60 people had been videotaped of an equal numbers men and women in varying ages and then they ask a group of 12 prisoners who had been convicted of assaults on person unknown to them. In this article we can alert about our surroundings, our body language can caused a bad effect if we don’t take note.

In the unit 4 we had been given activity to discuss about statistic. In this unit the word statistic had two meaning which is, the meaning of statistic is referring the action towards collecting the figures and statistics means the information in term of numerical form. Both of this meaning a little bit confusing, another thing that makes me confusing is ‘in what ways is statistical literacy is important?’ the meaning of literacy is quite difficult for me to explain.

The article that had been written by Nadya Labi and had been established by Time on November 23, 1998 is all about children nowadays, they don’t have enough time to grown like a normal child. Their time is already fixed with an activity that had been stated by their parents. In the early age, sometimes kids learn from the environment itself. Kids need to have their own time, they need to play with their own friends rather than just sent them to study or other teaching lesson. They need to observe their own environment. Children’s also can learn something on the television. Parents should know that nowadays media has an important roles. Children’s are also need to be exposed to this kind of environment, so that they know about outside world.

The conclusion that I have got in this units is, I had been provided with further practice about critical literacy.

reflection of unit 3

On the unit 3 in critical literacy, I had learned the idea of positioning in critical literacy. The information that I found interesting is an article publishes by Sydney Morning Herald written by Adele Horin. The article it is about a six years old Scarlett Finney who had just being discrimination in The Hills Grammar school. Just because she is using the wheelchair and had been qualified as disable children she can’t enter to the school. But her mother Mrs. Finney said that “scarlet is an independent child with a positive outlook on life”. Scarlet mother are putt charge on the school for discrimination on her daughter.
In this unit it has 2 articles such as please let me go to school and truth about youth. The second article publishes by the advertiser in education section written by education editor Daniel Clarke. When I first read the article I didn’t understand what the writer is trying to say. But after I read again and again and I did the portfolio task and I understand what the writer are trying to discuss. Another difficulty is the length between the paragraphs to paragraph. There is no gap between the paragraph and I found it difficult to understand.
Truth about youth is an article publishes by the advertiser in education section written by education editor Daniel Clarke. The article is about problems among teenagers that had been serious now days. It also stated one teenager who stress because his three best female friends attempting suicide. Because of these situation he are really stress out and frightened him. It is important to have an organization that can helps teenagers now days. Because not everybody knows how to solves their own problem. Maybe their need helps from others to control their emotion and made them think in the right way.
The conclusion in this chapter is I learn how to focus on the idea of positioning in critical literacy.

reflection of unit 2

On the unit 2 in critical literacy, I had learned how to further practice in applying the core skills involved in critical literacy. The information that I found interesting is battling the bullies. In this article publish by advertiser in education section, written by Martina Simos. The article is about, Mary Watson son who get bullies in school every day. After Mary Watson realizes that her son had been bullied by other students, she went to see the principle to overcome the problems. But the problems turn more serious. As a conclusion of the story Mary Watson change her son school. A year later her son had no problems to attend to school.
In this unit 1, I had been given an activity in study guide. The activity that had been given is same as in unit 1. When I first did the activity in study guide, I try to elaborate it in critical way. I still found perspective and positioning a bit confusing because for me it a bit similar. Another terminology that I found difficult to understand is language, perspective, and ideology. I found it hard to understand because they using the small font and between the paragraph there is no gap and it confusing.
When I first read battling the bullies I know it is about problems among children. But the writer using small font and I found it confusing in paragraph to another paragraph. But after I read the paragraph again and again and I did the portfolio task I found it interesting and I know how to write in critical way.
Conclusion in this unit is, this unit emphasizes the role of perspective in determining a critical understanding of text.