Welton vs. Garfield

The schools in "Stand and Deliver" and "Dead Poet's Society" have many differences. Welton is a very prestigious, high-end boarding school for boys. The teachers expect nothing but perfection in the students' work. The parents seem to also be very involved with their students’ education at Welton. However, it seems like the parents are putting more stress on the students than the teachers. They want their boys to be doctors, or bankers, or lawyers... Noble work, but hardly passion-inducing.

In "Stand and Deliver", Garfield high school is going under. Their budgets have been cut, and their teachers weren't qualified to teach the subjects they were teaching. The student body consists of gang members and general slackers who don't have any real interest in learning. These students are there because they have to be.

The two schools are very, VERY different. In a private school, the students are paying to be there. Or, their parents are paying at least. So there's tremendous pressure to be perfect, not to mention, the school has plenty of money and resources. In Garfield, the school is terrible. The curriculum is for students far below their grades, and the teachers aren't qualified.

Dead Poet's Society- Part 1

Imagine being in a strict, all boys boarding school, where the teachers follow strict teaching patterns and don't allow any trouble... then imagine watching your new teacher walk among the students, whistling a tune, then leave the classroom. A second later, he pokes his head back and says, "Are you coming?" My guess is, you'd be just as confused as those students were!

The introduction to Mr. Keating was very unusual, but not very different from the students in "Stand and Deliver" to Mr. Escalante. Both teachers are unusual, a bit eccentric, and run their classes VERY differently than their students would expect.

In this boarding school, the teachers expect perfection. They want the students to do everything their way, and to do it right the first time. Mr. Keating had a very unusual teaching style that meant to not only teach the students about poetry, but also about life and their own potential.

In "Stand and Deliver" the teachers didn't expect much from their students, and when they did excel, they thought the only way they could have done that was through cheating. Mr. Escalante taught the students calculus... but also how much they really can accomplish, despite any personal situations.

"Stand and Deliver" response

This movie shows the very real aspect of some schools. Most of the teachers in this movie are underqualified for the subjects they're teaching, and they don't expect much out of the students.

When you first meet Mr. Escalante, he's getting told that instead of teaching computer sciences, he'll be teaching math instead, due to budget cuts and no computers. A lot of school districts are having to make compromises like this, but who is it hurting? The students, of course.

The students in the class are typical underachievers. Why? Because in their school, no one ever expected anything from them. When they get this new teacher, he implements a system that lets the students know that he DOES expect something from them, but more importantly, that they're capable of achieving it.

Throughout the movie, Mr. Escalante starts getting involved with his students lives. He knows their parents, knows what they do... it helps him relate to them, and make certain that they trust him. However, his investment in his students means that he's compromising his own family and his own home life.

So far, the first half of the movie is good.

What Makes A Good Teacher

There are many factors that make a good teacher, but I believe that the most important one is passion. A teacher has to have a love for what they do, for their students, their school, and even their community. A teacher has to have a desire to push through the hard times, and to make it to success WITH his/her students. In my academic career, I've had great teachers... and I've had terrible teachers. The thing that separates the bad from the good is the love of their job. The good teachers always want to see their students succeed; they want to help, and invest their own time to insure success. The bad teachers are the ones who never go beyond what's expected of them. They don't believe in their students, and don't really care if they fail. The difference in commitment between a good and bad teacher shows with their students. A teacher who cares about his/her students will most likely produce hard-working, dedicated students who like to learn. A teacher who doesn’t care will produce students who do just that. They don’t care.

A good teacher is invested. A good teacher cares.

Audre Lord Response

Audre Lord had a few very different experiences with her teachers. Her first experience, with Mrs. Baker, proved to be a very surprising one. A little four-year old girl, having a tantrum because she was not allowed to go to story-time, getting reprimanded by her embarrassed mother, is approached by the librarian. This woman looks like someone about to yell at Audre for her noise, but instead decides to read her some stories. Audre was captivated by the books, and at the end of her personal story-time, said "I want to read.". Audre hadn't spoken until then. Mrs. Baker was able to open up this little girl's life with reading. While she didn't do much teaching, she set everything in motion.

