Book Club Assignment- Creative Component

Wordle #1
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6826362/INTO_THIN_AIR_%231

Five Important Words:

1. Oxygen- necessity for human life.

This word is important to the text because a lack of oxygen was a huge component to the novel "Into Thin Air." There is little to no oxygen as you go higher up Mount Everest, so all climbers had to wear working oxygen masks to survive. This passage is an incident that happened to Jon Krakauer and how he lost all of his oxygen and had to battle some obstacles before getting oxygen again. With out oxygen support, every climber would have died of suffocation.

2. Valve- something that opens something else, generally have to turn to open it.

This word is important to the text because the valve is what lead to Jon Krakauer running out of oxygen. Harris, his friend climbing up the mountain with him, had mistakenly opened the valve to release full flow of oxygen. Jon had asked him to tighten it so he could conserve whatever oxygen he did have left, and Harris did the opposite putting him in grave danger. He was in a "hypoxically impaired state" therefore it had just been an accident.

3. Head - large body part on a human that lays above the shoulders and his supported by the neck.

This word is important to the text because Jon is constantly commenting on how his head felt at different parts of the mountain. This certain passage is explaining an accident causing him to quickly lose beneficial oxygen, and this had really messed up his head. As he drained of oxygen, so did his brain. He started feeling extremely light headed, dizzy and nauseous as he tried to recover another tank of oxygen 250 feet below him.

4. Tank- an object that carries or holds something within it.

This word is important to the text because it is the object that carried all of Jon and everyone else's oxygen. With out the tank, no one would have been able to survive. They would carry the tanks full of oxygen on their back, which would be a burden sometimes. Jon made few complaints through out the novel. They would place new tanks at checkpoints up the mountain, because the tanks could only last so long until they ran out of oxygen.

5. Minutes- a matter of time, 60 seconds.

This word is important to the text because it's emphasizing the little amount of time there was to do nearly impossible tasks through out the novel. When Jon ran out of oxygen, he literally had a few minutes to descend 250 feet below him and get another tank of oxygen. It was a miracle that he made it, and time was crucial when on the mountain.


Wordle #2
 http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6835956/Into_Thin_Air_%232

Five Important Words:

1.Snow: frozen precipitation.

This word is important to the text because it is a serious element on Mount Everest that adds many challenges to climbing it. It adds to how cold it is, makes it hard to tredge and climb on, can turn more icy to make it even more dangerous and get your clothes wet. Also, if an avalanche were to occur, it could completely bury climbers. There were many challenges through out the novel "Into Thin Air" based around snow. Climbers commonly got frost bite if they weren't dressed in the appropriate attire, and even though snow appears harmless, it's not.

2. Nervous: a feeling or emotion; feeling scared, worried.

This word is important to the text because there was a lot of things to worry about while climbing the mountain, and climbers constantly felt very nervous. Climbers are constantly facing near death experiences, and they constantly worry and are nervous on when the next one will be. Many people question why people even climb up Mount Everest due to all the risks, but even though climbers are extremely nervous the whole time, they still love it.

3. Dead- when a living thing is no longer living.

This word is important to the text because there was a lot of death in the novel "Into Thin Air." The sad truth is that many people die on Mount Everest, and it's the serious risk for every climber that go up it. There are many deaths in this novel, and it's quite tragic. It's extremely easy to die on the mountain, and one little mistake can be extremely fatal.

4. Abandoning- to leave someone emotionally or physically.

This word is important to the text because abandonment is a re-occurring theme through out the novel "Into Thin Air." People would rarely need to make the huge decision of leaving someone behind, but it does happen. Generally if a person is too injured or sick to continue up the Mountain, they will call a helicopter to come pick them up, but that wouldn't always work. This applies to the deaths that occur on the mountain. Someone can also abandon some one emotionally on the mountain, with them once being someone's rock then leaving them and treating them like dirt. The mountain "changes people" says Jon Krakauer.

5. Frozen- when something or someone is past the point of cold; surrounded by ice.

This word is important to the text because the climbers while climbing up the mountain literally felt frozen. Even with the warmest jacket and outfit, they were still freezing climbing through the coldest peaks of Everest. People would get serious frostbite, and in some serious cases actually die from being so cold. There's not much climbers could do except for dress as warmly as possible and keep moving.

Persuasive Paragraph- Commercialism On The Mountain

The most interesting theme that came up in the novel “Into Thin Air” was commercialism surrounding Mount Everest and how much people bought into that. This was the most interesting theme because it was crazy to read about how much commercialism could blindside people, how much money the mountain can draw in from the simplest things and how much it has increased over the years. First of all, the mountain’s commercialism constantly blindsided climbers with all of the extra hidden costs and fees. A determined climber would go in expecting to pay around two thousand dollars in total, and end up spending over five thousand. It was insane how the climbers were temporarily blind too what they were spending because of their determination to just climb the mountain.  To continue, another reason commercialism was the most interesting theme in the novel was how the mountain could draw in money for the simplest things. There was a lot of competition between different companies offering services up the mountain, so prices and new deals would constantly pop up. People would be offered deals that made it seem like they were saving money when in reality they were spending more money than they needed to. The deals offered random clichés such as strange keepsakes and little things the climbers didn’t essentially need; therefore wasting their money and making an outrageous profit.  In conclusion, commercialism was the most interesting theme in the novel “Into Thin Air” because of how much it increased over the years. When they first made a business out of climbers going up the mountain, there were next to no costs, but as the mountain increased in popularity, so did the amount of climbers. They started charging way more money each year because they simply could, and as more businesses opened up surrounding the mountain, so did the income of what started off as a small business. Experienced climbers who used to spend next to nothing were very displeased with the amount of money they had to start paying, and it was extremely unfair for them. This is why commercialism was the most interesting theme that came up in the novel "Into Thin Air."

