Final Reflection

1.     Do you feel like your writing has improved this semester? Why or why not? In what ways has it improved? In what ways do you want to continue improving your writing?

I am sure that my writing has improved this semester. A few days ago, I checked my blog to see whether there were any mistakes such as errors of grammar and spelling in my essays. I read my essays carefully again in order of date. I was really shocked when I read the essay that I had posted at the beginning of this semester. It was really terrible! The thesis statement was not clear, and the content was not logical because supporting details were not strong enough to support the main idea. Simply speaking, the essay was in a mess. In fact, before I read it again, I had thought there was little change in my writing. However, I realized that my wring has improved a lot over this semester. Of course, there are still a lot of things that I need to improve. For example, I feel difficulty in writing a conclusion. Almost every time, I start the last paragraph with “in conclusion.” I know it is too conventional, but I cannot change because I don’t know other good expressions for conclusion. For these reasons, if I have a chance, I want to learn more about writing conclusion.

2.     Was this the first time you kept a blog? Did you enjoy blogging? Was blogging a helpful way to practice writing? Did you enjoy reading your classmates' blogs? Do you think you will continue blogging in the future?

In this semester, I made my own blog for the first time. Honestly speaking, at first, I did not much like blogging because I thought it would bother me for the semester. Also, I felt uncomfortable with that all members of the class could see my essay. Because my writing was bad, I did not want to show it. I was afraid of that. However, against my expectation, classmates provided me useful feedback on my posting. Even though it was negative feedback, they pleasantly advised me how to do better. Also, they gave me new ideas that I couldn’t think. Thanks to their help, I was able to improve my writing, and I gained confidence. Like them, I wrote comments on their essay to give useful feedback. I hoped that my feedback is helpful to them. For these reasons, now I think blogging is really good for me and everyone who want to improve their writing. So, I will keep writing posts in my blog.

Fomal Essay #2 - Rewrite

This is the edited version of my essay #2

Myunghee Yoon

Prof. Kyle Brebner

IERW (04)

04 December 2015

The Limits of Online Classes

             We are living in the 21st century, the digital era. By recognizing the changed conditions of this age, many people claim that we have to change our education system. One of the important issues discussed about education development is that online classes should be offered to students. In fact, many universities have already offered online courses, and it is even possible to get a degree without ever visiting the campus. However, if we truly take care of students, we should not leave students to take all their classes online. Students should not take all their classes online because there are a lot of obstacles that disturb studies when they take online classes, and students can get many important things in the campus life.

             When we take online classes, there are so many things that disturb our studies. Because of the nature of online classes, we have to study alone in a private space like home when we take online classes. At home, there are many distractions such as television, computers, smartphones, magazines, among others. In addition, when you take online classes, your younger sister might ask you to play with her, or all your family members might sit in the living room chatting about their day without you. Also, you may nod off during study hour. All these distractions interrupt your concentration. While some people may think that students can easily endure these trivial distractions if they have a will, many experts agree that effective learning only takes place in a classroom with a teacher who can help students to focus on the lessons. Despite this expert opinion, some people still say that even if students don’t take online classes, these distractions still exist when students do their homework or study for a test after school. However, if they considered that in school classes, students get feedback continuously from their teachers in a way that teachers check students’ homework and give students a good scolding when students did not study hard enough, they would see that many distractions, which interrupt students concentration in online classes, do not matter in school classes. According to an article in UNN, a newspaper run by Korean universities, many students stopped taking online classes because they had a difficulty studying at home without teachers. It shows that we cannot expect all students to be able to study well through the Internet regardless of their environments.

             Another reason students should not take all their classes online is that there are many other important advantages besides study, which students cannot get from online classes. Unlike online classes where students have to study alone, school classes require students to gather at the classroom and study together. So, students can help each other when they cannot understand what they learned in the class. At the same time, they compete with each other. All these things generate a significant synergy effect. In other words, cooperating and competing with each other in the classroom helps students study more efficiently and improve their abilities to understand the contents of the class. In addition, universities do not just offer classes. They also offer great opportunities to learn about society. For example, most students participate in club activities such as music band and photography club. Also, some students are members of school activities like student council. Through these activities, students can learn valuable life skills such as self-responsibility, independence, and relationships between people. However, we cannot expect these positive effects in online classes. Although online classes may offer the opportunity to study with a group of friends through discussion forums, there is a limit to teaching students enough real life skills through online classes, which are nothing more than the virtual reality. For these reasons, it is clear that it is difficult to teach students everything that is a necessary part of life through the internet.

