MASTERPIECE INTERVIEWS

Tiana :
-I am working on a masterpiece project of traveling, mixed with adventuring, also mixed with "doing cool things". With all this I will create an amazing video full of awesome things I have done.
-I want to experience as much as a can that life has to offer and really live life to the fullest. 
In life, I can take so much from these experiences. Traveling and trying new things is such an enlightening experience that I can carry on forever.
Outside of school, I know I will be a much happier person and much more well rounded! I will be able to engage in many conversations and provide input based on my personal encounters.
-I haven't really been surprised yet, but I will await the day!
-I need my GoPro camera to come in the mail already so I can start filming all these cool things I do. With that camera filming my awesome times, I will make one amazing video full of highlights to present how I have made my project come alive.
-I have truly learned that life is short and that we really need to take advantage of life's opportunities. Talk to new people because you never know where that conversation may lead. Mine led me to a trip to Italy, and now to Belgium. 

Malik: 

-I'm working on showing the different forms of sports and medical engineering and how they work and how they are applied.

-I chose this because I'm into engineering and also physical therapy so I found a way to combine the two together.

-the significance of my work will help me better understand how technology is helping athletes and people around the world recover from injuries. And from there I want to better what's out there already.

- this work will help me keep my passion for sports and my interest for engineering still in my life.

-I as surprised that it took me so long to find out my topic because I thought the two I was interested in before couldn't be related.

- to finish my project, I will need to demonstrate a few samples of technologies out there, what they do, how they work, how it's applied.

-I've learned that finding your passion will make work much easier and let you lead a happy life.

Xavier:

-I am working on making my own street wear clothing brand and getting my ideas out to the world. 
-I'm doing it because I am really into the street wear culture and I need money to buy everything I like and eventually collaborate and make stuff I like with the brands that I love.
- My work is significant because people are walking billboards and they will help me get my ideas out there and let other people see what's in my head 
-The work will help me meet new people and connect with everyone in the world
- It surprises me how many people like what I like and how many people want to help me get far in this business 
-To successfully finish my project I will need to have a finished product ready to sell and ready to wear 
- I've learned to just follow what you like and you can make an impact by just putting stuff out there 

BEGINNINGS

Working on my masterpiece has helped me begin the next chapter of my life because all of the research that I have done has given me a whole new mindset on how to achieve my goals. It's given me a new prospective that I wish I would have had all throughout highschool, a mindset that I know will help me succeed in college and enjoy the journey at the same time. I have a hard time balancing work and play. I either will work so hard that I don't allow myself any down time or I become so distracted from the work part that I tend to lose myself to the play which is not a good thing. I've realized that there is a balance and that that balance is crucial. It's important to work hard and stay motivated and determined but also to take a little fun time every now and then to ensure a positive and happy outlook. I think that this is a very important lesson to take with me while I transition into one of the biggest changes of my life so far.

CONNECTIONS

The central idea and topic behind my masterpiece has been coming up in nearly everything I do. Because senior year is coming to an end, I have been faced with some of the biggest decisions of my life along with my fellow graduating class mates. Choosing what we want to do with the rest of our lives and what college we will be attending are some of the biggest commitments and decisions we will ever have to face and are the biggest factor in causing so much stress this time of the year, at least for me anyways. When thinking about the rest of my life and what comes next I try to think of what I want to see myself doing. When I feel stressed out and become too overwhelmed I think of things that will make me happy and that I will enjoy because finding the balance between working hard and doing things to keep you happy is the ultimate key to success.

Request for Response

        The first two articles discuss the roles of parents and how they influence their children. Parents are a child's first and potentially most important role model and teacher in life. The very first article, "Raising a Moral Child" by Adam Grant explains the influence of parents and adults have over the development of their child's character and development as a person. It explains studies that have proved that children learn by example and will in some ways learn from watching the adults around them. It also explains how, as a role model, you should parent and which actions you should take in order to be successful in raising your child. A huge factor in teaching kids to become high achievers in the world is to know when and how to praise them accordingly. Researchers suggest that praising effort instead of actual ability is crucial  to help children develop stronger work ethic and become more motivated in general. Praise is found to be much more effective than actual rewards. Rewards may teach the children to only do good things when there is something in it for them, where praise makes the child feel good about what they have done and will make them want to do those good things again. Its also been found that when a child's character is complimented or praised, that child is much more likely to repeat those actions until they become good habits rather than if the adults were to just praise whatever the action had been. When a child's character is praised, it helps them identify with their identities and who they are becoming as people. "When our actions become a reflection of our character, we lean more heavily toward the moral and generous choices. Over time it can become part of us.", this quote from the article explains the process of how praise to a child's character can help shape them as they grow up. Negative feedback is just as crucial in a developing child. How parents and adults respond to bad behavior has varying results as well. Typically there are two moral emotions felt by children after doing something bad; shame and guilt. Shame is not something we want our children to feel, shame being a negative judgement about one's self which can make the child feel worthless. Guilt on the other hand is a negative judgement about an action which can be changed with good behavior. I believe that it's extremely important and necessary for parents and adults to realize the effect that how they handle certain situations can have on their children or any child for that matter. How they choose to react to a specific situation multiple times can really shape the child's character in a positive or negative way.
           I don't think that there are enough people out there who realize how much of an influence they are to the children in their life. Children listen and react to everything they see those around them do. They are sponges absorbing everything that is going around them which is really important to realize and remember, making sure to lead by a good example. Although I have not yet personally raised my own child, I have three younger siblings and have watched my parents do their absolute best in raising all of us and I have seen how important it is to praise your children when it's necessary and how to properly care and be there for your children. I think that ultimately, every parent's real goal is to not only have happy children but to have their kids turn out to be good people; generous and caring people. It's necessary to start leading them towards the right path at a young age in order for them to develop good character.

