Intro!

Hello everyone! I'm in my 3rd year at Kennesaw State University. I'm a Secondary English Education major and can't wait to get my own classroom and start teaching. I plan on teaching in Belize next spring for a semester and words can not express how excited I am to go abroad and teach students English. My dream job would be to go and teach in Northern Uganda in the displacement camps they have there but my mother is not too fond of the idea. It has been a passion of mine for 5 years now though and I'm hoping that a miracle occurs so that my mother will be okay with my going into a war zone. However my more realistic goal is to teach in an inner city school to help children who really need it. I plan on becoming a foster parent once I get my masters degree and save up some money so that I can help to change people lives.

I currently work full time at a clothing store to pay my way through and though I like my job I wouldn't be heart broken if I never had to fold a table of shirts ever again. I love reading anything and everything especially comic books, the Harry Potter Series, poets such as Poe.

That's pretty much me in a nut shell.

Looking forward to getting to know you all through this blog,

Michele

Welcome to Comenius Students and Introduction

It's great to hear that the Slovak group joining us soon! I thought I'd also introduce myself for their benefit. My name is Katarina Gephardt. I am Associate Professor of English at Kennesaw State University. I am originally from Bratislava, Slovakia and first came to the United States in 1993 while I was an English major at Comenius University. I ended up staying and pursued my graduate education in English at Ohio State University. I return to Slovakia every year or two with my family and do my best to teach my two sons Slovak. We look forward to seeing your posts here soon!

Dear All

Dear All,
I am Maria Kostelnikova, teacher the Departement of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Education at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
I am looking forward to our online discussion once it really starts. Semester started last week here, I met the students only for an introductory class; they are students in their 1. and 2. year of the MA study programme.
I hope to get the discussion going latest in 2 weeks´ time (we have no class next week because the Faculty of Education of Comenius University is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its foundation!)
Best regards from Bratislava,
KM

Late To The Punch, I Know

Hello,

I am Cory J Watkins, an English Major sophomore with a writing minor and plans to get my Masters in Creative Writing upon my graduation. All I want to do is write. I write everything novels, short stories, songs, screenplays, regular plays, poems of every sort, and notes in class to any cute girl that looks like she might fall for my charms. My goal is to craft beautiful works of literature and absorb unfathomable amounts of money for doing so. I know, it's a pretty solid plan.

My parents are very supportive of my choice to pursue my writing, as it is the only thing I like to do that also happens to be a real career choice. Other things I like are dressing wrong for season, rapping, public improv comedy, and flirting. So, yes, they are VERY happy I chose writing. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you all. Wow, that's a lame ending line. THe only thing worse would be ending this post complaining about that lame line.

Intro

Hi my name is Frank Vitale and I am a student at Kennesaw State University. I am currently studying English Education and its awesome. I have not always known that I wanted to become a teacher. Coming into school I thought I wanted to be a music major; but I realized that I wouldn't be able to get a job anytime soon. I'm glad that I decided to become a Education major.

One of the goals I really wanna achieve is to be able to teach over in Japan. I have always been obsessed with the whole culture over there, its just so much different than here. I think it will really make me a better teacher and more culturally aware; which I think is very important for a teacher in today's modern age. I would like to go over there right after I graduate and spend a couple years over there. Kennesaw has a program where you can go over to Japan and teach English at a school. I also want to stay in school and get my Masters degree in Education.

In today's diverse culture its very important for teachers to become more culturally aware because students come from every walk of life. Getting students to become interested in school is a major goal for me, I went through high school just not caring about anything the teachers were telling me; I want to make an impact in even just one students life.

I can't wait to hear everyone's perspectives and I look forward to reading all the posts!

Introduction!