             In conclusion, we should not let students take all their classes online because there are many distractions when they take online classes, and there are many important things that can get from school but cannot get through the internet. Of course, in the digital era, it is an undeniable fact that e-learning is indispensable for the development of education. However, it is also true that there are still many problems with online classes. So, we have to complement them before we fully accept online classes. It does not mean that we can ignore the importance of e-learning. It just means we are in a time of transition, so we should be careful not to rush to ignore the current education system. The best way to improve education is to maintain balance and harmony between school classes and online classes. For example, if schools record the classes and upload it onto the Internet while maintaining school classes, students can review what they learned in the school anytime, anywhere, and they still get many advantages like learning life skills in the campus life. No matter how advanced our technology becomes, the fact that both methods are needed will not change.

Blog Post #7 - Should Korea Have More Than One Official Language?

             As you know, we are living in the global age. In this era, many people insist that Korea should have more than one official language like many other countries. Especially, some of them say we have to adopt dominant global language, such as English and Chinese as our official language. However, Korea should not have more than one official language because the current language system of Korea is operated well, having more than one official language will bring confusion in Korea, and Korean culture can be in danger by using dominant language.

             Korea doesn’t need to adapt another language as its official language because the current language system of Korea, which has a single official language, is operated well. The official language of Korea is Hanguel. According to statistics collected by the OECD in 2015, Korea had the second lowest illiteracy rate in the world after Japan. It shows that Korea doesn’t need to have another official language. While some people may think that they can promote Korea to other culture around the world by adapting new official language, it is uncertain whether Korean people could adapt the sudden change. Rather than promoting Korea, it will destroy the current stable language system of Korea.

             Another reason Korea should not have more than one official language is that it will bring confusion in Korea. Language is not just a means of communication. It is an important part of the culture. Also, it expresses its own way of seeing the world. For these reasons, if we have another official language, it would give rise to disunity and conflict among Korean people. Some people may think if having more than one official language brings confusion and conflict as I say, there is no reason that many other countries like Canada have more than one official language. However, if they considered that most countries that have more than one official language have many different races, they would see that unlike these countries, Korea, which is a homogeneous country, does not need more than one official language.

             Finally, Korean culture could be in danger, if Korea adapts dominant global language as official language. As we know, many smaller languages are disappearing because of dominant language all over the world. Although we must learn the dominant global language in order to compete in the global economy, we should preserve our native languages in order to retain culture and history. If dominant global language, such as English and Chinese becomes Korean official language, the government will promote that language, and many young people will probably abandon Hanguel like many people in different countries did. If so, Korean may lose Korea’s unique spirit contained in Hanguel, not to mention information about the history and culture.

             The fact that the current language system is operated well, adapting new official language will bring confusion, and there is a risk that Hanguel and Korean culture is proof that adapting new official language is not a good idea for Korea. However, it doesn’t mean that we can ignore other dominant world language. As already mentioned, learning dominant language like English is essential in the global age. Then what should we do? The answer is not so difficult. If the government maintains the current language system and make effort to give people a good foreign language education, Korea can improve its international competitiveness without having to worry about risk of losing our language. I am sure that if Korea can have its cake and eat it, Korea can be a strong country in the future.

Formal Essay #1 - Rewrite

This is the edited version of my essay #1

Myunghee Yoon

Prof. Kyle Brebner

IERW (04)

10 November 2015                  

Two Different Characters That Have Similar Problems

            Whether we realize it or not, everyone tries to survive in harsh reality. On the other hand, people always have a fantasy like dream and romantic view of life, but it is almost far from reality. Thus, it is very important to reduce the gap between reality and fantasy. There are two books about people who suffer from this discrepancy. One is A Streetcar Named Desire and the other is Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. In these books, the main characters, Blanche and Tsukuru, have a problem that is caused by the gap between reality and fantasy, but there is a fundamental difference between their attitudes toward solving the problem.

