"Paradox and Dream"

5/21/15
1.) "Americans overindulge their children and do not like them; the children in turn are overly dependent and full of hate for their parents."

Reflection
          This paradox basically means that parents buy everything that their children desire and they don't like their children. The other part means children are too dependent on their parents, but hate them for everything that's good and bad. The parents dislike their children because they've turned bratty. The children hate their parents because they don't like them getting in their business. There are many other reasons in which parents dislike their children and children hate their parents, but these were just a few.

          I have made many connections for this paradox. One connection that I made is through one of my friends. He begs his parents for technology and they give it to him but, he strongly dislikes his parents. He hates them for the bad qualities and hates them for the good qualities. On the other hand his parents try to keep him in line and make him a better person but in the end they, I can see through their actions, think he is disobedient and they don't like him.


2.) "We scramble and scrabble up the stony path toward the pot of gold we have taken to mean security. We trample friends, relatives, and strangers who get in the way of our achieving it; and once we get it we shower it on psychoanalysts to find out why we are unhappy, and finally-if we have enough of the gold-we contribute it back to the nation in form of foundations and charities."

          This quote means that somebody that will try to succeed or achieve something will not stop even if a family member is in deep distress. They will do anything do achieve it. But, after they succeed, they feel depressed because the don't know what to do with their money and their life is boring. Then, they go see a psychoanalysts to see why they are unhappy. Finally, they return all that money to the country through charities and donations to churches.

          How I can relate to this is through my grandpa. He wanted my dad to become a professional tennis player and pushed him so hard. He didn't stop and wasted most of his money on trainers. My grandpa kept pushing and pushing. My dad fractured his knee from playing to hard and that is where the story ends. It relates to half of the paradox but I think my grandpa would of, if he could of, kept going until my dad became a professional tennis player, but then again my dad picked education over tennis. 

End of the Year Reflection

1.)What are the three most important things you learned this year?
2.)What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?
3.)What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

4.)What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?
5.)In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of? What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

 6.) What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?

 Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why? 
7.)What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year?

         
          I learned many things in the one quarter I've been in Mrs. Larson. One of the many things I have learned is how to write poetry. There are many things you have to learn to write poetry, like onomatopoeia, similes, and metaphors. I did not know this before I came into this class. Sure, I would of learned it in the regular classes but here they went into depth and explained the concept thoroughly. Another thing I learned through this class is annotating a piece of writing. It's not just highlighting a piece of text it's about writing down your thoughts and asking questions. And finally, the last thing I learned/improved is my vocabulary. I use words that have a sense of thought and feeling. 


 An event I will remember for the rest of my life is watching the Bugsy Malone Jr. play. Many of my

classmates participated in this play that is why I will remember it for the rest of my life. I couldn't take most of my classmates serious. They were either to short for their role or dressed up amusingly like a bunny suit. Other than that, they did a great job preforming and acting.

   
The nicest thing somebody has ever done for me in this class is explaining concepts that I did not comprehend when I was new to the class. Like explaining blogs and AoW's to me. Explaining the normal things and the schedule in the class. There were many nice things that people did for me. I really appreciate all of them.

 Something I taught my classmates this year is that it doesn't take perfection for it to be perfect. Like when we were doing the project where we had to see what the farm symbolizes for the character that we were assigned for Of Mice and Men. We didn't do the best job but it didn't turn out horrible. We just went with and explained why it relates to the character. We did our best and explained it.

The area in which I think I vastly improved on is my vocabulary or my choice of words. I now use words that express me more like instead of saying big I say vast. Something that I accomplished that I am proud of is getting into all accelerated classes. I am proud of this because this will impact my life in a positive way later in my life. The most challenging part of the year for me was entering Ms. Larson's class and not knowing what to do. I just watched her explain what to do while I sat there clueless but I caught on eventually.


My best piece of writing that I wrote throughout this year is a story I wrote based on the characters I created. I think it is my best because I used all the methods in writing a story like adding a protagonist and an antagonist. I included dynamic, rounded, flat, and static characters. The best book I read was Of Mice and Men. It was the best book I read because it had suspense, romance, action, and friendship.


