As with most moments in our lives, we are approaching an ending. This ending is one that we count on from the moment we step into the doorway of kindergarten. Graduation is a time for celebration. Meeting the graduation requirements is a testament to the world, to you, and to those who care about you that you have completed your journey. This is about you working hard to complete your journey so that a new one awaits on the horizon. Once you complete this, you will find that it is only the beginning. Many more journeys will grow from this. It is your responsibility to determine how much of a blossom you allow the the world to see.
For this week, I want you to reflect on a moment. What moment in your life prepared you to meet and excel beyond this milestone? Tell me a story about one of your stepping stones to graduation. Your stepping stone may have been a moment of failure where you learned to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and then persevere regardless of any obstacles; or, it may be a moment of inspiration or success where you knew in that moment you were bound for success. Tell me a story.
With only a few weeks left until the end of this journey, you can see the finish line. Don't slow down, don't stop believing (Sorry Journey!), and don't allow yourself to be detoured.
Happy blogging:)
Guidelines: If your story is negative and would paint another person in a negative light, please refrain from using their name. This is not meant to bash others, but to celebrate you and your many stepping stones.
Voice is an incredibly powerful tool. The voice of a writer is defined as the following:
VOICE is an author’s distinctive literary style, basic
vision and general attitude toward the world.
This “voice” is revealed through an author’s use of SYNTAX (sentence
construction); DICTION (distinctive vocabulary); PUNCTUATION; CHARACTERIZATION
and DIALOGUE. The voice of an author may
cover a wide range of possibilities (e.g. “victim,” “judge,” “friend," "coach,"
“spy,” “opponent,” "cheerleader,” "critic," "alien") (AP Glossary of Literary Terms).
All of us have a distinct writing voice. The way we construct our writing and present our ideas to the world is unique to each of us. Your blog this week is to find an example (not discussed in class) that you can determine the following:
Type a paragraph of the text into your response. This can come from any school appropriate source. Explain the following about your passage.
1. What is the passage trying to say?
2. How does this writer say it? Look at vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation, and dialogue.
3. Why does this style appeal to you?
I struggle to keep up with the news. It can often be a problem. People around me will engage in a conversation and I am left out of the dialogue simply because I did not read my Twitter feed or catch the six o'clock news. I have gotten better at following along. What I have found interesting, though, is the organization, vocabulary and perspective of the news. Depending on the paper it changes.
Certain news sources have elevated vocabulary, longer sentence construction, and more complex text. Others, have more ads, more hyperbole, smaller vocabulary, and sentences that are not very complicated. The reason, audience.
Your assignment this week is to choose ANY SCHOOL APPROPRIATE news article from a reputable news source: New York Times, Boston Globe, Plain Dealer, Washington Post--to name a few. Read one of the articles--preferably a full length article--full pages. Using the article, complete the following information:
- Summarize the article and cite the source
- Explain what you notice about the writing: sentence construction, vocabulary, topic etc.
- Who is the audience of this article? (Teens, woman, economic level...)
- How do they build their argument? (Ethos, logos, pathos) How do you know?
The word "Art" like any word is subjective. We see art everyday and do not stop to appreciate it. Go to the site, Huffington Post, and look at what the different individuals say about the role or definition of art. Once you have have read through those definitions, go to the below websites and choose three art pieces to discuss.
What to discuss:
1. Give the title of each art piece before you discuss it. (If the art piece does not have a name, describe it as best as you can.)
2. Explain which artist's definition applies to each artwork.
3. Explain what you see when you look at the art piece.
4. What is the purpose behind each artist's piece of artwork? What is their message for society?
Websites to find the artwork:
1. http://www.aasarchitecture.com/2012/10/3D-street-artists.html
2. http://kurtwenner.com/gallery/street_gallery/
3. http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=8241
As always, keep all posts school appropriate!
