Class discussions are a huge part of our AP English class. We all have to do research to prepare for these in-depth talks, and all seem to have something different to talk about. These discussions have helped all of us throughout the year, and have developed our research skills and communication levels. Instead of just resorting to Google, we have learned to dig deeper and find the core of what a piece of literature really means. We have also learned to really listen to what others have to say, and have been able to use others opinions to shape a strong argument for our writing.

As with everything we do in our class, we met many of the requirements with our class discussions. They include:

1. Speaking- We all had to take turns and speak, which helped us open up and practice our public speaking skills.

2. Listening- All of my classmates have had some tough times learning, but have definitely begun to realize that to learn they must listen. Listening is the most important part of a discussion, and can be very helpful in the learning process.

3.Research/Inquiry Process- In order to have a successful class discussion, you must first know what you are talking about. Our class did research, and we learned how to incorporate what we found in our research into our discussion.

Throughout my years of being a junior high and high school student, I have always been an avid user of MySpace and Facebook. While some  may consider these sites to be a burden (in fact, I am simultaneously writing on someone’s Facebook wall), I believe that I have learned many different skills that will benefit me in my ventures as a blogger and a blog commenter. On these similar sites, users can post notes and pictures. Other users can comment on these notes and pictures, and hone in on their skill of commenting. There is also a place on each person’s profile that you can type them a quick message, or if you want there is also a place for you to email them. Not only do these notes and picture comments help the blog commenter, they also benefit the blogger. I can definitely say that I got more blogging practice from Facebook than I realized, and when I became a steady blogger everything seemed to come much more naturally.

Here are a few of the skills for the NETS requirements that being a student on Facebook has helped me meet:

1.Media Literacy-I used my knowledge of the Internet to blog and comment on other user’s  blogs.

2.Craftsmanship-When using a personal site, you develop your own voice and unique way of writing.

3.Creativity and Innovation-As with the above standard, you build your own sense of style and your own way of getting your point across. These sites will turn any writer into an avid blogger!

4.Communication and Collaboration- As a member of any of these personal sites, one must learn to communicate with others.

5.Digital Citizenship-Being part of a website such as Facebook prompts one into maturing enough to be able to handle the responsiblilities of a personal portfolio.

6.Technology Operations and Concepts-Using a site like this is a great way to learn concepts that you never learned about in school. There are many ways to incorporate technology into school, and using these sites can make a world of difference.

I have posted a few archives about my old blogs, and I think it is time to post some of the comments to these blogs. Many responses had positive reactions, and even some tips for my future blogs. Commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to get your blog put out there, and a great way for others to communicate with you. These links are the actual posts and all of the comments posted on them:

http://maddieelyse.learnerblogs.org/2008/02/20/flu-not-you/#comments

http://maddieelyse.learnerblogs.org/2008/02/13/hearts-in-the-home/#comments

http://maddieelyse.learnerblogs.org/2008/01/30/no-one-expected-this/#comments

These comments were not swimming in rhetoric, or brimming with facts that had been found, but they were very helpful. They also met a few requirements for the NETS list:

1.Communication and Collaboration
2.Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
3.Research and Information Fluency

This particular blog post consisted of more facts that I researched more than any other blog post I have done so far this year. This post was about the flu and how to avoid it. If you want to read the whole post, click on the link below. I learned many beneficial facts from writing this post, and can definitely say that I have been shirking my health! In this post, I used a few rhetorical devices, but not as many as I possibly could have. I did not have a strong opposing argument, however, I had one. This post was near the end of the semester when I had refined my blogging skill.

http://maddieelyse.learnerblogs.org/category/new-thoughts-of-the-third-quarter/

In the blog posted above, I used many skills on the list of Arkansas English Requirements. Here are a few of the requirements I met on this post:

1.Research and Information Fluency
2.Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
3.Digital Citizenship

My last blog post for the year was a huge improvement over my first one, and I personally believe that it is safe to say that I should be proud of this one. This blog was written on personal family experience and reflection, and because of this I seemed to be able to flow my words and use my rhetorical devices more. I feel that using my passion for the subject created an all-around better piece of writing. Nevertheless, as impressive as I think this blog is, there is always room for improvement.

 Hearts in the Home

Wednesday February 13th 2008, 9:05 pm Edit This
Filed under: New Thoughts of the Third Quarter

3 Comments

She was seventeen years old. Life was great! She was dating the tall, handsome, broad-shouldered captain of the football team. They were head over heels for each other and had plans to attend the same college next fall. Nothing could go wrong. However, every good thing must come to an end. Unfortunately, her whole world came to a screeching halt when she found out the news-she was pregnant. Her parents disowned her, her boyfriend dumped her, and she was alone in the scary new world of adulthood at a much too early age. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness of this bleak life, she pushed through the pregnancy and decided to try to raise the child. After two years of trying to give him a good life, she realized that she couldn’t do it anymore. Through these years of constant struggle, she made the hardest, yet best, decision she had ever made: she gave up her beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed boy up for adoption. While this may have been the most difficult thing in the world for her to do, I know that it was best. I know this because that curly-haired bouncing ball of energy is now my little brother.

