Weblog Journal One

To tell the truth, I really had no idea what to expect of this class. I actually signed up for it a class late, after spending time deciding if I wanted to take this or another Islamic law course. I chose this course for a variety of reasons. The first one was because I feel like I have a personal connection with the city of Jerusalem. Having spent time there in 2009, I felt an urge to continue where I left off during that trip in regards to my knowledge of that city. Another reason was because I am always interested to hear what people's perception of Jerusalem is. There are so many different ways of viewing the conflict surrounding that city that I feel as if I could spend an entire lifetime conversing about it, and still not have the whole story. My last reason for choosing this class was because of it's format. The idea of speaking to people from all around the world over the internet is fascinating to me and that only will add to my interest in the opinions of the city. I think the usage of this technology gives me a truly novel way of understanding the conflict and I am excited to see how it unfolds.

So far, this course has proved all of my reasons to be well founded. The topics of the readings have caused me to reflect back on my experience when I was in Jerusalem as well as my time since I returned. The second set of readings set a historical background for this city and its importance. I remember how my friends from Israel suggested that I do that before I leave for the country and now that I am reading that topic again, it has shown me how much I have learned. Prior to leaving for Israel the first time, I knew very little about the country. I was limited to what I had learned in school and my personal reading that I had done. Now since my return, I have grown in my understanding of Jerusalem and I no longer view it just through a historical lens like the second readings. Rather, I see Jerusalem as a wide set of conflicts, organic, and always changing. The first set of readings only supported the idea that Jerusalem is more than just a historical landmark, but rather, it is a blend of cultures and traditions that is nearly impossible to describe through any means.

Another aspect of this class which has had value to me is the classroom discussions. These discussions have proven to be very insightful as to the variety of opinions in the class. It has been amazing to see the openness of students from very different backgrounds with often opposing views be willing to speak up and ask questions. It is encouraging to see the cooperation and willingness to relate in all of the students minds and it has caused there to be a very positive dialogue. I look forward to hearing more about people's opinions and how they formed them in the coming weeks. To me, this will provide just as much insight into the conflict as any reading I could ever read.

Lastly, the opportunity to blog and interact with students as per the classes requirement, is exciting and innovative to me. While this portion of the class is still in it's infancy, already I have begun to see the potential this style of learning has. I have enjoyed reading the students opinions on their blogs mainly for the reason that I can look back on their work more than once and reflect on it. I almost feel like I am reading a students paper, where I can spend time out of class reflecting on what that person says, rather than only hearing students opinions in class. I also see that the opportunity to speak with classes from all around the States will give me even more opportunities to hear opinions of the conflict in Jerusalem.

Once more, this class has and I believe will continue, to provide me with new ways of learning about the conflict surrounding Jerusalem. I am very excited to interact more with the students here at OSU and from elsewhere and to understand their background more. I truly believe that unless I do my best to relate to people and where they are coming from, that I will not be able to get the most out of any discussion. This class has proved that I am not the only one who thinks that, and that gives promise to a long term solution to Jerusalem.