Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that I have read all of your columns and will be emailing you tomorrow with your grades. It has taken me longer than anticipated to read and assess all of your columns, but I can say that on the whole they have been wonderful and I think that most of you will be happy with the grade that you receive. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them, all 110 columns! In the future, so that we can continue to do these assignments with some regularity and so that you can share your writing with your classmates and in turn read their work, but so that I can continue to maintain some semblance of a life outside of school (yes, teachers have a life too!) I will read and comment on the columns, but will not assess them. You will get the full points for writing them, as you did with your first writing assignment about your essence. You will still get assessed on your unit papers as well as the occasional in class essays that we will do, now that you have tables to write on. This way we can continue to write on our blogs and you can do so without worrying about your grade, you can write for the pleasure of writing and sharing your incredibly insightful and mature opinions with me and with each other.
Mr. Nic
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Culture
Olivia K.
Culture has a great impact on everyones lives, if its people, food, religion, or music. People are the greatest impact in my life. You learn from the people around you, and you grow on them. Meeting new people is a part of growing up, and by meeting people from different areas of the world, or even in your own city, you can get a good feel of the enviroment they live in. You can also learn about the beliefs they believe in. But the way people act towards me affects who I am, and affects who I will become.
My friends and family are my inspiration and have the biggest effect on me, however, some random people have also made a difference in my life. Listening to people tell about their lives and how it's different from mine really interests me. I attend to look into other directions becuase of people, becuase they share things with you that you never would have thought of on your own. Everything about life amazes me, and just keeps me going, especially the people around me.
My family isn't like any other family. I have divorced parents that live two completely different lives. I see the world from both sides. And from living this way, I grow as a person. I look at life differently than a lot of people would. I know what it feels like to always know you have somewhere else to go, and I know what it feels like to feel like you have nothing. My family motivates in a way that families should. They want me to be my best and do my best, and they only want what will make me happy. I trust my family with my life, and like every other family, we do get into fights, and we do not always get along, but no matter waht they are always there for me. They teach me to become a better person, and everyday I learn something new from them. My families believe in two different political parties, which brings me back to the fact of I know what it feels like to live in both worlds. Becoming older, they've made a drastic change on how I look at life, and I wouldn't be who I am without them.
My friends are my world. They know me best, and at times, seem to know me better than my family does. My family seems to see me as this little 7th grader, but I'm not. I'm a girl with dreams, hope, and beliefs, and my friends help me persue that. I can't thank them more than I already have, they've made me become the best person I can be, and learning from theirs and my situations has only made me a stronger person.
I've changed a lot throughout these past four years at ASA. I strongly encourage people to meet new people and to explore life. I am not the same girl I was in 7th grade, and the people around me have changed that about me, and I am happy with who I am.
Culture has a great impact on everyones lives, if its people, food, religion, or music. People are the greatest impact in my life. You learn from the people around you, and you grow on them. Meeting new people is a part of growing up, and by meeting people from different areas of the world, or even in your own city, you can get a good feel of the enviroment they live in. You can also learn about the beliefs they believe in. But the way people act towards me affects who I am, and affects who I will become.
My friends and family are my inspiration and have the biggest effect on me, however, some random people have also made a difference in my life. Listening to people tell about their lives and how it's different from mine really interests me. I attend to look into other directions becuase of people, becuase they share things with you that you never would have thought of on your own. Everything about life amazes me, and just keeps me going, especially the people around me.
My family isn't like any other family. I have divorced parents that live two completely different lives. I see the world from both sides. And from living this way, I grow as a person. I look at life differently than a lot of people would. I know what it feels like to always know you have somewhere else to go, and I know what it feels like to feel like you have nothing. My family motivates in a way that families should. They want me to be my best and do my best, and they only want what will make me happy. I trust my family with my life, and like every other family, we do get into fights, and we do not always get along, but no matter waht they are always there for me. They teach me to become a better person, and everyday I learn something new from them. My families believe in two different political parties, which brings me back to the fact of I know what it feels like to live in both worlds. Becoming older, they've made a drastic change on how I look at life, and I wouldn't be who I am without them.
My friends are my world. They know me best, and at times, seem to know me better than my family does. My family seems to see me as this little 7th grader, but I'm not. I'm a girl with dreams, hope, and beliefs, and my friends help me persue that. I can't thank them more than I already have, they've made me become the best person I can be, and learning from theirs and my situations has only made me a stronger person.
I've changed a lot throughout these past four years at ASA. I strongly encourage people to meet new people and to explore life. I am not the same girl I was in 7th grade, and the people around me have changed that about me, and I am happy with who I am.