Despite our best efforts to control destiny, life is full of surprises, twists and turns. In just one, short moment, you can unknowingly set down a path that changes your life forever. But there’s good news: no one has to go through it alone. There are many adoption agencies, such as American Adoptions, that are willing to work with you throughout the entire pregnancy. Putting a child up for adoption may be hard, but if that is what is best for the child then it must be done. Plenty of loving families are waiting to take home a baby with arms wide open. Why condemn your child to a life of trials and tribulations when you don’t even have the means to support them? Adoption is the most effective way to give the life of a child more quality.

Not only does adoption have a positive effect on the child, it changes the life of a family forever. I’ll never forget what it felt like to be an only child, but the memories I have made with all of my siblings are ones that I would never trade for the world. When I was five, we adopted my other brother from Russia. I’ll never forget waiting at the airport for my dad and new little brother to land. I was so proud in my giant bow and purple t-shirt that said “I’m the Big Sister.” From the moment I saw him, my life changed. The same feeling swelled inside me two years ago when I saw this skinny little blonde boy running around in my driveway. I saw him and thought to myself “Yep, he belongs in this family.” Without adoption, none of this would have ever happened. And what of couples who cannot have a baby because of medical issues? By adopting a baby, their need to be parents is fulfilled and the child’s need for parents is taken care of. There is no greater love than that of an adoptive parent, and any adopted child is the luckiest kid in the world to have someone love them so much.

Unfortunately, there are some who do not feel that adoption is a positive practice. Birth mothers can have second thoughts throughout the adoption process, and the adoptive parents get let down and lose their chance at parenthood. This can be very upsetting, and many parents turn their eyes away from adoption and put it down. Others can be anti-adoption  because they feel that the birth mother should take responsibility for their own actions. Personally, I think that these people are ridiculous. However, my opinion is just that-an opinion. Both sides have valid facts for argument, but in the end what the best interest of the child is should be top priority.

Adoption is the gift of life, the gift of hope and the ultimate gift of love. Giving this gift can change more lives than anyone could ever imagine. As the poem in a frame in my mom’s room says, “Though the child who calls me ‘mother’ came from the womb of another…My love is not diminished, nor will end even when life is finished…For my heart holds a love like no other, for this child who calls me ‘mother’.”

For this particular post, I feel like I met many of the standards I have been given. My information fluency seemed to flow perfectly with the writing, as well as my vocabulary. This blog also had more of a purpose than my previous entries, and using a variety of text I feel like I connected with more than one audience. I am very proud of this blog post, and hope that it impresses my readers.

This was my first blog of this school year, and I will be the first to admit that I did not have too much writing skill. I was lacking in subject matter, rhetorical device usage, and adding opposing arguments. I struggled to use good vocabulary, and as I look back, I am not too proud of this work. However, my work did improve!

Do You Love Me?

Wednesday February 06th 2008, 5:42 am Edit This
Filed under: New Thoughts of the Third Quarter

Comments?

Do you love me? Do you think you could ever love me? Make an assessment. How long you you think it would take for you to love me?  In a freshly famous video on YouTube called Old Greg, a “scaly man fish” picks up a male fisherman and bludgeons him with all of these questions. So what kind of effect are videos like these having on society? Many of my own classmates waste useful class time quoting this bizzare video, and yes, it seems to have an effect on people. In this world we live in, the endless search for someone to love appears to be all consuming to some people. I wish I understood why people my age are trying to find someone to “spend the rest of their life with.” Personally, that is a little weird.  Unfortunately, most people go about this pointless search for love in all the wrong places and end up In dangerous situations. So why is society suffering like this?

Many teenagers get in physically and verbally abusive relationships and are convinced that they are in love. In a video on MSNToday, several girls tell their story about being abused. Most of them didn’t tell anyone for a very long time. They suffered this horrible abuse and stayed in the relationship because they thought they were in love. Studies show that teenagers tend to not understand what appropriate behavior is in relationships and don’t know how to demand the respect they deserve. Teens  are hardwired to rebel. Abuse can even push a child further into a relationship. But how does Old Greg tie in with all of this? Good question-while this may be a humorous clip, it can stimulate feelings that you should push love and force yourself upon someone who might not want to be with you. This is not the only example of a bad love influence, but with its continuous questioning of ,“Do you love me?”, it seemed appropriate. Now I’m no love doctor, but I don’t think you should have to ask questions like that in a truly caring relationship.