One of the stories is called A Streetcar Named Desire. The main character is Blanche who lives in an era of rapid change from traditional society to capitalist society. At first, everyone around her, including her sister, likes her. But soon they turn their backs on her since every word and behavior that she did is exposed as fake. In terms of reality and fantasy, we can think that the reason why she lies is because she wants to keep her past life and doesn’t want to see reality. To her, her past life is her fantasy, so she has to hide her real self.

The other story is called Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Like the title, main character is Tsukuru who is a colorless man with little personality. Similar to Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, his friends who are everything in his life suddenly turn their backs on him without saying anything before high school graduation. After they reject his several efforts to mend their trouble relationship, he realizes that there is no hope of solving the problem. It seems that there is no alternative but to leave them, so he leaves his hometown. In terms of reality and fantasy, we can interpret that his choice to leave thier friends is an effort to avoid seeing his fantasy collpase.

These two characters are similar but also very different in some ways, especially in terms of a gap between reality and fantasy. Both characters are suffering from reality that is different from their ideal. Interestingly, it is because they can’t adjust to society which changes fast. For example, Blanche experiences the change into industrial society. For her, who still stays in the past, these changes make it harder to face the reality. Similarly, Tsukuru experiences a big change from teenager to adulthood. To him, who doesn’t want to see reality, graduation is a good excuse to rationalize that he doesn’t solve the fundamental problem to avoid facing collapse of his fantasy. This situation, which helps him to escape from the problem, makes him vulnerable to reality.

Despite their similarities, Blanche and Tsukuru are very different. We can see it when we compare their attitudes toward reality. Blanche is stronger than Tsukuru. Of course, there is no doubt that both are afraid of reality. However, at least Blanche tries to survive in reality. For example, in the book, Blanche said, “I mispresent things to them. I don’t tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth…The opposite is desire.” It shows how she treats the problem. During unimaginable trials, including family’s death, she never gives up on life. She struggles to stay in reality by hiding her inner side. It is the only way to compromise with reality. In contrast, Tsukuru gives up everything. For example, after he leaves his friends, he doesn’t eat anything, and almost doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t even take a shower until his body smells bad. So, unlike Blanche, he shows a weak attitude until the end.

In conclusion, both characters are suffering from reality that is completely different from their fantasy. Nevertheless, they are different because they have different attitude toward reality. As we know, there is always a gap between reality and fantasy. All people can be faced with a problem like Blanche and Tsukuru. What is important, however, is how we handle the problem. Someone can struggle to solve the problem like Blanche, and someone just gives up everything like Tsukuru. Therefore, we always have to remember that positive attitude toward solving the problem is very important.

Blog Post #6 - Andraka's New Method

           Steve Jobs, who was known as the CEO of Apple, died of pancreatic cancer in 2011. After this shocking event, people began to pay attention to the pancreatic cancer. According to the Korean Medical Association, on average, twelve people have pancreatic cancer every day in Korea, but the survival rate is only 8 percent. The reason why the rate of death is too high is because it is difficult to detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages. However, one teenaged boy named Andraka developed the way to diagnose this cancer. His new method that detects pancreatic cancer by paper sensor is very important because it’s accurate and convenient.

           Andraka’s invention is important because it is accurate. According to an interview in the famous science conference TED, his new method is over 90 percent accurate in detecting the presence of mesothelin. Mesothelin, which is a protein that appear in early stages of pancreatic cancer, is a key point of this cancer treatment because there is little symptom in the first stage of it. If doctors diagnose the cancer in its early stage, the survival rate can grow by 20 percent. Therefore, by using the new method, doctors can diagnose the cancer correctly, also the patients can get prompt treatment.

           Another reason that Andraka’s invention is important is that it is convenient. According to Andraka, “Because the method uses a paper sensor, it costs a mere three cents.” These price is twenty-six thousand times cheaper that the existing method. Furthermore, it takes just five minutes for diagnosis. The time is one hundred sixty eight times faster than the existing method. For these reasons, no matter how poor you are, you can check whether you have pancreatic cancer or not.

