What is the greatest challenge facing your generation? What will be necessary to address it?
I think the greatest challenge facing my generation is the reliance on technology. I believe that this is a pandemic, because we as a society have completely engulfed ourselves in a world of technology, meaning that we have machines do almost everything for us. Because this is happening, people with actual skill are being put out of business/overshadowed. To address this, we need to make the entire country aware, but honestly, I dont think we will ever live to see a day in which hand-craft overtakes machines again.
What is the greatest contribution you and/or your generation are in the process of making to America and/or American culture?
I think that the greatest contribution we have made as a generation is taking the initiative to clean up the mess of the previous generation. We have been doing this by creating alternative energies, green cars, solar panels for houses, and many other innovations. I think that this contribution is very important because it will ultimately save our planet one day.
What four-year college/s are you interested in and why?
My vision for college is at a 4 year university, particularly a UC. Of the UC's, my school of choice would be UCSC because of its environment, campus, and ideals. Other than Santa Cruz, I am very interested in Boulder, U of O, and UBC. After I graduate from a 4 year university, I dont know what I want to do, but hopefully something in the field of music or design.
What is a quality in a classmate that you would like to develop in yourself?
A quality that i see in a classmate that I admire is Emilies ability to complete work thouroughly and never let down teams. She is consistently a good partner in projects, and always does her share of the work. Also, she is always focused, and never cuts her abilities short.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Describe in detail one significant academic challenge you faced this year. Why was it a challenge for you? Go in depth, use specific experiences, and explain how they contrast with a less challenging experience.
An academic challenge that I faced this year was completing my drafts. Although I would complete the necessary drafts to get points in class, I often overshadowed the comments about the body of the writing, and just focused on miniscule corrections like spelling and grammar. This was such a challenge for me to improve on because of my own laziness, as well as a lack of focus. As the year progressed, I saw that this bad quality was bringing my writing down, so I asked students for suggestions and used them to actually change large portions of my writing to better it as a whole. After applying this skill, I saw a vast improvement in my overall writing and so did the people reading my pieces.
What is your greatest strength as a student in a project-based learning environment?
I think that my greatest strength when working in the HTH environment is that I have creative freedom, which often leads to better quality projects with a more personal aspect. At most schools, you are required to work by specific guidelines and rules, but at HTHMA most classes allow a lot of creative freedom. Because of this creative freedom, I often spend a lot of extra time on projects and add artistic touches to them.
What challenges do you face as a student in a project-based learning environment?
A large challenge that I face when working in the HTH environment is the freedom. Because our school functions much like a college, Teachers rely on students to stay focused and complete assignments on their own time. Although this makes things much more laid back, I often overlook this and see it as free-time, which results in a lack of productiveness. Because of this idea that I get in my head, I often waste time that could be used to work and complete projects. Even though this still remains a small problem, I have improved on this front and am now more focused in school.
An academic challenge that I faced this year was completing my drafts. Although I would complete the necessary drafts to get points in class, I often overshadowed the comments about the body of the writing, and just focused on miniscule corrections like spelling and grammar. This was such a challenge for me to improve on because of my own laziness, as well as a lack of focus. As the year progressed, I saw that this bad quality was bringing my writing down, so I asked students for suggestions and used them to actually change large portions of my writing to better it as a whole. After applying this skill, I saw a vast improvement in my overall writing and so did the people reading my pieces.
What is your greatest strength as a student in a project-based learning environment?
I think that my greatest strength when working in the HTH environment is that I have creative freedom, which often leads to better quality projects with a more personal aspect. At most schools, you are required to work by specific guidelines and rules, but at HTHMA most classes allow a lot of creative freedom. Because of this creative freedom, I often spend a lot of extra time on projects and add artistic touches to them.
What challenges do you face as a student in a project-based learning environment?