Monday, August 18, 2008
One Proud Teacher
I just wanted to take a quick moment to commend all of you for the time, effort, passion, creativity, and energy that you have put into this assignment. I had high expectations for this, but you have exceeded even those, and I just want to say how proud I am to be able to work with you, and how much I am looking forward to this school year. I will be reading through the columns and comments that you all posted over the next few days, and hope to be caught up on my reading and grading by the end of the week.
I will discuss in class how you will be graded on these, and I do take some time to grade them as I read and reread them carefully, so be patient with me as I know I don’t get you immediate feedback. What I lack in timeliness I will try to make up for with depth in my assessment of your writing.
Remember, I am looking for, in order of importance, the quality of your ideas, your writing style, and the fundamentals of your writing. In other words, what you have to say, how you say it, and that you say it in the proper fashion. I really enjoy reading good creative writing, and to that end I welcome you to challenge yourself and to try different things with your writing. I would rather you take some risks and fall short than to play it safe and give me the standard 5 paragraph AIMS essay, and I will take all that into account when grading and assessing you.
Again, thank you for being such wonderful students and for giving so much of yourselves. I will always do everything I can to live up to the challenge and the honor of being one of your teachers here at ASA.
Mr. Nic
I will discuss in class how you will be graded on these, and I do take some time to grade them as I read and reread them carefully, so be patient with me as I know I don’t get you immediate feedback. What I lack in timeliness I will try to make up for with depth in my assessment of your writing.
Remember, I am looking for, in order of importance, the quality of your ideas, your writing style, and the fundamentals of your writing. In other words, what you have to say, how you say it, and that you say it in the proper fashion. I really enjoy reading good creative writing, and to that end I welcome you to challenge yourself and to try different things with your writing. I would rather you take some risks and fall short than to play it safe and give me the standard 5 paragraph AIMS essay, and I will take all that into account when grading and assessing you.
Again, thank you for being such wonderful students and for giving so much of yourselves. I will always do everything I can to live up to the challenge and the honor of being one of your teachers here at ASA.
Mr. Nic
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Im about to cry. Lets see how fast Sasha can write?
This stupid but blog just erased my hour and a half good work. I'm really angry right now so this piece of writing that i now have to do in 10 minutes will be a piece of poo.
Sasha Zapalova
I am impacted by culture more often than i would like. I always thought that i would be a stronger person than i am when it comes to influences but i have realized that i am not. I have my own boundaries which allow me to not give in to temptations such as sex, drugs, or alcohol, yet i am highly impacted by what others think and their opinions. To narrow down on one element of culture that impacts me, I would have to say dance. It has taught me so many more things than just having the ability to move to a rhythm. Dance has taught me discipline, morals, and respect for my elders. I have realised that i do not dance for myself, i dance for others. I have been trained as a ballet dancer ever since i was four. Ballet is i distinctive form of dance which really shows you how perfection is impossible without hard work and it does not just appear. In ballet you could spend months just trying to perfect one move. This teaches you patience and self motivation. Motivation can be difficult to obtain when you fail more often than you succeed. I know that once i get on stage, i will eventually be appreciated for all the hard work i have done. Because i dance for an audience, i want people to be entertained not only by organized shuffling on a stage. I want them to know that what they have paid to see is is not just movement. It is months of hard work for their satisfaction.
I dont know if this is 400-500 words...
but i do know that it sucks and you should have gotten something much better... i shouldve just done this on word rather than the stupid Internet. I am an idiot and now im really really angry.
Aarrggghh <---- My anger X 11 million.
Sasha Zapalova
I am impacted by culture more often than i would like. I always thought that i would be a stronger person than i am when it comes to influences but i have realized that i am not. I have my own boundaries which allow me to not give in to temptations such as sex, drugs, or alcohol, yet i am highly impacted by what others think and their opinions. To narrow down on one element of culture that impacts me, I would have to say dance. It has taught me so many more things than just having the ability to move to a rhythm. Dance has taught me discipline, morals, and respect for my elders. I have realised that i do not dance for myself, i dance for others. I have been trained as a ballet dancer ever since i was four. Ballet is i distinctive form of dance which really shows you how perfection is impossible without hard work and it does not just appear. In ballet you could spend months just trying to perfect one move. This teaches you patience and self motivation. Motivation can be difficult to obtain when you fail more often than you succeed. I know that once i get on stage, i will eventually be appreciated for all the hard work i have done. Because i dance for an audience, i want people to be entertained not only by organized shuffling on a stage. I want them to know that what they have paid to see is is not just movement. It is months of hard work for their satisfaction.