Hello,

My name is Angela White and I’m in my third year at Kennesaw State University. I am currently studying Secondary English Education, with many end goals. Before I was an English Ed. major, I was a psychology major. Psychology is something I am still very interested in but realized it is not something I want to make a career out of. I knew that I wanted to work in the school system, even when I was a psych major, so that’s why I chose English Ed. I love reading and even though writing is not one of my strong points, I still love it. I am very passionate about teaching and look forward to expanding the minds of the generations that follow us.

When I told my dad that I wanted to switch my major, he was completely on board. He let me know that as long as it is something that makes me happy, he will support me. This was a very huge decision for me because I had already taken a good bit of psychology classes. It helped to know that my dad would support me with whatever I decided.

I have very many goals in the teaching field. I’m not sure if every goal is particularly obtainable, but they are all things that I am considering. One option that I am thinking about doing is joining the Peace Corps. (http://www.peacecorps.gov/). This is an idea that I have been juggling for quite a while now, but I haven’t decided if it is the right choice for me. If I were to go into the Peace Corps I would go to a different country and teach for about 2 years. It is a very big commitment, but I know it is something that I will greatly benefit from. Whether or not I join the Peace Corps, I know I want to go to grad school. With this plan, I will teach in a school for about 2 years before going back to school. Another option I am thinking about is, after getting my masters, teaching at a community college. The college atmosphere is something that I truly enjoy and I would like to work with students in this age group. Also, if the option were to present itself, I would like to teach abroad somewhere. This is something that I think I could obtain if I joined the Peace Corps; it’s just a thought though.

I think that right now, it is so hard to get the kids in this country to realize what literature actually is. When teaching, I really want to put an emphasis on modern day literature, to help better relate to them. I am a devoted fan to opening up a fresh book, smelling the pages of that book and diving right into the story that I’m reading but I know that not everyone feels that way. I want to open up people’s mind to all different varieties of literature.

I look forward to blogging with you and getting to know all of the different perspectives of everyone!

English Studies and Me

Hello, my name is Lauren A., and this is my first year at Kennesaw State University, but my fourth year of attending college. I had previously attended Gainesville State College and received my Associate degree in English Education. At Kennesaw I am an English major working towards a Bachelor degree. I believe English studies is very important to the progressive development of different ways of thinking and understand.

Now that I'm in classes, I focus most of my time on reading and doing homework for classes. On the weekends I go out with friends or to the park. I love reading and I love writing. I think I chose English because it's a subject I've always excelled at. When I was younger I would stay up almost all night reading my books. I read all the time. Now I don't have as much time to read anything other than what I am assigned in classes. I'm in 3 English classes and 1 History class. In 13 more English classes, I'll have my degree. I wanted to be a teacher because I felt my understanding of the material was different; I felt that I could easily convey my understanding of literary works to students. Now, after some student teaching, I'm not sure if I want to become a teacher. It's not because I found it difficult or annoying, but there's a background of drama and politics in schools that distract faculty from giving students 100%. I don't know what I'm going to do with my degree now, but I know for sure, no matter what I do with my degree, I will be published.

My immediate family does not have much faith in my career choice because I won't make a lot of money, but my extended family is just excited I'm going to college because many of them did not. I come from a small county where the common family dynamic is a working man who did not go to college, a housewife who did not go to college, and kids. More and more people are beginning to realize the importance of education and the university system of that state has improved tremendously the past 5-6 years. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, and my father just wants me to be successful in something that will last.

I do believe people's perspectives in my country are changing, but not for the better. People are afforded better styles of living and expect a certain amount due to them. It's unfortunate but many people think in a closed-minded fashion because they only know one way of life. I have had a very miserable life and lived in many different places, even overseas, and I have a very different perspective on how things can be seen. I think literature has also become very repetitive because people are not as challenged by life as they used to be.

I only know that I will continue to write after I graduate at this point. I have no idea what job I want anymore or where I want to live. I will become a published author and hopefully help people think in new ways, if only just a few people. If all else fails, I can continue to work in retail/sales, but an English degree won't do me much good there.

Lauren A.

