"Where I'm From" Film Reflection

DY Movie from DavdxYyngA on Vimeo.

My favorite part of the film would be putting some private pictures into the film and using pictures and song to present my life story to the class or public. It was fun to gather all the pictures and bring back some old memories that I had. The least favorite part about this project is when we have to interview with my family member. The interview takes a long time and when I interview them, I have to make a lot of field notes and that hurts my hand and my brain. My favorite line from the poem is I'm from the swag town, from the fashion house, and the world of diamonds.

When creating this film, it taught me about the power of combining words, sounds & images. When we show the pictures and put on background music, it helps to catch people's emotion and it can change people's view about you. Depending on what side of you that you would like to show, you can change the tone of voice to make it sad, emotional, happy or brings energy. When watching a film with words, sounds and images, you can actually make a person to think deeply, but only if your films shows images that have hidden meaning under it.

Making the "Where I'm From" project taught me about methods of qualitative research. With the lessons and  help, I can now make a better interviews and know the methods of taking notes and the questions that would be best to ask during a interview. I learned that when asking a interviewee a question, never make a question an open/close question. Every question you ask, you want the interviewee to give you as much information and details as possible. When taking notes during a interview, only take down the details and we must be write while listening at the same time, because it would be embarrassing if you forgot what they said which you're taking down notes.

Creating this film taught me the important of ethnography because it helps to study deeply into an object or person. Within a ethnography, we can make a focus group and study or observe within a smaller circle or area. While I being the interviewers, I would ask people within the focus group questions on the topic of my research and ask for the true own opinion about the subject. If I want to be more specific, I can make a In-Depth interview with a single person, and this could give me great amount of details for information I wanted.

Creating this film taught me about myself in some ways. I learned more information about myself through interviewing my family members. I know a lot more about my childhood, how I used to be like growing up and a lot of other memories that I don't even remember and had my parents to remind me of. I enjoy learning and studying the history of my family through old photographs, and the neighborhood of my birthplace, GuangDong, China. I have a lot of fun and learned a lot more about the important of having Research through this course.

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Where I'm From Poem

I am from the culture that shines,
from the yangs, and the Great Wall.

I am from the colorful,
from the black and white,
and the colorless.

I am from the shows,
from the Lord of the Rings,
and the Love of God.

I am from the playground, the court,
from live strong,
and basketball never stops.

I am from the swag town,
from the fashion house,
and the world of diamonds.

I am from my dad's gentleness,
from the survival of Sandy,
from the Empire State of Mind,
from the toughness of my family,
from the caring of my loving grandma,
from the culture of dragon,
from zodiac of Leo ,
from Keep Calm and Carry On.

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Where I'm From Photo

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Where I'm From Interview

Picture of our Car in China (Dad)

For the "Where I'm From" interview, I picked my dad as my interviewee. I had a nice 30 minute chat with my dad asking some questions that I came up with earlier. My first question for my dad is how is your neighbor like to you when you're growing up? An answer I got back is he had some really nice neighbor around where he likes, there was a couple that lives right next to him is my grandpa's old friend. My dad grow up in the country side, so he basically knows everyone near him. Right across from my dad's house, lives three people, two parents and one is my dad's friend as they grow up. My dad told me that is all he remember so he want me to jump into the next question.

What do you usually do in school when you was a kid and please give me some details. My dad answered, "It was cool for me to go to school at that time, every child in the country side knows each other, and some of the are in the same class as me. After school is when all the fun part comes, we hang out near a huge tree that near a friends house, we claim up and down the tree, playing tags, and play cards but loser have to do whatever the winner says." My follow up question was, "But did you do anything bad when you're in school?" My dad answered, "Yes, a lot. We were used to be very bad children, we have fights with another class students after school, having drinks without parents knowing, but one thing for sure is we would never do any drugs." 

I was very interested in my dad's childhood so I follow up my question and asked, "Please tell me a time when you get into a major trouble in school, since you told me how a bad kid you were when you're little." My dad laughed and said," I still remember a time when my classmate and I get into a group fight with another because the two class never gets along with each other, so during school recess we started a huge fight. People were using chairs as weapons during the fight, pens are throwing across the class, but the fight got break out in few minute when the principal and teacher stopped. People in both class that were fighting have to do community service for a month and parents have to pick up the kids from school or call home." There are some great answer that I think is pretty interesting to me, and my dad give me a lot of details, so this is why I'm writing about these few question.  

