Spiritual Assessment Reflection

1. I can pray and use my gifts in a community. Apparently I'm a people-person when it comes to spiritual pathways, and so if I pray in a community, it'll help me stay connected with God, and if I use my gifts for others in a community, I will be connected with God. I could decide to pray with my sister, or my friends.

2. I could learn more about God in solitude, or in silence. So I could meditate on my own, in a quiet place, and then maybe I'll be able to find Him more.

Daily Assignment #7

This was the last class Mrs. Gunther was teaching, and we learned about jobs. She started us off with wacky jobs we would have never known about, and then we learned about a site that could tell us about different jobs. I thought this site was really helpful, and I think I bookmarked it. I wanted to look later at jobs that might be fun. It was interesting to see the inner info about physicians, a job that I was considering. There were some bad things about it, but I think it'll be OK if I decided to become a physician. Or a nurse. I don't know. :P

Daily Assignment #6

This class, Mrs. Gunther talked about learning styles. She brought her stuffed animals and they were so CUTE! :D
The stuff about learning styles was interesting, especially the stuff I hadn't heard before, but it got a little bit tiring by the end (I was really sleepy then too, so I don't blame Mrs. Gunther. I just got tired.) Then... I think I took my learning styles test on Naviance. I forget my result, but I think it was a LITTLE bit off. Well... not just a little. Same questions came up and it was a bit annoying. But I think that's what makes a little bit of a difference in the result.

Daily Assignment #5

I missed this class.... I was at KAIAC Band Festival. :D

Daily Assignment #4

Today in class we actually really got into looking into our careers and stuff. Last class we got started, but this class we finished the booklet test. I got some weird jobs... but it's OK. There were some that related to what I liked, but I felt like this was a little bit inaccurate for me. Truthfully, I don't enjoy most classes. I enjoy the arts because it's fun. I'm not that good. I don't enjoy subjects like science and math. But I'm actually good at them. Except this whole test was based on my interests, and so all I got were careers that were artsy fartsy. The other variations of mine were a bit better though. Then, because there was still some time left, I started on my personality test. BUT I didn't have enough time to finish and so I had to finish it up at home. I like how it saves your progress on the test. It was annoying a bit, because you had to read so much, but it was interesting to see what the internet thought I was like.

Daily Assignment #3

Today we talked about ourselves more. We had to cut and paste our values in order from most important to least important, and we started taking a test that would help us see what careers we'd probably like. I think the values was a little hard to do, especially because we don't think about it much. I liked how we just had to order them though, and didn't have to write down anything. This activity helped me to realize the importance I put on different things. Then we started with the test. I think it was REALLY hard to find the exact career we wanted to do, and then look for it, because there are so many in that book. If it was online, we could just type something and search for it, but noo it was in a book. I think it'll be fun to take the test though. I'm kind of excited to see what my results will be like.

Daily Assignment #1

This was the first day we talked about our careers and goals. Mrs. Gunther introduced this 'unit' by telling us about choices we make, and how those choices affect us and others. We also looked at choices to make in Proverb verses. I personally don't agree with the idea that all people who are non-believers care about money and stability when choosing jobs. There are people that don't believe in God that care about stuff more important than that. And reading all these choices we should and shouldn't make from the Bible kind of helped me feel that true sense of right and wrong.

Daily Assignment #2

Mrs. Gunther talked about talents today. We were asked to define what talented really means, to us. I said talent is just anything we are capable of doing. No matter how many other people can do it too, if you can do it, it's a talent of yours. So we were asked to list a few of our talents. I decided to write down "studying", "painting nails", and I think I put down "playing bass clarinet" but I'm not sure. Then we talked about something called "talentwarp". Talentwarp is when we think talents are only limited to extraordinary things, and so we end up believing we don't have any talents. I think I have talentwarp, because it's really hard for me to find any talent within myself. I didn't really know there was a name for people like me who have this big attached meaning to the word "talent" so that they think they're not talented.

Blogging Assignment #10

Voice can be found in photographs and paintings. The subjects in the photos and paintings can have a specific mood, which gives a certain voice to it. Like in the "Migrant Mother", the mother's face was full of worry and despair, which gave the whole photo that kind of voice: a voice of desperation. A photo with a happy kid would give the whole photo a bright, happy voice. A painting of a scary wooden old house would give it a spooky, creepy kind of voice that gives you chills. Depending on the light and the subject, you feel like the photo has a different story to tell. And that's how there's voice in photos and paintings.

