wings31

What is your favoite holiday and what are some traditions you have?

Easy.  A lot of people absolutely adore Christmas.  It’s a time for family, gifts, delicious foods, you name it.  But honestly, Christmas isn’t for me.

I believe there’s no holiday better than the 4th of July.  There aren’t any gifts involved, and I really think that’s good.  Americans have become so materialistic, there are so many more important things to live for.  On the 4th of July, not only do I get to see my family, but I get to spend time with my friends.  Laughing, playing, all under the warmth of the sun on a breezy summer’s day.  Is there anything better?

 On other holidays, people just stay inside.  The 4th of July is different.  Picnics, BBQ’s, and sports, taking in the true beauty of nature.  And is there any better food?  Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, soda, smores, all mouthwatering treats.  But none of that can compare to the end of the day.  In the last hours of celebration, I always watch the fireworks at my friend’s picnic under the starlit sky.  The colors are awe-inspiring.  How can any other holiday even begin to compare?

What is the most precious item in your life? The one thing that you cannot do without. The thing in life you value the most.

Without the ability to make decisions for myself, I would be utterly and completely lost.  The things in life I choose to do form the person I am.  If I didn’t make my own decisions, I wouldn’t be blessed with the friends I have and the everyday life I lead.  I choose to be an individual and stick out from the crowd, not follow it.  My friends really value the person I am, not the clothes I wear or the materials I have.  Every moment of my life I choose to be who I am, not to try and fit in with what’s cool or the new trend.  Making my own decisions has lead me to where I am now, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

                For the future of technology, we don’t need to look any further than the present.  Every second of every day the world is changing.  And with change come necessary adaptations.  Technology allows us to find these adaptations.  It is advancing our present to a future never thought possible.               

 The working field is different every day.  Jobs are changing.  Technology opens opportunities for new jobs that could not be done otherwise.  When we learn new methods and uses of technologies in school, we learn skills necessary for some life-time careers.  Eventually, we will be heading out into the working force.  And what will a possible future boss be more impressed by?  Something completely written, all on paper?  Or would they rather see past blog posts, wikis, podcasts, viddlers, and voicethreads?  Personally, I believe technology shows advancement, creative thinking, and outstanding potential.           

     Say goodbye to dull, long, monotonous textbooks.  Technology expands your learning.  With technology, learning isn’t a chore, it’s a privilege.  Our class has been able to enrich the minds of younger students.  We’ve even written our own children’s books, and sent them to classes across the country.  (In some cases, to classes across the world).  The kids who received them were so excited, it made all our work worth it.  I believe technology can expand our everyday learning, and our work audience.  Knowing your work is read by others gives you the motivation to keep working and succeeding.  We can connect with others.  Not only can we teach, but we can learn.            

    There are so many reasons to use technology.  Most people think learning is completely boring, and tedious.  But when technology is involved, it honestly isn’t.  Learning becomes fun.  It makes the prospect of going to school brighter, the thought of homework less dim, and the future of work something to look forward to, not dread.               

As Americans, we have strong thoughts when we see our flag. The American Flag, our symbol of freedom, bravery, opportunity…. But we think those thoughts because we are Americans. What would someone from another country think? The same, or completely different? Our assignment was to find out, so I’m still awaiting a comment back from a resident of another country. When you see this post, please put your answer as a comment.

Anyone who wishes to visit the blog of the kid I commented, here’s the link: http://tim10.learnerblogs.org/2008/02/04/science-cardiovascular-system/#comment-21

All right.  We’ve all heard “Highschool Never Ends…” at least once in our lives, whether it be from a movie, an older sibling, parents, you name it.  But that quote makes highschool seem like a burden.  Of course it’s not.  Highschool has the reputation to be a dull, monotonous activity.  Really, it isn’t.  I have two older brothers, one’s a freshmen, one’s a senior.  To them, highschool isn’t any different than any other grade range.  Sure, work’s a little harder.  You have a little less free time.  But you need to learn to plan around that.  Every class is held only once every other day.  That gives you two nights to complete work.  If you don’t procrastinate, you won’t have any problems.  Higher level classes require more work, but just learn to complete the assignments, and you’ll have no issues.  A lot, and I mean a lot, of eigth graders seem to worry about older students making their highschool experience dreadful.  Really, there’s nothing to worry about.  Don’t do anything to upset the older students, and you’ll be fine.  Neither of my brothers ever seemed to have any issues with bullying.  It’s actually a low concern problem for me.  I plan on keeping my friends close in highschool.  They’ll help me make it through each and every day, and I know when I’m having any trouble, they’ll be there to support me.  Any specific questions about highschool?  Post them in a comment, and I’ll be sure to get an answer for you.  There’s no need to worry or fret about highschool. 