The answer is pretty simple: be careful, be collected, and be yourself. Love will come to you when the time is right. Everyone has a person out there for them, and in the grand scheme of things life will go on if you arent head over heels in love in high school. Just remember that if you have to ask someone if they love you, they probably don’t.  No crappy relationship is worth the hurt that can occur, so don’t do it! Don’t be an Old Greg you guys.

This first blog post, while it was lacking in many departments, actually met quite a few Arkansas English Language Arts Standards. I did a great amount of research, and showed a comprehension for what I was reading and writing. I also used an understanding of technology to embed a video into my blog. All of these standards were met, and seemed to be easily comprehended by me and my audience.

http://shorewoodbreaden.learnerblogs.org/2008/01/25/canon-in-d/#comment-3

http://silentbob.learnerblogs.org/2008/02/10/steroids-good-or-bad/#comment-14

http://sheah09.learnerblogs.org/wp-comments-post.php

http://thedumptruck.learnerblogs.org/2008/02/06/bambi-a-lesson-in-hypocrisy/#comment-29

http://eatingdisorders.about.com/b/2008/03/10/the-barbie-question-is-a-tricky-one.htm

http://www.typepad.com/t/comments

He slept until mid-morning. He was a little sore. He tried to think about the last time he had worked out that would make him sore. Hmm…couldn’t recall the last time. “That’s where that gut came from,” he thought. He convinced himself that he didn’t pull a muscle, or do anything strenuous for that matter. However, by the end of the day he felt as if he had been hit by a semi-truck. He developed a sore throat. He became natious. He got the chills. Three hours at the hospital and one throat swab later, the diagnosis was clear: influenza. Yes, everyone, it is flu season. His wife, looking tired from a long days work of taking care of their kids alone, asked, “Did you not get your shot?” Naturally, he didn’t.

 This flu season has been said to be the worst on record for the past thirty years. Many surveys say that this is because not very many people got their flu vaccine this year. Apparently there is doubt in the accuracy of the shot and how well it works against the flu. Here’s the scoop: it is very good to have when dealing with certain strains of the flu, but others are out of the injections control. Unfortunately, this fact has kept people away from taking the flu shot, and all because it doesn’t overpower everything! So why are people being completely ignorant? Who knows! However when they do get one of the strains that the vaccine does take care of, they will wish that they hadn’t been so hard-headed.

The flu vaccine, contrary to common misconception, does not make patients more susceptible to the flu. The shot is composed of the virus, and therefore is an agent against it. Let me repeat myself: The injection will not make you sick! There are so many crappy internet sites that feed people the wrong information and cause them to ignore their doctor when they are told they need a flu shot. Everyone needs a flu shot, especially children and older adults. People at these ages can develop severe respiratory infections that could turn into pnemonia, an even worse illness than the flu! For this reason, people of all ages need to get the flu shot.  

In all doctors opinions, the vaccination is a worthy fighter of the forlorn flu. In many patients eyes, however, the injection is a time waster that doesn’t work. People that think this usually do not waste time getting the shot. Unfortunately, these individual’s strong, yet wrong, opinions have caused a strain of the “super flu” and have made more people sick than necessary. Personally, these people are selfish and should think about the other people they are affecting and infecting.

This year’s flu season has been a disturbing eye-opener to the reality of America’s ignorance and hard-headedness. We are a stupid, sick nation that cannot seem to stop throwing up. I wonder why? Maybe instead of listening to Uncle Cledus who “didn’t go to the doctor unless a limb was missing,” we should go with what our doctors say. So tell me this: Have you been vaccinated? If you haven’t , are you going to?

She was seventeen years old. Life was great! She was dating the tall, handsome, broad-shouldered captain of the football team. They were head over heels for each other and had plans to attend the same college next fall. Nothing could go wrong. However, every good thing must come to an end. Unfortunately, her whole world came to a screeching halt when she found out the news-she was pregnant. Her parents disowned her, her boyfriend dumped her, and she was alone in the scary new world of adulthood at a much too early age. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness of this bleak life, she pushed through the pregnancy and decided to try to raise the child. After two years of trying to give him a good life, she realized that she couldn’t do it anymore. Through these years of constant struggle, she made the hardest, yet best, decision she had ever made: she gave up her beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed boy up for adoption. While this may have been the most difficult thing in the world for her to do, I know that it was best. I know this because that curly-haired bouncing ball of energy is now my little brother.

