Vocabulary #5

Adroit: Skillful and/or clever
Amicable: Friendly, peaceable
Averse: Having a strong feeling of opposition 
Belligerent: Aggressively hostile
Benevolent: Desiring to help others
Cursory: Going over something rapidly, without noticing details
Duplicity: Speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter
Extol: To praise highly
Feasible: Easy
Grimace: A facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval or pain
Holocaust: Any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life
Impervious: Impenetrable
Impetus: A moving force
Jeopardy: Peril or danger
Meticulous: Showing extreme care about little details
Nostalgia: A sight, smell, sound that reminds you of a former time in life
Quintessence: The pure and concentrated essence of a substance
Retrogress: To go backward into an earlier and usually worse condition
Scrutinize: To examine in detail with careful or critical attention
Tepid: Characterized by a lack or force or enthusiasm 

No Child Left Untableted

As of June, every student and teacher in the18 of the 24 middle schools in Greensboro, N.C., received brand new computer tablets. A total of 15,450 tablets. Do you believe that students should be able to use tablets at school? Well, I believe they should be. Having the opportunity to use open source learning has opened my mind up to the internet. If used correctly, the internet can be a very educational tool. It makes it easier to look up information for projects or essays. As long as the students don't abuse the opportunity to have the tablets. Now, I believe that students should have a time for class. It's very easy for kids to turn into robots. I know when I use my phone/iPod in class (for educational purposes or not) it is VERY easy to get distracted. There should be a rule on when they get to use them and when they cannot. I would hate to see this world turn into something like a scene from Wall-e. Every teacher should be able to have the option on whether or not they want their students to have these tablets. As long as these tablets are used for what they are supposed to be used for, I believe in this method 100%.

Vocabulary #4

Accede: to give consent, approval, or adherence
Brandish: to shake or wave, as a weapon
Comprise: to include or contain
Deft: nimble; skillful; clever
Destitute: without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
Explicit: fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated
Extirpate: to remove or destroy totally
Inopportune: inappropriate
Ironic: using words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning
Musty: having an odor or flavor suggestive of mold
Officious: objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice
Ominous: portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening
Pinnacle: any pointed, towering part or formation
Premeditated: done deliberately; planned in advance
Rampant: violent in action or spirit
Solace: comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble
Stately: majestic; imposing in magnificence, elegance
Supple: bending readily without breaking or becoming deformed
Suppress: to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.)
Venal: willing to sell one's influence, especially in return for a bribe

Will Study For Food!

So, I don't plan on going to college right after high school. I actually plan on joining the Army. Hopefully I will be able to enroll soon. One of the main reasons why I'm joining is because it'll pay for college, so I don't need a scholarship (obviously). After the Army, I hope to go to college at UCSD to study zoology. I've always wanted to work with zoo animals, especially lions.

Vocabulary #3

Accomplice: a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing, often as a subordinate.
Annihilate: to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly
Arbitrary: subject to individual will or judgment without restriction
Brazen: shameless or impudent
Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change
Exodus: a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people
Facilitate: to make easier or less difficult
Incorrigible: not easily swayed or influenced
Latent: present but not visible, apparent, or actualized
Militant: vigorously active and aggressive
Morose: gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.
Opaque: not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
Paramount: above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction.
Prattle: to talk in a foolish or simple-minded way; chatter; babble.
Rebut: to oppose by contrary proof.
Reprimand: a severe reproof or rebuke, especially a formal one by a person in authority.
Servitude: compulsory service or labor as a punishment for criminals
Slapdash: hasty and careless
Stagnant: not flowing or running
Succumb: to give way to superior force

Vocabulary #2

Obesity: excessively fat or fleshy; corpulent 
Accumulate: to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees
Mass: a body of coherent matter, usually of indefinite shape and often of considerable size
Disease:  a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.
Diet: food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health
Prevalence: widespread or current 
Stigma: a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation.
Prevent(able): to keep from occurring
Adolescent: growing to manhood or womanhood; youthful.
Cardiovascular: of or relating to the heart and the blood vessels 
Excessive: going beyond the usual, necessary, or proper limit or degree
Mechanism: an assembly of moving parts performing a complete functional motion, often being part of a large machine; linkage.
Sedentary: characterized by or requiring a sitting posture
Predispose: to give an inclination or tendency to beforehand
Syndrome: a group of related or coincident things, events, actions, etc.

This is Phat!

Most of our temptation to eat fast foods comes from ads on television. I found an article that helps teens advert themselves away from fast foods and commercial ads and what could be healthy alternatives.

http://fit.webmd.com/teen/food/article/fast-food-advertising

Vocabulary #1

Expository: Detailed description
Composition: Combining parts or elements to make a whole
Assuage: To make a negative experience less severe; relieve; ease
Decadence: The act of falling into an inferior condition or state
Hackneyed: A word lacking significance due to over usage
Coalition: Alliance of a combined action, especially a temporary one between persons, faction, and states
Transcend: To rise above or go beyond limits; overpass
Meritorious: Deserving an award or praise
Lurid: Gruesome; terrible in intensity; glaringly vivid or sensational
Petulant: Sulky or bad-tempered

Reflections on Week One

Q1: Are there any factors that you think are going to affect your participation in this class? Access to a computer? Mobile/smart phone? Transportation? Family/friends schedule?