An inspiring leader, bringing America to the realization of how wrong segregation really is. A role model to children, who refused to use violence as the answer. A man with a dream, a dream that one day blacks could look at whites and whites could look at blacks without seeing color, just people. A man named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, nothing could prepare America for the change this man would bring. Martin Luther King Jr. was an intelligent boy who loved big words. His father was a priest who married into a wealthy family. Dr. King graduated from multiple colleges.
At first, Martin Luther King Jr. did not have his eye on getting involved with segregation. He had no reason to, no motivation. A woman named Rosa Parks would soon be changing that. Rosa Parks was a simple African-American seamstress until December 1, 1995. On this day, she refused to give her seat up to a white passenger. She had enough of the humiliation, and the bus driver had her arrested.
Martin Luther King Jr. heard of her bravery, and launched the soon to be famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Supreme Court decided to make segregation on buses unconstitutional a year after the boycott began. Rosa Parks became known as the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, and King gained national reputation. These heroes began America’s journey through change.
King didn’t become known just for nursing the Civil Rights Movement. A big part of his reputation came from how he approached equality. Violence, he knew, was not going to solve anything. Fighting fire with fire would not work. You would have to fight fire with water in order to put it out. In other words, fighting back would not change the laws. It would not change racism. It would take the cunning, intelligence, and peacefulness that only Martin Luther King Jr. possessed.
In Washington D.C., on August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place. Around 250,000 people attended the demonstration, prepared to hear and see what needed to be said and done. Some knew that it was the time for change, the time for a new era of equal rights. Coming as a shock to some, one-fourth of the spectators were white. There was heavy police attendance which, knowing King’s policy on non-violence, was of course unnecessary. The event was so big that there were musical performances by Marian Anderson, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, and even more. Many speeches were read, including, of course, King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He brought the nation together to hear his dream of liberty, equality, freedom, and peace.
On his journey to equal rights, King was going to lead a march of sanitation workers who would protest against low wages and poor working conditions. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot on this day, April 4, 1968, on his balcony in a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Outbreaks and violence occurred, even after King had tried to stress how pointless violence is. The nation just wasn’t ready for this loss.
But King should never be forgotten. He changed our nation but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more room for change. Martin Luther King’s vision of race being a matter of deepest unimportance needs to be recognized. One day we’ll know when people are judged not by race, religion, or even looks, but by their actions and who they are on the inside. Maybe even one day we’ll be able to hold hands with all of God’s children black and white, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, and sing “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Just like Martin Luther King Jr. had dreamed we one day could and began us on the journey to.

So why is there no school on January 21? Opinions may vary. I, for one, think that it is right. We need to remember the efforts of one brave man, who saw a different future. We need one day to reflect on all of the change this man has brought, and how much room there is for more. And we all need this day to recognize our own dreams of how the world one day should be.

More Info On:
Rosa Parks- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks
Martin Luther King Jr.- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.
“I Have A Dream”- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream

Everyone has people who’ve impacted their lives.  Of course my thoughts immediately jump to my parents.  Their rules, restrictions, love, and support helped mold who I am.  But parents aren’t the only ones who affect us as individuals.  Our friends help too.  All my friends have had quite an impact on who I am.  I can’t just name one.  They’ve all helped me through every little problem and goal of my life.  My friends like me for me.  When I’m with them, I don’t need to act like someone I’m not.  They always support individuality.  Thanks to them, I’m not just a person who copies everyone else.  I’m unique, I’m my own person.  Without my friends, I’d be nowhere.  Honestly, how far can you make it without a friend’s love and support?

I wonder when people will start being who they really are and stop being who everyone else wants them to be.  All people seem to be concerned about is fitting in with the crowd.  Nobody’s their own person anymore, they just want to be that person everyone likes.  Honestly, in your lifetime not everybody’s going to like you.  When you’re your own person, you’ll find out who really cares about you, and who’s really worth your time.

Comments:

http://awr08.learnerblogs.org/2007/12/05/christmas-xmas/#comment-44

http://tsr08.learnerblogs.org/2007/12/03/i-wonder/#comments

This is a voicethread on who I wish I could be.

http://voicethread.com/book.swf?b=16915

What activity is so well suited to face-to-face contact that it can’t be replicated online? This question was asked by Ben Wilkoff, on his Discourse about Discourse blog and eventually teachers and adults involved in the field of education will need to face it. They’ll face a major decision sooner or later: Do we continue having our students come to school, or do we teach online? On Ben Wilkoff’s blog, I left a comment.
“You ask what it is we learn in school that we can’t learn through a computer. Yes, it is true that we can gain all the knowledge of school subjects online, but what about human skills used in every-day life? What about meeting new people and developing relationships? School has brought most friends together, and without it there would be so many people we don’t know. Through school, you build relationships. I think without face-to-face contact conversations are less personal and meaningful. Seeing the person I talk to lets me know the words they say to me have feeling. No computer can demonstrate feeling. Basically, school lets you learn the social skills you need for communication in the ever-changing world.  You can’t replicate emotions and a meaningful conversation.”