Hello!

My name is Lauren Parsons and I am a senior at Kennesaw studying English. I hope to one day get into publishing. I love reading, it's one of my favorite things to do, and to be able to read new works in their raw, unadulterated form is incredibly exciting to me. I've jumped around majors a lot since I started college, but I've always found that I not only enjoyed my English classes, but actually look forward to reading a new book and taking apart of piece of literature. Right now, I'm just trying to finish my undergraduate degree, and then I'm seriously considering pursuing my Masters in Professional Writing and then perhaps getting my MBA before I start my career in editing.

My family and friends are incredibly supportive of my career choice. They know that I enjoy literature and think that a career being surrounded by it is exactly what I need.

Literature is constantly changing - we are increasingly becoming a tech society, and most books are offered in a e-reader format. Everything is evolving with technology. The internet, and places such as blogs and news sites, are how people communicate and gain access to information. People are sharing their work online and with many sites providing the ability to comment on posts, it's becoming more of a dialogue than simply the writer giving something for the reader. Everyone is contributing to literature, and everyone is creating it, which I think is fascinating.

I believe I answered the last question in my first paragraph, so I'll leave this post at that.

- Lauren Parsons

Intro

Hi! My name is Meagan, and I am a third-year English Education major here at Kennesaw. I really enjoy school! I know that makes me a nerd or a dork or whatever, but I embrace it :) I love taking notes, learning, reading, discussing, writing, researching, and almost everything that goes along with education. I decided I wanted to be an English teacher in sixth grade. I had the most amazing teacher, Mrs. Hoagland. She made learning enjoyable, and really tried to reach her students on more than an academic level. Her classroom was a safe place for expression and a haven for learning. After seeing the passion with which she taught, I decided I wanted to be just like her. That summer, I moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Georgia. The two cities were polar opposites. The last thing I expected was to be further inspired, but that is exactly what happened. My seventh grade Literature teacher, Mrs. Wiles, was the Southern counterpart to Mrs. Hoagland. Mrs. Wiles turned her classroom into a rainforest, a cafe, an obstacle course, but most importantly, she turned it into a breeding ground of inspiration and learning. Every day was an adventure in her class, and I believe she inspired more students than just me. My desire to be an English teacher was bolstered and fortified--nothing would stop me. My love continued throughout high school and college, and I am so excited to finally be in upper-level classes that will push me even further into my love of English. My friends and family completely support me in my pursuit to be an English teacher. I have always gotten that I was "made to be a teacher," or, when I talk about my aprehensions and fears, my friends and family dismiss them, saying, "Don't worry about it; you'll be great and you know it!" or something like that. My parents are nervous about my job opportunities once I graduate, and honestly I am a little scared, too. However, I know that God will provide the perfect job for me, even if it is somewhere I never expected. Speaking of graduation, I have a lot of plans! I plan to get a job, and while I'm teaching, I want to get my Master's degree. I am debating if I want to minor in Spanish right now, so that maybe 10 years down the line I can teach English in South America. I have also promised myself that after I graduate and get a steady job, I am going to get another dog. :)
I am a little nervous to be a teacher, because (among other things) I think the American idea of literacy has changed. I am not surprised that it is changing; this world is constantly evolving with the help of ever emerging new technology. In fact, I think it is technology that is aiding the change in the meaning of literacy. To be literate used to mean one could read and write. However, nowadays, to be literate means to acknowledge that there are different ways to read than just from a book, and be able to read those different genres. Reading a blog, for instance, would not be considered "real" reading twenty years ago, because there was no such thing as blogs twenty years ago! But now that the majority of reading occurs online, there are different rules and etiquette for reading and writing online. This has definitely influenced American ideas of literacy.
I look forward to learning about everyone else! Happy Blogging!