Sources: Image- https://www.google.ca

 -All information in the text was taken straight from the novel "Into Thin Air"

Guest Speaker #7- Harold Albrecht

I was absent on Monday, May 13th, 2013 when Harold Albrecht presented to my future forums class. When I discussed his presentation with my peers who were here, they said very positive things. They all said he was very well-spoken and passionate about what he was talking about. Reading his description was very interesting. Going from a dentist, to a pastor to an MP is very wide spread and a tad odd. Those are extremely different career paths but good for him for being able to achieve all three careers. 80 hours a week is pretty extreme, and I could not see myself in a career with such intensity. He was very interesting to read about and I wish I could have been there to see him present!

Guest Speaker #6- Sarah Leishman

Sarah Leishman is a Child and Youth Worker in Kitchener Waterloo. She went to Mohawk College then Ryerson. Her job description is mainly talking to children up to the age of 18 and their families about any problems they might have (mental/physical abuse, special needs, anxiety, eating disorders etc.) and helps them work through these problems or is just there to listen. A lot of people feel they don't have anyone to talk to about anything, so I believe this is one of the greatest careers out there. The amount of people Sarah Leishman has helped is remarkable, and I truly look up to her and every other Child and Youth Worker around the world for doing what they do. I could definitely consider this as a career path, because I have always been that friend that you can vent to, and I always try my best to give good, helpful advice or just be a shoulder to cry on which is basically what this job is. I love working with other people, and I would take pride in helping other people so much. I have seen Child and Youth Workers a bit in the past and they have definitely helped me out so I would love to do that as well for other people. She was a great speaker who seemed very passionate about her career.

Guest Speaker #5- Amy Beamer

She was one of my favourite speakers by far because I learnt so much about the whole interview process and getting a job. I've recently been searching for a job, and she answered every question I had about the application, interview and hiring process. Everyone could tell from the moment she walked in that she is a very powerful, intelligent person who loves and is good at her job. I learnt how to dress for interviews, how to answer tough questions, and what to do if I do get the job. She definitely knows exactly what she's talking about and it was nice to have a speaker that taught me so much. I would love to have her job or a job similar to hers, I love talking to people and I really enjoyed interviewing students in our Future Forums class. She was a great speaker and I was extremely happy to have learnt so much!

Guest Speaker #4 - Justin Kominar

 
Justin Kominar is a well-spoken developer at Primal. He's an extremely intelligent man who seemed very passionate about his work and everything he does. He started off as a Philosopher, which he briefly talked about. He had shared his love for technology and computer programming, and said he everntually decided to follow that love and make it his career. My father has worked in similar companies to Primal, and I could see myself in a job like this. I would need to work a lot with other people, and I am pretty skilled with certain computers and software. I like the idea of not working a 9-to-5 job, flexible hours is definitely something I would want. He described how you should go into a career field that you love, even if it happens after you follow a different career path. I agree with and appreciate that specific mindset, because many people just go into a career field to make a lot of money or have a lot of power. It was nice to hear someone so down to earth and smart. He showed us Primal, and I believe it will be a very succesful search engine in the future. He was a great speaker and everyone really enjoyed listening to him speak.

April 17th- Comment I Made for "Into Thin Air"

I wasn't able to screen shot the answer, but the topic question was "What effect does stress have on us?" and I responded with :

ArielBishopPayne said 30 minutes ago

Stress is very unhealthy for everyone, it makes people very tired, emotional, and unable to perfom day-to-day tasks because they're stressing about something else.Stress can be caused from a heavy work load, upsetting or traumatizing events, if somethings not going your way etc. and it can be extremely hard to cope with. Some people turn to food, other people to different things, everyone has there own way. Stress is a part of life, some having much more then others. I believe stress makes you perform worse in life, but a little bit of stress can definetely encourage you to get things done and be succeful. It's all about how much stress you have, and how well you can handle it. If some one can handle stress well, then they will be extremely motivated and will probably work better vs. not having any stress at all.

Stress in group situations can be very difficult to cope with, especially when their isn't a prominent leader. It's very difficult to make decisions that every one agrees with, and stress can definetely tear apart a group. Each group member will have ideas but might be afraid to share and this will stress them out, and speaking from personal experience, it isn't easy to deal with. It's especially hard when you don't really know the people you're working with. Stress (depending on the people in the group)can help get a project done quicker, but that's only if the group members work really well together and get along.