RAISING DIGITAL AWARENESS

It's important to draw visitors to your site/blog because it's important that our ideas and words are heard. Putting our own thoughts into words and uploading them onto the internet to share with others is a huge deal that we are lucky enough to be able to use in our day and age. It's such a fast and easy way to allow our voices to be heard.  Currently my blog is the home of many of my thoughts that i have posted to share with whoever decides to visit my blog. I believe that by voicing your opinion and ideas you are addressing the needs of all visitors because you have provided your own information to the rest of the world. To improve the value of my blog I think it would be smart to try and improve in each of the 10 different suggestions by Steve Pavlina. By making a point to put more effort and improve the value of the content by making sure that it holds importance and is worth reading, making sure that what I write and share is always original and my own thoughts and ideas, creating content that will hold its value and importance many years from now, remembering that although its being posted to the internet real people are reading my words, remembering why I'm writing and why it's important to me, letting the real me show through my posts, remembering to always write about what I believe to be true whether it's a shared belief or not, taking the readers into mind at all times, and always knowing that money is not always the most important factor. Although technology is a crucial tool in communicating these ideas with the rest of the world, it would be utterly impossible without actual human ideas and interactions, which I believe to be much more important. Technology is only a tool that helps us all share these ideas in such a huge way. It allows to interact with people all over, but again this would be impossible without our thoughts and ideas.

Literature Analysis: A Fault in Our Stars by John Green

1.  The exposition is the opening of the story when the struggle of being a teenager with a terminal illness is explained and described through the voice of Hazel. We see how her diagnosis of cancer has changed her life. Her attitude towards school, her parents, her peers, and life in general has been greatly altered since she became ill.

IS THERE AN EXPERT IN THE HOUSE?

My ultimate idea of an expert, as I've mentioned before is Ellen Degeneres. She is someone who has worked so hard to get to where she is now and has managed to find complete and utter success in doing what she loves to do. She is such an inspiration and has gained the admiration from people all over the world. She manages to work hard but also enjoy her life which is a balance that I believe a lot of people lose along the way.

THIS IS ONLY A TEST

In class the past couple of days we have discussed the different kinds of tests. In conclusion we've agreed that there are essentially two different types of tests. One type being the stereotypical test we receive in class 'testing' our knowledge on the criteria we're being taught. The old multiple choice test is a very common method of test taking that being seniors in high school we have all grown very familiar with. This kind of test, although does test our memory, doesn't truly express our understanding and definitely not our thinking. The second type of test is more figurative. Life tests, lessons that test our character sometimes or our true understanding of a concept or idea by proving it other than filling in answer bubbles. For my masterpiece project, although a test or 2 of the first type may be necessary, I believe that the second kind of test works much for effectively when attempting to put out my own ideas and study what I am passionate about. This masterpiece is a test itself, it's testing me on my knowledge of the future and how I will get to where I need and want to be.

I, ENTREPRENEUR

Ellen Degeneres most definitely is an entrepreneur, after our class discussion there is no doubt in my mind. She provides a huge service to the whole world with her television talk show. Her show has made a difference in so many different people's lives. Just watching her one hour show each day can turn someone's whole day around. People watch her throughout hard times to provide a little bit of light in what may be dark days. She helps so many others and is always giving back. She worked her whole life to build what is now one of the most popular and admired television shows. I however would not say that I, myself, am an entrepreneur... at least not yet anyways. I haven't provided a product or an idea or service desired by others. Hopefully one day, I will be able to say that I have. When you hear the word entrepreneurship you think of large, successful, well-known businesses and that is not always the case. Anyone who takes an idea and turns it into something greater, something to benefit others is an entrepreneur and I believe that is what needs to change in how our culture perceives it.