Butterflies & Shutterflies; A Snapshot of Amy Freeman

Well, I bet that you're sitting in your chair, reading this and thinking, "What in the world is a 'shutterfly?'” It is not a real word, but it is a word that I just created to describe myself. You see, the first that thing that you need to understand about me, Amy Freeman, is that I LOVE butterflies! With this growing butterfly obsession, I have become a shutterfly. A shutterfly is a person who chases butterflies with their camera in order to capture as many still-life images of the magnificent butterfly. Shutterflies are also easily distracted by this winged-wonder. They will, well, I will be fully involved in a deep conversation, capture a glimpse of that colorful, delicate, gossamer butterfly and all of a sudden you see my head turn and trail the fluttering butterfly across the landscape and hear a gleeful "butterfly" escape from my lips. Such is the life of a true shutterfly. ;) 

One of the true beauties of being an English major is that you can create your own words. Anyways, my name is Amy and I'm 29 years old. I just recently returned to Kennesaw State and I also changed my major as well. My original major was for Early Childhood Education but a lot of factors came into play during the Spring Semester and I decided that pursuing a degree in English gave me a broader range of opportunities. I’m kind of on the fence right now between coming back and pursuing a Master’s degree to teach English or pursuing a Master’s degree in Professional Writing.

I’m really blessed to have some amazing friends who are really supportive of my choices regarding my major and the possible careers that I want to pursue with my life. My mom and my step father, on the other hand, are not supportive of my dreams. They believe that I am wasting my time, but I really believe that literature can be a tool that bridges social and cultural gaps within our world. My step father would love for me to pursue a degree with computers and technology because I always have to fix his computer, but he doesn’t understand that although I may grasp a limited understanding of  computers – there is no passion for hard drives, RAMS, or source coding within my bones. Literature has always been a prominent passion in my life.

I understand the purpose of social media, the media and texting, but I fear that they pose a threat to literature and literacy. In today’s society it is becoming the norm for children to spend their time playing video games, watching television, tweeting, texting, or playing on Facebook. Imagination is dwindling. Children no longer need to create their own fantasy worlds; one click of a button and they’re instantly plugged in. The growing disinterest in reading and the substitution of a good old fashion treasure hunt within those sacred, white pages of a book leave a bitter taste burning in the back of my throat. The thought that children will not learn the art of cursive writing in school saddens me, yet they learn all the lingo and jargon for texting and tweeting.

I chose to become an English major because I love to read, I love to write and I want to pass down my passion of literature to the up and coming generations who have been swept away in the tsunami of social media. I want to help children and teenagers reconnect to their imaginations through either writing books or teaching the beauty and simplicity of the classics and mix things up with a diverse selection of great texts that will hopefully ignite a passion for imagination and reading within their hearts and souls. 

Hello, my name is Tm

I'm glad to be talking to everyone here on this inter-class blog. I am a new student here at Kennesaw State. I first started college in another part of the country ten years ago. I stopped going to school because I had nothing to make me strive for success. Now that I am married and a father I feel that I am ready to complete the journey that I started years ago.

I found my way into this field quite by chance. I always thought that making a living doing what you wanted to do was impossible but fortunately for me I happen to enjoy reading, writing and talking about both of those things.

I love almost all kinds of music. If feel that a song is either pure and genuine or lacking pretension then I can appreciate it. I was angrily tapping away at my typewriter one night - regretting that I had never learned to play an instrument - when it struck me. I am a talented player of the electronic smith corona typesetter, in fact I have mastered the manual coronet typewriter, the pen, and the unsatisfying keys of the computer keyboard as well. Ever since I came to terms with the fact that words are my notes. I have found a lot more peace in my life.

I want to teach english to younger generations, because a passionate teacher can influence lives greatly. A teacher who is dedicated enough to literature and writing can show people that there is nothing wrong with being bookish, literate or obsessed with knowledge.