I dont know if this is 400-500 words...
but i do know that it sucks and you should have gotten something much better... i shouldve just done this on word rather than the stupid Internet. I am an idiot and now im really really angry.
Aarrggghh <---- My anger X 11 million.
How theater impacts my life!
Olivia P.
Many things in our culture impact my life, but right now, theater is the main one. For many people, theater is a way of life. For me, it is not only a way of life, but a way to be entertained and think. Plays and musicals are written from an art aspect, meaning they are written with feeling and are personal to those writing them. When watching a T.V. show, it is easy to ignore it and just let it sink into the background. But when watching a stage show, all of your focus is on the show, every move, every word, every lyric. Theater makes us focus on one thing while making us laugh or cry or learn a lesson.
Watching a musical or play is a treat for me. The magic that goes behind a show is spectacular, thinking that a book of lines, a group of people and a stage put together can be turned into a masterpiece is amazing. When watching a stage show, I always get into it. I love how people become their characters, making it hard to distinguish the real person from who they are on stage. When watching someone who is talented and they show how passionate they are for their craft, I want to be them. Theater is more of personal entertainment because you are in the presence of the action unlike television or movies. The characters become more real and when I see someone laughing or someone crying in a show, my emotions match them. Watching theater is beautiful and teaches you a great deal about life and the world around us. Plays and musicals take you back in time, build up our imaginations and exposes everyone to different types of art all at once.
Theater is an outlet where I can leave reality behind. When I act, I get to be something or someone different. Theater helps you become comfortable with your body and mind and emotions, letting you explore things about your self you never knew. Since I started theater, I feel I have become more outgoing, comfortable with public speaking, and has made it easy for me to be in front of big crowds of people. When involved with theater, you also work your mind and memory, memorizing lines, blocking, and sometimes dances. You learn to work with other people and exercise team building skills. Not only have I learned to work and think, but I have also found a second family. When part of a cast, you are with the same people for months, making it hard not to make close friends. After meeting so many people I have become more confidant when meeting new people. Theater has helped me with almost every part of my life. It has made me want to look into myself to try new things and to follow a passion that has been growing greatly over the last couple of years.
haha, oh yeah, everyone needs to see Aida before Sunday! You'll love!
sorry, thats more than 500 words i think, but I just had to put it out there...=)
Many things in our culture impact my life, but right now, theater is the main one. For many people, theater is a way of life. For me, it is not only a way of life, but a way to be entertained and think. Plays and musicals are written from an art aspect, meaning they are written with feeling and are personal to those writing them. When watching a T.V. show, it is easy to ignore it and just let it sink into the background. But when watching a stage show, all of your focus is on the show, every move, every word, every lyric. Theater makes us focus on one thing while making us laugh or cry or learn a lesson.
Watching a musical or play is a treat for me. The magic that goes behind a show is spectacular, thinking that a book of lines, a group of people and a stage put together can be turned into a masterpiece is amazing. When watching a stage show, I always get into it. I love how people become their characters, making it hard to distinguish the real person from who they are on stage. When watching someone who is talented and they show how passionate they are for their craft, I want to be them. Theater is more of personal entertainment because you are in the presence of the action unlike television or movies. The characters become more real and when I see someone laughing or someone crying in a show, my emotions match them. Watching theater is beautiful and teaches you a great deal about life and the world around us. Plays and musicals take you back in time, build up our imaginations and exposes everyone to different types of art all at once.
Theater is an outlet where I can leave reality behind. When I act, I get to be something or someone different. Theater helps you become comfortable with your body and mind and emotions, letting you explore things about your self you never knew. Since I started theater, I feel I have become more outgoing, comfortable with public speaking, and has made it easy for me to be in front of big crowds of people. When involved with theater, you also work your mind and memory, memorizing lines, blocking, and sometimes dances. You learn to work with other people and exercise team building skills. Not only have I learned to work and think, but I have also found a second family. When part of a cast, you are with the same people for months, making it hard not to make close friends. After meeting so many people I have become more confidant when meeting new people. Theater has helped me with almost every part of my life. It has made me want to look into myself to try new things and to follow a passion that has been growing greatly over the last couple of years.
haha, oh yeah, everyone needs to see Aida before Sunday! You'll love!
sorry, thats more than 500 words i think, but I just had to put it out there...=)
I Found It You Guys!!!!! Im So Happy Right Now! WWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
The Freaky Scooba Fish
(S.Z)
I have recently noticed how much culture impacts my life, and honestly I'm not happy about it. I was raised believing that it was important to be your own person and not allow anyone to change that. Of coarse, in our society not being impacted or changed by the elements around you can be near impossible. I just wish that i was as strong as i thought i would surely become. As i tried to narrow down one element of culture that molded my life, i was left empty handed. I realize that because of my constant struggle to feel embraced yet sustain my individuality, elements of culture such as dance, family and friends, are constantly impacting and changing my life.