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"Where I'm From" Observation

Saint James & Saint Joseph  School (SJJ) is a place that's meaningful to me, and makes me want to write a observation about it. I came over to United State when I was at the age of 9 which should be one of the student in 4th grade. Saint James & Saint James was the first school I attended in U.S. The school wasn't called this name before, it was used to be called Saint Joseph, not until the Saint James school migrate with our school because their school have to be taken down. Through out the 5 years in SJJ, I had a lot of fun time there, I learned English, can read and write in English due to the excellent teaching from teachers of that school. 

In Saint James & Saint Joseph  School, we have to wear uniform everyday. I remember we have to wear a white shirt with tie in red and blue color, and any black shoe for a normal school day. For a gym class day, we would have to wear a dark blue t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants with the school logo on the right side of our feet. We can wear any type of sneaker for gym, but when we are wearing our normal day uniform, the color of our shoe must be black. 

The Outside wall of the my old school building is painted mainly in yellowish brown color, the school is connected with a church so there is a huge black front door that leads you into the church. There are lines of wooden chairs inside the church, the statue of Jesus on the cross, two huge window designed with figures of some Saints. Right after you walk into Saint Joseph Church, there is a red carpet on the floor with symbols of the cross, leading you to the very end of the church. At the very end of the church, there is a long white stone table with a red bible and two white candle on each side. 

The school is 6 floor high building including the basement. The basement is use as a cafeteria for all student in the school. The cafeteria is full with wooden tables and blue plastic metal chairs. There are one boys and one girls bathroom in the basement. There are two stairs and one elevator that connects to all floor. I have no idea what the second floor of the school, but starting from that flooring and higher, is a school based environment. The third floor is used as the main offices with lots of teacher's table around, and the principal's office is at the very far end of that floor. The fourth floor is use for first to fourth grade, the fifth floor is for 5th  grade to 8th grade. On the roof of the building, there is a playground, which is the coolest part. The roof playground is for 4th grade and lower. So I had only been on there for a year, it opens for kid after lunch during the free 45 minute for kids to play, and there will be at least two teacher watching the kids. There is a tall wall on the roof with painting of flowers to protect the kids from any danger of falling down the building. There are all of the detail I could think of for my old school, and I would be planing to visit one day to refresh all of my memory from it.  

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Hurricane Sandy Observation

This week had been to craziest week I ever been through for my whole life. It was the first time that I had experience the power of a hurricane. I tried to go outside and feel how strong the wind would be, but I guess I did a stupid action that I never to do. Going outside during a hurricane is not a thing anyone would want to do. When I walk outside of my house, the wind and rain is smashing  through my face, making very loud noise and the trees are blown so badly that it seen like the tree is going to fall. After 2 minute standing outside my house, my clothes are wet and when the rain hits my face it hurts, I can't take it anymore so I decided to go back into my house and made myself a cup of hot coffee. 

The first day when Hurricane Sandy hits New York, I stayed home all day, I was home along since my dad went out with his friends. I watched TV, played video games and did all the stuff that I usually do during a weekend. When I saw the news saying there is no school for the next day, I thought it's going to be another great day without school, but I was wrong. During the night of the first day of Sandy, around 9 P.M. the electricity went off. It happened during the middle of my movie on my laptop, luckily my laptop is charged. The light of my house all went off. I got a little bit scared, the first thing I did was look outside my window. When I look out the window, the whole neighborhood is fill with completely darkness. Then I start seeing yellowish light coming out of some neighbor's window. I know exactly that light is the fire from the candle, I used the flashlight from my iPhone and went though the dark hallway and used the lighter to light up some candle that my dad bought earlier. Since my laptop is still on, I finished the movie that I was watching then I went to bed earlier than usual. 

The second day of Hurricane Sandy, the wind and rain had stopped, I woke up around 11 A.M. knowing the electricity was off. I went to the bathroom with my flashlight, clean myself and took a nice hot shower. I feel very lucky because we still have water running in my house. My grandma called me at noon, telling me to go over to her house for lunch since the electricity is out. I went over to my grandma's house and lunch there without electricity in her house too. My cousins are there too during the lunch. After lunch, my cousins and I played poker for a while. Later on, my aunt picked the whole family up and drive over to her house in Flushing. My aunt owned a 15 floor high building in Flushing, she and her kids living in the Building for two whole floor with is huge. My uncle separates the two floor into three apartment, and every one the the apartment is huge. My family and my younger uncle's family moved into one of the apartment. I spend the whole week in my aunt's house. My cousins and I had a lot of fun there, watching NBA games, playing cards, and movie time, and had plentiful of meal. 