I think that my country would be better off if we could somehow bring back some sort of formality. People here think that you is spelled "u", and that reading is somehow dumb. They wear sandals and baseball caps into nice restaurants. And they swear in front of children and the elderly. I think that knowing how hard it is to write a sonnet, or understanding some of the brilliant things that were written hundreds of years ago might make at least a few people realize how silly they look when they act this way.

What do you think?

Introduction

My name is Rachel Rogers and I am a junior at KSU. I just transferred to KSU after graduating with an associates degree in Journalism from Darton College. I chose to be an English major because I enjoy studying literature. I also enjoy expressing myself through writing. In high school I simply viewed English as an easy class, not something that I would be pursuing as an undergraduate.

When I began my collegiate studies, I was a business administration major, intending to work in human resources management upon graduation. Fortunately, I was blessed with the opportunity to intern at an insurance company for a summer. While I was at this job I came to the horrible, yet freeing, realization that I was not cut out to work in the business workplace. I was able to change my major to Journalism, take 21 credit hours during my last semester at Darton, and still graduate on time. Needless to say, my family was surprised with my seemingly last minute switch from business administration to journalism, but they chose to support me regardless. My switch from journalism to English was a nearly seamless transition, so no one was really surprised or less supportive.

I recently visited my high school and paid a visit to my senior English teacher in order to let her know that I had finally decided to major in English. "Of course you are," was her simple response. She knew, three years ago, that I would ultimately end up in her field, possibly even in her profession. Upon graduation, I am intending to go to graduate school to pursue a master's degree. Then I may teach at a university level, but it really depends on what God's plan is for my life. Currently I am just progressing with my English degree while waiting to see what the future has in store for me.

I do believe that people's perspectives about literacy and literature are changing in the United States. For instance, the term literate once meant that a person simply had the ability to read. Today being literate requires the ability to not only read books, but technology as well. In today's society everything is wireless and instantaneous. People must be able to comprehend and also function within today's technologically savvy generation in order to be considered literate. I also believe people's perspectives about literature have changed. When my grandmother was in high school, there was great emphasis placed on studying "the Classics" within an English classroom. Today we still study the Classics; However, we do not only study the Classics. We study newer works in addition to the ancient works. Also, the average American reads less now than ever before. I believe this is due, in part, to our society's increased technology. Today people have "better" things to do with their time than to sit down and read a book, like watching videos on youtube and constantly tweeting about their meaningless lives on Twitter.

Hi=)

Hey yall, my name is Rachael B and im an English major at Kennesaw State. This is my second year here and i love it! Im in a sorority here at ksu and i couldnt be happier. Im very involved on this campus and participate in sports here. I play soccer on just a fun team, not the ksu soccer team, i do it just to play and have fun. The reason i choose to be an english major is because i love reading and writing. At first i wanted to be a high school teacher, the that evolved into being a professor. The reason i want to teach is to help students see the true meaning of english, its not all reading old books and writing book reports. I want my students to see how fun reading can really be and how its a different world. At first my parents did not want me to teach because they thought it was an easy way out. Its not that at all to me, its my passion. Eventually my parents came to terms with it and now they are just happy i am doing something that i am going to love for the rest of my life. In America i think that reading books are changing. To me, i really think its because of Harry Potter and Twilight. These series have made girls and boys all around the world start to read more. They really brought books back to life, this, of course, being my own opinion. Once i graduate from Ksu i plan on going to graduate school. I would love to get my masters in English and then finally teach!

Greetings

Hi Everyone,

My name is Michele A (one of the Michele's in our class) and I am an English Education major but I really want to work in a school library / media center. I believe I am the oldest of all our class and working on my degree a little later in life. I've been an Domestic Engineer ('stay at home mom', just a more sophisticated way of putting the most important job in the world ) for 24 yrs, a good portion of that time has been spent in the schools. I've been everything from room mom, field trip mom, president of everything and even a substitute teacher. I've always wanted to teach, even played school growing up and was always the teacher. I have been told that I would make a good teacher by my children, their friends and my children's teachers. I love to read and love to get others to read, and I love teenagers. I am not much of a writer but I am working on that and have a few things written hear and there, and a list of ideas. Just can't always get it all out of the head and onto paper.

