Final Reflection Blog

1- What are the three most important things you learned this year?

        

                  One of the most important things I learned this year was how to manage my time wisely. I've heard it's not going to get any easier, so I needed to manage my time better this year than i've done previous years.  If I say so myself I did a good job, well sometimes. Another thing I learned was how to officially right a proper paragraph. I never really knew how to before this year. And the last thing I learned was how to annotate.

       2- What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

           
              Something we did this year that I will probably never forget is battle of the books. We lost in a sudden death match because a kid in our group didn't remember something that happened in his book. However, it was really fun. I had to expand my reading just to help my group out. It was an amazing experience and the party we had after the contest was amazing.  Even though we didn't make it far, it was fun and i'll definitely be doing it next year.



      3- What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?


           The nicest thing someone did for me was when Sam helped me how to study for my vocabulary quizzes. I was having trouble and my grade was dropping tremendously. I switched the way I studied and my grade started coming back up. I was so glad Sam did that. If I would've had an F I wouldn't be able to play on my basketball teams. 

   4- What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?

              I taught a new classmate how to find the new vocabulary words and wright them every week. Also, I helped them with studying. It felt good to help someone that had the same problem as me when I first came. Also, I tried helping a student who is no longer here with the blogs, but I guess I didn't teach him well because he's gone. 

   5- In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

         I feel I'm still making big improvement's on my blog. Every time I do one, I think it's better than the last. I just need to work on commenting, that's where I slack at. One thing I accomplished and was glad, was the big root word quiz. I thought I was going to fail, but I only got one wrong. 

6- What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

     The most challenging thing for me was time management. I still have trouble  with it now. I will try my best to improve on it next year. I think if I managed my time better, my grades would be better. However, this was my best quarter of the year to me.

7- What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think 
it is your best? 

       The best piece of writing that I did this year was my "Poe Reflections." I think it was the best because I used good detail and had a lot of information for each paragraph. Also, I liked it because it was about one of my favorite poets Edgar Poe.

8- Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why?

       The best book I read this year was The Curious of The Dog In The Night Time written by Mark Haddon. I liked it because it was about a boy just trying to figure out a murder of a dog, but he finds more and more about his parents and neighbors. Also, there were intense moments left and right. It was really good and I would recommend it to ages 12 and up.

      9-Advice for the new kids coming to 7th grade

        My advice for the new kids will is manage your time wisely and study  for any quizzes. I thought this year would be easy, but it was not. It's way more challenging then any other classes I took. Get ready for the first hardest grade of your life because it's coming. However, if you work hard you play hard. I went to a lot of plays and trips with this class and they were fun. Plus we got to miss all our classes except 9th, so it was fun. Also the parties were fun as well. The food was amazing. One last thing, if you like a challenge, do battle of the books, its fun and exciting.

Symbolism Blog

   

                    Something that symbolizes me is a bouncy ball filled with air. What does a ball do? Bounces right? That's how I feel. I bounce and bounce and keep bouncing. Unless a force stops me. However, it may be hard for that force to stop me. Also, if it stops bouncing, someone or something picks me up and starts bouncing me again. I usually don't stop bouncing or stop going.  Even when i'm at my lowest, I just keep bouncing. This ball is bright, noticeable, and would make someone want to kick or bounce it. That's how I feel when I meet someone new. To me, I feel it would be hard not to like me if I was someone else. Some people may not think about how a ball will symbolize someone because they don't think enough about it. However, I see myself as bouncy ball with air, that won't stop bouncing until i'm flat (dead).

"Of Mice And Men"

Prompt/section:

IV, What are your general thoughts, feelings, reactions of 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?



       My general thoughts,feelings, and reactions of Of Mice and Men were surprised. I thought the book was going to be way different. I thought George, Lennie, and Candy would go and get the Dream Ranch and live happily ever after. However, it didn't. George lost his best friend and the dream was over. I felt that they should've just ran away again and got the ranch with Candy. The dream could've still been alive, but I guess George thought otherwise. I was shocked when I seen the movie and George shot Lennie because he did it so fast. I thought he would point it at his head and let Lennie finish his sentence, then shot him. I guess the director felt that George did it quick and fast. That's the only part in the movie that I wish was different. 





       After I finished the book, I realized that the book took place in just a few days. That had the most profound impact on my understanding of the novella. I thought it was weeks, but it turned out to be one weekend. That shows how things back then were different. If it was a book that took place now, I think it would be so different. People today aren't that civilized because of all the electronics we have today. I don't think someone would have the courage to do what George did. Well, at least not a mercy kill. People today would've most likely did it off of hatred. 



