http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVrxakfJLW8
A Girl, A Boy, and A Graveyard is a very powerful song, written and performed by Jeremy Messersmith. The song is about a boy and a girl (Lucy) who both feel as though they are numb, and aren't really living. The song is made up of all the things that Lucy is telling the boy. Lucy feels as though she "is waiting for a shock to bring me back to life." Niether one feels as though they are really living because they're just "waiting for lightening to strike." They both want something important to happen, but feel as though they can't make it happen. I find this song very insightful because it deals with waiting around, and how these two people view life in general.
I feel as though I can relate to this song because I often feel as though right now I'm just getting through my work, or sitting through my classes. It's like I'm just going through the motions, blocking a routine instead of dancing it. I keep thinking that someday I'm going to get all of these new experiences, and not be spending all my time waiting. Lucy also says in the song that she feels like a "princess in a castle high, waiting for a kiss to bring me back to life, but I don't want to spend my time, waiting for just another guy." Both of these people feel as though they are drowning, simply because they feel as though nothing is really happening in their lives, but they want it too.
This song also deals with certain aspects of life, and our mortality. Many people hate the idea of dying, and I have to admit, I don't like it either. Many people try to pretend that they aren't mortal, so they live either very recklessly because they don't want to realize they could be ending their own lives. Other people are very cautious and try to outsmart death. Either way, as Lucy says, "Life's a game we're meant to lose." She does not say this as a negative statement, it's more like a fact. I think a lot of people could relate to this song, because I know many people don't want to wait for a big event, and they feel like they are wasting their lives, which won't last forever.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Best of the Week: Books Aren't Perfect
How many times in an English class has a teacher claimed that a book had all the right elements and displayed themes perfectly? Still, how many times have I found a book in English that I didn;t enjoy? There was Lord of the Flies, March, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. I loved very few books, and mildly enjoyed others. With all the books that I we've read in English, I've never had a teacher admit that something was wrong with the book. No teacher has ever said, "Wow isn't it annoying how Hurston has all of her text represent the way people sound when they talk?" or "March complains a lot, and he also seems to be up on a too high horse for somebody who has deserted their family." I've found problems in the books that I did love in classes, or even my favorite books outside of the class room; they do have their flaws. An hearing an English teacher admit that a book wasn't perfect made me relieved.
To be completely honest, I did not enjoy The Shadow Catcher. I felt that the parts that I was interested in (Edward & Clara) were far too scarce. Marianne Wiggins' story took over way too much. I felt that much of her story was boring, and even if the idea of streets linking her story together is very clever, it was hard to get through, simply because it wasn't interesting. I tried to go through it without judging it, something which is hard to do, and when I did get through it, I was grateful it was over. I love to read, I'm a little picky, but I do love to read. This was one book that I could not make myself enjoy. I heard my opinion echoed throughout the junoir class, there were some serious problems with this book.
This was, however, the first time a teacher admitted that there was an issue. Mr. Allen kept looking at the coincidences and telling us that he had a hard time buying it, just like we were. He said that the book at massive flaws, which it did! I've never felt like I could tell a teacher before that I hated a book, because the natural assumtion was that they loved all of these books. I think all teachers, and students, need to be honest about their opinions of the books we read, because we're not all necessarily going to like the same books, or any of them. There is not a single book that is perfect, and I think the sooner that everyone realizes that there are flaws with everything, the more accepting they will be of books, because the expectation of perfection won't be there.
To be completely honest, I did not enjoy The Shadow Catcher. I felt that the parts that I was interested in (Edward & Clara) were far too scarce. Marianne Wiggins' story took over way too much. I felt that much of her story was boring, and even if the idea of streets linking her story together is very clever, it was hard to get through, simply because it wasn't interesting. I tried to go through it without judging it, something which is hard to do, and when I did get through it, I was grateful it was over. I love to read, I'm a little picky, but I do love to read. This was one book that I could not make myself enjoy. I heard my opinion echoed throughout the junoir class, there were some serious problems with this book.
This was, however, the first time a teacher admitted that there was an issue. Mr. Allen kept looking at the coincidences and telling us that he had a hard time buying it, just like we were. He said that the book at massive flaws, which it did! I've never felt like I could tell a teacher before that I hated a book, because the natural assumtion was that they loved all of these books. I think all teachers, and students, need to be honest about their opinions of the books we read, because we're not all necessarily going to like the same books, or any of them. There is not a single book that is perfect, and I think the sooner that everyone realizes that there are flaws with everything, the more accepting they will be of books, because the expectation of perfection won't be there.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Metacognition: The QE essay
When the QE essay was first introduced I immediately became very nervous. I always get a little scared when and essay is assigned, because I consider myself a writer, and feel slightly embarassed when there is a strong negative feedback to my work. So hearing about the QE essay made me anxious, simply because I felt as though I needed to defend my self proclaimed title as "the good writer". As I worked on the QE essay, I realized that I had used five main steps to complete it.