My family is very supportive, my husband is hoping that when I start working he can become a ProBass fisherman. I taught my girls church class for eight years and they can't wait to help me decorate my first classroom or library.

I haven't really given to much thought to Literacy in changing in the US, but I do feel we have improved in that area. I think and hope that with everything getting so technical that the illiteracy rate in low. Now a days you almost have to be able to computer for a job and you have to be able to read to do that. (for the most part) I have an iPad, with the Nook Application on it, but I've yet to read a book on it. I don't see books going away any time soon, there's just something about the feel of holding and reading a book.

As I stated I am an English Education major, but life has recently thrown me a curve and I will probably changing my major to just English. I'm not sure what I am going to be doing after I graduate. I just know I want to use my degree in someway be it in a school library, public library or possibly my own private accredited Home School center.

Introductions

My name is Brittany R. Something interesting about me would be that I’m 17 years old. I really love to read and write. My favorite thing to do is write down my dreams and try to make stories out of them.

I am a Secondary English Education major. I chose this major because it’s really been something I’ve always wanted to do. I remember as a child thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would look at that teacher sitting behind that desk and think, “I want to be in that position for once instead of just on the receiving end.” However, in the past I have been a little indecisive about what career field to go into because I was always brainwashed with people telling me that “teaching is a horrible job! Try something that will make you money!” I tried looking in other fields, but one day I realized that my future could not be controlled by stereotypes or what other people tell me is right or wrong. I control my future, so I decided to just go with my gut!

My family has been very supportive of my decision. My friends are also excited for me, saying that they think I’ll be a great teacher. I have been told by many that I seem like an English teacher, and I like to think that’s a good sign!

I think in the U.S. perspectives on literacy and literature are changing, but I think they are changing for the worse. In my limited experience, the people I have spoken to about literature think that it isn’t relevant in today’s world. The “shiny-object” mentality, so named by my mom because she gets distracted very easily, keeps some people from focusing on books long enough to be interested. This results in the all-too familiar "books are boring." My opinion is that these people just need to find books that interests them.

Once I graduate, I plan to continue my education in graduate school until I have my Master’s. From there, I hope to be able to teach overseas on military bases to broaden my cultural horizons. One day I hope to become a fiction novelist.

Expertise in English is definitely useful in the workplace in America because even simple emails to one’s boss have to be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Knowledge in proper English not only is an impressive asset but a tool of sophistication. Also, in presentations, one must be able to give efficient summaries or hard copies of the material covered for the group being presented to. If the format is inconsistent or the information presented in too casual a fashion, this reflects negatively on the employee who wrote it.

Greetings

Hey guys!

My name is Coleman Joiner, and I am an English Education Major at KSU. I enjoy writing and ever so often, I find enjoyment in reading. I came about my decision to become an English Ed. major because I knew first and for most, I wanted to enter the education field. That is because I have aspirations of becoming a high school head football coach. Now I know what your'e thinking, and it's not what it seems. I do actually WANT to be a teacher as well. I could have easily decided to be a P.E. teacher and take the easy way out. But I have been given (cursed?) with a love for writing and reading (in that order). I always had great English teachers and professors who really taught me to look deeper in to the literature we were reading and to find some way to connect with it. I wanted to be one of those thought provoking teachers. I wanted to be the teacher that tested my students own thoughts and beliefs. These were a few of the reasons I chose to become and English Ed. major!

Now when I initially made this decision, my mother was not a huge fan. She is a teacher and did not want me to have to deal with the many issues with administration, parents, and kids like she does. But she also understands what I want to do, and what it will take to get there, and she supports me fully. She just asks me to please be careful and to make sure this is what I want to do. I am starting to realize that it is in fact what I want to do the rest of my life!

