As we started the masterpiece academy I was not sure what to expect from the presentations, in the end every single project made me believe how absolutely talented every single person in our class is.
Although the construction of this class is completely different from any learning environment I have ever been in I think it encouraged everyone to do their best. Being able to control our learning experience made it easier for us (students) to tailor each lesson to best fit us. The trust that you as a teacher had in us was brave, although many students could have taken advantage of the freedom we were given most took it and used it in a positive way. For the most part everyone deserved, earned and honored our roll in open source learning.
Relating my journey through this course with some of the fictional stories we have read proved to be difficult. As I think about the tales we have read I think about the struggles and hardships each character had to endure, my journey is meek.. Jumping in to this class though was how I excepted Bernard from Brave New World to feel as he entered the savage community. It was strange and filled with unknown things. My fear of memorization was one that reminded me of Beowulf. As he prepared to slay the beast I had to prepare myself to slay the soliloquy. In the end we both were able to conquer our obstacle (mine was much less violent). Towards the end of the first semester I felt like Ophelia from Hamlet. I was torn between listening to Dr. Preston and do my work or my head telling me to take naps after school. In the end I listen to Dr. Preston and completed my work (thankfully my story ends differently from Ophelia's).
I don't think I reconnected or connected with any passion my passion has always been the same. I enjoy helping people, whether it is through the ClassyU blog or in person I like to see people satisfied and happy.
My hardest fits of laughter during this course was when my group made our first semester masterpiece video. Taking each piece of literature that we had read and making it a parody made the class seem so much less stressful. The element of laughing reduces frustration making everything else enjoyable.
A common theme through many of the presentations was making memories. Taylor, Hannah and Meghan showed us how changing our attitude towards high school and making the best of everything will make it so much more enjoyable. Ian, Shane and Mia promoted school spirit and helped make so many memories for everyone through Warrior Nation. Hayley showed us that even though high school is not perfect if you make the most of what you have you will always have a good time. Breanna, Whitney and Eli told everyone to live life to the fullest. They even went skydiving just to show us how stepping out of your comfort zone will make all the difference and make your time more enjoyable. Miranda brought most of the class to tears with "time is o the essence" she made us all realize how fast time moves and how making memories now is so important.
Am I a Hero? No. I did not do anything extraordinary in the class for the most part I did what I needed very rarely doing extra. When it came to my masterpiece I did put in the extra effort because it was something I was passionate about. I had one great challenge to conquer and that only left me feeling like I barely survived.
Literary techniques, I know this is not sneaky but I am bad at being sneaky (ask my parents). Pathos, emotion was a big theme throughout the masterpiece academy. With graduation so close everyone's emotions are at an all time high.
*This is my essay nothing fancy sorry I had a really big shooting competition this weekend and I did not have much time to work on homework.*
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
The Crossroads Between Should and Must
In relation to the crossroads I see myself heading towards Must. I hardly ever do what I think people want me to do. I do my own thing all the time. Making myself happy is always numbe one.
People that care about what others think are small minded people, they are so worried with image they are not able to fully enjoy things that make them happy.
Choosing must has been something I have personally done on a regular basis. I chose to become a marksmen, not one person told me I should. Although many people told me that girls can't shoot I ignored them all and proved them wrong by winning competitions (beating all the men). Choosing Must is who I am.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Macbeth Act 1 Notes
-Irish invaded Scotland, leader Macdonwald
-Macbeth killed Macdonwald
-Duncan says thane of Cawdor be put to death and Macbeth will be the new thane
-Macbeth and Banquo come across the witches who address Macbeth as "thane of Cawdor" and say that Macbeth will be king one day and Banquo will not but his children will sit upon the throne
-Ross tells Macbeth the king has made him thane of Cawdor and Macbeth is impressed the witches prophecies came true
-Duncan says Cawdor died nobly, repenting free of his sins
-Duncan says Macbeth is now heir to the throne and Macbeth notes to himself that Malcom is in the way
-Macbeth goes to tell the news to his wife
-Macbeth's wife receives a letter of Macbeth's great news and she plans to tell him to do whatever it takes to make it happen
-Lady Macbeth says she will put her femininity aside so she can "get bloody" to seize crown
-Macbeth tells her Duncan plans to leave the following day but Lady Macbeth says he won't live to see the day
-Duncan comes to visit Macbeth
-Macbeth contemplates about assassinating Duncan and says he would only do it for his own ambition
-Macbeth goes over why he shouldn't kill Duncan= he's a good ruler and well admired so he decides not to do it
-Lady Macbeth is angry an says to do it and stop being a coward
-as long as they are bold they will be successful
-Lady Macbeth will give Duncan's chamberlains wine while Duncan is asleep to make them drunk and then Macbeth and her will go in and kill him Duncan in his sleep
-smear his blood on the chamberlains so it looks like they did it
-Macbeth agrees and says he hopes she gives birth to sons and no daughters cuz of her plan
Friday, March 28, 2014
Literature Analysis
Bless Me Ultima
General
1. Antonio is almost 7 years old when Ultima comes to live with them. His family took her in because of her healing powers and experience with magic. She becomes very close with Antonio who becomes fascinated with the process of healing. He frequently goes out with her to collect herbs and make remedies. Antonio begins school and his mother desperately wants Ultima to reveal his destiny. She tells her that he will become a man of learning.