Despite our best efforts to control destiny, life is full of surprises, twists and turns. In just one, short moment, you can unknowingly set down a path that changes your life forever. But there’s good news: no one has to go through it alone. There are many adoption agencies, such as American Adoptions, that are willing to work with you throughout the entire pregnancy. Putting a child up for adoption may be hard, but if that is what is best for the child then it must be done. Plenty of loving families are waiting to take home a baby with arms wide open. Why condemn your child to a life of trials and tribulations when you don’t even have the means to support them? Adoption is the most effective way to give the life of a child more quality.

Not only does adoption have a positive effect on the child, it changes the life of a family forever. I’ll never forget what it felt like to be an only child, but the memories I have made with all of my siblings are ones that I would never trade for the world. When I was five, we adopted my other brother from Russia. I’ll never forget waiting at the airport for my dad and new little brother to land. I was so proud in my giant bow and purple t-shirt that said “I’m the Big Sister.” From the moment I saw him, my life changed. The same feeling swelled inside me two years ago when I saw this skinny little blonde boy running around in my driveway. I saw him and thought to myself “Yep, he belongs in this family.” Without adoption, none of this would have ever happened. And what of couples who cannot have a baby because of medical issues? By adopting a baby, their need to be parents is fulfilled and the child’s need for parents is taken care of. There is no greater love than that of an adoptive parent, and any adopted child is the luckiest kid in the world to have someone love them so much.

Unfortunately, there are some who do not feel that adoption is a positive practice. Birth mothers can have second thoughts throughout the adoption process, and the adoptive parents get let down and lose their chance at parenthood. This can be very upsetting, and many parents turn their eyes away from adoption and put it down. Others can be anti-adoption  because they feel that the birth mother should take responsibility for their own actions. Personally, I think that these people are ridiculous. However, my opinion is just that-an opinion. Both sides have valid facts for argument, but in the end what the best interest of the child is should be top priority.

Adoption is the gift of life, the gift of hope and the ultimate gift of love. Giving this gift can change more lives than anyone could ever imagine. As the poem in a frame in my mom’s room says, “Though the child who calls me ‘mother’ came from the womb of another…My love is not diminished, nor will end even when life is finished…For my heart holds a love like no other, for this child who calls me ‘mother’.”

It’s 6 a.m. Your alarm just went off.  You had a tough homework assignment that took forever last night, so to keep you awake you have a snack. Not just any snack, however. I’m talking big leagues here, baby. A massive, mouth-watering mound of chocolate chip cookies…it makes your taste buds tingle just thinking about it! But wait- won’t that late night cure for boredom go straight to your thighs? As you lay in bed pondering this, that horrific picture of you confined to the bed when you’re forty because you weigh 350 pounds pops into your mind. Instantly, like a meerkat coming out from its hole to look for the sun, you bound out of bed and run to the mirror. Oh crap. Cellulite. Now tell me, what goes through your head? Something along the lines of, “I hate my body” ? Thought so.

Many women feel that they do not have a satisfactory body, and often become depressed because of their weight. These women have a body image issue.  Only two percent of women describe themselves as beautiful, and that is ridiculous. No woman should go through life feeling fat, or ugly, or useless. I am a firm believer that if you be yourself, you are beautiful no matter what. Take Jordin Sparks, winner of last year’s American Idol, for instance; she is a beautiful girl who happens to be a little thicker than a toothpick. However, poor Jordin has caught flames from the lips of judgemental critics about her weight. Here’s what this strong, independent woman had to say to these hypocrites: “They should just get over it.” Now there’s a girl with a good head on her shoulders, however wide they may be! Size doesn’t matter, it’s the way you percieve yourself and the way you present yourself.  In Lifetime television’s latest show How to Look Good Naked, Carson Kressley takes average American women off of the street and forces them to stand in front of a mirror. No, this is not a form of torture. It just so happens to be Carson’s way of boosting your confidence and teaching you to love yourself. After the women in question examine themselves from every angle, with Carson’s positive comments leading the way, it is time for a photo shoot. On this show, women of all shapes and sizes pose in sexy settings and have a blast. By the end of the show, no matter how much the woman hated her body at the beginning, there is a newfound love for the body she was blessed with. This is an excellent show, and sometimes tearjerking, that shows all women that no matter what size you are that they are beautiful. I think that we all could use a strong dose of Carson Kressley in our lives to motivate us and make us believe that we are all fabulous and gorgeous.

No matter what you eat, what size jeans you wear, or what other people think when they look at you it is your opinion that matters and your opinion that can change the way people see you. Don’t let a cookie ruin your life. Don’t let a diet ruin it, either. Everyone is beautiful the way they are and should be proud of the way they are. So listen up, Jenny Craig, we’re not going to take it anymore! Bring on the Little Debbies!