Writing Center 12/9/13

   The writing center was very beneficial to me and my paper. At first I didn't want to go, but when I got there I realized that there were a lot of people that I knew there also getting help, so I felt more comfortable. I was first confused on how it worked, and who I was going to work with. Allison was very helpful with showing me where to go and what to do. When we sat down to talk about my paper, I felt as if I knew where I was and what I needed to accomplish.
   My literary analysis was not very detailed, did not have a fully developed conclusion paragraph, and all of my quotations were in the wrong format. We looked at the importance of all my quotes, and added more details to my paper. We did not have the chance to get to my conclusion paragraph, but with the knowledge and advice I got from Allison, I was able to finish my conclusion paragraph very easily. I will definitely visit the writing center more next semester.

Reading 12/9/13

1 hour of reading Lord Of The Flies

30 minutes of annotating Lord Of The Flies

2 hours of Tracker Journals for Lord Of The Flies

Reading 12/2/13

LOTF: 1hr
Work time: 40 min

-Reading Log-

Monday November 18th, 2013


"LOTF"- 60 minutes
Literary Analysis work- 30 minutes

A sixth grade memory

   I have many memories of my first year in middle school, but there is one particular story that is by far the best. One Friday night, Anna Catherine, Ali and I went on a crazy adventure. Well, it was crazy when we were 12 years old. We were all at Anna Catherine's house. She lives by a park, and it was about 6pm when we decided we wanted to ride to the park. Anna Catherine went on the mini four-wheeler, and Ali and I tried our best to fit onto her scooter. We barley fit, but we made it work. 

   We all arrived at the park, and Ali and I decided to go check out the woods which was just a bad idea. It took us about 5 minutes to get lost, then we started panicking. Both of our phones were dead accept Anna Catherine's, and she was no where to be seen. We finally drove around so much that we found a road in her neighborhood, but we had no clue where we were because it was very far away from where we started. We started driving until we finally found the park, and there was Anna Catherine crying because she couldn't find us, on the phone with her mom. In the end, we all laugh about it today, but it was probably the scariest moment of my life. 

How is ninth grade english different from eighth grade english?

   Eighth grade english is very different from ninth grade english. Obviously it is a different class room and teacher which is a huge change. There is a different routine for when we come into class everyday than last year. Also, I feel like english last year was less intense in a way. Which is understandable because of the grade change. Also, we read a lot more than we do this year. This year we write a lot more. This year has been a challenge for me, in a good way. I have learned so much about writing from the literacy narrative, short story, and literary analysis.
   I wouldn't say I like either one better than the other, but I would say that so far I prefer ninth grade english. I love blogging, and I prefer the reading record better than last years. Last year we had to turn one in every quarter which was so stressful, because I would have to keep up with it which I am terrible at doing. My point it, english from eighth grade to ninth grade was a huge transition.  Anyway, I love english this year!

Free post!

    I got my permit last week. It took me a really long time to get it. I took drivers ed in the summer for a week, and at the last class we had to take a written in class test. You had to miss 7 to pass, and I missed 8. It was very embarrassing, and I had to retake it. First, I had to drive for 8 hours with an instructor, which I finished 2 weeks ago. Then after that, I had to retake the written test and I made a 100 percent! I was so happy to get that out of the way. So the next day I checked out of school early to go to the dmv and take my online test for my permit!
    Last monday I checked out of school at 11:25am to go to the dmv. We had all the paper work that we needed in order for me to get my permit which was; my birth certificate, my drivers ed form, and my social security card. So we drive all the way to the port allen dmv, wait 3 hours in line, then get in the office, just to find out that there was a new law passed in September that I had to have a  certificate of enrollment in school. We had waited 3 hours for nothing, my mom and I were very mad. So, the lady at the desk said that if we came back today we wouldn't have to wait in line. Soooooo, my mom and I drove back to school to get the form, and all the way back to the dmv. I took the test, and failed. My mom was so mad at me that she said we were going back in the morning and if I didn't pass, I would be grounded. So we went back the next morning, I passed, and all was well from there.

