ISU Blog Post #6

http://www.aspennj.org/pdf/information/asd-articles/a-letter-from-an-adult-male-with-as.pdf

This is a heartfelt and very emotional letter in the perspective of someone with Asperger syndrome. It exemplifies how difficult it is to live with the disorder since you have no control over many neurological aspects in your life. Richard Rowe, the writer of the letter wishes very strongly that he could converse with people about normal things, for example, the weather. John's father in my ISU novel, portrays the emotions Richard is describing in the letter. He wants to be normal but it is truly not in his control and all he can do is try to learn and grow as a person. Also, the writer feels misunderstood in a sense. This is portrayed in the novel "Dear John" because John's father feels misunderstood when John lashes out at him, prior to knowing about his disorder. John ends up feeling as if he took his father for granted after his passing.

ISU Blogpost #5

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/health/autism-adults/

This article is discussing how autism is more often found in adults and how regardless of their age, need a lot of support to help grow and learn. Throughout the novel "Dear John" John's father was not aware of the fact that he had this disorder, therefore making it challenging to be cared for. The article also discusses how adults with this disorder are more prone to anxiety and depression. This is relevant to my ISU novel because John's dad has always dealt with extreme anxiety when being forced into socializing with anyone other than discussing his hobby of collecting coins. These problems occurred with his own son also which had detrimental affects on John's life growing up, since he had no one at home to talk to, considering it was just him and his father.

ISU Blogpost #4

http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Exceptional%20Learners/Autism/Articles/Inclusion%20of%20Students%20with%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders/

This article is discussing the issue in which not enough attention is being given to children in classrooms with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These children are not getting enough attention they need to help them operate near grade level. The major component in this article is about inclusion, and including those with ASD and accepting all of their needs since it is a great weakness for them to inherit social skills. Also, they deserve for the school system to provide them with reliable and helpful paraprofessional support. However, with no extreme cost.

War Artifact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpBlMmGhNF0

 The song "Imagine" by John Lennon poses many similarities to the topic of war. Throughout the song he is singing about how the world should stop making war and start making peace. When he says "Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people, living life in peace" is talking about how if there were peace among all countries and religions, there wouldn't be a need to kill. Everyone would have the ability to live in peace. "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world" is describing how with peace there would be equality all around the world, which should be acknowledged. Overall, this song outlines how important it is to make peace as apposed to starting war.

ISU blog post

http://www.medicinenet.com/autism_and_communication/page2.htm#how_does_autism_impact_the_family

I chose this article because of the relation it has to the social issue in my novel. This article is discussing basic facts about autism spectrum disorder. The impact on family part poses a similarity to the impact that the disorder had on John in the novel "Dear John." John was unaware of his father's disorder for majority of his life and likewise for his father. Savannah, John's love interest, informs John that his father has this disorder. John and his father have always had a very weak relationship for all of John's life and his father was extremely anti-social. John's dad always enjoyed collecting coins and could only talk about that one thing he was passionate about. This has had major impacts on John growing up because his father was a single parent, so he was distant from him and he had no siblings either. It caused great emotional and social stress on John and his father as John was growing up, because whenever John would want to get close to his father and converse about something not related to coins, he would just get shut down. This is due to the fact that social interaction is a weak aspect for people suffering from autism spectrum disorder. John was unaware of this and he blamed his father for their weak relationship.

Sniper News Report

            June 1st, 1922  

                   Civil War Tears Family Ties

                                War Between Brothers

                                 

On a June night, the battle between the Republicans and The Free Staters continued as the conflict occurred between two brothers. This took place in Dublin during nightfall. The sniper posts himself on a rooftop where is the place that all the catastrophe occurs.

The conflict begins as the sniper see's an armoured car at which he fires his riffle at the old woman and the informer that were in sight.

A plan to take down his enemy occurs to him which he executes soon after he has been shot in the arm by the opposing side. The sniper quickly tries healing his wound and is prepared to take down his enemy.

Now that the opposing side thought the sniper was dead he quickly aimed and shot the Free Stater with his revolver, defeating his enemy.

Soon after the sniper curiously goes across the street to see who he kills, only to be staring into the eyes of his own brother. This was not only a Civil War but a war between a family.

Autism Slam Poetry

In this poem I am speaking in the point of view of someone with autism because a character in my ISU novel has autism.



They will never fully understand why I am so quiet,
Outspoken without speaking at all.

Small talk is the only talk I know,
I can never seem to want to let a conversation flow.
They call it a complex developmental disability,
Yet they don't understand my ability.

To deeply love the one thing I am good at,
Without being good at too much.

People don't understand me,
They think I can't feel.
Just because I don't show my emotions,
Doesn't mean I'm not real.

A myth, I tell you,
I am just like the rest.

Poem for My ISU Novel

http://www.karensscrapsandgraphics.com/poetry/lboy.htm

    This poem represents the prominent social issue in the novel "Dear John." Although John's father is not necessarily "little" as the poem is talking about a little boy, autism is a disorder that is present from early childhood. John's father has always kept their conversations to a minimum. Being a single parent, he raised John alone and they have always had a weak relationship. His passion for coins is all he ever converses with John or anyone about. John's father is a very alienated man from the rest of society. Now Savannah, John's new love interest, help's John understand that the reason why John's father has always been like that is because he has autism. Autism is a mental condition, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships and using abstract concepts. This impaired social interaction has resulted in John and his father's weak relationship for the course of John's life. This has effected his life drastically.