I drew this on a white board and took a picture of it, and added these effects to match the feeling I wanted in the drawing. It's a cold late-autumn day, and two people are talking together like they have all the time in the world. It's cold, but when they are together, it's warm. The voice is this comforting, in-a-cafe-talking-with-a-best-friend-on-a-cold-day kind of feel.
















This photograph depicts a house. The black-and-white-ness of the photo gives it a spooky look. It feels like it's telling me scary story of what happened to the inhabitants of the house, one unfortunate day.
http://photo.net/register/index?return_url=%2fphotodb%2findex.tcl%3f

This photo shows a cute little girl walking care-freely down the street. She's so happy to be enjoying her walk with her doll. I can just imagine the chorus of children laughing and at play. This photograph has a strong, adorable kind of voice. It's adventure, joy, and satisfaction of the day, all rolled in with a tint of cuteness.
http://photo.net/register/index?return_url=%2fphotodb%2findex.tcl%3f


This photograph, to me, portrays boredom at its worst. He is inside this old tattered house, and all the open doors give it an air of mystery and adventure, yet the boy sits there like there's absolutely nothing to do here. He's bored. Already sick and tired of the house. None of his friends here to play with. Nothing to do. All alone. These are the characteristics that will come through in the voice.
http://photo.net/register/index?return_url=%2fphotodb%2findex.tcl%3f


In this photograph you can hear the voice of the dog clearly: waiting. impatient. hoping. watching. He's probably waiting for his owner to come home. Through just the fact that he's waiting outside the door gives him so much more voice.
http://blog.colormailer.com/category/photography/

Blogging Assignment #9

The author's perspective on voice is that we should have a tint of our own voice no matter what we write. Whether it's a formal piece, or just a fiction story we're writing, you should be able to tell that it's YOUR writing and it's all YOU. You can change your voice to have a different feel, but if you're going to do that, do it the right way. Study excellent authors who have the kind of feel that you want to achieve, and study their writing good. Don't think that you'll lose your voice and your self when you study other authors and imitate them. You'll soon "shed those layers" (quote from the article) and find that your voice is intact, but with this new feel to it.

Don't use cliches. It just ruins the voice, the taste of writing, everything. It's so bland, and boring, and readers want fresh things. They automatically assume you can't think of something fresh if you use a cliche. So avoid them. And TASTE. The author of this article emphasizes taste. Writers with taste will know when to add something in or take something out. They'll know just how much, and it'll be good. It'll be perfect. But writers without taste will add everything they can think of, and it clutters the writing. They block it up, choke it, over-do it. It's not good. Simple is usually good, but eloquent is better. If you can achieve eloquence without cluttering, use it.

I agree with the second part of his article. Cliches are boring, and so we have to avoid them. Same for taste; I think that people with good taste will excel at whatever they have taste in. But I'm not so sure about the first part of his article. I don't exactly think you should try and keep your voice in everything. Especially for people like me, who tend to have a little sarcastic feel in their writing, wouldn't want to use it for something formal. My voice changes a bit for my writing: my fiction stories, my research reports, my poems are all a little different. I agree that if you want to pull off a specific kind of feel, you should study it and try it out.

Blogging Assignment #8

1. Voice is the way a specific person writes. If a piece of writing has voice in it, you feel like the author is personally telling a story to you. Not just to the whole world but especially to you. The way they talk, the way they say things, is embedded in the text. It's not just words, but a voice. Voice is unique because everyone has a different way they think and say things. There are similar voices in writing, like sarcastic, funny, serious, etc. but each person has their way of expressing things. My writing voice is dramatic and sarcastic. I like using sarcasm in my writing because I can't exactly use all the sarcasm my brain thinks of in my real life.