       I would recommend this book to anyone who is mature enough to handle it. There is a lot of intense language in the book. Therefore, whoever is reading it has to be mature enough to here or read these words and not loose focus. Therefore if a 5th grader can handle it, let him read it. However from personal experience, I have lost focus because I saw a curse word in the book. So, if you're mature enough to handle reading intense words, you are able to read this book.

AOW Impressions

5/5/15




           In our gallery walk this week, I learned about two major events happening around the world. The Baltimore riots and the earthquake in Nepal. One thing I learned about them is that the earthquake in Nepal, was the biggest quake in over 80 years. In Baltimore, the riots started because of police brutality. I learned about this from Evie and Diana's article. I learned about Nepal from Sebastian and Sam. They both had different information, but it was because there articles were written at different times. The quake in Nepal reminded me of the 1906 quake in San Francisco.


   










   In Baltimore, there was a mother who took her kid out of the area with violence because she was so embarrassed. If more parents were like this, the riot would most likely stop. Also, the crime rate would go down and kids would be more likely to attend college. I never knew that if a older sibling stood up and taught their younger sibling/kids the right way to live, our country would be so different.





    This weeks gallery walk was pretty fun. Even though a lot of people focused on the earthquake and riot. I love doing the gallery walks and learning about the current events around the world. Then, when students have the same article, it's interesting to learn different facts about the same topic. I wonder how long we will keep doing these. Also, if we will do it next year in 8th grade. It's been real fun learning about the different events around the world.

         

       

Dreams

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








                 Dreams are normal for humans. Everyone around the world has them. From the lowest of the low in a third world country, to the most known king or president of a first world country. As a human, you can not deny the fact that you have some type of dream, good or evil. 

                Us humans dream of thing that are beyond impossible, and things that are just right around the corner. An example would be somebody wanting a cup of water to wanting to live forever. There are lots of dreams in different areas. There is not a day that goes by where no one in this world says "I wish."


             I dream that one day I make a big step towards my basketball career. Playing for Nazareth and hopefully making them better. Getting 3 chances at taking them to state with one of my closet friends.  After, I hope that I go to a D1 college. Mostly Duke, but i'll go anywhere. I dream of making my friends and family proud. I hope I leave no one behind, but if I do. I hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me. I dream of making everyone who doubted me realize what they were missing out on.

  

"OMAM"

4/22/15


Book: Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck

Prompt:Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name?   What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?  Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

                  The atmosphere of the Ranch house can be friendly, or unfriendly. It's friendly when Carlson and Slim met Lennie and George. They were getting along pretty well. They should get along throughout the whole book. However, it is unfriendly when Curly was trying to get under Lennie's skin. Curly may try to turn people against George and Lennie by fighting them and loosing on purpose to make it seem like they jumped him. The boss also can be friendly or unfriendly, depending on his mood.


                   Curly's wife does not have a name because of the time period the book takes place in. Back then, women didn't have all the right they do today. You can even say they were mostly used as property before. Therefore, she must have not been given a name or she is not allowed to use it. George calls her a "rat trap" and other insulting names by the other workers.



               I think the author's message is women didn't really have respect for themselves back then. Either embarrassed,ashamed, or never experienced respect from another person. Some of the men in the Ranch, including George and Lennie, were calling her disrespectful names. Therefore, she must be used to it, just giving her body away because she doesn't know how to respect herself. She doesn't respect herself because she never felt it respect from another person.

"The Fourth Stall"

3/16/15

Prompt:

 Do any of the characters feeling change as you’ve read? Explain why or why

not.

If you were a character in this book, who would you be? Why?

Predict what will happen next.

                      The two main characters feelings change just after the first two chapters. They sometimes let kids get free service if it's a really big problem and it could physically hurt the kid. But now, the two main characters (Mac and Vince) have to charge every customer they get. They do this because they are saving up for a Cubs game, which may run them a couple of thousand dollars. Therefore, there feelings went from being naive about the situation, but now they are buckling down about the payments and are becoming hardline with every customer.

                    If I was a character in the book, I think i'd be Mac. The short but mighty leader of the whole business. The boss. I think thats how i'd see myself. I like to be in charge of things a lot. However, I know if i'm not the leader or captain i'll step back a little bit. I won't try to take charge of everything. That's another thing me and Mac have in common. He doesn't try to take charge of everything and everything doesn't always have to be his way. Unless he knows his team, business, or whatever it is, is counting on him... he will take charge and get whatever done.

                 I think Mac is going to try and find two big strong teenagers to protect the little boy. The boy got himself in a hole he cant get out of and he needs protection. Also, Mac needs to make sure his money doesn't get a big dent made in it. Or he won't have enough money for the Cubs game. Another thing is Mac is going to get 24 hour protection for himself because he knows people will be coming after him. 

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