Audre's mother taught her how to read and to write her name.

When Audre got to her first school, Kindergarten for sight-conservation, she was ready. But the teacher gave the wrong writing utensils, the wrong kind of paper, and the wrong assignment for Audre's level. Her teacher was angry, and told Audre's parents she wasn't ready for kindergarten.

Audre was then put into the catholic school. The nuns ran the classroom with iron fists. I believe it was here that Audre learned the most. She learned how to get help from others with learning her numbers, and was able to learn them.

Ed. Nar. Final Draft!!

Education Narrative

 

 

 

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make many new friends, get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me. Through learning how to dance, I learned to not care what people thought of me, or of what I did in my life. I learned about whose opinions to really value, and the ones I could discard. I learned who my real friends were. And most importantly, I learned how to just be me.

 

The type of dance I do today is belly dance. People tend have some preconceived notions about belly dancers. Some say it’s a ‘sexy’ style of dancing, similar to strippers or pole dancers. I’ve heard it all. It’s actually a dance that requires total muscle control, musicality, and a love for sound. Belly dance is the physical representation of music using only the body.

 

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They were both beautiful girls, but in such different ways. One girl was tall and blonde, and seemed to move with grace, always. The other was shorter, also blonde, but with blue in her hair. She dressed in all black, always wearing spikes and skulls, yet she was the happiest person I ever knew. I met them through school, and at first, we didn’t seem to have much to talk about. Then, they mentioned dance. They both were so different from each other, yet had the common experience of dance to link them together. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes with these two girls, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. The girls who volunteered to do a routine in front of the dance class were so brave! And their dancing was fantastic. I felt like I could never be as great as they were. I wanted to have the courage to be with them. I wanted to be good enough to be one of them! I wanted to learn how to be able to move like that! So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

 

Let me describe a bit about the dance studio. It is in a tiny building in downtown Poulsbo called The Dance Within. The gorgeous balcony overlooks Liberty Bay, and gives a great place to just hang out. The studio itself is colorful and relaxed, the dance area has one wall covered in mirrors, and the floors are covered in exotic-looking rugs, worn down from years of being danced on, in colors of red, yellow, orange, and different shades of brown. There’s a small shop area where you can buy dance costumes, jewelry, and other fun things. My favorite part of the studio shop is the shoes. One entire wall of the shop area is covered in shoes. These aren’t regular shoes. They’re between five and nine inch heels. They’re every color of the rainbow, and the envy of most women who come through there. While the shop is amazing… I wasn’t drawn to it because of that. I was drawn to the studio mainly because it is always filled with people. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They are all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They supported me no matter what. They believed in me always. My second family exists at that studio, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. It was such a great place.

 

The day of my first lesson finally came. I found out that the two girls I’d met before, the girls, who were now my good friends, were the teachers! They started by telling the other girls to work on a choreography they knew already, and pulled me to the side. They began showing me the basic moves in the choreographies that my dance group knew. Hip bumps, body rolls, egyptian walks, myas… it was like they were speaking another language! Thankfully, I picked up the moves fairly quickly, and in the time of a single, one hour class, I was already joining in with the other girls in the choreography! Unfortunately, I had major stage fright when it came to me performing alone. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I always felt like I was doing something wrong, or that the people I performed for wouldn’t like it. I wasn't comfortable, and for a while I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice.

 

Soon, it came time for the girls in my class and I to do solo performances at a major event. Viking Fest. I had no idea what music to dance to, or even what to do! I was very nervous about the whole thing, and didn’t want to do it. However, with the help of my two best friends, I was able to choreograph an entire four minute long solo to music that was completely original. Most of the girls did their solos to drum music, or beautiful classical music… I chose to do my dance to hip hop violin music. It was original, and had unique beats that made for an amazing performance.

 

I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. I definitely wouldn’t be the dancer I am today if it weren’t for my dance teachers, and the people at the studio. My dance friends worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing, and also developing my own personal dance style. With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. I never thought much about myself until I started dancing at The Dance Within. One thing that will always remain in my mind is what Michele, the woman who owns the studio, told me. She said, “Shelby, you have no idea how precious you are to me. You are going to go so far in life. No matter what you choose to do with yourself, know that here, at the studio, you will always be loved and supported. And if anyone makes you feel like less than the amazing girl you are, you let me know. I’ll take care of them.” Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.

