2c - SAN DIEGO ZOO

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is one of the largest and most progressive zoos in the world that opened in 1915, with over 4,000 animals and 800 species. The Zoo is operated by the non-profit Zoological Society of San Diego on 100 acres of land leased from the City of San Diego. The San Diego Zoo is one of the world's few major zoos to have almost all of its major exhibits be open-air; in fact, the only major exhibition building on grounds is the Reptile House.

The San Diego also operates the Wild Animal Park, which displays a more expansive animal extension. The Zoo and Wild Animal Park regularly transfer animals back and forth due to their species survival plan. They also transfer animals to other zoos around the world for purposes of education and breeding. The Zoo is extremely involved in conservation and species-preservation efforts.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the world's few major zoos to have almost all of it's exhibits be open-air; the only major exhibition building on the grounds is the Reptile House. The San Diego Zoo has been a pioneer in building "cageless" exhibits.

I think the San Diego Zoo by far is the most impressive and world renowned zoo in the world. The only other zoo that would be great comparison is the Australia Zoo in (Beerwah) Brisbane, Australia. Both zoos are very natural and don't feel like they just have animals in cages. The animals are closer to their natural habitat in these zoos compared to others in the United States. I believe that zoos are a major part of humanity due to educating school age kids to help with animal conservation, so the human race will help animal species last longer for the good of the earth. It is just a great place for a field trip and very educational for anyone to learn more.

Sources: History.Sandiego.edu/Sandiegozoo.com/Wikipedia

I learned from Jena that Paulo's first book was called, Pedogogy of the Oppressed. This is one of Paulo Freire's most famous books, throughout his book he argues for systems of education that emphasizes learning as an act of culture and freedom.

2b - JUNIPERO SERRA MUSEUM

The Junipero Serra Museum (in Presidio Park) is one of the most familiar landmarks in San Diego. A major symbol of the city, it sits on top of the hill recognized as the site where California began. In 1769, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, Father Junipero Serra led a group of soliders with Gaspar de Portola and established Alta California's first mission and presidio.

The Serra Museum was built between 1928-1929 for the purpose of housing and showcasing the collection of San Diego Historical Society, which was founded in 1928. William Templeton Johnson designed the structure, using Spanish Revival architecture to resemble the early missions that once dominated the landscape of Southern California.

The education room in the museum has hands-on stations where kids can grind acorns, dig for artifacts with archaeology tools or dress up in period costumes. The museum is on rolling green grounds of Presidio Park. The central part of the park, has flat grassy areas great for picnicking. The central circle also offers grills and picnic benches. Located in beautiful Presidio Park, the museum is one of the most photographed buildings in San Diego. Climb up the museum tower and enjoy panoramic views of Mission Valley, Mission Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.

I have experienced a few field trips to the Junipero Serra Museum in Presidio Park. It is quite a popular destination for school age children due to learning about the missions (a big part of the San Diego area). If my memory serves me correctly, this is the first museum I visited as a child growing up in San Diego. I remember we had to bring our sack lunches and had a big group picnic outside the museum in the grassy area. We would discuss what we learned and get prizes for museum trivia. What a great learning tool for children, a hands on museum!

Sources: San Diego Historical Society.com, Balboa Park.com, San Diego History.org

I learned from Lucia that Paulo believed that dialogue was not just simply talking. He thought that it built a respect for those in conversation and could be a tool used to strengthen the bonds between individuals and their community. He believed communication was the tool to creating justice and social harmony.

2a - POINT LOMA

I chose to research Point Loma because I spent the first 10 years of my life there and love so many things about San Diego. I still consider it my real home! I spent alot of time in Point Loma due to my dad being in the Navy, so this area brings back alot of childhood memories for me. A few historical things took place in the Point Loma area, so I wanted to find out more and refresh my memory of things I learned here as a child.

Point Loma is a seaside neighborhood of San Diego. Along North Island and the Silver Strand, it separates the San Diego Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Point Loma has an estimated population of 45,887 (including Ocean Beach) according to the 2000 Census Bureau. Point Loma was first discovered by Europeans on September 28, 1542 when Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, departing from Mexico, led an expedition to explore the west coast of what is now the United States. Another well known landmark is the Cabrillo National Monument, named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.