The war ended and Antonio's brothers return home from the war. They have a strange conflict with their father that Antonio will never understand. They both struggle to lead independent lives.
Tenorio gets in a conflict with Ultima and blames her for the death of her daughters. He tries to kill her, but fails. Later, he curses a man and the mans house becomes haunted. Ultima is called upon to get rid of the ghosts, and she does. She is highly respected after this.
Tenorio is still infuriated with Ultima and tries once again to kill her, but ends up shooting her owl. Ultima dies soon after because her owl is her spriritual symbol. Antonio is very sad and buries the owl as Ultima's last wish.
2. The theme is the importance of culture on an individuals identity. For example, the towns people look down upon Narciso for being the town drunk but little do they know that his traumatic experiences from war are what have altered his phsycological state. The characters are limited to what their culture has taught them, and never look past their own assumptions.
3. The authors tone is hopeful. The story is told by Antonio and since he is young, he has reason to hope for everything to turn out the best. He is very mature for his age though. He has many intellectual questions that adults cant even comprehend. The fact that the child tells the stroy, gives it a sense of innocence in a town of guilt. "
Characterization
1. Direct- "She took my hand and the silent magic powers she possessed made beauty from the raw, sunbaked llano, the green river valley, and the blue bowl which was the white sun's home."
-"He spoke in Spanish and the village he metioned was his home. My father had been a vaquero all his life, a calling as ancient as the coming of the Spainard to Nuevo Mejico."
Indirect- "I pressed my forehead against the cold wood of the porch wall and closed my eyes. I wanted the cold to draw all the heat our of my tired, wet body and make me well again. The day had been so long, it seemed to stretch back to eternity. I only wanted to go home... I wanted to hate Andrew for being bad with the women, but I could not. I only felt tired, and older."
- "At first we could only see the flaring light of the pinon torches. Then our eyes grew accustomed to the dark and we could see the dark outlines of men, and their red, sweating faces by the light of their torches."
2. No, the authors syntax remains the same throughout the entire novel. Since Antonio is narrating the story, everyone is seen through the eyes of the same character, so the syntax and diction remain the same.
3. The protagonist, Antonio, is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the novel, Antonio was as innocent as he looked. He was naive and young. He had alot of questions, but he didn't understand the meaning of them before he became close to Ultima. By the end of the novel, Antonio may not have grown much in age but in mind, he grew about 20 years. He had a new understanding of the world and the people around him, thanks to Ultima.
4. I feel like I have just met a character in a book. I never was fully intregued into the novel. It isn't the type of story that really grabs my attention. For me, it lacked a romantic subplot. I think that the book was very well written and that the story was great. It just didn't hook me the way I beleive it was intended to. "At that moment I heard Ultima's owl hoot a danger cry outside. There was someone out there. I looked at Ultima and saw her smile vanish. She held her head high, as if sniffing the wind, and the strength I had seen when she dealt with Tenorio at the bar filled her face. She, too, had heard the owl."
General
1. Antonio is almost 7 years old when Ultima comes to live with them. His family took her in because of her healing powers and experience with magic. She becomes very close with Antonio who becomes fascinated with the process of healing. He frequently goes out with her to collect herbs and make remedies. Antonio begins school and his mother desperately wants Ultima to reveal his destiny. She tells her that he will become a man of learning.