I watched news on TV and online about the result form Hurricane Sandy. It said that a lot of place are flooded in New York and New Jersey, around 50 houses are burned down, and many death. I never know natural disaster would make such a mess to New York. The news reported that United State had lose around 30 to 50 billion of money. When I see that number coming up, I was thinking to myself that is impossible, if that money is given to me, I could never finish spending it for life. I do feel bad for those who lose their family and home, but no one can do anything for it anyway since is a natural disaster. So let us just hope people can rebuild their house soon and find their missing family members.

Pictures I took during the week of Hurricane Sandy:

                            Watching NBA with cousins

                             A tree after Sandy

                                The park after sandy

                  A candle I used when the electricity went off

                                Mall in Flushing

                               My electronic devices

                        House in Bay Side during Halloween

                                     The Sea

                                   Aunt's House

              My favorite basketball player in the NBA Dwyane Wade

                       Living in Aunt's house during Sandy

                      Little cousin during Halloween night

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Where I'm From Artifacts

                                                                My Watch

My watch is a very important artifact that belongs to me. It is a circular medal shaped watch with black in color. My watch have two black leather straps that connects to the heavy medal watch. The watch was given to me as a present form my aunt few years ago at my birthday. On the day of my birthday, my aunt and my cousin went shopping at Hong Kong, they told me I could get anything I wanted, so I asked her for a watch. When  we got to he store and I showed her the watch that I like, without hesitating my aunt took the watch and paid for it. Now with the help of the watch, I usually use it during big test so I can keep track of time, and I used  the PSAT test.

                        Picture of Dad traveling with his company for a trip to Beijing.

The picture was taken years ago when my dad in United State travel with his company for a few week trip to Beijing, China. The building in the back to the group is a the Tian An Men, the building is mainly red and orange color. Tian An Men is made to honor the first president of China. This picture is special to my family because this is my dad's first time going to Beijing, and is the first time I got a chance to living with my mom for few week after my parent divorce. The picture was taken across the street of Tiananmen Square, and it was during the winter. When my dad came back to U.S. he bought me a mini statue of Tian An Men, but the sad thing  is that we lost the statue few years ago, and have never find it again.

                                                               The Bible

The Bible is an cultural artifact that is important only to me in my family. It is a brownish old book with cross that symbolize the Christ on the cover. Inside the book is hundreds of yellowish brown paper that is fill with text and work that have different meaning and definition. The bible is a special artifact because it only belongs to me, I'm the only one in the house that believe in Christianity. When I first moved to New York, I was being send to a Catholic school. At that time I know nothing about Christianity but only Jesus is Holy person. As months pasted and I take Religion class in my school, I started to learn more about Christianity and even memorized the prayers.We have many bibles in my school, but we never get to keep one until one day, one of my nun teacher gave a Bible for me to keep as a Christmas present. 

                                                  Beats by Dr. Dre earphone

The beats earphone is  personal artifact that belongs to me. The beats earphone is mainly made out of plastic and medal. Color of the earphone would be red and black; the chord of the earphone is red just to make it stands out. I bought the earphone after I finished my Freshmen year in Millennium Brooklyn High School. I still remember the day when my mom and I was going to the Beats store in Soho and on our way we were arguing about if I should get a headphone or a earphone. I was voting for a headphone, and my mom is saying earphone is better for me. She told me how earphone could be used everyday when I'm on the train and is a lot easier to carry around with. In the end, I got persuaded by my mom and we bought the Beats earphone instead of the headphone. Something special about this artifact is that these are by first pair of Beats earphone I have, they worked very well and I'm looking in the future to get a pair of the Beats headphone.

                                            Photo of my grandma and my dog

The old lady in the picture is my grandma; the person who I love the most. My grandma in the picture is wearing a vast and a long sleeve shirt since it is cold during winter time, and my grandma have a black dog that live with her. I have no idea who took the picture, but it was taken during winter few years ago. The picture was sent to U.S. within the mail, I don't know what else came with the mail but my dad received the mail and gave me the picture. I guess my grandma wanted to show me she is well in China, and telling us that we don't have to worry about her. I love my grandma more than I love my parents. She is the only who took care of me when I was a baby all the way until I came to United State. We always keep in touch with phone, and every summer vacation I goes back to China either by myself or with my parents to visit my grandma. I usually stays in China for 1-2 month,  and I always miss her when I have to leave. 

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Social Networking Research

Class Research Question:

What technologies do MBHS students use? For what purpose ( social, learning, creative, entertainment) and in what ways do MBHS students use technologies 

Research Focus:

How is social network important to our society and how does social media affects our life?

My Research Question:

- When do you usually use social media? 

- What social media do you like the best? (Facebook, Twitter, ooVoo, YouTube)

- Do you think social media helps you with your school work?

- Does social media affects your grade?

