Blog 22 - Spring Break

DUE FRIDAY APRIL 25, 2014

Discuss your Spring Break vacation. What did you do? What did you plan to do? Did you accomplish everything you set out to accomplish? Since the spring is generally symbolic of a rebirth or renewal, is there something that you plan on changing about yourself for the remainder of the school year? As usual, a minimum of 2 detailed paragraphs is required.

Blog 21 - Value of the Arts

DUE TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2014
Think about the following topic:

Many people consider the arts--literature, music, painting, and other creative activities--unnecessary because they provide us with nothing more than entertainment. Yet the arts are extremely valuable because they have much to teach us and also because they help find meaning in life. Post a link to an image, song, movie or any other creative piece that relates to your response - analyze the value of that piece in the second paragraph in relationship to your argument. If you don't think the arts are valuable, post a link to a piece that supports your argument on that side of the issue.
Assignment:
Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us, or to only entertain? What can we learn from the arts about society, culture, human behavior, morality and values? 

Plan and write a 2-paragraph response in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and specific examples. As always, include a 2-3 sentence response to someone else's blog post--building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

Blog 20: History Remembered

DUE Friday March 21, 2014
The twentieth and twenty-first century saw great changes. In your opinion, what is ONE change that should be remembered about the twentieth or twenty-first century? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
Additionally, for the second paragraph, choose another historical era (from any country and any time period). Explain an invention, achievement or idea that, according to you, changed history. Again, detailed examples and specific explanations are key to receiving full credit (Don't allude to an incident or generalize).

Please do not repeat the information provided by other people. Be creative and original.

Blog 19: What Influences You (in Pop Culture)?

Due Friday March 14th, 2014

Young people are highly influenced by popular culture. They attempt to define themselves on the basis of what they see on television, in newspapers and magazines, and in the movies. In fact, young people accept the values of popular culture as their own, believing that those values are central to their personal development and social acceptance.
Assignment: What elements of popular culture (movies, books, music, trends, fashion, television, technology, games, behaviors, etc) influence your identity? What have you borrowed (and from what source) to construct your attitude toward life and your personality? Explain what cultural trends do you reject? Give specific titles, details, explanations to receive full credit. A minimum of 2 paragraphs for this topic is required ,with at least a 2-3 sentence response to another person's blog post--building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

Blog 18 - Do You Compare?

DUE Friday, March 7,2014

Reflect on the following argument:

We cannot appreciate what we have for its own merit. We see ourselves as fortunate only when we have as much as, or more than, other people. Thus, our judgment of what represents an appropriate limit on anything—on wealth or status or possessions—is never arrived at independently. Instead, we compare ourselves to other people, always wondering if what we have is enough.


Assignment: Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have? 

Plan and write a 2-paragraph response in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and specific examples taken from your readings, studies, or observations. As always, include a 2-3 sentence response to someone else's blog post--building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

Blog 17 - What Law/Rule Would You Change?

DUE TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2014
All communities, rather large or small, have laws and expectations when it comes to the behavior of the members. Rules and laws are meant to keep order and peace in the community, and to ensure the safety of as many members as possible. Some countries have laws that promote equality of individuals while others purposely prefer a hierarchical structure where benefits depend on a person’s position and contribution to the community.

Think about the laws and rules we have in the United States and in Dunellen High School. If you could change or abolish a law/rule (either at the federal, state, or school level) what law/rule would it be? Make sure to provide an explanation of your choice (min of 2 paragraphs). How do you see the law/rule harming people? What would changing or abolishing this law/rule change about the community? How would we be better without this law/rule? What do you suggest as an alternative to this law/rule.

In addition to your own post, please reply to someone else's in a few sentences. Remember, do not repeat a rule someone has already mentioned (unless you have something significant to add)

Blog 16: Is College Worth It?

DUE ON Monday FEBRUARY 17, 2014
A Sundance Film Festival documentary, Ivory Tower, delves into the topic of the value of college education, asking questions such as: "Is college worth it, when it comes with crushing debt?" Those interviewed fall on both sides of the issue.

"I think I understood that higher education was in a difficult place," says Rossi, "But once you start to grapple with the volume of data about tuition rates going up over 1,000% since 1978; state funding going down nationally since 1980 by 40%; and 68% of students in public colleges not graduating in four years -- those kind of numbers, when I saw them, I was shocked."

Some college presidents in the documentary argue that "those who discard higher learning and succeed wildly without a degree -- like college dropout and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg -- are exceptions to the rule. Meanwhile, Generation Y takes on a reputation as "entitled" even though millions face sharp increases in interest on student loans."

For your response, think about the pitfalls and benefits of a college education. Consider careers and future options with and without a degree. Also, consider how easy or difficult it is to be successful without an education. Are we entitled to a good career after high school? How about after college? Make sure to respond to the topic (either choose a side or discuss both) with specific examples - no hypothetical or made up situations, actual facts and experiences of real people - in at least 2 paragraphs. YOU MAY NOT USE THE SAME EXAMPLES AS OTHERS.