The war ended and Antonio's brothers return home from the war. They have a strange conflict with their father that Antonio will never understand. They both struggle to lead independent lives.
Tenorio gets in a conflict with Ultima and blames her for the death of her daughters. He tries to kill her, but fails. Later, he curses a man and the mans house becomes haunted. Ultima is called upon to get rid of the ghosts, and she does. She is highly respected after this.
Tenorio is still infuriated with Ultima and tries once again to kill her, but ends up shooting her owl. Ultima dies soon after because her owl is her spriritual symbol. Antonio is very sad and buries the owl as Ultima's last wish.
2. The theme is the importance of culture on an individuals identity. For example, the towns people look down upon Narciso for being the town drunk but little do they know that his traumatic experiences from war are what have altered his phsycological state. The characters are limited to what their culture has taught them, and never look past their own assumptions.
3. The authors tone is hopeful. The story is told by Antonio and since he is young, he has reason to hope for everything to turn out the best. He is very mature for his age though. He has many intellectual questions that adults cant even comprehend. The fact that the child tells the stroy, gives it a sense of innocence in a town of guilt. "
Characterization
1. Direct- "She took my hand and the silent magic powers she possessed made beauty from the raw, sunbaked llano, the green river valley, and the blue bowl which was the white sun's home."
-"He spoke in Spanish and the village he metioned was his home. My father had been a vaquero all his life, a calling as ancient as the coming of the Spainard to Nuevo Mejico."
Indirect- "I pressed my forehead against the cold wood of the porch wall and closed my eyes. I wanted the cold to draw all the heat our of my tired, wet body and make me well again. The day had been so long, it seemed to stretch back to eternity. I only wanted to go home... I wanted to hate Andrew for being bad with the women, but I could not. I only felt tired, and older."
- "At first we could only see the flaring light of the pinon torches. Then our eyes grew accustomed to the dark and we could see the dark outlines of men, and their red, sweating faces by the light of their torches."
2. No, the authors syntax remains the same throughout the entire novel. Since Antonio is narrating the story, everyone is seen through the eyes of the same character, so the syntax and diction remain the same.
3. The protagonist, Antonio, is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the novel, Antonio was as innocent as he looked. He was naive and young. He had alot of questions, but he didn't understand the meaning of them before he became close to Ultima. By the end of the novel, Antonio may not have grown much in age but in mind, he grew about 20 years. He had a new understanding of the world and the people around him, thanks to Ultima.
4. I feel like I have just met a character in a book. I never was fully intregued into the novel. It isn't the type of story that really grabs my attention. For me, it lacked a romantic subplot. I think that the book was very well written and that the story was great. It just didn't hook me the way I beleive it was intended to. "At that moment I heard Ultima's owl hoot a danger cry outside. There was someone out there. I looked at Ultima and saw her smile vanish. She held her head high, as if sniffing the wind, and the strength I had seen when she dealt with Tenorio at the bar filled her face. She, too, had heard the owl."
Monday, March 10, 2014
10 Questions
10 Questions I would ask my expert:
1. Is this the job that you always wanted?
2. Do you have any tips for time management?
3. How did you create a network of people that are reliable?
4. Is this the type of job you love coming to everyday?
5. Are there any special skills that you need to get this job?
6. Did you ever change your major in college?
7. How do you balance work and a social life?
8. Do you have any contacts that I could use for my career?
9. Do you ever get really stressed out?
10. How do you manage stress?
1. Is this the job that you always wanted?
2. Do you have any tips for time management?
3. How did you create a network of people that are reliable?
4. Is this the type of job you love coming to everyday?
5. Are there any special skills that you need to get this job?
6. Did you ever change your major in college?
7. How do you balance work and a social life?
8. Do you have any contacts that I could use for my career?
9. Do you ever get really stressed out?
10. How do you manage stress?
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Benchmark
Sarah, Micaela, Caroline and I have tried multiple ways to approach our website. After the first two platforms not working or costing us money we finally found one that worked for us. Although it is not completely ready to show people right now I think our website will really be helpful to people. I hope that people in the class will actually look at it and tell their friends about it to spread the word so that it will become popular. Our website will be one that has something for everyone.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Resource of the Day #4
STARBUCKS!! This is the best place in my opinion to get together and work on a project like my group did. There are plenty of delicious drinks and snacks to have while we are working. Thank goodness for coffee!
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