Reflection on class activity.

    When Dr.d established the activity that we were going to do, I knew that it would end up being very chaotic.  I noticed that everyone had an opinion and an idea of what to do so we ended up all yelling at each other. We voted for a leader, but David couldn’t act like a leader because the whole class acted like it. We had a plan of where we were going to sleep, how we were going to eat, how we were going to take care of the first graders, and how we would get water. We all had a different job, and we came up with the idea of building a huge fire to try to signal others to where we are.  I probably would have ditched.

    In real life, the class would have taken the situation very seriously, and not messed around as much as we did. I noticed that there was a lot of frustration and confusion during this activity. I think that our class managed writing down what our plans were very well. We used the board and drew our plans, and that worked out well for us. A challenge we would have would be getting along, because like I said before, everybody had different opinions and ideas. 

READING LOG:

Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood: 1 hr(210-261)
Insurgent: The Help 30 min(1-35) 

My Family: Free Post 10-28-13

          My family is something I can talk about for hours because it is so huge and complicated. My parents got divorced when I was seven months old so I don't remember when they were together. When my parents got divorced, they both got remarried. My dad got remarried when I was four, and my mom got remarried when I was five. My mom got married to a man with four kids, so it was different all of the sudden having four new siblings that didn't really know me. It was different for my dad because the women he got married to didn't have any kids, then later on in there marriage we got a new baby brother!
       That was the most life-changing moment in my life because I had to adjust to not being the baby anymore. Then later we got a new baby sister! My whole life changed when these two were born. James and Alaina changed my life forever. I love having a big complicated family because I always have someone to look after me.

Reading Response 10-28-13

           I went on the website http://www.americanliterature.com/100-great-short-stories and found Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin, Regret by Kate Chopin, and The Diary of a Madman by Guy de Maupassant. I found Regret to be the most interesting story, and I felt that I read this story thoroughly, and I also think that this story will be used mostly in my literary analysis. I annotated all three setting, point of view, and character. I had the idea of going back to Regret and using all of the literacy elements to annotate it again.
         The story that is the least important to me is The Diary of a Madman because it was about a murderer, and it was kind of disturbing and I don't think I will look into it more. I also Desiree's Baby to be very confusing and difficult to read. Regret was my favorite because it was about an old women regretting not getting married and having children. One day her neighbor with four kids comes over and asks to babysit her kids for a week, so she does, and when the kid leaves she gets very depressed and regretful.

Reading Log:

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood: (145-210) 65 min
Short Stories: 40 min

Reading Log 10-14-13 & Personal Question

Short Stories- 1 hour
"Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood" (pgs. 100-145)

Why do I enjoy fiction books about teenagers?

Reading Log 10/7/13

Short stories~ 1 hour & 20 minutes
Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood~ 20 minutes

Short Story plot 9/30

         My short story is about a sixteen year old werewolf names Adrienne Belle Lain. She has been a werewolf since birth, which leads her to thinking someone in her family has got to be a werewolf. Adrienne was told by her father, older brother, and older sister that her mom died when she was born. Adrienne knows that they aren't telling her something by the way they give her that certain awkward look when she pops questions about her mothers death. Werewolves always travel in packs. There is an Alpha(the leader), and betas, which are the followers. There is also a werewolf called an omega wolf. The omega wolves travel alone and usually don't survive easily.
      Adrienne's alpha leader says that her mom is still alive, and that he knew her very well. So, she goes through different events and obstacles to find her mom. While this is happening, Adrienne is having drama with her boyfriend, friends, and family. It is going to be an action packed, eye-opening short story. I am going to use a frame narrative to get everything organized and ready to write.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: A Tale For Children 9/30

           A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings is by far my favorite short story that we have read so far. This passage kept me engaged and interested on what was going on.  The mood of this story was dark and mysterious. An old angel landing of a beach is not very common, which made me really want to keep reading. There was a pattern of ups and downs throughout the story. One day, the angle would be weak and sick, then on another day he would be perfectly fine running and playing in his cage. Also, the word choice kept me intrigued. Such as, catechism, ingenious, providential, iridescent, and frivolous.
        Ever since we started annotating short stories, I seem to have realized that skimming is not really an option. I think that this skill will definitely help me in the long run. I love reading short stories because they aren't based on a true story, so they really can be about anything, and the stories we have been reading always seem to surprise me. I am excited to read more short stories in class.