Step One: Learn about the essay. The biggest mistake anybody can make with an essay is ignoring the directions. Writing an essay about ponies in the 1800s is just dandy, but it isn't so great if the assignment was to write an essay about the Russian Revolution. It is important to know the subject matter, format, and style that your essay requires. It is nearly impossible to do well on an essay with out knowing these things.
Step Two: Pick the topic wisely. In the QE essay we were given a list of topics and told to pick which one we would like to write about. There was no catch, just a choice. This was probably the most important part of the essay for me. Picking the right topic on an essay with that many choices can make or break your grade. The rest of the essay depends on this point, so I picked a topic that I not only liked, but felt I could easily support.
Step Three: Find quotes and sources. When five sources are required, but only three may be quoted, it is pretty important to find similarities between articles and stories, and find the quotes that BEST support your theory. When I have hand picked articles to choose from, I'm expected to find great quotes because they have been laid out in front of me. This is also essential. Your quotes and sources will support your entire paper; without it the essay falls flat. I knew I needed quotes that described how emotion affects creativity, but I realized well I was working that the quotes needed to be ones I could elaborate on and explain.
Step Four: Begin the rough draft. Now that all of the puzzle pieces are there, its time to put them together. I always put a lot of work into my rough drafts because I know that if I do a good job from the beginning, I'll have less to fix later. Unfortunately, I did not completely understand the "voice" I was supposed to be using, but I already had all of the basic ideas I needed.
Step Five: After someone else edits your work, fix it. After we got back the corrections on the rough draft I was not happy by the work in front of me. I thought I had done so well! But I knew that with this grade already in, I was going to have to really blow the final essay out of the park. So I read the comments I was given, and really worked the parts that had been marked. If I was told I needed more elaboration, I elaborated more. It is hard to take constructive criticism, but it is important too.
The QE essay had many steps drawn out over a long time. These steps are the basic steps that I take when it comes to any kind of writing. The QE essay was different than other papers I've written, but it essentially has the same steps of knowing what you're doing, picking a topic, finding your quotes/support, writing the paper, and, finally, editing the paper. Of course there is step six too, which is pretty important: TURN IT IN!!! Step One: Learn about the essay. This step is essential when you're completing an assignment. Writing a killer essay on why ponies should be allowed to take people to school is very well and good, but it won't benefit you much when you're supposed to be writing about the Russian Revolution. Not knowing the format you're supposed to write in, the kind of essay (persuasive, research, narrative, informative, massive combination) you're writing, and what the subject should be guarantees a failing grade. The QE essay was not set up in a way that I have ever seen before. It obviously wasn't a five paragraph essay, but it did have the structure of three sections. If I had merely decided that those sections were suggestions, I would not be able to right the kind of paper that was expected of me.
Step One: Learn about the essay. The biggest mistake anybody can make with an essay is ignoring the directions. Writing an essay about ponies in the 1800s is just dandy, but it isn't so great if the assignment was to write an essay about the Russian Revolution. It is important to know the subject matter, format, and style that your essay requires. It is nearly impossible to do well on an essay with out knowing these things.
Step Two: Pick the topic wisely. In the QE essay we were given a list of topics and told to pick which one we would like to write about. There was no catch, just a choice. This was probably the most important part of the essay for me. Picking the right topic on an essay with that many choices can make or break your grade. The rest of the essay depends on this point, so I picked a topic that I not only liked, but felt I could easily support.
Step Three: Find quotes and sources. When five sources are required, but only three may be quoted, it is pretty important to find similarities between articles and stories, and find the quotes that BEST support your theory. When I have hand picked articles to choose from, I'm expected to find great quotes because they have been laid out in front of me. This is also essential. Your quotes and sources will support your entire paper; without it the essay falls flat. I knew I needed quotes that described how emotion affects creativity, but I realized well I was working that the quotes needed to be ones I could elaborate on and explain.
Step Four: Begin the rough draft. Now that all of the puzzle pieces are there, its time to put them together. I always put a lot of work into my rough drafts because I know that if I do a good job from the beginning, I'll have less to fix later. Unfortunately, I did not completely understand the "voice" I was supposed to be using, but I already had all of the basic ideas I needed.
Step Five: After someone else edits your work, fix it. After we got back the corrections on the rough draft I was not happy by the work in front of me. I thought I had done so well! But I knew that with this grade already in, I was going to have to really blow the final essay out of the park. So I read the comments I was given, and really worked the parts that had been marked. If I was told I needed more elaboration, I elaborated more. It is hard to take constructive criticism, but it is important too.
