Monday, November 29, 2010
12 Sentence Story
I was sitting on the couch, feet propped up on the table, left hand loosely gripping the remote, right hand holding a water bottle. It was a normal summer day; nothing major would happen that day. Nicky and Leo, my cousin and her fiance, pulled up to my driveway. She was under stress, he was over the limit, and I was into my shows. Leo decided to leave. Bad idea. He thought that it was okay to drive and that even though he had a few drinks that day and that nothing bad would happen. Well, he crashed into my mom's car, and my mom's car crashed into the outside storage. In his eyes, I saw fear. What would my parents do when they saw what he did? Would they kill him, or beat him, or merely make him pay? My parents did not give a proper reaction, I was the one given a lecture--this was not a normal summer day.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Yes, another facebook post.
Recently here at the school, there was a group of students who were called to the office for a facebook status that was posted. This really upset the whole school, because they felt like the school shouldn't have control over what is said on facebook. I was one of those students that felt the school shouldn't punish students for what they say on facebook. Then I hear about people who are fired from their jobs and don't get into colleges because of what is on their facebook profiles, and I just feel outraged!
I came across this article Facebook, freedom and thin-skinned bosses and the author, Barry Bruce, tell his opinion on people getting fired for their facebook posts. In this article I actually learned about freedom of speech and what it actually protects us from.
In the article a teacher was fired because she had some pictures of her drinking alcohol while she was in Europe. I felt like this was a ridiculous dismissal because the lady was an adult not doing anything illegal. Granted she is a teacher and might have students who are friends with her, but outside of school, she isn't a teacher she is a regular human being who shouldn't be held at a different standard.
Don't get me wrong and think that I'm saying that it's good to bash your employer or school on social networking sites, I'm just saying that those are two separate entities that should never cross.
I really agreed with Bruce's statement about "...Holding a job should not require giving up your right to an expressive private life..." People should be able to express themselves freely without fear of "what the boss will say". Isn't that why we created social networking sites so we could be able to express ourselves with our friends freely?
I came across this article Facebook, freedom and thin-skinned bosses and the author, Barry Bruce, tell his opinion on people getting fired for their facebook posts. In this article I actually learned about freedom of speech and what it actually protects us from.
In the article a teacher was fired because she had some pictures of her drinking alcohol while she was in Europe. I felt like this was a ridiculous dismissal because the lady was an adult not doing anything illegal. Granted she is a teacher and might have students who are friends with her, but outside of school, she isn't a teacher she is a regular human being who shouldn't be held at a different standard.
Don't get me wrong and think that I'm saying that it's good to bash your employer or school on social networking sites, I'm just saying that those are two separate entities that should never cross.
I really agreed with Bruce's statement about "...Holding a job should not require giving up your right to an expressive private life..." People should be able to express themselves freely without fear of "what the boss will say". Isn't that why we created social networking sites so we could be able to express ourselves with our friends freely?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Books I plan on Reading
The first book I want to read this quarter is The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. I want to read this book because my dad recommended it to me, and it talks about how to get started in doing whatever I might want to begin, and I have some things I want to start.
I also want to finish the Hunger Games series. I read the first book in ninth grade, but two years and many books later, I haven't gotten to reading the next books. The first one was so good, I actually might reread it and then read the other ones.
I also want to read pride and prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies ever, and I always like to read the books of movies. I like to see the differences and give my mental critiques.
I also want to finish the Hunger Games series. I read the first book in ninth grade, but two years and many books later, I haven't gotten to reading the next books. The first one was so good, I actually might reread it and then read the other ones.
I also want to read pride and prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies ever, and I always like to read the books of movies. I like to see the differences and give my mental critiques.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Annotated Reading Log 2nd nine weeks
Dark Visions
Smith, L. J. Dark Visions. New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. Print.
752 pages
In this book there is a girl who has psychic abilities and she is sent to Zetes institute where her and a few other kids are being studied and taught to control their powers. Turns out that the owner of the institute, Mr. Zetes, is evil and has a different plan for the students. They run away and try to find magic to defeat him. Meanwhile Kait the main character is having a love triangle with two of the guys. They end up defeating Mr. Zetes in the end and Kait ends up falling for Gabriel, the bad boy. Of course. This book was cool because it was three books in one and it very entertaining. It was a typical predicting storyline, but it was really good just to see how the storyline played out.
The Art of The Start
Kawasaki, Guy. The Art of the Start: the Time-tested, Battle-hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything. New York: Portfolio, 2004. Print.