Reading Record-

Reading short stories- 2 hours
Working on short story- 30 minutes

I am Adrienne 9/23

        Why am I me? I am confused why I have to keep this secret from him, and everybody else that asks me where I go during full moons, or why I always act like I'm hiding something. I am in a state of frustration, and confusion. My thoughts always seem to bursts out of me at this time of night. It's like my bed sheets have some power that makes me think about everything bad happening to me. Everything makes me think about my mom, and my poor dad who has to put up with me every second of the day. Why did she have to die and leave me here? Why can't I know why she died?
        My dad always keeps secrets about my mom from us. A child should know why her mom died. Its an obligation. On top of that, Damian is a complicated person. I want to tell him my secret so badly, but it would put him in danger. I can't have my boyfriend of three years in danger because of me. I just can't. I have so many questions that can't be answered and I hate it. I miss my brother. Why did he have to go to college? My annoying seven year old little sister never shuts up, and that drives me crazy. I just want to be a normal girl. Well, every one thinks I am, but they don't know my secret. They do not know the real Adrienne Belle Johns.

Reading Response 9/23

          The short stories we read this week were very interesting. Out of Harrison Bergeron, Da-Duh, and A&P, I was interested in Harrison Bergeron the most. I love how Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. used dialogue, and turned the story into something with a purpose. I felt as if Vonnegut was in a way, targetting our worlds government and all the problems in it today. Also, I like how the setting is in the future. Since we have been reading, and preparing to write short stories, I have been researching short stories. I am so excited to write mine.
          My outside reading has been going pretty steady. I don't have much time to read, but I have found myself maneuvering in time some how. I read during tutorial, study hall, and before I go to bed. Insurgent is getting intense, and Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood is getting kind of boring. I will continue to read both, and hopefully I finish soon!

Reading Log:

Short story reading- 2 1/2 hours

E-books 9/16

         I have never created an e-book before. We discussed it in class, and saw a few examples. It sounds fun, and like a great way to get creative with our writing in class! I don’t have any problems sharing my literacy narrative, but I would like to go through one more round of proofreading assistance before it goes “public”, just to make sure everything is perfect. My only concern about making an e-book is that I won’t be able to work it, since I have never done it before.

          I love designing my blog, so I know that I would make my e-book an eye-opener and fun to read. I would insert images that had something to do with my writing. I can create different “worldles” to also inset in my e-book. I’m not sure how I will format it yet. There will definitely be links and videos included in my e-book. Can’t wait to get started!

Graceland 9/16

       We read one of Dr.DeGravelles writings in class last week called Graceland. Whenever she read it aloud, her tone of voice seemed to match the flow of the writing. It was about how she went form one point in her life, to another. She went through a stage of not understanding anything that Paul Simon’s lyrics said, or what they meant, to a time that they were especially sentimental to her, and meant something. I love how there are three periods of time, when she was five, fifteen, then to now as a mom.

       The first line really hooked me, and the last line left me wanting to read more. The details in this paper are so vivid, that I can imagine exactly how everything would go on. I can also relate to the events in this paper. I use to be the one in the middle back seat screaming at my younger siblings, fighting with them about how loud they sing. My little brother would always be the one to not know the words, but automatically think he was George Strait when almost ever song cam on. I am so pleased that Dr.D shared one of her writings with us.