           In conclusion, Andraka’s new method opened new way in the medical world. His invention is accurate and convenient. Thus, we can save many people who are suffering from pancreatic cancer. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, oncologist and chancellor of UCSF, said that with use of Andraka’s invention, we can develop other studies of cancers like ovarian cancer and lung cancer. As he said, I expect that someday we won’t need to worry about cancers.

Blog Post #5 - A Small Action for Sustainable Future

           It’s no exaggeration to say that the earth is dying. With modest economic growth, people want more and better food, more basic goods and luxuries, so more resources like oil and water are needed to raise them. It’s a big problem because there is a limit to Earth’s ability to replenish the resources. Even at this moment, the environmentalists eager to find the solution for a sustainable future. However, no one is concerned about everyday bad habit that seems to be a little thing but could contribute to the destruction of nature. For example, we need to pay attention to thousands of paper cups thrown away every day. Saving trees and protecting nature from danger are two reasons for not using paper cups.

           One reason that we should not use paper cup is that if we reduce the use of paper cups, we can save large amounts of trees. Paper cup, which has been widely used in café, fast food restaurant, office, school and other places where people are, is made from trees. According to a research conducted by the Ministry of Environment, people used more than 286 million paper cups last year. And to produce this enormous amount of paper cups, we cut almost one million trees that are more than thirty years old. To think one 30-year-old tree can remove five-kilogram carbon dioxide, it is tremendous losses. Therefore, not using paper cup is good for the planet.

           Another reason that we should not use paper cup is that it helps to protect nature from danger. Most of paper cups are incinerated or buried after they were used. When paper cups are incinerated, it is releasing poisonous gases into the air. For example, greenhouse gases, which cause global warming, are produced while we burn the paper cups. Besides, when we bury the paper cups, the land is poisoned. According to the article from EBS, it takes twenty years to biodegrade one paper cup. So, if we don’t use paper cups, we can preserve our nature from the harm.

           In conclusion, not using paper cup is a good way to ensure a sustainable future because it save large amounts of trees, and it also protect nature from the harm like air pollution, land pollution, and global warming. Relatively speaking, not using paper cup can be considered a trivial matter in comparison with other efforts for sustainable future, such as finding new energy resource. However, I think we have to know these small actions could save the Earth and our future. It’s not difficult to use reusable bottle and mug instead of paper cup. Let’s do it. All of us can build our sustainable future.

Blog Post #4 - The Importance of Place in a Movie

             How many people pay attention to the location of a movie? One day, one professor who teaches movie theory told me that if we pay attention to the place of a movie, we can understand the movie more deeply. He said that the setting of a movie, including the place, is closely related to the message that the movie wants to say. To show me this was true, he recommended a film called Osama. Afghanistan is a very important element of the movie Osama because the story could not happened in any other country.

             The major complication that leads the movie is deeply related to the place of the movie. Osama, the main character in this movie, is a little girl who suffered under the Taliban regime. She lost father and brother during the war, so she lives with mother and grandmother. Because Afghanistan bans women’s social activities, there is no person who can support her family. It seems that there is no alternative but to be born again as a man, so Osama decides to dress like a man and cut her hair to become a man. This poor girl is in constant fear lest a truth that she is not a man come to light. These tragic situations could not happen in any other place because of the undemocratic rule of Afghanistan and because all of the events that she faces are based on religious characteristics and historical feature of the country.

             The end of the movie is also associated with the location of the movie. At the end of the movie, despite ceaseless efforts to escape observation, the truth is uncovered. So, according to the law of Afghanistan, Osama is sentenced to harsh punishment. That is a forced marriage with one rich old man. In other words, she is sold at a giveaway price. How can they sell the person? These human rights problem is able to happen because they are under the Taliban regime. As you know, it’s important feature of Afghanistan. Of course, some people can say that human rights problem has always existed around the world and will always exist, so the physical geography such as Afghanistan can’t be an important part of the movie. However, what Osama experienced is an extreme example which does not appear in any other place.