Literature Review:

Someone on like did a pew study of social media and young adult. This study was done in February 3, 2010 by Amanda Lenhart. In the research, it say that nearly three quarters (73%) of online teens and 72% of young adult use social network sites. Adults are less likely to use the internet, only 40% uses internet. Facebook is the most popular social media, 73% of adult profile owners use Facebook, and lower percentage on other media. 

Older Adults and Social Media is another research done by someone on Pew Internet. In their survey, it shows that in 2009, internet users of age 50 and above have nearly doubled, from a average of 22% to 42%. Social media young teen user at age of 18-29 grow from 76% to 86% which is increase of 13%. 

The third resource I found online is posted by Amy Bax, called Importance of Social Networking. In her writing, she said internet is integrating into nearly all aspects of everyday business use, and many people start recognizing the important role social media and network play in the world of entrepreneurship. With the help of social network, company care able to gain contacts, client, and increase public awareness. Social network is something that business must need to make a living, this shows how importance internet is.  

Data Collection Methods:

- Survey with 10 Millennium Brooklyn 10-3 students
- Interview with students
-  Research for data and sources online



Data Analysis:

When I finish doing survey with my 10-3 classmates, some  preferences and patterns starts to appear. For my survey, I asked 10 Millennium Brooklyn 10-3 students if they use social media, and some other questions on the topic of social media. Out of the 10 students, 10 of them appears to say they all use social media. This is not too surprising to me, since kids in this modern world grow up in a community that's full with technology, they grow up learning how to use the internet and some school assignment even involve using the internet. From my survey, 7 out of 10 classmates have either Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. A preferences that I see is more girls uses ooVoo than boys, maybe since boys are more into games and not much girls play games so they would like to text and video chat with friends online. This comes when boys said girls have "no life". Is not that girls have no life, is just the fact that girls called chatting online and facetime a life for them.


Initial Findings:

A trend that i notices from my survey collection is that most of the people have a Facebook, maybe is because Facebook is the most famous social media out of the others. Most of them also uses YouTube, but they use it to just watch videos and clips, not much of them have a YouTube account and actually records video and post it online. Maybe recording a video is just not a habit for them. There is more girls to use ooVoo than boys. Girls are more into gossiping and video chatting, and boys likes to play video games and play multiplier mode with strangers online who is playing the same game.
  
Another trend I found out from my survey is that using social media and the internet does not affects people's grade. Someone from my survey spent more than 5 hours a day on the internet but his grade in school is around B or in average. So I think is just depends on the person itself if he cares about his school work or not. If the person really do care about school, but also enjoy going online, he just have to manage his time widely. Social media does not affect a students grade.


Implication:
The research I did is very important and is a helpful sources for parents, kids, teachers, and the public. My research is mainly about they study of people using social media, and it affects people life. Since I'm bias thinking social media is actually helpful to our life, so I go against the ones who thinks social media are useless or not helpful. When people read my research, they could take it as a opinionated sources. In my study, I find out that internet and social doesn't affects a students grade, it just depends how  the students manage their time, so this source might be helpful for parents.

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Patterns Data Memo

In Banush,Vitaliy,and Anthony's blogs, I noticed that they all talks about using Facebook as a social technology. They all wrote about how Facebook can connect them to a updated world, using Facebook can help them keep in touch with old friends, sharing feeling and information with friends.They also talked about how they use technology everyday, how technology involve our everyday living, we use it to contact people, socialize, and check on updates.

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My Media & Technology Habits

I use technologies in and outside of school. Internet is something we all use and we use i for finding helpful resources, games, and even reading online. When I'm outside of school, most of the time I'll use my phone to go on Facebook and check on my friend's newest update want what they had done for the day. few days ago, my friend just invited to use Instagram, they said it is a fun blog which you can post pictures and letting your follower on Instagram to look at your picture either liking it or commenting on it. Most of my friends use Facebook to socialize and contact outside of school. Facebook is very simple to use and you are just posting random things you have in your mind that you want to share with your friends. Some people post to express their feeling about something, or to share out their depression.




Facebook

I use technologies and media everyday, when I'm outside I would use my phone to go on the internet, check on Facebook or look up things that I'm interested in. When I'm at home, I would turn on my computer and log into my Facebook check what my friends are up to then I'll go on YouTube or other websites to watch shows, video or listen to music. I have 4G network in my iPhone so wherever I go, I'm not afraid of getting lose since I can use the GPS in my phone to help me find my way. Some technology I use do work primarily for school work. When I have school work, most of the time I share Google Document with my teachers or email my work to myself so during school, I can open my work anytime when I log into my email.

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