Another reason I decided to enter this field, is because I am starting to see a slow decline in our youth's interest in literature. Kids don't read books anymore. They don't write anymore. It seems the only time students write anymore is when it is required such as the SAT and writing test. I want to help bring life back to literature in the classroom. These students today don't know what they are missing!

Salutation!

I am one of the many Rachel's in the class, Rachel M. or Rae, will suffice as a name.

Entertaining a career in English was never really a pursuit as you cannot chase something that isn't running. I have always had my hopes of becoming a novelist to steer me in this direction. Although there were times I thought of doing something else, I knew that the only dream I have ever had was to be a author. I wanted to write books, and my current pursuit is to be akin to J.K. Rowling. The mad genius behind Harry Potter.

My parents don't exactly approve of the idea of me becoming an author and being in a family of highly successful parents (My Father is practically a Doctor and My Mom was a Vice President and in the top 1% of a Fortune 500 company with awards to boot) becoming an author was always a hobby in their eyes.
"Well, look at what's-his-face from the news! He's a T.V anchor and he wrote a book. You could always do that, not so much the new anchor, but writing could be a side project." My Father would start, only to be followed by, "You really ought to find a real career. Writing isn't going to pay the bills."
Then, my Mother would chime in with: "You would be a fantastic Ambassador, or a Journalist! There, Darling, be a journalist. You can still write."
A life chained to he said/ she said seemed droll and pointless to me. My mind was a racing roller coaster of Dragons, Zombies, Magicians, Elves, Vampires, and Romantic Comedies. Reporting the daily news sounded dun. With many days walking in the mires of a real career my mother became very ill and wanted very much to hear my stories. So, I began to read them to her and then with a bloom of hope in her eyes, she finally jumped of the bandwagon. When I too had fallen ill and could not return to college, she offered to house me on the condition that I wrote feverishly everyday -like it were my job. It was a pleasant surprise to have her believe in me finally, and now that I am well enough to continue my degree, she's enthralled to hear the next installment of whatever I am working on at the time.

I vehemently believe that there is a serious downward spiral of literacy in the United States. It pains me so that readers have become lazy and the writing style has reflected that. I feel much pain when I have to correct the grammar of educated adults, when I know mine is far from perfect. The books that I read today are sickening, and a few have really stood out from the rest. I think that books are changing market, moving slowly into a digital shift. I have noticed that the population doesn't really read books anymore, no, they wait for the movie to come out. This hurts me. The time and effort I have put into book seems cheap compared to what people have done to books lately. I sorely miss the majestic and mysterious beauty of Shakespearean plays and the fright of a E.A.Poe short.  I hope that literature makes a comeback. It's such a beautiful art that it may very well destroy the fabric of humanity if it dies.

On a lighter note, I haven't quite decided what I want to do once I graduate from College. I know I want to write books, but like books, I want to bring back the classic of Old Hollywood Cinema, as well. I love books, but I also enjoy other mediums. I hope to write a play, a movie, a graphic novel, and many, many books. Until then, I suppose I will be living in someone's attic, eating cheap noodles and waiting the day for a book to be finished. Hardly worth wild, but a dream, nonetheless.

Hi everyone!

Hi everyone,

My name is Carolyn and I'm an English major at Kennesaw State University. I think it's going to be really interesting to be able to talk to everyone on here this semester. I decided to become and English major because I love to read and I love to write, and it's the only thing that I can see myself pursuing in college. For awhile I considered doing English Education because eventually I want to become an English professor, but English Education is geared more toward teaching high school, and that isn't something I could see myself doing. When I was in high school, none of the students in my English and literature classes took the courses seriously and didn't seem to be interested. I figure that in college, though, most people are interested in what the teacher has to say, so I would definitely enjoy that more.