Like I mentioned in my opening paragraph, Point Loma was a big part of my childhood due to my dad being in the Navy and the ship he was on was stationed there. This area was a source of happy and sad times as my dad would be coming and going. His trips ranged from a few days to a few weeks at a time. There is a distinct feeling and smell in the air when you are entering the Point Loma area. We actually lived in Pacific Beach, so driving westward you would start to notice things change. You could feel the chill in the air from being closer to the ocean, drive past military buildings with checkpoints, and lots of military personnel wondering around in their distinct uniforms. The excitement of being able to see a tiny ship coming towards the harbor is breathtaking. When it gets closer and closer to the dock, it is amazing as a child to witness this. It feels as though the ship is going to hit land when it comes into dock.


I would love to take the drive from my old house in Pacific Beach to Point Loma and see what it feels like now compared to when I was a kid. It is funny how something so small like driving to the North Island area of Point Loma could be such a vibrant memory after over 20 years having the somewhat regular experience. It is just so interesting to see how much things change such as buildings, streets, etc. I would be curious to know if making that drive today would bring back any of those feelings I had as a kid or if it brought on new feelings or emotions. I guess one thing is for sure, I will have to get back down to San Diego sometime soon!


Sources: Wikipedia, IneTours.com, SanDiego.org

I learned from Barrett that Freire spent ten years of his career working for Brazil's SESI (Social Service of Industry). Here, he held many important positions, and helped redefine education in Brazil. The experiences he gained with the SESI inspired the doctoral dissertation he submitted in 1959. He also wrote numerous books on education that are still very influential.

Project 1B

Paulo Freire was a very influencial man in Brazil during an important part of world history. He was born right before the great depression which left many unsure of their lives and how to survive. It was very important that he influenced his native people to become literate due to voting rules. They must be literate in order to vote in their country. Can you imagine not being able to vote and have that right taken from you because you can't read the ballot? It is extremely important for everyone do have that freedom in life.

He did something great for Brazil by becoming a well known teacher and literacy activist. The teacher-student relationship was extremely important and he felt that informing others of that special relationship would help literacy in his country and around the world. He had the opportunity to learn and teach in other countries (United States and Europe). He could have gone on to become a lawyer but found he could be such help to everyone by teaching with his second wife. Teaching is the most important job to anyone, doesn't matter what age you are.

Project 1C

I decided to read Joseph Fitch's blog because he had never blogged but had created a webpage, so I felt we had that in common. He is also in the middle of his college years, so I felt what he wrote would be interesting.

What I learned from Joey's blog about Paulo Freire was:

Without the power to vote, the poor remained in a constant state of oppression.
Freire worked extensively to reach millions of people by writing books in both English and Spanish, which broadened his efforts and drew even more attention to a cultural issue that plagued the poor and illiterate. Freire created adult literacy projects focusing on educational reform to elevate the illiterate and poor cultures throughout Brazil.
Freire became one of the most renowned, influential thinkers and educators of the twentieth century; he believed in the power of education and used his philosophical ideals to help advance illiterate and poor cultures throughout the county and world.


I also read Mike Becerra's blog because he is also a younger college student and I am curious to see what he got out of this assignment.

He saw dialogue as an educational form. He believed that dialoge was a way for people to work with each other to gain a better understanding of the world.
He might be most well-known for his concept against "banking" Education. He believed that passive learners have pre-selected knowledge in their minds and that students were treated as empty accounts to be filled by teachers.

Project 1A

1. What is your first name only (not last)? Jeni

2. Why are you taking this class? I am currently working on completing my AA degree and this class sounded interesting so I figured why not sign up and take it this summer.

3. How far do you live from SRJC main campus (go to google, maps to get this answer)? I live about 5 miles from the JC campus. It is nice to live close by!

4. What do you hope to learn from this class? I hope to get a better understanding of Humanities, the course in general. Since I haven't taken this type of class before it will be quite interesting I think!

5. Have you created a blog or webpage in the past? I have not blogged before, so this is my first time! I did create a web page quite a while ago with alot of help from a friend! So I think it is nice to be able to have a reason to blog! :)