Weekly reading:

-130 minutes on Literacy Narrative
-20 minutes on Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood (56-85)

Dialogue 9/9/13

Mae and Marie are twins. One afternoon after volleyball they were stopping for an icee at the gas station. While they were checking out, just as they both put there icee's down on the counter, a man with black sweatpants and a black hoodie ran in the gas station panting like he had just ran a mile. Mae and Marie stood in shock and full of fear.

"On the ground!," The unknown man screamed as loud as he could as everyone in the store dropped to the floor. "Wheres the money?!"

"Here take it," The cashier replied with a shaky voice.

"Don't say anything!," The man said in an antagonized voice.

"We won't," Mae and Marie said at the same time very quietly.

The man looked very nervous. He kept looking around to make sure no one was behind or around him Mae and Marie had wondered what he had done before this, because all of a sudden, the sound of police sirens rang in their ears. About ten cop cars surrounded the scene.

"I didn't!," shouted the man as five policeman tacked him to the ground, "I swear,! "he said as he was cuffed and taken out of the store.

"What just happened,?" Mae said as she was crying with apprehensiveness.

"I don't know," replied Marie, " lets just go."

Mae and Marie ran to there car leaving the icee's behind. They immediately called there mom and told her what was going on, and that they were safe and on there way home. What the unknown man had done before was a mystery to the both of them.

Reading Response 9/9/13

         I am starting to get confused with Insurgent. I was reading it in study hall today, when I came across a confusing argument between Four and Tris'. I am starting to get sidetracked with my reading. Whenever I read, I find myself drifting off to different thoughts. If anyone has read Insurgent, or is currently reading it, please come find me to talk about it and discuss the events happening in it. I havent been reading my other book "Getting Revenge On Lauren Wood" this week.
         My literacy narrative is coming along strong. I love my topic because it was such a great moment of my life. I am so excited for my class to read it because I hope they are as excited as I was. I think that they will feel the energy that is in my words. The only thing I am struggling with is sentence structure. I feel like I have so much to say, and I put it all in one sentence, so it sounds confusing and messed up. Does anybody else have this issue? Another thing I am struggling with is paragraph organization. Is anyone else having this problem?

Reading 9/9/13:

Literacy narrative~ 100 minutes
Insurgent~ 30 minutes

"I Have a Dream" response 9/3/12

            Martin Luther King Jr.'s I have a dream speech is a heartfelt and life changing speech. My favorite line in his speech is "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of our nation". His words were prophetic. This is the most famous speech, demonstration, and gathering of people having to do with civil rights and equality of all people. There is a certain something about the way Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to a crowd. It is not simply the words that he says, but also the way his words make you feel when you listen to them. While watching this video, I got chills all over my body.
          At one point in his speech I felt that he was truly speaking into the future, for instance when he spoke about his children not being judged by the color of their skin, but by there character as a person. He also talked about the way we can all go to school together, work together, go to church together, live near each other, and even use the same bathrooms. So as I reflect on his speech, I can honestly say that most of his dream has come true.

Response #1 9/3/13

My outside reading book is “Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood”. I am also reading Insurgent, but I decided to start another book because my sister recommended it to me, and it sounded like a very interesting book that I would love. “Getting Revenge one Lauren Wood” is a book about two teenage girls that were best friends named Helen and Lauren. Everything was perfectly fine and happy, until Lauren decided to ditch Helen for the cheer squad in high school. Helen’s life turned upside down and she was lost without her best friend.

 Things got so bad between them that Helen had to move away and start a new life. Then her parents moved to a foreign country to study wildlife, so she had to move back to the school she went to with Lauren, and she was forced to live with her grandmother. Helen went back to the school with a whole knew identity, a new name a new style, and a new life. When she showed up for school the first day, things got crazy. 

READING LOG:

In class reading- 20 minutes
Text of "I have a dream"- 20 minutes
Insurgent-  40 minutes (pages 184-220)
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood- 40 minutes (pages 1-56)