The boy in the striped pyjamas- Retell Reflect Relate

Retell Reflect Relate

The boy in the striped pyjamas is a story about the friendship between a young German boy named Bruno and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner, Shmuel, who is also around the same age. Bruno and his family are far more privileged because of his father's high position as a Nazi commandant. Bruno's father has been promoted and the family moves. Bored and wandering for an adventure, Bruno comes across a nearby farm, however his parents refuse to discuss it. His mother was not aware of what the father was doing exactly, which led her to become more naive. Bruno's sister is also very naive to everything occurring around her, due to how privileged she is to not have to see the harsh realities of the war. Bruno ends up near the barbed wire fence. Soon after, the two boys become closer as their friendship grows. Bruno gives Shmuel a piece of cake and Shmuel is accused of stealing after, which resulted in severe punishment. Bruno returned to where the two boys played on opposite sides of the fence and Shmuel didn't show up for a couple of days. Soon after Bruno apologizes for not speaking up about how Shmuel did not steal that day. This emphasizes how Bruno is nothing like his father. When Bruno's father announces that the children will be moving with their mother, Bruno uses a shovel to reach to the other side of the fence and Shmuel brings an extra pair of pyjamas so Bruno will blend in. Around this time, Bruno's family realize he's missing and search for him. The two boys are led to what they were told to be showers, with the other concentration camp prisoners and are gassed.


I believe this movie was a visual representation of what the world is teaching children, and when they're taught something right someone will always protest against it. Also, that children's innocence is their only advantage in society and that every child should have a voice. This is shown when Bruno befriends Shmuel, as he looks at him as an equal. The movie prominently showed how evil lives inside everyone, and one's appearance may not look evil but they are indeed capable of doing evil things. However, one of the characters still values the life of someone "below" him. A sense of humanity is restored during the course of the two boy's' friendship.


I can relate the movie to ISIS, because they're teaching children as young as the age of 6 how to behead people and fire AK-47's. Although they are protecting the rights of their religion it is still similar to the movie because children are growing up thinking that violence and evil is an appropriate way of solving problems. Children are basically growing up mindless and not being able to speak using their own voice. The training is said to be brainwashing the children and many of the children were also brainwashed in the movie, including Bruno's sister who did not care about much of what was going on because of how privileged she was.

Teaching Kids to Kill

Concepts: Some key concepts that are formed by this text are that video games are contributing to the mindlessness of mass culture. This is a theme that is present throughout the text as video games are causing people (mainly young) to not think for themselves. Also people are receiving pleasure from killing which is problematic. Another concept that is present in the text is how soldiers are trained and have to see first hand human brutality at it's greatest extent.

Connections: A connection that can be made within this text is the effects of video games on everyone using it. In the text they are portraying the idea that video games brainwash people to act violently, however in many cases this is not true. I've seen people play violent video games before and it hasn't caused them to act aggressively or in an inappropriate manner.

Challenges: The text is presenting the idea that video games causes people to act in a harmful manner, which is not always true. This creates a bias assumption because the juvenile crime rate is not necessarily caused by video games, much of it depends on the person committing the crime in general and not what they occupy their time doing. An easy solution to this problem would be for parents to not buy video games if it is causing a change in behaviour for their child.

Changes: Changes that are being suggested by the text are a change in how young people occupy their time basically. Since the author believes video games are causing violent behaviour in kids, they are portraying the idea that video games containing violence should just be banned. This is a bias point of view because kids may find joy in playing these games and may not even act violent at all. Also they could continue to be harmless for the rest of their lives.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/20/congo-civil-war/2624757/


This article is discussing the continuous war in Congo that has been progressing for almost two decades. It is known to be the deathliest war in African history and is beginning to enter a new phase. Starvation and disease have left millions dead, which is resulting in the intervention of the United Nations and forcing people to plod from village to village. Most of the fighting is occurring in eastern Congo where both sides are being accused of raping women, men, girls and boys as a form of weaponry. The rebels are fighting for a measure of freedom from the dictates of the central government due to the fact that they aren't given much at all. However, the Congolese government led by President Joseph Kabila denies all the claims made by the rebels. Many of the people in Eastern Congo are complaining over incompetent governance, dictatorial polices and corruption, which is resulting in more conflict. It is believed that this can't be solved with the intervention of the United Nations alone, and the government needs to deal with these issues in order to achieve peace. Col. Innocent Kayina, commander of operations for M23 (March 23 Movement), who was named in the report denies all of the allegations as propaganda from the Kabila government and questions why they would rape and kill the civilians they live with. Therefore, majority of the problems could be solved by the Congolese government if they included the right's of minorities. Many observers also believe it would be a much more peaceful solution to this conflict than having the United Nations involved.


This article relates and connects to war and conflict because it is discussing war that is being caused by a corrupt government. Also a connection I can make between this and what I've learned in history is about the use of propaganda. War propaganda is that branch of public relations devoted to manipulating people's attitude toward a war or war in general. In history, we learned about how propaganda was used in both world wars. In the past wars, propaganda was used to brainwash men to join the war by using posters. They would use these posters and imply that if you were a man that wasn't in the war, you were cowardly. Propaganda was also somewhat used in Conga when Colonel Innocent Kayina was named in the allegations and denied them as propaganda from the Kabila government, which is the government formed by the president of Conga. He defended himself by questioning why they would rape and kill the civilians they live amongst. Both of these uses of propaganda relate to each other and exemplify how the method of propaganda is useful in many wars.