CHALKBOARD ERASER

I feel so dirty. No one ever cares about me. I always sit here... useless. Everyone uses their hands to wipe off Chalk. The occasional clean person comes by and will use me. But then I feel all dirty again. Chalk is so lucky. He always gets to be used. I always sit here. Oh look, the students are coming in. I wonder if someone will be nice to me today. *30 minutes into the lecture, still thinking emo, depressing thoughts* WHAT IN THE WORLD?? The teacher is using me to clean the board?? Already?? Class isn't even half over!! What is going on?!?!?
"GEORGE, WAKE UP!!"
Oh wait. Wait. WAIT!!!!!
*thunk*
Elgh. Well that was quite a flight. HE THREW ME ACROSS THE ROOM?!?!? TO WAKE SOMEONE UP?? Is this what I've degraded into? A method to wake students up? Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy I knew this day would come. Ho, I've gotta sit down for a sec, get my head together, get my lungs breathing in chalk again. I'm useless. I'm nothing. I wanna di-- AHHHHH WHAT WAS THAT?! OH NO HE DIDN'T! He did NOT just throw me back at the teacher's head. Great. Now I'm the flying chalkboard eraser. Observe me carefully as I fly through my natural habitat, the rare flying chalkboard eraser. Watch me as I prepare to defend against my predator. Great. Now I'm gonna be on the Discovery Channel or something. You know, you'll be sorry for throwing me. For using me for something I'm not meant for. You'll see. I'll come stalk you in the night. I'll gather all my abused, chalkboard eraser friends, and we will slip. through. the. dark. unnoticed. like. a. slippy... unnoticeable...thingy. We will get our revenge! Until then, I will rest peacefully here. Dying. ULAAAAAAGHHHH. What now???!!! Oh, now you wanna get back at the student for hitting you? Can't you just give him a detention?
WHY MEEEEEE?

Blogging Assignment #7

1.What are some of the aspects of narrative writing and did you like using them?
When writing a narrative, you need a good idea, good characters, and a good plot. I especially like characterizing people, and building suspense for the climax. So I liked using them. Narrative writing is my favorite type.

2.How did you determine what details were relevant and necessary to support your ideas?
I made a mind map, and anything that had anything to do with riding the T-Express was there. I had added stuff about the Everland trip, but it was a little unnecessary to add in (like stuff about leaving our umbrellas there, and going to the candy shop). So from the mind map I chose the details that supported my T-Express idea.

3.How did you create a unique piece of writing?
I created a unique piece of writing, because this is something only I had experienced in our class. No one else will know what I thought or felt during this moment, only me. That's what makes this piece of writing unique. It's me.

4.How did you craft your writing to meet the audience expectations? What is easy or hard?
I wrote it so that maybe people my age, or the teacher in some way I guess, could connect to this story. Everyone's been excited about riding a roller coaster before (that is, if you've ever gotten the guts to ride one). And so it was easy because all I had to write about was that feeling that your heart was gonna run away, but not being able to wait to ride it. People could get this feeling before a concert, a performance, a test? So nearly everyone could connect to it. And I think I've met the audience expectations by connecting with them.

5.How did your personal experience and faith shape the way you told this story?
Like I said in a previous question, without my personal experience, this story wouldn't exist in exactly the same way. Yes, my friends would have their version of the same event, but it would never be the same as mine, because of the personal feelings I put into the events of this story.

6.What would your life be like without the experience?
Hm. It wouldn't be much different, if I hadn't ridden T-Express. It was just one of those fun but thrilling moments in my life that gave me good memories but nothing more.

Hooks: Assign. #6

http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/hook.php
There are four main types of hooks in movies. 1) A sound can hook to another sound. A line of dialogue at the end of a scene connects to the line at the beginning of the next scene. 2) A sound can hook to an image. A line of dialogue is answered by an image. 3) An image can hook to an image. An image from once scene will lead to another image in the next scene. 4) An image can hook to a sound. An image of something can be connected to a sound that means something. The last two are much rarer than the first two.

http://authormarketingtools.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/writing-the-introduction-how-to-hook-your-audience-and-keep-them-reading/
Start by asking the readers a question, or giving them a challenge. Then follow up with a good thesis that's got the basis and point of your work. And the rest of it should be stories and stuff that readers can relate and connect to. Following these things will create a great hook that will reel readers in.

http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/print_article.php?articleId=10699
When trying to write a good hook to your writing, there are some things that really help. When you can't really think of what to write for the beginning, just write out the other ideas you have and fix it up later. Also, analogies provide great hooks. Sometimes stupidity will be enough to gain a reader's attention. Putting together an unusual combination of words can create a really great hook too.

http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/tell-tale-heart.html
The Tell-Tale Heart has a good hook because it starts with an exclamation. It makes you wonder why and what's going on that there would be an exclamation. And then he talks about being nervous, and that also makes you wonder what he's doing that would make him nervous. For these reasons a reader is interested enough to read on. A hook in reading should be short and interesting. If it takes a long time to be interesting, it's not a hook. Readers will start reading and lose the want to read it. Movies can also have just one short moment create the biggest hook for the beginning: a question about the characters, or just a clip of one scene that comes later in the movie. Extreme action could hook us to know why there would be that action. But movies need a little explanation sometimes for the hook. First comes a little bit of the hook, then some explanations, and then the rest of the hook.