I anticipate this novel being filled with a lot of stressful, but I am very excited to read it!

Story

Life as the President’s Daughter

             1809 had been an interesting year for the prestigious country known as America. I never paid much attention to politics, not many people my age did. That was the year my father became the 4th President of the United States. It had also been the year I had turned 17, which many people deemed as the year I finally stopped acting so awkward and grew out of my lanky figure. I had long auburn hair, a crooked nose, fairly tanned skin and bright grey eyes. I never saw beauty when I gazed into a mirror, but my short, outspoken mother liked to reassure me as often as she could. My father, James Madison, was never home because he was very busy with politics and such. He had a small office in the little home we lived in (before moving into the white house) and all I heard was a quiet, repetitive tapping on his typewriter all night long. He was a hardworking man, but when it came to raising me he was extremely distant. My mother pretty much single handily raised me in Chicago, Illinois. I saw my father once a week at Sunday dinner, and he sat very quietly and asked me how my week had been. Life at home was very bland and boring, and school was very similar. I enjoyed working hard but not on the subjects we were doing. I wanted to travel the world, but dreaming of leaving this small town was unrealistic and pointless. I was to grow up, marry a rich man and then spend the rest of my life raising my children and tending to my home. None of that intrigued me. I loved writing, which I believe I got from my father. My father went to Princeton University and was an extremely talented writer.

             I had three best friends, and that was it. Cynthia Ross, Jamie Rickre and Lilia Joe were their names, and I had met them through school. Cynthia was an outspoken, spunky red head who fell in love with every cute boy that would pass her. My mother wasn’t fond of Cynthia, because Cynthia had an adventurous mind set and was considered a free spirit. She was my favourite person on the planet; I wonder where she is now. Jamie and Lilia were both very quiet, but came alive at night. We would have sleepovers once a month and they would go crazy. But the rest of the time they just lingered on, both very dull. I still enjoyed their presence, and so did my mother. In this town, the quieter you were, the less trouble you would get in and that was that.

             The school year would linger on, and every subject had always come very easy to me. The school I went to was very small, but I never complained. What got me through the day was the sight of James Richardson, the most beautiful man alive. He was in Grade 12 and would pass me three times a day in the hall. He was tall, had a full head of gorgeous brunette locks, bright green eyes and a smile that would light up the room. One day, after the news came out about my father winning the election, he had actually talked to me, simply congratulating my family and such, but it was the greatest day of my young adolescent life. 

              A lot had changed that cold year of 1809, and whether it was for the better or for the worst is a question I will never be able to answer. I was constantly in the public eye, which had been something I had never got used to. People before my father had been elected had never paid any attention to me, so when people started noticing me and talking to me more, I was utterly freaked out. The transition was very difficult for my mother, she had loved the little house we had and her job was to take care of it. When we moved into the white house, my mother didn’t have to clean or prepare food anymore, and it broke her heart. It was strange having butlers, waiters and cleaning, definitely wasn’t the conditions I ever thought I’d live with. I miss my mother more then anything, she was the greatest women I knew. She always encouraged me with every aspect of my life.  I was offered to be home-schooled from there on, but I enjoyed the quaint little high school I went to. I did very well so why change up my system. I got a whole new wardrobe, and had to attend events and public speakings with my father, who I saw even less due to him being the president.

             I believe my father was a good leader, he got a lot of recognition for everything he did, but I never truly saw his decency until the day he died. It had been a quiet day in June of 1986, I laid down next to my dying father and in that moment viewed him as a real human being. He wasn’t thinking about work, or money or politics. He was simply passing away, and I had never seen him in such a light before. That was when I grew respect for him, and hoped I would grow up to be the kind of person he was.

                As I lie on my death bed and write this story reflecting my childhood, a sudden thought hits me. Growing old had turned me into a bitter soul, and I stopped appreciating the little things like I had when I was young. The simple flowers and small animals that ran in the neighbourhood could make me smile, but now everything had turned to grey. Whether it was from a series of unfortunate events that lead me to this belief system or just growing old and the bitterness that followed with that, it didn’t matter. As I approach my last breath of bitter sweet life, I understood what my father whispered to me the moment before he died. He had said a mere three words to me :”Always stay beautiful.” That was the moment I realized my father did have a heart, and did care for me. I look to my amazing daughter standing upon my bed watching me slowly write this out in my journal and I say the exact same thing to her. I needed to make her feel as loved as I had when my father had said that to me, and in that moment, I feel my heart slow down and come to a stop, and everything I once knew and saw dissapears to a soft black.

Guest Speaker #3- Melissa Durrel

Melissa Durrel is a very confident, inspiring women and really lit up the room when she talked about her career path. She started out as a journalist, and worked in many different places and really enjoyed everything she was doing. She would write and cover many stories from hit stories to sports coverage. She got paid very little at the beginning, but would work her way up the longer she worked there due to her hard work and charisma for what she did. She became a news anchor for CTV and was really succesful in that career field. She had shared she had a love for politics, and eventually had moved on from journalism and reporting and became a politician. She now works for the city and does a lot for our community. She shared that you should always be passionate about what ever career field you go into, and you should love your job instead of hating it. She worked very hard and still does to this day, and that's what got her to where she is today. She was extremely motivating and I really enjoyed hearing her talk.

