Blogging/Grimes

So far I have liked the idea of blogs. This is my first time ever writing a blog (I actually have to do one for two of my classes this semester) and I find them useful. My problem with them is I do not always know what to write. I would try to contribute more, but I feel like I need promps to do so, but maybe this is because I am not used to writing a blog where I share my thoughts for many to see. It might be more of something I need to “get used to.” I do find them valuable though, for example in last weeks coursepack reading something stuck out to me, so I wrote about it on my blog incase I forgot to mention it in class. I think blogs are very useful in this respect. Or, if you do not feel comfortable saying your opinion in class etc, a blog is another alternative where your voice can be heard. I think it is a nice place to discuss things that you did not have a chance to say in class, or things that you thought about after the class discussion. I like how the blog is set up so that you can access everyone’s blog that is in the class from the class blog page. However, (this would probably be more confusing) but in a way I think it would be nice if there was one big blog for the class or something like this. I do not know if this is even possible, but if it were the case, I know I would personally be more apt to respond/comment on other people’s posts, and would read more of other people’s posts. Overall, I f ind the blogs useful and something I would use in the future. I personally probably would not use a blog for personal reasons, but I would use one in the classroom. Especially if I ever teach middle school English.
On another note, I did a little bit of research on Nikki Grimes, and I think her reasons for feeling like she can write as an outsider for different kinds of characters are very valid. Nikki Grimes has lived in Tanzania and Sweden, and has permanetely lived in the United States. She has also had numerous occupations including administrative assistant, financial aid officer, documentary photographer, proofreader, translator, literary consultant, library assistant and freelance writer. These different perspectives and experiences have made her feel comfortable in creating different voices. To add to the insider/outsider debate, I agree that it is more experience rather than one being an “insider” that should determine who can and cannot write something. I think today’s courspack reading from Woodson and Nikki Grimes perspective also shows this.
Helpful sites: http://www.nikkigrimes.com/bronx/bronx1.html
http://www.nikkigrimes.com/bio.html
Also, one last thought about last weeks reading of Habibi. There are so many different perspectives that can come out of the Middle East. The sad part is that all of the conflict in the Middle East is based on religion. So much history/religious history has taken place in such a small part of the world, and unfortunately, these religious conflicts may never be resolved. However, when you set religion aside, I thought Habibi did an excellent job of capturing the culture of many Arab families. The importance of family, generousity, sitting in a room and laughing/eating, love etc. I saw myself in so many scences in the novel- spending a day communicating with someone you cannot actually talk to, the food, having an “imagination in Arabic” but not being able to speak the language. When my aunts come to visit, I will often spend a day shopping with them, or cooking with them. We really do not know what we are talking about, but we manage to communicate the entire time. It is my hope that these sorts of scences are taken with a person after reading a novel such as Habibi- because it can help break stereotypes. At least the stereotypes that attack people from certain cultures as vicious people. I never read a novel in school about Arabs, but I wish I would have had that opportunity.