Example 1: Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcz6yAYDT4g
There were questions posed at the beginning. "Why are these people hunting down Decepticons, what is all this running and fighting for, and what does this have to do with Sam Whitwicky?" I kept wondering what this was all about, and so I wanted to see the rest. The trailer does a good job catching your attention too. Shows the main character, your favorite Camaro, and humor. (Hah I laughed so much at that part!)

Example 2: Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html (there's a link for a pdf file if you scroll down.)
The beginning starts with something interesting: the fact that he can't sleep. So if you don't know the Twilight series, you start to wonder why, and what exactly the main character is if he can't sleep. There's some humorous bits like " If there was any way to atone for my sins, this ought to count toward the tally in some measure." And, if like me, you didn't realize the main character is talking about not being able to sleep instead of wanting to sleep in school, then the purgatory line about high school's kinda funny :]

Example 3: Valiant by Holly Black
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Valiant/Holly-Black/9780689868221/excerpt_with_id/10292 (link to prologue)
The prologue of the story creates a great hook. There's so many unanswered questions in just 2 pages. The whole fact that someone is dying, that she's a tree, and she's been poisoned, creates this big mystery of what this book will be about. Oh, and who exactly IS Ravus? That's definitely something your mind says "Yeah, I wanna find out who that Ravus guy is."

All three of these hooks contain something in common: the mystery factor (yeah I made up the name for it). The mystery factor is how much it makes you curious and ask questions about it. Maybe I should've called it the curiosity factor. Anyway, all these hooks make you wonder why and what and who and how. Transformers takes the action approach, Valiant by the bookish action approach, and Midnight Sun with the pure curiosity approach. In both Midnight Sun and Transformers, there are bits of humor along with the hook, but Valiant went with a serious way. It's the kind of serious that's scary but intriguing. Either way, they all captured my attention and hooked me to the rest.

Definitions Story: Assign. #5

My parents were so sure I had swine flu, but I was a little ambivalent. I mean, I might have just had a cold, but my parents were so sure it was swine flu. So we went to get medicine for me, but the doctor said I didn't have a fever (although I was taking fever-reducing medicine at the time). I didn't want to be arrogant and say "I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T NEED STUFF LIKE THIS" but the doctor agreed to give me medicine because if it weren't for the fever-reducing medicine, I would have had a fever. The doctor told me to stay in my room until I finish eating all the medicine. I would revere his advice, but I still lamented the fact that I'd be a PRISONER for the next 6 days. So, as I stayed in my room, all own my own, I became very taciturn (it's not like I had anyone to talk aloud to.. I'd be going crazy if I thought I had anyone to talk to aloud O.o)

The medicine made me very nauseous the first three days. It made me lose my appetite, and at the end of the break I found that I had lost a lot of weight. I mean, I didn't lose so much that I became this angular-faced person that looked almost dead, but I did lose some. And then during the first three days of my nauseousness, I found that there was a TON of homework on Edline. There were some times when I disdained the fact that the teachers were giving homework to me when I could hardly sit up right. I would throw a fit in my room (no audience though ;P) but there were times when I was serene and accepted the fact that I'd have to do it. Anyway, I spent my 5 days in my room and on the last day I was allowed out of my room :D After a couple of days I was fine and I went to the movies with my friends. I embellished myself (I mean, first time I'm going out in a WEEK), but not too ostentatiously. I was just so happy to be going out!!

Swine Flu Nouns: Assignment #4

THE ARTICLE: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/08/25/200908250048.asp

Singular
H1N1 flu virus
semester
school

Plural
concerns
schools
infections
students

Common
school
drug
people

Proper
Lee Myung-Bak
Tamiflu
Relenza

Collective
government
Health Ministry

What is the importance of nouns?
Nouns are the subject in almost anything we say. They are so important because everything must need a subject or else it's pointless.

How do they affect our everyday lives?
Without nouns, we wouldn't be able to talk to anybody. Well, we could talk, but it would be gibberish and no one would be able to really communicate. Talking and communication is a big part of our everyday lives, and nouns affect it in the biggest way possible.