A: I don't believe that there are any factors that would affect my participation in the class (negatively that is). I always have access to a computer. If it's not a computer, then it's a cell phone or an Ipod. I would most likely never show up late to class, due to the fact that I get to school during 0 period and I don't even have a 0 period. That gives me plenty of time to get to class.

Q2: Think of an awesome best ever learning experience that changed you. What did you learn? Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or remember, or think?) How did you know what was happening?

A: A great learning experience for me was actually from my junior English teacher who I have grown to know and love, Miss Bronkey. She was always so passionate about literature and about her students excelling in the classroom. One thing I specifically remember was the time when she was talking about how she got to where she is today. When she was all alone, had no financial aid, and was working day and night to make some money to be able to live off of. With her ambition alone, she made it possible go to school and get her bachelors degree at Cal Poly and her masters' at Chapman University. Sure, she could have gave up on her hopes and dreams and done nothing with her life, but that would have been easy. Miss Bronkey knew what was best for her , so she put all of her power and time to get to where she wanted to be. While she was telling us about this, I had to take a step out of myself and really think about my life. So many people go through their hard times, and believe me, I've been through mine too, but why give up so easily? Miss Bronkey taught me that no matter where you are in your life, if you have enough passion and hope, you can be and do anything that you want.

Q3: What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning?  How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life?

A: The thing that I'm most concerned about is being the only one in class or in a group to actually give input on what we're supposed to be doing. I already experienced this once when we were talking about "The Right to Your Opinion" and I hated the feeling. If everybody participated, I would be much more comfortable in class and with public speaking.I look forward to being about to pick about a story or a text and being able to understand it better. I am also looking forward to becoming a better writer.

A Truly Interesting Piece of Non-Fiction

A piece of non-fiction that really caught my eye (for once) was the story of Elizabeth Bathory - a high ranking Hungarian noble that lived in the late 1500's, early 1600's. Elizabeth was a troubled child from birth; born into a family who inbred to keep noble blood, noble. At the age of 4, she began suffering from epileptic seizures and extreme mood swings. Absent parents led to a total lack of discipline, which in turn led to reckless behavior later on in life. At 14, she married Count Ferenc Nadasdy, a lesser Hungarian noble. The couple were both sadistic and a little insane, more so on Elizabeth's part. The noblewoman's favorite past time was torturing the young women who served as her maids, them being too weak and lacking in nobility to fight back. An example of her sadistic tendencies could be spreading honey on her female servants' naked bodies and tying them to trees. As time grew on, Elizabeth started to realize that she was looking older and older. Because of her rampant mood swings, she recklessly struck one of her servants, her long sharp nails scratching the side of the servants cheek. When Elizabeth looked down to wipe the blood off of her hand, she realized the skin underneath looked young and radiant. Ideas swirled in her head, and she began to wonder if she had stumbled upon the metaphorical fountain of youth. Elizabeth decided then and there that she needed more - more blood, that is. She opened a school years later, a school for the daughters of the noble families. Instead of teaching the young girls deportment and manners, she ruthlessly murdered them for their blood; their youth. Eventually, word got out to the king of Hungary and an investigation began right away. A raid on the castle was ordered, revealing the horrible and grizzly secret. The bodies of the dead girls were found under the floor boards, in cupboards, and pretty much any possible hiding place that there was throughout the castle. Elizabeth was found guilty and arrested for her crimes. But instead of serving jail time, her family had her walled up in a very small room with no ventilation. She died at the age of 54.

Source:
http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/2009/10/elizabeth-bathory-blood-countess.html

An artist rendition of Elizabeth Bathory in virgin's blood:
http://evilladies.com/http://evilladies.com/wp-content/uploads/Elizabeth-Bathory-bathed-in-blood.jpg

What is Expository Writing?

Expository writing: The record of your knowledge. Taking what you know and putting it on paper. A teachers job. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge to what is being explained. That is what expository writing is in a nutshell.

IT'S ALL LATIN TO ME

"dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude, incipe." 
"He who has begun is half done:dare to know,begin!" -Horace
In this day in age, students drop out of school thinking they'll amount to nothing because they believe they're unintelligent. But just having the curiosity and motivation to come into class and wonder - putting themselves out there, and giving not only the teacher but himself the time of day to have a single chance at achieving something great - that's half of it. Dare to try, and you have already amounted to something. You have already made it halfway, and that is something to be proud of.

My Big Question

My big question: The more I think about having a big question, the more I realize that I don't really have one. I kind of just go with the flow and do what I know I need to do. How do you know what you need to do? Well, you kind of just do what you think feels right. When the time comes, I'm sure we'll find out everything that we need to know. We're all here for a reason, and those reasons with eventually come up in the future. Life is too short to question everything. Looking for an answer is only going to waste your life away. Why search for an answer if it'll eventually find it's way to you?