             In conclusion, the story of the movie Osama could not happened in any other country. Because of the features of Afghanistan, Osama has to undergo many hardships. It shows that the place of the movie is a very important part of the movie. For me, watching this movie is not just watching it but chance to know about Afghanistan. Through the tragic destiny of Osama, I can feel an intense pain that the people in Afghanistan have to endure. For these reasons, from now on, I will check the place of a movie first whenever I watch a movie.

Blog Post #3 - The Possible Effects of Geotourism in Namhansanseong

             Have you ever thought about geotourism? Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place. As an alternative to traditional mass tourism, it helps local people earn a living, so it can improve the regional economy. Also, it helps preserve and sustain a place. Namhansanseong that is the famous cultural asset in Korea can get positive effects from geotourism. The possible effects of geotourism in Namhansanseong include boosting the economy in this area and saving the environment.

           One possible effect of geotourism in Namhansanseong is boosting the economy in this area. For example, there are great restaurants that serve traditional local foods around Namhansanseong, but many travelers don’t know it and look for a franchise after enjoyed the landscape of towering mountain. It makes the local economy weak. However, what happens if geotourism is introduced to this area? Travelers will experience local foods and buy local products from local merchants. As a result, it contributes to improve the regional economy.

           Another possible effect of geotourism in Namhansanseong is saving the environment. After Namhansanseong became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, a lot of people visited there and they polluted the environment. For example, according to research in 2014, the park and buildings in Namhansanseong was destroyed than before because there is a limit to saving the environment from too many travelers. However, if geotourism is introduced to this area, these problems will be solved. People who visit this area will learn and understand Namhansanseong’s history and culture. So, they will try to help maintain the environment. Also, the money that they spend on local markets will be used to maintain the geographical diversity and distinctiveness of Namhansanseong.

           In conclusion, Namhansanseong can benefit from geotourism in many ways. Especially, it helps improve the regional economy and preserve the environment. Thus, geotourism is a best choice to enhance the geographical character of Namhansanseong.

Blog Post #2 - Gender in the Wild

          Have you ever thought about how gender impact family relationships in the wild? Actually, many people don‘t realize that animals also behave differently according to their gender although people know that they have different roles in family relationships based on gender. However, there are three different kinds of studies reveal how gender influences animals in the wild.

           One of the studies shows gender effect in elephant societies. According to the study, elephants form matriarchal families. In matriarchal society, mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and female friends usually raise elephant babies, so there are strong bonds between females. For this reason, female live in large groups as long as 70 years. Conversely, young male elephants stay close to their female family members only until they are 14. Another study is about geladas. According to the study, we can see that female geladas have the real power in family groups even though they are smaller and less distinctive-looking than male geladas. For example, females decide where and how long to graze for food, when to move, and where to sleep. They also choose which male will be their mate and when it is time to replace that mate with another mate. On the other hand, the only things males can do are just waiting to be chosen and staying in the family. The other of the studies discover that gender influences the ways in which young chimpanzees play. In the study, young female monkeys in captivity like dolls better than others, while male monkeys prefer toys such as trucks. It shows that male and female animals in the wild also play in contrasting ways.

          These studies shows that animals are influenced by their gender. Interestingly, these gender effects in animals are differ from gender effects in people. Of course, animals are similar to people because both are influenced by their gender. However, despite their similarity, they are different. In my opinion, as we can see in the studies about elephant and geladas, females have more power than males in a lot of animal groups. In contrast, historically, males are more powerful than females in many human cultures. It is very impressive for me because I think males still have more power in Korean society.

 

Blog Post #1 - Self Introduction

Hello, everyone!

My name is Myunghee Yoon. I am majoring in English language and literature. This is my third year at Sungshin Women's University.

'Be the person that is always necessary everywhere.' That is my motto of my life. I want to be the person like light that is necessary for the world. Although I sometimes make mistakes, I will try to do my best as a member of the class.

It's my first time I have my own blog and introduce myself through the Internet, so I am a little nervous. But at the same time, I am really happy because I think it's a great opportunity to get to know everyone in the class.

I am really happy to meet all of you.

Thank you!