Dance is an important part of any culture and is seen everywhere from Ireland to Africa. I have been dancing since i was four and it has changed my life completely. Dance has taught me so many things, not only being able to move to a rhythm but valuable morals and lessons. I have gotten so much more from dance then just being able to move. I was trained as a ballet dancer which is a distinctive form of dance. Ballet has taught me discipline and having a great respect for my elders. In addition, it teaches you that excellence is not possible without hard work and it does not just appear. Having to work for long periods of time just to perfect one move gives you patience and self motivation. Motivation can be a difficult thing to obtain when you keep failing. Something that keeps me going is knowing that once i get on stage someone will appreciate my hard work. I do not dance for myself, i dance for others. I not only want them to enjoy watching people shuffle around on a stage, but i want them to know that what they are witnessing took time and persistence for their satisfaction.
Another element of culture that makes an impact on my life is my family. My family is a direct example of the common quote "you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." I had the gift of having one completely sane mother paired with one completely insane father with a sister who could not tell the difference. My family is constantly just crazy all the time, which leaves me in the middle just trying to move along. The mistakes my family have made in the past give me general standards to live by. I make my own goals based on what they could not overcome. Being the youngest of the family, i have the advantage of seeing bad decisions before me and witnessing the consequences they create. This allows me to be my own driving individual and not get into too much trouble. My friends are constantly changing me and molding my outside. The change is not direct of coarse however, i am highly influenced by all of them. At the moment, there are many of my friends that are changing which is leaving me dazed and confused. Knowing now that I am stronger, there actions will not affect me and hopefully whatever it is, they will get through with it on top.
It is impossible to resist being influenced by culture, but what makes it important is how you let it affect you. You should be the person who moderates how you are influenced and why.
This is my essay and now im satisfied because it is on here, now and all of you know that i was not lying :) Also I think every ones essay was really great and i feel honored to be in a class with such in depth thinkers. (Well that was cheesy, but it is definitely true)
(S.Z)
I have recently noticed how much culture impacts my life, and honestly I'm not happy about it. I was raised believing that it was important to be your own person and not allow anyone to change that. Of coarse, in our society not being impacted or changed by the elements around you can be near impossible. I just wish that i was as strong as i thought i would surely become. As i tried to narrow down one element of culture that molded my life, i was left empty handed. I realize that because of my constant struggle to feel embraced yet sustain my individuality, elements of culture such as dance, family and friends, are constantly impacting and changing my life.
Dance is an important part of any culture and is seen everywhere from Ireland to Africa. I have been dancing since i was four and it has changed my life completely. Dance has taught me so many things, not only being able to move to a rhythm but valuable morals and lessons. I have gotten so much more from dance then just being able to move. I was trained as a ballet dancer which is a distinctive form of dance. Ballet has taught me discipline and having a great respect for my elders. In addition, it teaches you that excellence is not possible without hard work and it does not just appear. Having to work for long periods of time just to perfect one move gives you patience and self motivation. Motivation can be a difficult thing to obtain when you keep failing. Something that keeps me going is knowing that once i get on stage someone will appreciate my hard work. I do not dance for myself, i dance for others. I not only want them to enjoy watching people shuffle around on a stage, but i want them to know that what they are witnessing took time and persistence for their satisfaction.
Another element of culture that makes an impact on my life is my family. My family is a direct example of the common quote "you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." I had the gift of having one completely sane mother paired with one completely insane father with a sister who could not tell the difference. My family is constantly just crazy all the time, which leaves me in the middle just trying to move along. The mistakes my family have made in the past give me general standards to live by. I make my own goals based on what they could not overcome. Being the youngest of the family, i have the advantage of seeing bad decisions before me and witnessing the consequences they create. This allows me to be my own driving individual and not get into too much trouble. My friends are constantly changing me and molding my outside. The change is not direct of coarse however, i am highly influenced by all of them. At the moment, there are many of my friends that are changing which is leaving me dazed and confused. Knowing now that I am stronger, there actions will not affect me and hopefully whatever it is, they will get through with it on top.
It is impossible to resist being influenced by culture, but what makes it important is how you let it affect you. You should be the person who moderates how you are influenced and why.
This is my essay and now im satisfied because it is on here, now and all of you know that i was not lying :) Also I think every ones essay was really great and i feel honored to be in a class with such in depth thinkers. (Well that was cheesy, but it is definitely true)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