I could definetely see myself as a journalist/news reporter. I love writing and talking with other people, but the hours and stress that come from news reporting would be very difficult.

Video

Side Note: This video makes little to no sense, but I found it very humerous and I hope everyone who see's it views it as more funny than idiotic. I would ask for this video not to be shown in front of the class.

Another Side Note: The video is side ways, I could not find a way to flip it but I will keep trying. I will re-upload if I am able to flip it! Sorry for the inconvenience!

Guest Speaker #2- Christopher Graves

Unfortunately, I was absent on the day Christopher Graves presented in front of the class, but from what people have told me, it is enough for me to reflect on it. He is an Executive Director at Project Hope in Kitchener. His main role in this job is to fundraise for widows and orphans in Sub-Sahara Africa. It is considered a large industry especially in the Waterloo region which means it provides a lot of employment which is always good.

He said volunteering a lot is a good way to get into the industry and get employed. I could see myself doing this job or something in international development because I love helping other people and working with other people. I have volunteered a lot in the past but my main concern would be how long it takes to get employed. Other then that, I could definetely see me working in this field.


Image off Google

Opinion on Standardized Testing

My opinion on standardized testing changes all the time because I am always hearing other people's views and opinions on it. I have always been that one kid who LOVED EQAO testing and Cassie, something about it always excited me. All of my peers hate these standardized testing, and some of the things they have to say about it definitely persuades me. It is a bit unreasonable and unfair to give the exact same test to all students, no matter what their school level is (Applied, Academic etc.) Therefore, this testing comes extremely easy to some people while to others it's nearly impossible and extremely stress-enducing. I don't believe that aspect of it is fair at all, but I do understand why the School Board does it. These standardized testings are generally to see how a school is doing academically, and it's easier to just give all the students the same test and then make an average result. I am one of the people it comes pretty easy too, which I am thankful for but I do feel badly for the people that struggle with writing these tests.



One complaint I do have is how the Grade 10 Literacy Test is taking up a lot of MSIP time. I have missed four MSIP classes to take up the practice Literacy Test, which is personally a waste of time. I need my MSIP time for other homework and studying, and I believe it should have been optional to go to the library to take up the Literacy Test. Other then that, I believe standardized testing is important because it does show the school board how students are doing academically, and besides the minor issues it is an over all positive thing.

www.educ.queensu.ca

TEDx Waterloo Experience

Going to the TEDx Youth was very inspirational and eye-opening. The whole theme for the day was "Finding Home" and each speaker had their own definition of what home was to them. There were several very inspiring stories, while some were more dry and a tad boring. There were stories of people going through being homeless, being bullied, going through hard times and good times, and discovering who they really are.

My favourite speakers were Holly Painter (a slam poet who found home in something she loved), Andria Simone (an extremely down-to-earth singer who's head is in the right place), the 8 year old girl who knew exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up and had a vision, and the man who had gone through a lot in his life and experienced living on the streets (couldn't find the last two's names.) All of them had a strong message to share, and I found all of them very entertaining and left me thinking about a lot. I definetely left that day with a new perspective on a lot of things.

My only complaint on the entire day was it could have been a couple hours shorter. The last section of the day definetely dragged on and everyone was very tired from sitting all day. There were a few speakers that weren't neccesary and a bit off topic, but thats just my opinion. Overall, I loved the whole experience and it was a great day that definetely taught me a lot.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=TEDxyouth+finding+home&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=th9iUfahB4nS2AWeqIDwAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1139&bih=557#hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=TEDx&oq=TEDx&gs_l=img.3..0l10.4603.4603.0.4838.1.1.0.0.0.0.128.128.0j1.1.0...0.0...1c.1.8.img.13owQKARWVU&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.b2I&fp=75ecb069b6b8bc31&biw=1139&bih=557&imgrc=jxdKhPHnEd4kqM%3A%3BgSxSlr9LafkECM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.tedxrichmondhill.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F07%252FTEDx-Interior-2.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.tedxrichmondhill.com%252Fabout%252Ftedx%252F%3B500%3B333

http://www.google.ca/search?q=holly+painter+tedx&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=RyBiUeHNMKqG2gX97YHoCQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1139&bih=557#hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=tedx+waterloo&oq=tedx+waterloo&gs_l=img.3..0i10i24l3j0i24.22322.24557.0.24690.13.13.0.0.0.0.158.1006.10j2.12.0...0.0...1c.1.8.img.S0MyAvYpaJo&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.b2I&fp=75ecb069b6b8bc31&biw=1139&bih=557&imgrc=UyF_CIgseYPchM%3A%3BnDU0LvxGgefUuM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftedxwaterloo.s3.amazonaws.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F01%252F5230_TEDx_Waterloo_630x230.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftedxwaterloo.com%252F%3B630%3B230

Human Nature and the Good and Bad in People

I believe that a human's upbringing and experiences are what shape who they are when they grow up. Every good and bad thing that happens in a person's life shapes their belief system and reactions to situations that happen in the future. Deep down, I believe every one is essentially good. Human's are designed to treat each other with respect and care for one another, but the poison in society (fame, money, etc.) make people act differently. Before money and success affected people's perspective's on life and how to treat people, the earth was a much better place. We definitely started as a more accepting society, but slowly we became corrupted.