Would the English language be limited without nouns? Why or why not?
Definitely yes. Without nouns, I wouldn't be able to say "Pass the eraser please" because 'eraser' is a noun, and I can't even say "Give me!" to make up for it because 'me' is a noun. Technically, we wouldn't be able to say nearly anything.

How do nouns affect other languages?
I'd guess nouns are really important in other languages too, because nouns are usually the subject. Some Korean can be used without a subject but that's like, casual, slang-ish Korean. Like "Give me" could be said in Korean without a subject. Anyway, nouns make things much more easier and better.

Good Ideas: Assignment #3

Pakistan Burn Victims Turn Beauticians
There is a very good idea as the basis for this article. Even from just reading the title, I'm interested to read the story of these Pakistan burn victims. The topic is somewhat narrow; the author included stuff about the women's past and present, other burn victims in Pakistan, and who and what exactly helped them become beauticians. A lot of good details came from that, but also, the topic has become kinda broader than it needed to be. OK let's go back to the details; they're relevant, good quality, and they answer the things I'm curious about (but saves them for last). The author has quotes like this one: "Every person wishes that he or she is beautiful," says Liaqat, 21. "But in my view, your face is not everything. Real beauty lies inside a person, not outside." which gives good support and shows that the author has gone and done his research and gotten his/her materials. Quotes as details also shows accurateness. Overall, I would give this article a 5 out of 5.

The Coming-Out Stories of Anonymous Bloggers
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/21/outing.anonymous.bloggers/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
The article has a fresh idea for its topic. I mean, no one usually writes about what happens to internet bloggers, you know? Not only is the topic fresh, it's narrow and easy to manage: anonymous bloggers become unmasked. There are many details to the article, like many incidents where bloggers were forced from their anonymity. Lots of quotes, but not too many, which is good. I think I'd give this article maybe a 4.5 out of 5.

Children with Lead Poisoning Jam China Hospital
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/21/china.lead.poisoning/index.html
Interesting title...Made me wanna read what exactly happened to the poor kids. Topic is narrow and manageable. Quotes and details from companies, government, and parents. Obviously knows a lot about what he/she is talking about. It got a bit dull at the end though 'cause I already found out what I was curious about. I'd give this a 4 out of 5. Still has good ideas, just not the above-and-beyond.

Tracks of Life: Assignment #2

COVER:

4 or 5 years old:
Tomorrow - Annie
This is the first song that I fell in love with. Moved to Canada, didn't know any English, but I watched the movie Annie and my sister and I went around the house singing this all the time~


8 years old:
Untitled - Simple Plan
I remember seeing this music video randomly on the TV and I fell in love with it. I remember this being the first music video that I watched and thought "awww.. :("


10 years old:
Jesus Take The Wheel - Carrie Underwood
I had gone to church with my grandparents in Canada, but I never really understood it. This was the first time I allowed Jesus to take the wheel.


12 years old:
Scars - Papa Roach
I always tried so hard to please others. No matter if it would be completely inconvenient for me, I would always do everything for others.


Perfect - Simple Plan
A sort of hard time when parents and I weren't in a good place. Nothing changed what they said, but we're all good now.


14 years old:
Move Along - The All-American Rejects
Faught with friends... and I had to move along.


Fire - 2NE1
I have a really good memory of my friends and this song. We went crazy in the gym and were dancing and singing to it in front of the fans and on the stage. :]


Lollipop - Big Bang, 2NE1
...The first time I lost my phone. T^T It was pretty new. My parents were REALLYYYY mad... it was a Lollipop (that's what the phone was called and this song was made for the commercial).

What is Writing?

1. What characteristics describe “good” writing?
I think that good writing has a strong voice. Without a voice, writing would become a textbook :/ and textbooks are incredibly boring. I like writing that has voice because it's interesting and it feels like someone (the main character in the book, or the speaker, or the author) is telling me a story. I also think good writing is organized. Without a good beginning or hook, a solid body, and a satisfying conclusion, the piece of writing would be a mess.

2. What is the process of writing?
The process of writing starts with pre-writing, which is organizing your ideas. Then comes the drafting, which is just writing down your first version of the writing. And then comes revision, which is when you fix the first draft into second and third drafts, making stuff like sentence fluency and organization better. Then you edit your writing for punctuation and grammar, and then finally you publish it (like a final draft). This process makes writing so much more organized, and it actually makes it better because you're revising and editing, when if you weren't using this process, you probably would've stopped at the first draft of it.