Blog 15: Midterm Thoughts

DUE Thursday FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Now that you have persevered through at least a section of high school midterms, write a detailed account of the experience. As usual, your response should be a minimum of 2 paragraphs. Things to ponder:

· How much study/prep time did you allow per subject? Did you spread your time out evenly? Explain your rationale.

· While taking the test, what were your thoughts and feelings? Did you realize that you forgot elements afterward? Did you study the “wrong” material?

· Specific to THIS class, what were your strategies? Did you research facts/examples beforehand? How much time, honestly, did you spend on preparation? How did you use the 2 class periods (when I was out)? Please be honest.

· Overall, evaluate the midterm week thus far –including the actual tests, studying, papers, as well as the remaining classes that are going on.

Blog 14 - Accepting Criticism

DUE  Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Although most of us do not like being criticized, it is said that we can always benefit from being told what we are doing wrong. We may lose a valuable learning opportunity if we do not listen to the criticisms expressed by others. Yet criticism, even when honest and well-intended, can be more harmful than helpful. We have more to gain by ignoring or shielding ourselves from the criticisms of others.

Blog question for this week: Are people better off if they do not listen to criticism? Respond to the following questions as you explain your point of view:

• How to judge the difference between good and bad criticism?
• How to accept criticism?
• Self-analysis of your actions that invited the criticism.
• Repercussions of ignoring good criticism and shielding yourself against harmful criticism.

As always, write a 2-paragraph response to this topic.  Include specific examples to explain your point of view and a 2-3 sentence response to someone else's blog post--building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

Blog 13 - Happiness

DUE  Friday January 10, 2014
"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice.



Happiness is an emotion every human being has experienced to a certain degree in his life. Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy? In 2 well-constructed paragraphs, develop your point of view on this issue. Use specific examples and details while displaying what happiness implies to you.

In addition to your own post, please reply to someone else's in a few sentences.

Blog 12: Bucket List

DUE MONDAY DECEMBER 16, 2013
Create a list of all of the things you want to do before you die. No less than 50, but of course there is no maximum number. If you already have a "bucket list," revise it and check off the items you've completed, adding new ones to the list. For each item, try to give a reason. For example: "I want to visit London so that I can experience a Shakespeare play at The Globe."

If your post is too long to fit in one post, split it up into two (reply to yourself).

Blog 11: Current Event

DUE FRIDAY DECEMBER 6, 2013
For this week's blog, choose one current event from a reputable news source to inform the class of an issue or news topic going on in the world. Read through articles online in sources such as The New York Times or Time Magazine; you may also find interesting articles on cnn.com, USA Today, or Psychology Today. You are open to any topic of your choice. Once you choose an article of interest to you, read it in its entirety before discussing it.

In your first paragraph, tell us who is involved or who it affects, what is happening, when the event takes place, where it is happening, how the events unfold, and why it is newsworthy. In your second paragraph, discuss the issue of the news article in relation to students and society. What are its future implications? What is the larger impact of the event/topic and what can people learn or do with it?

Post a link to the news article after your response so we can read the article itself. Then, each student must read one other article from any blog post by following the link and respond to that student’s post--building upon it, disagreeing with it, or re-thinking it.

Also, no two people are allowed to post on the same current event for their original post.

Blog 10 - Value of Privacy

DUE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2013
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Privacy was once valued and protected. Diaries came with locks to keep the writer’s privately recorded thoughts from being read by others. Public telephones were enclosed in booths so that conversations would not be overheard. But now people feel free to post information about themselves on social networking Web sites and carry on cell phone conversations in public places. We would be much better off if we valued privacy—our own and that of others—far more highly than we do.

Assignment: Do we place too little value on privacy today?

Plan and write a 2-paragraph response in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and specific examples. Without specific details, descriptions and concrete examples, your response is graded as half credit. You may not repeat anyone else's examples - be creative and original, OR be the first to respond to avoid plagiarism.

Blog 9: Propaganda

DUE Monday November 18, 2013
According to Wikipedia, propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument. Propaganda is usually repeated and dispersed over a wide variety of media in order to create the chosen result in audience attitudes. Generally, propaganda is distributed in the form of cartoons, posters or visuals - and often has a political slant (but not always). During WWII, many cartoons depicted the Germans as evil and inhumane in order to paint the enemy as monsters.

For the blog response, select a piece of propaganda on a subject of your choice. Paste a link to the piece in your response for reference (since you can't post the actual picture). Explain how the piece is trying to use persuasion to convince the audience or the viewer. What emotions is it using? What language? Look at the image and explain how it relates to the message. Explain if the technique used is effective? or offensive? Sometimes propaganda is inflammatory on purpose, to cause anger so that people will discuss the subject. Are the images used recognizable - often propaganda references visuals that people are familiar with or they spoof previous propaganda (see the "We Can Do It" ones below). Think about the way the piece is trying to engage the audience: could the author have done things differently to get the point across.

Below (and above) are some examples of propaganda. You are welcome to choose one of them if you cannot find your own (just let us know which you are writing about). As always, the response should be 2 paragraphs.

Blog 8: "The Machine"

DUE Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Bill Gates stated, “I think it’s fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we’ve ever created. They’re tools of communication, they’re tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user.” Why might one argue that a machine can be life-changing?Using examples from literature, history, science, or observation, write a 2 paragraph response about how a “machine”/”technology” can change the way of life. Make sure to be specific and detailed in your reasons and explanations.