If some one grows up having to deal with abuse, parents going through a divorce, excessive bullying or other really challenging problems and don't work through those problems and bury them deep inside, they will have problems for the rest of their life. When bad things happen to people and they don't mentally deal with them, it slowly tears them down and makes them an overall more negative person (not in every case, but in most cases.) Not everyone can control what happens to them in their lives, but everyone needs to mentally work through these issues and grow stronger for them. This is where the phrase "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" comes into play. Going through hard times makes a person very strong mentally, or can tear them down. It's all about their support base and how they get through it. This is one example of what can make a person good or evil.

I believe something very drastic would have to happen in Canada to start a revolution. It would have to affect a large sum of people, and would really need to either upset or anger everyone. A lot of terrible decisions have been made by Canada's government, but in many cases a revolution has not occurred. Depending on the circumstances, I believe a revolution would not be a terrible thing. Change is definitely needed, and maybe a revolution could bring that. 

There's good and bad in everyone, some just express one more then the other.

http://www.google.ca/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=good%20and%20bad%20in%20people&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=shdiUa2rJ6KG2wWY0YDgBw&biw=1139&bih=557&sei=uBdiUeC9HLDa2wXu0oD4DQ#imgrc=4LyXGpDll3BxMM%3A%3BoHVN4EukDLarhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.startmarriageright.com%252Fsite%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252F14378928_m-web.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.startmarriageright.com%252F2012%252F09%252Fare-people-basically-good-or-bad%252F%3B600%3B360

Why to Kill A Mockingbird Assignment- Civil Rights

This is a link to the blog I created for this project.

http://arielswhytokillamockingbird.blogspot.ca/

Bonus Blog Post: Letter to the Mayor

245 Livingston Blvd.

Baden, Ontario

N3A 2M2

February 25, 2013

100 Regina St. S.

Waterloo, Ontario

N2J 4A8

Dear Mayor Brenda Halloran,

I am a 15 year old student that attends Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School and am currently in Grade 10. It has been brought to my attention that riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is actually illegal in Ontario. (1) The reason I never knew this municipal bylaw had been placed was because I constantly see adults riding their bikes on the sidewalk instead of the designated lanes. I feel strongly that you will want to address this issue because it’s very hazardous for walking pedestrians. 

This issue is very important because cyclists are not following the law and putting pedestrians on the sidewalks in danger. (2) This is becoming a rising issue all over Ontario, and the law needs to be more strictly enforced on all cyclists. I have personally witnessed several bike accidents due to the cyclist riding on the sidewalk or trying to get on/off. It makes neighborhoods and the city much more dangerous when cyclists don’t follow the law and in result put people at risk of being seriously injured.

I believe solving this issue would simply be to raise awareness on the law placed against cyclists riding on the sidewalks because I don’t believe many cyclists know about the law and the consequences of breaking it. Putting up signs on busy sidewalks to deter cyclists would be extremely helpful and appreciated by the pedestrian community. Another helpful solution would be to build more bicycle lanes on existing roads in urban communities, therefore providing more space for cyclists to travel safely on the road. 

Thank you very much for your time and attention to this important issue. I’m confident you will want to take some time to consider the solutions I have to resolve this serious safety issue. Our community needs to have safe sidewalks for pedestrians and safe roads for cyclists.

                      Yours Sincerely,

          Ariel Bishop Payne

          K.C.I Student 

“Sidewalks are for Pedestrians.” Toronto website. N.P. Web. 

13 Jan. 2013’

“Can I Cycle on the Sidewalk.” Walk and Roll Peel website. N.P. Web.

11 April 2012

Career Speaker #1- Alison Fleming

This speaker was named Alison Fleming, and she was a Social Media/ PR agent. This job consists of advertising, running websites, posting and making social media accounts for companies. The job is roughly 10 hours a day, which totals out to over 37 hours a week which is a lot. I could see myself in this career field because I love working online and communicating with other people. Parts of the job I wouldn't really like would be the long, brutal hours behind a computer screen, and it would be very repetitive day-to-day which I would get very bored of after a while. Maybe this specific job wouldn't be great for me, but a career along those lines with less hours and more diversity and change would be ideal. Alison Fleming was a great speaker and made it very apparent that she loved her job so it was very intriguing to hear about.

The Appropriate Punishment to Handing Work in Late

Handing work in late has always been an issue in the education system. Students aren't able to always hand in their work on time, whether the excuse be they didn't have time or their dog ate it. I believe the current punishment of 5% off every day is a tad unfair, because it may not seem like a large number but if your barely passing a course, it could make all the difference in the world. This punishment has mainly just taught students how to make up good enough excuses for them to not lose the 5%.

