Hi Anna, I found your article very relatable. Along with many others, finals have always been a huge stressor for me. When winter break rolls around it is nice to have a break but I always feel like I should be studying. This year due to COVID, my school has canceled finals. It has been such a relief to not have to worry about them. I agree that unfortunately, finals have become more of a test of memorization. When studying for finals it is most efficient to remember the fact and not the reason behind it. Personally, I prefer projects over tests. I think it gives students more of an opportunity to dive deeper into their learning. I liked how you said, ” the high stakes and high pressure can alter the true reflection of a student’s abilities”. I agree that finals put a lot of pressure on students. Students work so hard all semester and they don’t want the final to “ruin” their grade. Stress can cause students to not perform their best on the test.

Dear Anna,
I am excited about your post because the use of sign language is a clear example of one of the many ways in which language can be expressed through human beings. The power of language can go beyond a pen and paper or the tongue.

One thing you said that stands out for me is “Sign language pulls on the mental and physical sides of one’s body, the thought of what to say, and the physical forming of the words with the hands.” I think this is interesting because it is a clear example of how language can be communicated in more than one way. It is evident, therefore, that sign language requires an intense level of multi-tasking, and it reminds me of playing an instrument, as you have to not only read the sheet music, but also physically use the instrument to create sound. Although I do not play an instrument, as a viewer, I can clearly notice that music composers are very concentrated and focused.

Your post reminds me of the discussion we are having in Spanish class, as we are examining how your language unites you with people in the world. Although there are thousands of languages, and it seems as though they seem to only form barriers among people, the mere fact that we are even able to communicate with people with letters and words is astounding. I believe that the use of sign language will continue to increase in the world. Already, the creation of sign language has bridged a gap between those hard of hearing and those who are not. For this reason, language is truly powerful and unifying.

Thanks for your post. I look forward to seeing what you write next because you advocate for minority groups. We tend to think of only the most commonly-spoken languages in the world, but I appreciate that you took the time to highlight and bring awareness to the importance of and benefits of learning sign language. I only know how to spell my name in sign language, but because of your post, I am reminded of its importance. I will try to learn more of this crucial language.

Sarah

Dear Anna,
I am intrigued by your post because you really dive deep into the concepts of traveling on an adventure outside of one’s comfort zone. It’s very interesting how you relate a pilgrimage to that of a hero’s journey because they both allow for growth and the opportunity to gain new knowledge about the world and their identity.

One thing you said that stands out for me is that the hero’s journey “consists of three stages, ‘the Departure, the Initiation, and the Return’.“ This stood out to me because it relates the pilgrimage to the structure of a hero’s journey really well. You do a great job in describing how the experiences of the heroes and pilgrims are so similar because they each face challenges that ultimately change him or her to possibly become a stronger and better person for it.

Your post reminds me of the topics I discussed in my post about how pilgrimage is important since it allows for a journey that gives one a sense of purpose and helps discover more about who you are.

Thanks for sharing your ideas!! I enjoyed reading it 🙂