My parents weren't surprised when I told them that I'm majoring in English, and I don't think that they could imagine me doing anything else, either. My mother always encouraged me to read when I was younger, and she's the one got me into writing as well. A lot of people say that the only thing that you can do here with an English degree is teach, but my parents have always reassured me that this isn't the truth. Even though I eventually want to teach at a college or university, I want to look into every other opportunity that is available to me in writing. My parents encouraged in to write as an intern for an online magazine, and I love it.

I think that the perspectives of literature has definitely changed recently here, and it has been for the worse. The majority of people don't appreciate literacy and literature as much it used to be appreciated (or, at least as much as I appreciate it). I would love for an aspect of my career to involve promoting literacy and literature, and to show people why it is so important. I suppose the reason that I'm so against teaching high school is because so many students are opposed to reading. I would love to acquire the patience one day to be able to teach that age group and try to change their minds.

I'm taking a Careers in Writing class this semester and I've realized that with internships and persistence an English major can get just about any job they wish. The head of the English department here at KSU told us that employers typically hire English majors because they know that if we can understand all of the complicated characters in the literature we read, we will be able to get along with and understand all of the people who we work with. I really liked this idea.

I look forward to hearing from everyone throughout the semester!

Carolyn Buonomo

First Discussion - Introduction

Hello, world. :)
My name is Kathryn Brower and I am an English Education major at Kennesaw State University. I am an avid reader and writer.
I chose to become an English Ed. major after a few detours in my college career. I started out as an English major (hoping to pursue journalism), changed to Early Childhood Education after a brutal encounter with a composition course (my always-thick skin must have gone on vacation), and then realized that with ECE I was forsaking the thing that was most important to me - writing. I decided to mesh the two together to get the best of both worlds. My friends and family have always supported my choices, especially when it comes to academics.
I do think that views on literacy/literature are changing in the United States, though I can't be sure if it's for better or worse. The introduction of such advanced technology has seemed to push everyone to do things as quickly as possible, including spelling with shorthand which seems to show lack of respect of the English language in my opinion. However, going through the English Education program at KSU has shown me the many different ways that teaching English in the schools is evolving into a much more creative fashion. In fact, I am excited to see where our kids can go after they have been taken away from the "drill and kill" grammar instruction they are used to and introduced to novel ways to incorporate grammar into their art.
Once I graduate, I intend on continuing my education further. I'd like to obtain my Master's degree in the Art of Teaching English, and am considering a PhD program as well. After schooling, I (obviously) plan to teach: first on the high school level, and perhaps onto the college level in the future. My degree is necessary for my field of work.
I can't wait to get to know you all. :)

English Studies in Slovakia and the United States

In this first discussion, we would like you to introduce yourself and share your perspective on English studies. You can post by clicking on "new post" on the upper right hand side.  You can use your first name only or your first name and the initial of your last name (there are several Rachels in the Kennesaw State group, so that may help) in the introduction. Please, also say a little bit about your interests or any other interesting facts about you. If you know how, you can also post a picture of yourself. As a contribution to the discussion on English studies, please answer the following questions:
1. What made you decide to pursue the English (English Education) major? (Some of my students are just English majors and some of them are English Education major)
2. How did your friends and family respond to your choice?
3. Do you think people's perspectives on literacy and/or literature are changing in your country? If so, how?
4. What do you plan to do once you graduate? Is expertise in English useful in the workplace in your country and how?
The semester starts later in Slovakia, so once the Bratislava group gets on board and gets a chance to post, we'll be asking you to respond to at least 3 students in the other group. 

Welcome to the Comenius-Kennesaw State Online Discussion Forum!

The purpose of this site is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and perspectives on English studies and literature between a group of English Education students at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia and a group of English & English Education majors at Kennesaw State University in the metro Atlanta area. Both groups will be taking a course that introduces them to English studies at their respective institutions. The online discussions will serve as the basis for cross-cultural comparisons and reflection on the role of our discipline in a broader global context.