A large challenge that I face when working in the HTH environment is the freedom. Because our school functions much like a college, Teachers rely on students to stay focused and complete assignments on their own time. Although this makes things much more laid back, I often overlook this and see it as free-time, which results in a lack of productiveness. Because of this idea that I get in my head, I often waste time that could be used to work and complete projects. Even though this still remains a small problem, I have improved on this front and am now more focused in school.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Over the course of this year, we have been given multiple writing assignments with topics varying from our internship, to the books we read in class. All of these assignments were alike, because we had to complete multiple drafts for each. As the year comes to a halt, I now look back on the improvements I’ve made as a writer, as well as the new techniques I learned in class that I now apply to my writing. My writing has changed drastically over the course of the year, and although most of the writing tips were helpful, the two that stood out the most were the use of a strong thesis, as well as creating a loop.
I think that a distinct improvement I’ve made this year is the use of the loop. After discussing this method of writing in class, I started applying it to my pieces. An example of the writing tip is in my Ampersand essay, in which I explain a childhood memory at the start, only to re-visit the memory at the end of the story. After noticing the differences between my first draft and my final draft, I concurred that the most important change I made was creating the loop. Not only did it add a personal aspect to my writing, but it also gave it more flow, and because of this, I have started using this method on all essays.
Another important aspect of writing that I tried to embody in my pieces was the use of a strong thesis. Before I started putting strong thesis’ in my writing, my opening paragraphs were often weak and un-inviting to the reader. As the year progressed, I became more focused on my thesis’ and I not only learned about the importance of a strong thesis, but also about the drastic changes a thesis can make to your paper. After forming thesis’ in class, I decided to apply it to my “Into Thin Air” essay. Not only did adding a strong thesis make the opening paragraph inviting, but it also created a window for the reader to take a look at what was to come in the piece of writing.
Overall, I can say that iv changed drastically as a writer this year, from my thesis statements, to the use of the loop in my writing. Although I feel as though my writing has improved as a whole, these two stand out as the most distinct changes I'v made this year.
Goal:
This year has been full of several changes, from the quality of my work, to my will to work. Although many improvements have been made, there are still several things that I can improve, one of them being my writing. The pieces I have written this year differ much from last years pieces because of their sheer quality and amount of drafting, but I can still improve on both of these fronts greatly.
An important part of writing is drafting and revising, which I have come to know and hate. Even though the process isn't always fun, it truly is the key to creating a strong piece of writing that you can be proud of. Throughout the year, I have created multiple drafts of all my essays, and while I didn't like doing so, it ultimately changed my writing so that it was much more presentable. Although i have started to use this method more frequently, I can still improve greatly by putting more thought into revising my drafts. An example of a slow revision would be my ampersand piece, because after creating the first draft I wrote several more, but saw few changes in them. Each draft seemed to be almost identical to the last, except for minor changes. As soon as I was notified of this, I started putting more corrections in, as well as taking out whole chunks while adding more. At the end of the process, I came out with a piece that was far better and more intricate than my first draft.
Although it may seem unimportant to some, drafting and revising is one of the most crucial aspects of writing, and this year has been an important one to me writing-wise. Out of all the tips, drafting is the one I am focused most on, because i now understand the importance of it and how it will serve me later in life.
I think that a distinct improvement I’ve made this year is the use of the loop. After discussing this method of writing in class, I started applying it to my pieces. An example of the writing tip is in my Ampersand essay, in which I explain a childhood memory at the start, only to re-visit the memory at the end of the story. After noticing the differences between my first draft and my final draft, I concurred that the most important change I made was creating the loop. Not only did it add a personal aspect to my writing, but it also gave it more flow, and because of this, I have started using this method on all essays.
Another important aspect of writing that I tried to embody in my pieces was the use of a strong thesis. Before I started putting strong thesis’ in my writing, my opening paragraphs were often weak and un-inviting to the reader. As the year progressed, I became more focused on my thesis’ and I not only learned about the importance of a strong thesis, but also about the drastic changes a thesis can make to your paper. After forming thesis’ in class, I decided to apply it to my “Into Thin Air” essay. Not only did adding a strong thesis make the opening paragraph inviting, but it also created a window for the reader to take a look at what was to come in the piece of writing.
Overall, I can say that iv changed drastically as a writer this year, from my thesis statements, to the use of the loop in my writing. Although I feel as though my writing has improved as a whole, these two stand out as the most distinct changes I'v made this year.