I have always believed that awarding students to have the assignment in a day early was always successful. If a teacher were giving bonus marks to students who handed it in a day early, that would encourage students to get it done. Another possible solution is saying that students can hand in the assignment anytime in the week (Monday-Friday) and if it's not in by Friday then it won't be accepted. This way students will be reminded every day of the week, giving them no excuse for them to not hand it in. In my opinion, this is the best way to not completely resolve but definetely improve work being handed in late.

Ken Robinson's TED Talk-Education Revolution and To Kill A Mockingbird

"We are educating people out of their creativity." - Ken Robinson

The TEDTalk presented by Ken Robinson on the Education Revolution was very eye-opening and gave me a new perspective on education as a whole. When comparing Ken Robinson's thoughts and over all outlook on education to Jean Louise Finch's (main character in To Kill A Mockingbird) education it is alarmingly different. Jean Louise Finch (otherwise known as Scout) attends a school with very structured lesson plans and creativity is minimized. She wasn't allowed to read at home because her teacher told her that her father was teaching her wrong. It is very apparent that she doesn't fit into this horrible education system, and she begs to be home schooled. If Scout had an education like the one Ken Robinson explains, she would be extremely successful and happier at school. Her passion is exploring and reading, which is minimized at her public school.

If I was able to learn by following my passion, I wouldn't be sitting in a desk all day. I would love to visit more museums, art galleries, parks, zoos etc. I am a visual learner and if I were able to go out and learn valuable life lessons in the real world, my education would be extremely improved. I would want less structure and less students in each class, and have it be a much more relaxed environment. That is what my education would look like if I was able to learn by following my passion.

Personality Explorations- Final Reflection Assignment

As I worked through all 11 quizzes, I started noticing very similar trends in the results I was getting. Many quizzes told me I'm more of a leader then a follower, and I enjoy more challenging subjects that allow me to really participate. I found out I am more right-brained than left-brained, and my dominant area of interest is people. I agreed with most of my results and seeing such similar themes made me believe these quizzes were legitimate at finding out who I am.

Due to the accurate results, they gavel a few possible career possibilities. The first one that I strongly anticipated was a Journalist (result from Quiz 6- Myers-Briggs Type Inventory) This made sense because I am very passionate about writing and English. Another career path was Teaching and Acting, which both make sense because I love working in correlation with other people instead of on my own, and I prefer occupations in which I have a chance to develop meaningful friendships.

Calpurnia in To Kill A Mockingbird

The characters in "To Kill A Mockingbird" are all very interesting to read about and are what make the book so amazing. Each character has very noticeable character traits, and the relationships they all have with each other are what keep the reader hooked and emotionally attached. I find Calpurnia, the house maid, the most interesting character.

Calpurnia lives as a maid with Jean Louise Finch (Scout), Jeremy Finch (Jem) and Atticus Finch. She is a very hard working maid, but also a motherly figure to Scout and Jem because their mother died at a very young age. Calpurnia is very protective of both kids, and doesn't like when they go off to school because she has nothing to worry about during the day. She is also very loyal and religious, making her respectable to a reader. She is also a very conflicted character, because she is African American living in an extremely white community. She is very interesting to read about and I can't wait to see where the character development leads to.

"There goes the meanest man ever God blew breath into." -Calpurnia

This quote was said in the earlier chapters of the novel, and the reason I chose this quote is because it was the first thing Calpurnia had said that wasn't super sweet and nice. This made me grow appreciation for Calpurnia because it showed she had an edgier side. I included a photo of how I picture Calpurnia in my head down below. http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca&biw=1024&bih=570&tbm=isch&tbnid=REfVJKxZCeg10M:&imgrefurl=http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx%3FFilmID%3D19714&docid=16nvD7wSueM8VM&imgurl=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsE/57173-19714.gif&w=320&h=240&ei=jrU0Ud60Jem3yQHhiYH4AQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=203&sig=116346319358239339791&page=2&tbnh=139&tbnw=189&start=20&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:34,s:0,i:215&tx=118&ty=56

The Book That Will Change Women's Lives Forever

Recently, my good friend recommended I read a novel which is known to inform the reader on everything there is to know about males in general. Me, being the average teenage girl I am, have my fair share of troubles with the opposite sex, so I thought I'd give it a try. This novel (which I see as more of a bible on boys) is called "He's Just Not That into You." The title might be deceiving, and I wasn't jumping up and down when I first picked up the novel that will tell me the guys Im seeing just "aren't that into me" but this book is truly life changing.

I'm sure most people have heard of the incredibly popular film "He's Just Not That Into You" but many have not read or even heard of the book. This book basically explains all the behaviors of a typical male, and really shows how much women can over think everything in a relationship. It's written by a woman and a male, so you see both sides and realize how much women make up excuses for men's actions (not calling, being distant, saying something uncalled for etc.) What's in this book gives you a new perspective on dating and liking people, and truly motivates women to choose the right guy over the wrong ones.

