| NCLC 130 focused on teaching us about the
world and the ideas and beliefs that come from different parts of the
world. I learned about the cultures and lifestyles of many different
countries. This course helped me to understand the different ideas and
taught me to not just look at the surface but ti dig deeper into the
meaning of a text or work of art. I gained a deeper understanding of many different ways of thinking. For examlple in my paper "Heresy," I had to chose an ideology and write how a person with this ideology would view another ideology. I chose to take the Christian ideology and compare it to the ideology of Yoga. The author that I was specifically looking at was Tertullian. From reading and studying Tertullian's Christian beliefs, I realized that he would consider Yoga a false doctrine. I used many quotes from Tertullian as well as the Bible to support my statement. In the process of stating Tertullian's beliefs, I was also able to gain a deeper understanding of Yoga. I learned that Yoga is not only an exercise, but it is part of the Hindu worship. Even though Yoga is mainly used for exercise today, it still has a spiritual tie to the Hindu god, Brahman. By comparing these two ideologies, I gained a deeper understanding of both. I also learned to look at the history and symbolism of different texts aand art. In my paper about decontextualizing, I described how museums tend to showcase art out of context. This creates a false appearance, which can manipulate and change the original meaning of the art. For example, many of the religious paintings in the National Gallery of Art are placed out of context. Many religious pieces were used for meditation in churches, but in the gallery, people see a beautiful painting and have no understanding of what it was originally used for. Similarly, the African Art Museum does not give a lot of history behind the masks and artifacts that are in the building. Without the history, I was unable to figure out what the purpose of each piece was. I learned to find the original meaning of the art in order to see it in context. NCLC 130 taught me a lot about other ideologies and taught me to look beyond the surface to understand the maening These will help me a lot as I move forward in life. By understanding different ideologies, I will be able to understand people who believe those ideologies. I will also be able to advocate against some of the ideologies that I believe are wrong. I will be able to stand and defend my beliefs against those who take part in some of those ideoogies that are harmful to others. I will be able to teach my students the history and original meaning of texts and artwork, and this will allow me to teach my students the truth rather than misinterpretations. The material that I learned in NCLC 130 will help me become a more active citizen and a more effective teacher. |