What insights have you gained from your reading of the prehistoric human use of fire, the invention of the wheel and the history of writing?

From reading The Use of Fire I have gained a very unique insight on one of the many possibilities of human evolution. It is obvious that at some point we as a race found a way to nurture and control the use of fire. Prehistoric humans used fire much like we use it today, to cook, to see, and at times to defend ourselves. Most of us can agree on that, but can we agree on when it stopped being a natural phenomenon and became a household tool? Well, that’s a little more complicated. However, an interesting theory arose. Homo erectus is the species closely related to humans so much that if one were walking around in modern times (not to mention fully clothed) not many would be able to tell the difference between Homo sapiens and Homo erectus. Now, in this theory the emergence of Homo erectus is one attributed to the cooking hypothesis. It is believed that cooking prehistoric food brought about monumental changes in the human evolution. Cooking the food made it easier to chew and digest. Changing the way the Australopithecine ate had a domino effect and in turn changed the way they looked. The gut became smaller since the food was now much easier to digest, and the teeth became smaller as large teeth were no longer needed to pulverize prehistoric meals. The insights I gained from The Invention of the Wheel are few and simple. Although the wheel is probably one of the most important inventions of the human race, I wasn’t too enthralled by the article. The history of the development of the wheel, although somewhat informative, wasn’t really based on artifacts or images left behind by prehistoric humans. It was very speculative. I understand when dealing with the past sometimes your imagination is all you have to go off of, but the birth of the wheel (and possibly the cart) was told in a somewhat dry manner. Maybe I’m just not into cars, even the prehistoric types. And finally, in The History of Writing I was able to refresh the insights I had all but forgotten. The written language is an amazing thing. Born out of necessity, taught to the fortunate, and spread to the world, the birth of true communication can be seen through the written language. Writing was created to be able to keep track of one’s own property, and then it was used to keep track of history, and now its use has endless possibilities. Through writing we share anecdotes, information, announcements, etc. To think, it all started with small tokens. As a pre-teaching intern, I am asked to read this kind of material because it is important to have a solid base of knowledge. To educate others we must know and understand the origins of education itself. The only reason we have reached these heights as a civilization is because of the pioneers before us. Coming into our own, we learned cooked meat is better for us than raw meat, transportation is crucial, and keeping a written record of all things is one way to stay organized.

Bio and Statement of Purpose

It is I, Diana Lopez. I am a student in search of her true calling. And that calling is becoming a teacher. Or so I think. I am 24 years old going on 25 in October 29. As I study and work hard towards what I believe to be a promising future, I stop to think if that is really the case. I have been through two Education based courses, EDF 1005 – Introduction to Education, and EME 2040 – Introduction to Educational Technology. As I make my way deeper into the career of my choice, I can’t help but wonder if I am in the right field. Several of my peers, some from as early on as Elementary school have gone off to become teachers. I have met several teachers throughout my time working at a bookstore. Some always have encouraging words, some don’t, but all have something to say about the life of a teacher. I have taken all those words of wisdom into consideration and now question if this is indeed the path best suited for me. Certain teachers would love nothing more than to help an aspiring teacher, other teachers speak only negative things about the economy, program cut backs, and sometimes other teachers. When I finish with my degree will I have a school to call my own? With so many economic changes what is to be expected when I finally graduate? But I must not let these negativities be the thing that deters me from a career in education. Instead I must look at all the information and make a decision based on facts. But there is another key factor in the decision making process, and that is my heart. My heart plays a vital role in becoming an educator because I must feel that this is indeed my true calling. And no matter how the odds are stacked I must believe that I will become an educator. I must believe it, not just for myself, but for the sake of my future students. It is for them that I must decide whole-heartedly. Because our future deserves better than a half-assed decision. I’m sure I’m not supposed to curse like that, becoming an educator and all, but sometimes we must use unorthodox methods to achieve a certain meaning. And that word fit the bill just right. As I sit here writing this, my mind is made up, I choose to become an Art Educator. I choose this because a life without Art is like a life without History. How do we know where we are going, if we don’t know where we have been? Art is the visual depiction of our History. Without it, the story of who we are will be based on a mere tale waiting to be told.