I believe this book is written mainly for confused straight women, but the tips given in this book are useful to everyone out there. Some of the information is hard to read and digest, because when you thought he didn't call because he was busy or his phone was off or he was sleeping isn't the actual reason for him not calling, it's because he really isn't that into you. I recommend this book to anyone with relationship problems, or even single people searching for their next partner.

21st Century Communication by Ariel Bishop Payne

Cell phones, social media websites and the internet have taken socializing with other humans to a whole new level, with some of us spending several hours every day in front of computers and on our phones texting, messaging and tweeting friends/family instead of talking to them in person or phoning them. Some people believe the absurd amount of communication over electronic devices is a great thing because shy people are more willing to communicate and it's believed to be much easier and quicker then socializing in person, but in reality it's making us lazier and preventing us from developing social skills. Communicating over electronics is ruining our social skills and ability to have meaningful relationships because talking online or over social media websites can potray false information on a person and people are much more brave with what they say vs. what they say in real life.

First of all, talking online or over cellphones is very different that talking in person. When you need to reach some one, the first option people generally choose is to contact them by messaging or texting them via cell phone or social media website. Messaging some one over FaceBook, Tweeting or texting is very different than a phone call or a conversation face-to-face. Looking at a screen while comminicating with some one is nothing compared to looking into someone's eyes while tlaking. Emotions can't be shown or portrayed well over text, and messages can be taken the wrong way and start fights and drama over a simple miscommunication. Also, people (especially teenagers) are becoming so addicted to technology that it has become their number one form of communication. Instead of telephoning or visiting the person they're trying to reach (just like they used to do before the internet and cell phone were invented), people simply go on facebook, text or tweet the person. Communicating over electronic devices has become much easier and quicker than communicating face-to-face or even over the phone. Thirdly, The more we communicate online or on cell phones, the worse our social skills will get. Starting conversations in person becomes much harder when you're used to using abbreviations amd texting in as little words as possible.Talking over electronic devices is very different and much less meaningful than looking into someone's eyes and speaking to one another. This is why talking online is extremely different than having a nice conversation in person, but this is not the only reason communicating so much over electronic devices is unhealthy.

It's horrifying how easy it is to say anything you want about yourself and other people on the internet, and it's becoming more and more apparent that social media websites can potray false information on a person. People can literally say anything they want about themselves over the internet, and don't seem to realize that immense consequences can come from this. Social media websites generally ask for a lot of the user's personal information, and the user can decide how much they want to share about themself (to a certain extent.) The reoccuring problem with this is anyone can say anything about themselves or other people, whether it be true or false information. Another issue with social media websites is that people can make fake profiles, and pretened to be some one they're not. Fake profiles are the very dangerous side to social media websites, and you can unknowingly be talking to some one who claims to be a friend of yours in class but really is a complete stranger. The internet has made it much easier for sexual  predators and kidnappers to find easy targets, and that's why parents/guardians are always telling kids to be very safe on the internet. Thirdly, online dating websites are becoming more and more popular every year. These websites (e.g- eHarmony) are designed for adults to view other people's profiles and set up dates with the people who had the best profile in their opinion. This is another example of how people can pretend to be some one they're not, and how people now rely on websites to find people to date. The more aware people are of fake profiles online, the safer it will be.

Cyber Bullying is becoming a much more serious issue as communicating online/over cell phones becomes more popular. This is occuring because people are much more brave with what they say and post online vs. in real life. When you're communicating over a social media website or cell phone, you feel much more comfortable saying things that you'd be too afraid to say to the person's face. Talking face-to-face results in immediate reactions to what you're saying from the other person, and generally keeps  you from saying anything before really thinking about it in fear of them reacting a certain way. When communicating online, not seeing people's immediate reaction and rebuttle makes it much easier to say hurtful things. Secondly, people can take messages you say send them in a different way then you meant; communicating oover electronic devices leaves a lot of mystery to what the person's trying  to say. There's more to communicating in person then just using your mouth and vocal cords. People watch your body language, facial expressions and listen to your tone of voice to understand what you're really saying. Even with all the emotions, it is very difficult to completely understand what the person you're talking to means (whether it be sarcastic, truthful etc.) over texting and online-messaging. Thirdly, people being much braver when talking online has resulted in a substantial amount of cyber bullying. In the past ten years, as more social media websites grew in popularity, so did cyber bullying. This has lead to serious depression and even suicide within teenagers and even adults. People aren't afraid to slander others online because they feel secure behind their cell phone or computer screen. They believe that since it's online, no one will know about it and there will be no consequences, and unfortunately in many cases people do get away with it. We need to bring more awareness to the horrible things people are saying online, and put a stop to cyber bullying once and for all.

Technology has really improved our quality of life and there are many positive attributes to cell phonesm social media websites and the internet. Unfortunately, humans are over using the internet and electronic devices to communicate. Human's social skills are slowly deteriorating, and all communication is becoming in front of a screen instead of in person. This is beginning to ruin human's ability to grow healthy, strong relationships with other people because talking online or over social media websites is very different than in person, social media websites can potray false information on a person and people are much more brave with what they say online vs. what they say in real life. Humans need to put down the cell phone, log off facebook, close the laptop screen and go out into the real world and talk to people in person.