Goal:
This year has been full of several changes, from the quality of my work, to my will to work. Although many improvements have been made, there are still several things that I can improve, one of them being my writing. The pieces I have written this year differ much from last years pieces because of their sheer quality and amount of drafting, but I can still improve on both of these fronts greatly.
An important part of writing is drafting and revising, which I have come to know and hate. Even though the process isn't always fun, it truly is the key to creating a strong piece of writing that you can be proud of. Throughout the year, I have created multiple drafts of all my essays, and while I didn't like doing so, it ultimately changed my writing so that it was much more presentable. Although i have started to use this method more frequently, I can still improve greatly by putting more thought into revising my drafts. An example of a slow revision would be my ampersand piece, because after creating the first draft I wrote several more, but saw few changes in them. Each draft seemed to be almost identical to the last, except for minor changes. As soon as I was notified of this, I started putting more corrections in, as well as taking out whole chunks while adding more. At the end of the process, I came out with a piece that was far better and more intricate than my first draft.
Although it may seem unimportant to some, drafting and revising is one of the most crucial aspects of writing, and this year has been an important one to me writing-wise. Out of all the tips, drafting is the one I am focused most on, because i now understand the importance of it and how it will serve me later in life.
Monday, June 14, 2010
If I were to choose one of our previous presidents as a professor, I would definitely choose FDR. My reasons for choosing him are numerous, from his easy going personality, to his idea of things being hands on. First off, I think FDR would make an excellent professor because of his ideals and his slight sense of humor that he displayed when he said, "If you treat people right they will treat you right - ninety percent of the time". Aside from those qualities, I think he also knew that hands-on was an effective method of learning and governing, so hopefully he would take this into the classroom. While he was in office, he pleased the country by creating public works projects, so hopefully he would create some kind of program for bettering the lives of his students. Also, I think that his motivational speeches and quotes show that he would motivate the class to work hard and achieve great things. A good example of this would be when he was quoted saying, "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself". Lastly, I think that he knows how the world works in many aspects, so I think he could be a good economics or political science proffesor. A quote that shows his finesse in this field would be when he said, "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future".
Monday, June 7, 2010
Out of all the characters we have been introduced to this year, few seem like the type you would want to live with. If I were to choose from the bunch to find a roommate to live with in college, I would have to go with one man... Gatsby. The reasons for living with Gatsby in college are numerous, from his suave, to his overall connections. Gatsby embodies the college life in a pretty bad ass fashion by taking the party aspect and adding class. If we were roommates, he would always have a full bar and a dorm full of people partying, which already seems appealing. I know he would act like this, because throughout the book, he is constantly having parties with bootlegged alcohol and women by the hundreds. An example of this would be the party in which Nick Hornby first meets Gatsby, because upon entering, he is astonished to see the huge amounts of illegal alcohol and people gathered at the mansion. Also, Gatsby is quite the food connoisseur, so I think he would always keep the dorm stocked with good food. He displays this when he has hundreds of oranges shipped to him just for his juicer every day. Besides the food, drinks, and women, he seems like an overall interesting guy from his experiences, and also a mystery man which adds even more interest. Finally, if we were dorming together, I could help Gatsby in getting the hell over daisy and her indecisive self, because he seems hopeless, and I'm obnoxious enough that I could just tell her to have fun with Tom go away so that Gatsby could focus on the college hunnies.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
1. Summarize the facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution. Include relevant witnesses and testimony.
The prosecution was arguing that the new law being put in place goes against the American spirit of immigrant history because it is an immigration law, and that it violates peoples constitutional rights. They also argued that the law results in racial profiling and they used john adams, raul grijalva, and james madison.
2. Summarize the facts of the case, as presented by the defense. Include relevant witnesses and testimony.
The defense was arguing that the new law does not violate the spirit because it is merely a law to lower crime rates within the state. Also, we (the defense) argued that it is a state crime law, and not a federal immigration law. Also, we argued that it does not promote or allow racial profiling in any way.For our witnesses, we used jan brewer, russell pearce, and robert watchorn.
3. What was the most significant piece of evidence, in your personal opinion?
The most significant piece of evidence was the constitution. Out of all the evidence, this is the one that is set in stone, and i feel that it has a lot of information that could be used against us during the trial.