The advice I would give to students that will be in Ms. Laron's class in the future is good luck. Also, do your homework and have good manners. Do your AoW's, blog, and vocabulary. Use please and thank you. Always get things done and turned in before the due date because you will have more time to do other things.

Something That Symbolizes Me

5/13/15
Prompt: Why does this object represent you?
Nicolas F

          What I think represents me is a tennis ball. I think this because once a tennis ball gets hit by a tennis racket it bounces back on the other side. The other side becomes the good side until it comes time to go back to the other. I'm flexible like that, I can do one thing and remember about the other thing and still get there in time. Another thing that the tennis ball represents about me is being able to bounce back. I think I'm resilient because I can take a blow from someone physically or mentally and still bounce back. It's like it came through one ear and out the other.







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Of Mice and Men

5/12/15

There are several scenes added to the movie in which Curley's wife talks to George. These scenes are not in the book, or they appear differently in the book 

Briefly describe two of these scenes.

How do these new scenes change or add to your opinion of Curley's wife? What do they show the audience  about her? Why do you think the director (or screenwriter) chose to add those scenes? 

 What are your general thoughts, feelings, reactions Of Mice and Men? What had the most profound impact on you or your understanding of the novella? Who would you recommend this book to and why? 
     

          One scene that is not in the book is presented in the movie is the scene where Slim tells George to go put a mule away while they are working and he goes to put the mule away in the barn. He encounters Curley's wife and he is alone with her. She starts to ask him questions. Another scene that we see in the movie that is not presented through the book is when George and Lennie are working together and to load up the wagon when Curley's wife comes along. She tries to talk to them but they ignore her. Then she notices the bruises on Lennie's face and connects that to Curley's broken hand.

          These new scenes add more of the loneliness factor that I have noticed throughout the book and the movie. I think they show the audience how desperate and lonely she is to talk to someone. The director added these new scenes to show how women were sort of desperate and alone even if they are married during these times.

          I had mixed emotions throughout the book and movie. I had many emotions towards Lennie. One was that Lennie was useless in the beginning of the book and movie. But, my understanding changed and then I noticed that Lennie was very useful to George and the whole ranch. Another mixed emotion that I had was towards George. I thought he was just bossing around Lennie and trying to make fun of him like when he told Lennie to jump in a river, he jumps and forgets after George saves him. But, then he I saw that George killed Lennie out of love so he won't suffer anymore. I would recommend this book to my sister when she is older because the genres she is interested in is futuristic books. This book is more when there was no technology but there there is a huge contrast of both genres. That is why I would recommend it to her, so she can be more open-minded. 

AOW Impressions Blog

Nicolas F.
5/05/15

     Today, I learned about Child Abuse and Neglect,  Baltimore Riots, Earthquakes in Nepal, and Iranian forces seize American commercial ship. This is one out one-thousand compared to the other stuff happening in the world. There are a lot more problems in the world than the media can keep up.

     One thing that interested me the most was the child abuse that I learned through Mia. Mia provided many facts and opinions and that is what interested me. Some parents do not take their children to the doctor due to their religion. They believe God is going to heal their children naturally.
Although we can't do anything do change their religion we can help them realize that what they are doing is wrong.

     Another article that interested me was the Baltimore riots that was presented through Devin and Diana. I learned that the Baltimore riots started because of a man named Freddy Gray died. He was in

good health at the time he was arrested but then went into a coma due to his neck and spinal injuries. He died the next day. There were gatherings to peacefully protest. We can do something like provide more money for the government or the police station to train the police better.

Dreams Poem

5/1/15
Prompt: Based on your brainstorming via Edmodo, write a short poem elaborating on your dream and/or why dreams or visions are an impotent part of life.

"Dreams"

Oh dreams. 

What a wonderful part of life.

They inspire and create a new life.

Without them you don't have a life to live.

They are as beautiful as a rainbow. 

Dreams don't appear by themselves. 

You must seek them out.

But in time they will appear.

But the choice is yours to accept or decline.

Oh dreams. 

What a wonderful part of life.

They inspire and create a new life.

Without them you don't have a life to live.

They are as beautiful as a rainbow. 

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