First Quarter Reflection 10-28-15

I thought that as a student, I emitted a mediocre performance when it comes to grades, or effort as a student.  I wouldn't say it was a bad job, I just think I could've done better, and I plan on doing so within these next few quarters.  I definitely think the transition was a large reason in this lack of quality, considering 8th grade is different from the past, and that the school adopted an entirely new grading system.  However, now that I've gotten a taste of what it's going to be like, I think I'll have a better understanding of what's expected of me, and therefore be able to meet and strive above my standards.

My life and actions have been revolving around other aspects besides education throughout this quarter as well, for example, it was my birthday about a week ago, and that was exciting.  Friends came over to celebrate, and then I went paintballing the next day to celebrate as well.  Basketball season has just started up as well, and as usual, has me super excited.  Afterschool programs, sports, and other hobbies have filled up my free time whenever I'm not completely focused on school.

8th grade is also especially different from previous years, in the sense that students are searching for the high school that will provide a scenario to best fit their needs.  I've already shadowed at three schools, and am still narrowing the choices down, and weighing the advantages and disadvantages that pertain to the commute, offered education, and other activity facilities.  However, I plan on looking at high school the same as these next few middle school quarters.  I'm going to do whatever I can to choose the right path for me, and see where I end up, and I plan on doing my best and making the best choices for not only myself, but others as well.

The Boy on the Wooden Box 10-14-15 (Can you compare the lifestyles and/or technology of the book's time period to today's?)

The book that I'm currently engaged in, is set during World War Two.  Considering I'm not too far into the book, it's would be hard for me to conduct a really detailed interpretation of the whole story, but I can explain some of my thoughts thus far.  I've blogged about similar topics to this in the past, and personally, I think it's really interesting to compare and contrast somewhat different, yet similar topics, time periods, or mindsets.

Therefore, with this blog I'm going to focus on the difference between the society portray within the book, and the way I view our community.  Within the first 30 pages of the book, I immediately realized that there's a big difference in what children of today's generation find really amusing or astonishing, and how the characters in the book react to certain concepts, ideas, or inventions.  On page 33, the main character says, "What excited me most was the indoor plumbing...""I decided the lightbulb and electricity were second to the toilet and indoor plumbing."  This really made me think about how people today, take incredible inventions and creations for granted, all the time, because we can't imagine life without them.  The book is placed almost a century ago, therefore, you can infer that characters of the novel might be inspired and in awe at things such as electricity or indoor plumbing, and we're getting excited over the new video game system coming out.

Also, the author's father has been working in the city for some years now, in order to support his family.   After he gathered up enough money, he returned to his hometown to move his family to the city with him.  The transition is a big one for the kids, considering they had been inhabiting a small house out in the country.  Once the family enters the city, the main character is exploring, and taking in as much information as physically possible, before falling asleep in complete astonishment.  I guess children of today's generation who live in rural areas, might have a similar reaction when witnessing the city for the first time, just maybe at a lesser level.  Due to the fact that we have social media, advanced technology, and other modern inventions, the impact from seeing the city might not be as big as someone who had absolutely no clue.

Since I'm only a few chapters into the book, I plan to read more over the next few days, conduct additional blogs that interpret messages of the book, explain my thoughts on the story, and potentially add to this blog, if I find more comparable concepts.

OBAA Mawi's Lifelines Blog

The Cruelty of a Classroom

My parents and my brother had taught me to see beauty in everyone

I often saw the least beauty in the 

coolest

most popular kids

I wasn't popular enough to get elected

But I figured

What the heck

The other half of the class wouldn't have voted for the cool kids 

Not if their lives had depended on it

All throughout high school

The cool kids had made them feel 

Like beetles

My classmates had discovered the best way to hurt me 

not with their fists

but with their words

Sticks and stones can break bones

But words

Can often do worse

They can destroy

The hopeful things

Inside us

OBAA vs Syrian Refugees Article 10-2-15

        The book that we've read as a class, Of Beetles and Angels is about generally the same topic as my chosen article of the week.  Both the book, and my article went into detail on refugee issues and big, awful occurrences forcing citizens of their country to flee and seek refuge somewhere else.  However, while the book told the story of a family during the Sudanese refugee incident during the Ethiopian civil war, while the article discussed the more current Syrian refugee crisis.  Both authors, the article's author and the book's, give their stories and facts several details, specific information, quotes, and dates for public readers to refer to, as to better understand the topic.

         Specific individuals and groups are mentioned and explained in both the book and article.  Many are very similar to each other, considering the situations are somewhat alike.  However, others don't correlate at all.  For example, in Of Beetles and Angels, the World Relief Program plays a big part in the story, and in the article, Leonard Doyle is a representing member of the International Organization for migration.  Both of these organizations are systems that are doing their best to prevent, solve, or lessen the impact of these refugee disasters.  I can see this evidence in the book on page 16 when the author states, "World Relief agreed to work with a family of five, not a family of six.  They agreed to bring you now, not later,..."  The article mentions the thousands of families of refugees that are attempting national transitions.  The book is literally written and told by Mawi Asgedom, who was part of a family making a very similar trip, and he's talking about his family the entire time.  This journey is shown in the article when the author said, "...tens of thousands more have already travelled into the continent.  Borders are being sealed with bewildering speed, as columns of desperate people move from country to country in their attempt to find a haven.