4. What was the most significant argument made, in your opinion?
I think the most significant argument made was the argument about whether it is a state crime law, or a federal immigration law because it really sways the case either way.
5. What do you personally believe the correct verdict should be? Do you agree with the jury? Why or why not?
It hurts to say, but I think that the verdict was correct. Although Hallie and I put a good amount of time into preparing for this trial, we were still defeated by a worthy opponent that had more cross examinations and valid points. Even though some of our team members weren't as prepared as they should have been, we still have no excuse for the lack of questions asked because we are all a team in the end. I agree with the jury in their decision because d'vaughn and ben seemed like the stronger side, but I think we were a very close second and Im proud of the work we did together as a team.
I think I deserve a 49/50 because I truly put in a lot of time, thought, and effort during the course of this trial, and I think that I embraced the workload and did my part. The strongest point was the writing and presentation of my closing argument, but I think I did well with some of the questions I asked during cross examination as well. I think I did these things well because I tried to write them in a sophisticated way, as well as delivering them with articulation. I think I could have done better at getting more cross examinations during the trial since we ended up being short on them. Also, I think I could have spoken louder during parts of the trial to make more of a point, but I tried to fix this by being loud during my closing argument. Overall, I am proud of the work I did during the trial and think that it was a success.
The prosecution was arguing that the new law being put in place goes against the American spirit of immigrant history because it is an immigration law, and that it violates peoples constitutional rights. They also argued that the law results in racial profiling and they used john adams, raul grijalva, and james madison.
2. Summarize the facts of the case, as presented by the defense. Include relevant witnesses and testimony.
The defense was arguing that the new law does not violate the spirit because it is merely a law to lower crime rates within the state. Also, we (the defense) argued that it is a state crime law, and not a federal immigration law. Also, we argued that it does not promote or allow racial profiling in any way.For our witnesses, we used jan brewer, russell pearce, and robert watchorn.
3. What was the most significant piece of evidence, in your personal opinion?
The most significant piece of evidence was the constitution. Out of all the evidence, this is the one that is set in stone, and i feel that it has a lot of information that could be used against us during the trial.
4. What was the most significant argument made, in your opinion?
I think the most significant argument made was the argument about whether it is a state crime law, or a federal immigration law because it really sways the case either way.
5. What do you personally believe the correct verdict should be? Do you agree with the jury? Why or why not?
It hurts to say, but I think that the verdict was correct. Although Hallie and I put a good amount of time into preparing for this trial, we were still defeated by a worthy opponent that had more cross examinations and valid points. Even though some of our team members weren't as prepared as they should have been, we still have no excuse for the lack of questions asked because we are all a team in the end. I agree with the jury in their decision because d'vaughn and ben seemed like the stronger side, but I think we were a very close second and Im proud of the work we did together as a team.
I think I deserve a 49/50 because I truly put in a lot of time, thought, and effort during the course of this trial, and I think that I embraced the workload and did my part. The strongest point was the writing and presentation of my closing argument, but I think I did well with some of the questions I asked during cross examination as well. I think I did these things well because I tried to write them in a sophisticated way, as well as delivering them with articulation. I think I could have done better at getting more cross examinations during the trial since we ended up being short on them. Also, I think I could have spoken louder during parts of the trial to make more of a point, but I tried to fix this by being loud during my closing argument. Overall, I am proud of the work I did during the trial and think that it was a success.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
1. My letter is going to be from a soldier in the midst of d-day. I chose this because it seems like it would be an interesting event to research/write about. Also, I chose it because it is one of the most interesting battles of WW2 for me.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/may/28/secondworldwar.features112
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/may/28/secondworldwar.features111
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/sfeature/sf_letters.html
3. The tone of the letter is going to be worrysome. Also, the tone will be anxious/nervous for the second day of attacking Omaha beach.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/may/28/secondworldwar.features112
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/may/28/secondworldwar.features111
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/sfeature/sf_letters.html
3. The tone of the letter is going to be worrysome. Also, the tone will be anxious/nervous for the second day of attacking Omaha beach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)