The QE essay had many steps drawn out over a long time. These steps are the basic steps that I take when it comes to any kind of writing. The QE essay was different than other papers I've written, but it essentially has the same steps of knowing what you're doing, picking a topic, finding your quotes/support, writing the paper, and, finally, editing the paper. Of course there is step six too, which is pretty important: TURN IT IN!!! Step One: Learn about the essay. This step is essential when you're completing an assignment. Writing a killer essay on why ponies should be allowed to take people to school is very well and good, but it won't benefit you much when you're supposed to be writing about the Russian Revolution. Not knowing the format you're supposed to write in, the kind of essay (persuasive, research, narrative, informative, massive combination) you're writing, and what the subject should be guarantees a failing grade. The QE essay was not set up in a way that I have ever seen before. It obviously wasn't a five paragraph essay, but it did have the structure of three sections. If I had merely decided that those sections were suggestions, I would not be able to right the kind of paper that was expected of me.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Team Blog!!
Team name: Portmanteau
Team motto: It's All Coming Together
Team logo:
We have to stick figures standing together holding hands. Underneath them "portmanteau" is written, with their bodies forming the Ts. That is in a circle and underneath it all it says "It's All Coming Together"
Skills Inventory:
Duncan: Good artistic ability
Benjy: Good at interpreting ideas and concepts
Hallie: Good at keeping the group focused and moving ahead
Debra: Good at writing
Roles:
Duncan: Artist
Benjy: Artist/ idea combiner
Hallie: Deadlines and organization
Debra: Writer
We will all brainstorm and work together, but these are the areas we will each specialize in.
Team motto: It's All Coming Together
Team logo:
We have to stick figures standing together holding hands. Underneath them "portmanteau" is written, with their bodies forming the Ts. That is in a circle and underneath it all it says "It's All Coming Together"
Skills Inventory:
Duncan: Good artistic ability
Benjy: Good at interpreting ideas and concepts
Hallie: Good at keeping the group focused and moving ahead
Debra: Good at writing
Roles:
Duncan: Artist
Benjy: Artist/ idea combiner
Hallie: Deadlines and organization
Debra: Writer
We will all brainstorm and work together, but these are the areas we will each specialize in.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Blogging Around
I posted on Jake L.'s first blog which was about becoming an inventor and using creativity in his own life. I wrote:
I think this is a really great blog! I love that you've applied the ideas to your past, and noticed the way that you like to think! I've noticed on other blogs that people are only focusing on their future, but they're not talking about how these things effect what they used to use. I also really like that you're creativity hasn't faded. I feel like a lot of kids have very creative minds, but they don't keep the curiosity. So many people would just go buy a capo, but instead you made your own. Even if it didn't work (even though I think it did) at least you tried instead of relying on the people who do have already made it.
I also posted on Virginia I.'s blog about how not everything in life is an either/ or situation, and instead of rushing into arguments, people should try to realize that not everyone will necessarily share their opinion. I wrote:
I have to say I completely agree with you! I love that we're able to have open class room discussions and that new ideas and view points don't go unnoticed. However, I think that often people argue, simply to argue. It is something that I've noticed a lot, not only in our class, but in real life. I know that we've had some discussions that may not have been necessary, but I see people getting in arguments all the time. A lot of the time people get into these arguments because they aren't willing to realize that not everything has a defined answer. I think this blog was extremely well written and has a lot of ideas that we can apply to class and to real our real lives.
I think this is a really great blog! I love that you've applied the ideas to your past, and noticed the way that you like to think! I've noticed on other blogs that people are only focusing on their future, but they're not talking about how these things effect what they used to use. I also really like that you're creativity hasn't faded. I feel like a lot of kids have very creative minds, but they don't keep the curiosity. So many people would just go buy a capo, but instead you made your own. Even if it didn't work (even though I think it did) at least you tried instead of relying on the people who do have already made it.
I also posted on Virginia I.'s blog about how not everything in life is an either/ or situation, and instead of rushing into arguments, people should try to realize that not everyone will necessarily share their opinion. I wrote:
I have to say I completely agree with you! I love that we're able to have open class room discussions and that new ideas and view points don't go unnoticed. However, I think that often people argue, simply to argue. It is something that I've noticed a lot, not only in our class, but in real life. I know that we've had some discussions that may not have been necessary, but I see people getting in arguments all the time. A lot of the time people get into these arguments because they aren't willing to realize that not everything has a defined answer. I think this blog was extremely well written and has a lot of ideas that we can apply to class and to real our real lives.
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