A New Perspective on Education: Hackschooling TEDtalk

This was a very interesting video to watch. I have always heard of only three educational paths you can take, the first being the typical public school, private school then home schooling. I believed that all three had very similar teaching routines and techniques, and no matter which system you were in, you would grow up getting very similar educations. This video put a new perspective on education and how people can grow up in a very different system compared to what most consider the traditional form of education: Public School.

Generally when I think of homeschooling, I think the student is taught basic lessons from their parents or tutors, and it was always very confusing to me on why parents would choose to put their children in homeschooling. This video showed me that there are what some people consider serious problems with how lessons are being taught at public and even private schools, which I had never even thought about because I thought there was only one way to be taught for school. I believe that Logan LaPlante made great points on why the public education system is flawed on what they teach students, and he made valid points on why being in nature, relaxing, working on the computer, doing activities with friends and learning math, sciences and writing is better than the typical education system, and a part of me agrees with him but I believe the public and even private school system offers you social skills that home schooling just can't.

The main purpose for schooling is to learn the standard academics, but also to learn social skills from being in a school environment with tons of other students and be apart of extra curriculars. When you're home schooled, there's no classroom environment where you're surrounded by other students your age, and working with other students not only increases your understanding on the subject but also teaches you extremely valuable social skills that you carry with you for the rest of your life. There are definetely pros and cons to public schools and homeschooling.

I am really enjoying the Future Forums class, and I really enjoy how the English and Civics and Careers courses are back to back and mainly online. I have already learnt so much about communicating ideas and comments on certain topics with others and how helpful and educational that can be. It's been very interesting so far, and I hope it continues on this good path. If anything, I'd like to communicate and discuss popular topics with other schools more than we currently are, but other than that I believe it's a great program.

Another interesting article on Logan LaPlante: http://iowatransformed.com/2013/02/20/logan-laplantes-education-is-hackschool/

Feb 13- TEDtalk Response

Peter Diamandis's video really gave me a new perspective on the future of this planet. Instead of focusing on the negative like the new's and global media always do, he contradicted that with very positive news. The way the earth's well being is portrayed is twisted through media and focuses only on the horrible things, making it seem like our planet is spiralling out of control. I do agree with what Peter Diamandis is stating, but I do believe he is glorifying the whole situation. All he talks about is the positive things happening in the world, which is great for people to hear but is also unrealistic. I believe that people should have an equal view and understanding of both the good and the bad, so they keep a level head about it all. If humans think the world is completely fine and going in the right direction, nothing will be done to end the wars and global crises happening that the news only focus on. For humans to be in a healthy state of mind, everyone should know about the good to have hope for society and the planet, but should also be very aware of the bad so we can all make a change for the better. What Peter Diamandis had to say was very inspiring and changes the way you view the world, and there for I agree with everything he had to say, even though it seemed almost too positive.

The giant group discussion after watching the video was very interesting. I myself went on Todays Meet, and mostly just watched what other people had to say. I didn't have much to say on the topic at the time, so I remained pretty quiet, but after reading many student's opinions/ comments, I started to have more to say and commented more. I really enjoyed the whole thing, and I love how we can communicate with a wide range of students from other schools all with different opinions. I really enjoyed Todays Meet and look forward to doing it again.

Link to this TEDtalk video: http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future.html

My Interests, Abilities and Goals

Being a teenager in todays society results in me being interested in many different things. My main interests are school, sports, family and friends. In more specific terms, I'm very interested in hair and make up, aswell as nature and animals. I also love taking and editing pictures and videos, and am very interested in technology. In school, my favourite subjects are English, Math, French and any Healthy Active Living courses. My weakest subject is Science, mainly because I don't really enjoy it (except for Biology.) I love going shopping, and believe that retail therapy is great once in a while. I also love spending time with my friends or family whether we're doing something simple like watching movies or something more extravagant like vacationing to different places around the world. I love travelling, even though I haven't been to too many places.

My over all abilities are decent, I'm relatively good and have a basic understanding of most sports, my favourite being Volleyball. I was on the Raiders Basketball and Volleyball teams in both grade 9 and 10. I believe if I work hard enough at something and have a true passion for it, I will eventually get good at it. I used to have a strong passion for hair and make up, and got pretty good at different techniques and hairstyles, but that passion has died down over the past year. I am really interested in nature and spiritual stuff mainly because my parents have opened me up to more of that recently. I can hike for miles along with build a fire and set up a tent. I am also very social when I want to be, and making friends has never really been an issue for me.

My goals for the future are mainly to be happy doing something I love. I want a job where it impacts society/helps people in some way or form. I would love to own a charity foundation or a humane society. I think I want kids, no more then two, and want to be in a steady relationship with some one who makes me happy (not neccesarily married.) I don't believe in marrying for money, nor staying in a relationship for financial aid. I do believe financial stuff is important, but happiness should come before anything, and I don't believe money buys happiness. My main goal is to be able to provide for myself. I would like to have good, supportive people around me and live in a safe neighbourhood.