Education Narrative -Rough Draft

Education Narrative

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make so many new friends, to get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me. Through learning how to dance, I learned to not care what people thought of me, or of what I did in my life. I learned about whose opinions to really value, and the ones I could discard. I learned who my real friends were. And most importantly, I learned how to just be me.

The type of dance I do today is belly dance. People tend have some preconceived notions about belly dancers. Some say it’s a ‘sexy’ style of dancing, similar to strippers or pole dancers. I’ve heard it all. It’s actually a dance that requires total muscle control, musicality, and a love for sound. Belly dance is the physical representation of music using only the body.

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They were both beautiful girls, but in such different ways. One girl was tall and blonde, and seemed to move with grace, always. The other was shorter, also blonde, but with blue in her hair. She dressed in all black, always wearing spikes and skulls, yet she was the happiest person I ever knew. They both were so different from each other, yet had one common interest that linked them together. Dance. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes with these two girls, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. The girls who volunteered to do a routine in front of the dance class were so brave! And their dancing was fantastic. I wanted to be with them. To be one of them. To be able to move like that. So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

Let me describe a bit about my dance studio. It is in a tiny building in downtown Poulsbo called The Dance Within. The gorgeous balcony overlooks Liberty Bay, and gives a great place to just hang out. The studio itself is colorful and relaxed, the dance area has one wall covered in mirrors, and the floors are covered in exotic carpeting. The best part about the studio… it is always filled with people. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They are all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They believed that there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish without a little hard work. They believed in me always. My second family exists at that studio, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. It was such a great place that I finally…. Finally…. Signed up for lessons.

The day of my first lesson finally came. The class was being taught by the two girls who'd introduced me to dance in the first place, so I felt comfortable around them. They started by telling the other girls to work on a choreography they knew already, and pulled me to the side. They began showing me the basic moves in the choreographies that my dance group knew. Hip bumps, body rolls, egyptian walks, myas… it was like they were speaking another language! Thankfully, I picked up the moves fairly quickly, and in the time of a single, one hour class class, I was already joining in with the other girls in the choreography! Unfortunately, I had major stage fright when it came to me performing alone. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I always thought I was doing something wrong, or that the people I performed for wouldn’t like it. I wasn't comfortable, and for the most part, I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice. For the most part.

Soon, it came time for the girls in my class and I to do solo performances at a major event. I had no idea what music to dance to, or even what to do! I was very nervous about the whole thing, and didn’t want to do it. However, with the help of my two best friends, I was able to choreograph an entire four minute long solo to music that was completely original. Most of the girls did their solos to drum music, or beautiful classical music… I chose to do my dance to hip hop violin music. It was original, and had unique beats that made for an amazing performance.

I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. I definitely wouldn’t be the dancer I am today if it weren’t for my dance teachers, the people at my studio, and of course YouTube. I swear the best music can be found there. My dance friends worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing, and also developing my own personal dance style. With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.

Education Narrative rough draft ideas

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make so many new friends, to get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me.

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They both were so different from eachother, yet had one common interest that linked them together. Dance. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. To be one of them. To be able to move like that. So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

Let me describe a bit about my dance studio. The environment is colorful and relaxed, overlooking liberty bay in Poulsbo. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They're all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They're my second family, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

The day of my first lession finally came. The class was being taught by the two girls who'd introduced me to dance in the first place, so I felt comfortable around them. Unfortunately, I had major stage fright. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I wasn't comfortable, and for the most part, I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice. For the most part.

I would not be who I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. They worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing.With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.


Blue means I need to elaborate on the topic.
Red means I need to re-word the sentence.
      means I need to continue the sentence.