        I also compared the book and the article by studying the ideas or messages portrayed through their work.  Despite the fact that both pieces are about quite similar issues, the book invokes a somewhat different or separate connotation than the article.  Mawi elaborates on the good that came out of the awful time he spent as a child, in a refugee camp, and describes how you can turn something really small into something great, whereas the article is basically presenting a possible solution to the problem, describing how awful the conditions are in refugee camps, and providing the staggering statistics of misplaced citizens and refugees.  The author of the article shows the viewpoints of certain individuals and groups, and explains how they believe complete chaos will continue until the problem is solved in a certain way.  You can see this in the article when the author provides the quote of, "You need a period when you take big numbers and settle down, then people feel some kind of moral settlement,' Moraes said.  "Until you do that, chaos reigns."  One of the book's positive messages is that forgiveness is key to success.  This is shown when Mawi said, "How can I feel ill will toward Ahferom when I know that soon after, he joined one of the Ethiopian Liberation movements?"  He was showing how he has forgiven his childhood bully and that taught him a valuable lesson and helped him achieve great things in life.

How does the author make you feel like you are actually inside the story? (The Hideout) 8-16-15

Prompt:  How does the author make you feel like you are actually inside the story?

Date:  8-16-15

          Peg Kehret, like any other successful author, is really good with descriptive writing and adjectives.  This is shown in the book on page 13 when Kehret is describing the train crash that Jeremy was in.  The book says, "Crash!  The noise of the impact filled Jeremy's ears, momentarily blocking out all other sounds.  Jeremy fell sideways out of his seat, landing in the aisle.  His backpack came down on top of him.  The lights inside the train went out.  The din of disaster surrounded him:  glass shattered, wood splintered, pieces of metal clanged against one another.  The whistle was silent.  Inside the dark car, people screamed.  A baby cried."  While reading this one paragraph of the book, I was able to picture complete, solid chaos.  The author did a great job of showing readers what the crash was supposed to be like.

          Another thing that helped me personally picture Jeremy's journey, was the fact that I've been camping several times before, and could relate with Jeremy's experiences in the woods on his own.  Someone from deep Chicago who is used to the city life might not be able to picture Jeremy's trip just as well as someone who goes on regular campouts out in the country.

          Peg Kehret's descriptive writing, combined with readers' imaginative and colorful minds can create the perfect mental setting of a story.  Also, the great thing about Kehret, and many other authors' writing is that people with not so imaginative minds can still see the scene that Kehret is trying to set, because of her advanced writing.  I strongly recommend this book to readers who've enjoyed the outdoors before, and who are looking for an adventure to follow.

Discuss the pros and cons of independence at a teenage level. (The Hideout) 8-16-15

Prompt:  Discuss the pros and cons of independence at a teenage level.

Date:  8-16-15

          Most people have heard the term, "With independence comes responsibility."  Many children beg their parents for more independence and freedom, but don't realize what the other side of the deal is.  Someone with independence must be trusted to make good decisions without as much outside advice.  That's why it's important to find the right balance of independence for any kid.

          The reason I chose this prompt is because of how big of a role independence plays in the story.  Jeremy, the main character decides to try to live on his own for a long period of time.  A lot of kids don't realize how huge certain decisions can be, and they need help making some of them.  Therefore, independence at Jeremy's age can be dangerous or risky in enlarged amounts.  However, independence is a great way to prepare teenagers for adulthood and to slowly expose them to self reliance in the real world.

          Even as an adult, independence should still be carefully managed.  At an older age, adults know how to take care of themselves, but definitely still should take advice from others, and listen to other ideas.  Team building, and collaborative experiences, mean nothing with pure independence and self reliance.  Companies, teams, and groups of people need to work together to become truly successful, and the qualities of a good leader are being able to work well with others, and listen to their ideas.

Why do you think the author chose to write about the topic of their book? (Abduction) 8-16-15

Prompt:  Why do you think the author chose to write about the topic of their book?

Date:  8-16-15

          It's pretty common for an author to write about something that happened to them as a child, or something that really affected their lives as a child.  Peg Kehret has written two books about a kidnapping experience that I know of, and there could possibly be more.  If you asked me what influenced Kehret to write about this topic I wouldn't be able to tell you.  However, I would be able to make a couple of guesses.

          It is probable that the author didn't personally get kidnapped as a child, but maybe witnessed a kidnapping or similar event.  It is even more likely that the topic is one that has always interested her, or one that she often heard her parents talk about, or saw on the news.  In most cases, an author doesn't just write about something they've never heard of or thought about.  Another book of hers that I've read and will be blogging on, is "Hideout."  It's about a boy named Jeremy whose parents were killed in a terrorist shooting at a mall.  As you can see, the topics of her book are somewhat similar, and most likely were built of a specific experience of Kehret's childhood.

          If I turned out to become an author, I'm pretty sure I would write about something that interested me, or a topic that I could easily relate to.  Edgar Allen Poe is a internationally known poet, who wrote poetry about his dark and depressing childhood.  Events and experiences that happen to a person through both their childhood and adulthood are what make up their personalities.  Someone who is really interested in computer programming, will probably not write about an experience as a pro football player.  While reading books from well known authors, I've often realized that the author's personality can reflect on the personality of their character.