My Immigration Project Reflection

Literature Circle Books/Blogs

I think I did good keeping up with my LC circle, commenting my group members blogs and posting my LC blogs on time. I put lots of effort into writing my blogs and following the format that the document was supposed to be in. I was proud when people read my blog. That’s how much time I put into it. When I commented my group member’s blogs, I put thought into what I wanted to say. I gave them some tips and advice on there blog posts.
I don’t think I was happy with my book choice, ‘Tis by Frank McCourk because throughout the memoir it was bland, poignant, and not very up lifting. The only thing I felt up lifting about the novel was how he became a teacher and writes novels. In the story, the setting focuses on when he was young and immigrating to New York.
The things about this project that were significant, was better understanding what immigrants had to go through. Before this project, I gave little thought to immigrants and what they went through.
I think doing something active in this project would have improved this project better, other than interviewing immigrants and creating gifts. Maybe something physically active, with the LC circle groups.
I think blogging was a very interesting way to do LC’s but I think, doing it in person was way funnier and we got to actually look them in the eyes and listen to them in person. I think doing it in person is way better. Normally when I read someone else’s blog, it usually doesn’t sound like them. I’m not saying anyone was plagiarizing, I just think we would have understood more if it were in person. Similar to doing interviews. They are always better in person.
The only problems I think I had were when some group members didn’t post their blogs in and I wasn’t able to respond or read their blogs.

Art & Literature

When it was time to decided which art work I would do, it was hard for me to choose because I was inspired so much that I just didn’t know which one fit the book best. I kind of felt like I wanted to cram it all together in one art piece, but when I saw the size of the pallet I new which piece I would paint.
I think the connection in the book to my art was defiantly there, yet it was unforeseen. I kind of made it that way. In my opinion, when any art piece is mysterious and the point of it is unforeseen, I think it intrigues the viewers, and then they would see how much detail you put into the art. In my art, I painted a basic picture of the New York buildings on the bay. In the waters reflection, instead of it being the buildings and towers, there were small poorer huts and cottages in Limerick. I painted Frank setting on the pier, in between the bay and the towers. I did this because throughout the book, Franks exercise in New York, made him wonder if it was any different from leaving in poor, bland Limerick.
I think my final project was okay. I thought I could so a better job. Maybe clean it up a little. But in the time that we were given, I think my art piece was sensible.
My knowledge of making a link between literature and art was improved. I love writing books and I love to draw pictures going along with the writing, and I think this experience made it so that I would improve in that matter.

Interview Process with Participant/Immigrant & Gift

The interview process went fine. I really enjoyed interviewing people and I think I would like to do sometime again. I had some trouble getting my immigrant participants email at the beginning, and finally when it began working, I had to pick up my pace and get the interview started. When I did my interviews, they were smooth and I felt my participant and me had a lot of chemistry. She was very nice and gave me all of the facts about her life that I needed.
I felt like the interviewing process was good. The 3-step process was easy for me. Something unique that I learned from the 3-step interview process would have to be, writing, listening and understanding what the interviewee says.
When interviewing an immigrant, it helped me better understand what they think about America, and how much our America is different from there foreign country’s.
The gift I gave my interviewee was a kid’s book. I wrote about how she grew up and I added some stories in there. I even added some pictures of her and her family.