226 pages
This book is a guide book into starting anything that a person might wanna do. It mostly geared toward new entrepreneurs. The tips in this book will help people start and maintain a successful business or whatever someone might want to start.
To Die For: The Shocking True Story Of Serial Killer Of Dana Sue Gray
Braidhill, Kathy. New York: St. Martin's, 2000. Print.
320 pages
This book is about a woman who kills kills old women and steals their money to support her lavish lifestyle. The book is really slow to get into at first, but later it gets more interesting. The author didn't really talk much about the Law portion of the book. The book really wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do recommend reading crime books especially if you are CSI fan.
Smith, L. J. Dark Visions. New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. Print.
752 pages
In this book there is a girl who has psychic abilities and she is sent to Zetes institute where her and a few other kids are being studied and taught to control their powers. Turns out that the owner of the institute, Mr. Zetes, is evil and has a different plan for the students. They run away and try to find magic to defeat him. Meanwhile Kait the main character is having a love triangle with two of the guys. They end up defeating Mr. Zetes in the end and Kait ends up falling for Gabriel, the bad boy. Of course. This book was cool because it was three books in one and it very entertaining. It was a typical predicting storyline, but it was really good just to see how the storyline played out.
The Art of The Start
Kawasaki, Guy. The Art of the Start: the Time-tested, Battle-hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything. New York: Portfolio, 2004. Print.
226 pages
This book is a guide book into starting anything that a person might wanna do. It mostly geared toward new entrepreneurs. The tips in this book will help people start and maintain a successful business or whatever someone might want to start.
To Die For: The Shocking True Story Of Serial Killer Of Dana Sue Gray
Braidhill, Kathy. New York: St. Martin's, 2000. Print.
320 pages
This book is about a woman who kills kills old women and steals their money to support her lavish lifestyle. The book is really slow to get into at first, but later it gets more interesting. The author didn't really talk much about the Law portion of the book. The book really wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do recommend reading crime books especially if you are CSI fan.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Reading Reflection
This nine weeks was very busy. Band, clubs, and other classes took up so much time, that reading feel on the back burner, but in the end I completed the six book requirement. I was very pleased with that.
The only thing I wish I could have done better was the Journaling and filling out the reading log. Journaling especially, because it was so hard to get into the habit of inking my thinking. This next quarter will be better, because I'm in the habit and I understand how to do it.
I also realized that I read to much "candy" books so, this year I have challenged my self to read more "vegetable" books. Reading more difficult books will make me a stronger reader, which will benefit me in the long run.
The only thing I wish I could have done better was the Journaling and filling out the reading log. Journaling especially, because it was so hard to get into the habit of inking my thinking. This next quarter will be better, because I'm in the habit and I understand how to do it.
I also realized that I read to much "candy" books so, this year I have challenged my self to read more "vegetable" books. Reading more difficult books will make me a stronger reader, which will benefit me in the long run.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Socratic Seminar Reflection
When I first learned that our class would be having a Socratic seminar, I was a bit apprehensive about how it would actually go, would it turn into a heated debate, or would it be long awkward silences. When the seminar began, I realized that it wasn't going as I thought, it was actually civil.
My performance was not as I expected. Usually I dominate the conversation, but in the seminar I was dominated because of interruptions, but I digress. The seminar did deepen my understanding of the novel. It also posed a lot more questions about our society and if we[our society] are heading to a society like the one in Brave New World. The seminar also showed me the different views people had, on the same topic. For example, Andrea interpreted Henry Ford as God because he basically "created" the Brave New World society just as God Created us. While Nelson and I viewed him as a figure they[ Brave New World people] looked up to because of his scientific advances and they were a scientific society.
My favorite part of the Socratic discussion was the evaluation period after each discussion. I feel like the conversation became deeper with the whole class involved, and it was easier to share opinions because the pressure was taken off.
This exercise turned out to be really fun and thought- provoking! I would not mind having these seminars more frequently! If I had a "do-over" then I would be more aggressive in getting in the conversation.
My performance was not as I expected. Usually I dominate the conversation, but in the seminar I was dominated because of interruptions, but I digress. The seminar did deepen my understanding of the novel. It also posed a lot more questions about our society and if we[our society] are heading to a society like the one in Brave New World. The seminar also showed me the different views people had, on the same topic. For example, Andrea interpreted Henry Ford as God because he basically "created" the Brave New World society just as God Created us. While Nelson and I viewed him as a figure they[ Brave New World people] looked up to because of his scientific advances and they were a scientific society.
My favorite part of the Socratic discussion was the evaluation period after each discussion. I feel like the conversation became deeper with the whole class involved, and it was easier to share opinions because the pressure was taken off.