Cause and Effect- Food

Cause and Effect

Today’s towns and cities are filled to the brim with fast food restaurants and gas stations with packaged, fattening snacks. The high calorie, high carb foods are resulting in obesity in our country. This is seen in both adults and children. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, “since the 1970s, the share of children age 6 to 19 classified as overweight has more than tripled, from 5 percent to 17 percent, while the share of adults classified as overweight or obese rose from half to two-thirds of the population.” The availability and speed of fast food is an appealing option at the end of the day. Not to mention the low prices. This convenience is leading to our country’s high obesity rates.

Works Cited

The National Bureau of Economic Research - http://www.nber.org/bah/2009no1/w14721.html

"Benjamin Franklin's Ed. Nar." response

Benjamin Franklin and Malcolm X's essays were very similar in some ways, but they differed in others.

They both yearned for ways to improve their literacy and writing skills in order to communicate certain ideas. Malcolm wanted to spread the teachings of his mentor, and Benjamin wanted to find his place in the world. Benjamin was raised by a family who, while they weren't wealthy, they had more opportunities for a child such as himself to learn. Malcolm was a man in jail, having to learn by copying a dictionary into a tablet with little opportunities besides the ones he created for himself. Benjamin was able to try out different jobs and activities, before he was able to find what he wanted to do with his life.

However, I got the feeling that Benjamin's father wasn't too thrilled about his son's choices. He was very critical, and while it may have been out of good intentions, he seemed disapproving.

The two men had similar journeys into the world of writing. They started with a strong desire, and built off of that, letting their knowledge grow as much as they could let it.

Pre-writing Techniques

There are several types of pre-writing and brainstorming techniques out there, but only one that I like and will use regularly.

1.      I like to list my ideas.

2.      If I’m starting on a new paper, or a new project, I’ll usually start by listing the things I need to do first, in the order I need to do them in. This helps me by staying organized, and having a plan to follow throughout the process of creating.

3.      I tried doing other pre-writing styles, but nothing has stuck more than listing. And even then, most times I try to stay away from pre-writing unless it’s for a major assignment. I prefer to just have an idea in my head, and write. If I see that things need to be changed, I change them later.

4.      I do believe that pre-writing is sometimes necessary for getting your ideas out there, and having a well written, creative paper that makes sense. Pre-writing is always good for that.

What kinds of pre-writing techniques do you use? Or if you don't use any, how come?

"Malcolm X" response

One of my favorite things about this text was how Malcolm got motivated to read. He was in jail for seven years, and during that time, looked for things to do. Teaching himself the ability to read is very admirable. He spent day after day copying down words in the dictionary, trying to become more articulate. This text was kind of amazing to me. I love how as the essay progresses, the reader can feel his level of determination rising with each new word he learned. He was so motivated and committed to his work.

This essay relates to “How I learned to Program Computers” in many ways. Like Feross, Malcolm didn’t give up. He spent all his time either copying from a dictionary, or reading books into all hours of the night. Malcolm showed true commitment in his task, and was rewarded with results.

Gaining this ability was life changing for Malcolm. Becoming well-read and articulate enabled him to teach others about Elijah Muhammad. If he had not learned how to read and write, he could have ended up back on the streets after his jail sentence or in jail for more time. I believe that is we all put as much commitment and effort into our work as he did, there isn’t anything we couldn’t accomplish.

"How I learned to program computers" response

Reading about how Feross learned how to program computers was really interesting. I was surprised that he started at such a young age! I doubt I could have even created a semi-functional website NOW, let alone when I was 11! However, I believe what he says fully. Practice can only make you better. Doing something over and over again can only help you to become better. I think we could all use this when it comes time to write our first paper assignment. Write several drafts; get second opinions, third opinions, and heck maybe even FOURTH opinions! It can’t hurt right?

Any problem with writing can be solved by writing more. The same way that Feross learned to be great with computers. He did tons of side projects, and along with his school assignments, he practiced for four to five hours a DAY! I’m not saying that we need to put in quite that much dedication, but a little bit would be good. Not to mention… these papers coming up? They’re our grade! So it’s kind of important, if you ask me.

Ultimately, practicing anything will get you better results. In Feross’s case, his practice enabled him to gain skills in an area of work, get a great job, and hopefully a successful future. We can all apply this to our works in the classes to come.