Please read other posts before writing. A response that merely restates another blogger’s response will receive no credit. Think about both positive and negative changes when it comes to technology.
 

Blog 7: Prompts from the Future.

DUE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2013

How would people in the Middle Ages respond to a television? What would someone from the 1700s think of a helicopter? What would a person from the early 1900s think of a computer, or more specifically, the Internet?

They would think these things were magical–either illusions or genuine supernatural occurrences. They might even believe the persons yielding the magical objects were witches, wizards, or gods.

But you and I both know that’s not the case. Televisions, helicopters, and computers are all very real, and thanks to modern technology, most of us have access to them.

We humans have a tendency to believe that we are at the apex of knowledge; that right now, we know as much as we ever will. As much as we love stories that depict the future (sci-fi or fantasy), we tend to think of them as fanciful. Sure, a great writer or a skilled filmmaker can help us suspend our disbelief for the duration of a book or a film, but sitting in your living room on an ordinary day, it all seems rather unlikely, doesn’t it? People bouncing around in time? Fighting intergalactic wars in outer space? Come on.

For this blog choose one of the following. The style could be explanatory or creative, it is up to you. A minimum of 2 paragraphs (if the blog will not let you post a longer piece, separate into two reply comments):

·         You must write a creative prompt from EITHER the point of view of someone in the past seeing our future (their interpretations of the item/event, their theories on it, reaction, what they think the item/event means).

·         OR write about the future – what do you think future (fill in the blank) will be like (medicine, travel, government, technology, world).

Blog 6: Respect Week

Your response must be a minimum of 2 paragraphs and is due Tuesday October 15, 2013:

This week, schools across New Jersey celebrate Respect Week, where we give a little extra respect to our peers, teachers, loved ones, our neighbors, our pets (and even those people we don't like very much). As we go through the week, try and think of how you can embody this mantra in your own life - choose to respect someone else's opinion, not argue with them; help out your little brother, sister, cousin or parent; respect the beliefs of another culture (or at least their right to have a belief other than yours). There are many people who we can give respect to, both older and younger than us.

For your blog this week, I want you to think about the word "respect" and what it means to you. First, define the word in a personal way, perhaps illustrating with an interesting or colorful example. Tell us a situation when it was hard for you to respect someone (or try to think of a fictional character that has experienced a similar event). Relate a moment when a person has earned your respect.
We all know that we need to respect certain people. In your own words, describe the types (or specific) people that demand your respect, either habitually or occasionally. What makes them worthy of your attention and respect? Also, consider how one gets respect: is it something that is earned? or something that comes with a certain position or relationship to you? Explain. Think about how a person could lose respect (either self-respect or the respect of others) and how one earns it back. Isn't it difficult to earn the respect of someone whom you've let down? Finally, think about how you respect yourself: how do you evaluate your value? what actions to you take (or chose not to take) that show self-respect?

You do not have to tackle all of the questions above - they are meant to guide you and spark thoughts. I would much rather read a lengthy discussion of a few of the topics, with depth and meaning, than a list that answers all of them briefly.

Blog 5: Rewards in Education

DUE Tuesday, OCTOBER 8, 2013

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Learning and doing are their own rewards. No external rewards are required. Yet when external rewards are introduced—whether attention and praise from parents or prizes from teachers—these rewards exert a substantial influence. Instead of reading books to find out about the world, kids will read to win prizes. Kids will produce for rewards, but the quality of their activity and their interest in it will be dramatically altered.

Adapted from Barry Schwartz, The Costs of Living

Assignment:

Is it wrong or harmful to motivate people to learn or achieve something by offering them rewards? Plan and write a minimum 2 paragraph response in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Post your response by Tuesday.

Blog 4 - Practicing Narrative

Response due Wednesday October 2, 2013:

In the spirit of this week's assignment, think about the numerous events and memories that have impact on a person or character. Using your favorite story (book, video game, movie, folktale, etc.), demonstrate how the events shape the character in both positive and negative ways. Focus one paragraph on the experiences and the reactions of the character, as well as the lesson and change that occurs as a result. Focus another paragraph on the story telling aspect of the piece you've chosen. What makes this a good story, in your opinion? Think about the way the story is told, the emotions involved, the tone or atmosphere of the tale, along with any other aspect that make it unique and memorable.

Blog 3: Rules at Home

DUE Tuesday, September 24, 2013

"A great parent knows how to say no. Many parents find that it’s tough to be firm with their children. They can’t set rules. They threaten but don’t follow through with consequences. ‘No television for a week,’ a mom may tell her child in the afternoon, only to make an exception that very night. But the fact is, if we relinquish our parental authority, we are doing a disservice to our kids." Parents, May, 2011, p.113.

Assignment:
What is your view of the idea that parents need to be firm in disciplining their children? Plan and write a 2-paragraph response that explains your ideas as persuasively as possible. Support your position with an argument and examples for each paragraph you develop. Use two detailed and specific examples. Elaborate with sensory images whenver possible.