This exercise turned out to be really fun and thought- provoking! I would not mind having these seminars more frequently! If I had a "do-over" then I would be more aggressive in getting in the conversation.
ANNOTATED READING LIST
Postman, Neil. Amusing ourselves to death: public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death delivers an amusing critique on our society's addiction to television. In the book Postman says that America is heading towards a society like BNW. He says that Americans were more intelligent before the influence of television. He also points out that our society has become too focused on "show business", which I totally agree because we [Americans] put people in show business on such high pedestals. Religion is one of the things that is negatively affected by television because of all the television church services. Basically, Postman is saying that television has changed the way we think, talk ,and act and that is not a good thing because we don't want to end up like the people in Huxley's BNW. (163)
Huxley, Aldous. Brave new world. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.
Huxley's Brave New World predicts a future that is very scary. This Book Is set in a time in the future, where everyone is exactly the same. From Birth the people are manipulated to be exactly how society wants them to be. They use different tactics to make the people how they want them to be. For example they genetically modify children and they use hypnopaedia so they end how society wants them to be. In every bunch there are always a few bad apples. For example, Bernard Marx is a strange young fellow compared to the other alphas. He doesn't think or act like them. One day Bernard and his lady friend, Lenina, go to a savage reservation and find a savage who's mother is from the BNW society. Bernard takes him back and life is never the same again. The savage comes to the BNW society and does not know how to react to all the immoral acts done by the BNW society. He realizes that in the BNW society there are no morals or individualism and that is something he doesn't handle well. Huxley used a very interesting writing style, he told different stories at one time, it was confusing, but made me a stronger reader. This book also opened my eyes to how morals and individualism is very important. I also asked the question is stability worth giving up individualism?? (268)
Bray, Libba. The Sweet Far Thing. New York: Delacorte, 2007. Print.
The Sweet Far Thing is set during Victorian times at Spence Girl's Academy. I felt like the characters in this book were too modern for the time the book was set in. Gemma Doyle is the main character and she is the protector of the magic. Her friends Felicity and Ann also use the magic because Gemma has the power to give them some. She also has a beautiful romance with a boy named Kartik that has an unfortunate ending. The girls are about to be debuted into society, and so they are getting ready for that in the day, but at night they are getting ready to fight a war that is brewing in the realms. This book was a long read, but it wasn't very challenging so I recommend it for anyone looking for a pleasure read. I also recommend the first two in the trilogy.(816)
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Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death delivers an amusing critique on our society's addiction to television. In the book Postman says that America is heading towards a society like BNW. He says that Americans were more intelligent before the influence of television. He also points out that our society has become too focused on "show business", which I totally agree because we [Americans] put people in show business on such high pedestals. Religion is one of the things that is negatively affected by television because of all the television church services. Basically, Postman is saying that television has changed the way we think, talk ,and act and that is not a good thing because we don't want to end up like the people in Huxley's BNW. (163)
Huxley, Aldous. Brave new world. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.
Huxley's Brave New World predicts a future that is very scary. This Book Is set in a time in the future, where everyone is exactly the same. From Birth the people are manipulated to be exactly how society wants them to be. They use different tactics to make the people how they want them to be. For example they genetically modify children and they use hypnopaedia so they end how society wants them to be. In every bunch there are always a few bad apples. For example, Bernard Marx is a strange young fellow compared to the other alphas. He doesn't think or act like them. One day Bernard and his lady friend, Lenina, go to a savage reservation and find a savage who's mother is from the BNW society. Bernard takes him back and life is never the same again. The savage comes to the BNW society and does not know how to react to all the immoral acts done by the BNW society. He realizes that in the BNW society there are no morals or individualism and that is something he doesn't handle well. Huxley used a very interesting writing style, he told different stories at one time, it was confusing, but made me a stronger reader. This book also opened my eyes to how morals and individualism is very important. I also asked the question is stability worth giving up individualism?? (268)
Bray, Libba. The Sweet Far Thing. New York: Delacorte, 2007. Print.
The Sweet Far Thing is set during Victorian times at Spence Girl's Academy. I felt like the characters in this book were too modern for the time the book was set in. Gemma Doyle is the main character and she is the protector of the magic. Her friends Felicity and Ann also use the magic because Gemma has the power to give them some. She also has a beautiful romance with a boy named Kartik that has an unfortunate ending. The girls are about to be debuted into society, and so they are getting ready for that in the day, but at night they are getting ready to fight a war that is brewing in the realms. This book was a long read, but it wasn't very challenging so I recommend it for anyone looking for a pleasure read. I also recommend the first two in the trilogy.(816)
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