10 QUESTIONS

My expert is Ellen Degeneres and I would ask her:

1. How did you get to where you are today in your career? 

2. Did you always know that this is what you wanted to do for a living?

3.  How did you find the balance between comedy, helping others, and entertainment?

4.  Having fun seems like second nature to you, Do you ever find it difficult to stay so positive and optimistic all of the time?

5. Despite what it may look like, you're career can't just be fun and games. What are some of the difficulties that come along with your successful show and career?

6. What's your biggest advice for balancing work and fun?

7. Do you agree that laughing is one of the most effective "medicines"?

8. What do you do to take time out of your busy schedule to relax and just have fun?

9. How does it feel knowing you make such a huge difference in so many people's lives?

10. Explain the importance of having fun to you. 

BENCHMARK

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sent/144afebf54e9d393

VOCAB #6

Abjure: to reject
Diffident: Lacking in self-confidence; shy
Sanguine: Cheerful
Circumlocution: An indirect way of expressing something
Endorphins: Mood enhancers that send confidence and satisfaction to the brain
Irrational: without reason or sound judgement
Rational:having exercised reason and sound judgement
Ambiguity: doubtfulness
Intuitive: perceiving by intuition
Assimilate: to incorporate as one's own
Causation: the act of producing
Frivolous: self-indulgently care-free
Adversity: an unfortunate event or circumstance
Stipulate: to specify in terms of agreement
Optimistic: practicing the expectation of a positive outcome
Simulations: imitation
Normative: pertaining to a norm
Interrelated: mutually related
Optimal:best or most favorable
Quantitative: may be estimated by quantity

LAUNCH

I really want to study the psychology of having fun and being happy by tying it into works of The Ellen Show. I also want to take a closer look at the psychology of decision making and how that affects one's ability to be happy and have fun. I believe working for the Ellen show would be the funnest thing in the whole world, her show makes so many people so happy and she helps so many people all around the world by just making them laugh for an hour a day. Being happy should be everyone's ultimate goal in life and I think most of us forget about that by the overwhelming urge to be successful in terms of careers and money, we forget to actually take time to figure out what really would make us happy. Studying these topics will help me focus on what I really want by learning about something that I think is very important.

VOCAB #5

Cognitive:pertaining to the act or process of knowing, perceiving, remembering
Mundane: common or ordinary
Merriment: cheerful
Etymology: word origin
Evanescent: vanishing or fading away
Novelty: state of being new or unique
Reconciliation:to bring into agreement
Scant: limited
Unscrupulous: unprincipled
Tentative: unsure or uncertain
Inception:the beginning
Brevity:shortness of time, briefness
Empirical:derived from experience or experiment
Seminal:original, influencing the development of future events
Dissemination: spreading widely
Exemplify:to show by example
Valence: the capacity of one person or thing to react with or affect another in some special way
Impediment: obstacle
Vagary: an unpredictable event
Transitivity: transitional

Literature Analysis : THE FIFTH CHILD BY DORIS LESSING

1.- Exposition: The beginning of the story explains how Harriet and David first met one another and how quickly they fell in love. It showed them during their happiest of times plan the life the both of them had always wanted. They talked about their future with a house full of kids and they very quickly made that dream come true.

VOCAB SPRING #4

accolade: any award or honor 
acerbity: sourness
attrition: a decrease in numbers, size, or strength 
bromide: a person who is extremely boring
chauvinist: one who believes one gender is superior to the other
chronic: constant
expound: to set forth in detail
factionalism:self-interested
immaculate:spotlessly clean
imprecation: the act of cursing 
ineluctable: inescapable
mercurial: quick-witted
palliate-to relieve without curing
protocol: an original draft
resplendent:shining brilliantly
stigmatize: to set some mark of disgrace upon
sub rosa: secretly
vainglory: excessive pride over one's own achievements
vestige: a mark of evidence that is no longer in existance 
volition: a choice or decision made by will

HAFTA/WANNA

I think one of the most important things to wrap your mind around is that high school really is the beginning of the rest of your life. Unfortunately I'm just starting to realize this now. Going into your freshman year you feel like you have so much time left, you have four whole years to figure things out and decide on the person you want to be. The confusing part is during those four years. You're still such a child at the beginning of high school but at the end of those four years, which go by unbelievably quick, you're expected to be an adult. High school reflects how well you are at remaining dedicated and motivated and meeting deadlines while also balancing other aspects of your personal and social life. If you manage to do well during high school by practicing good work habits then once you enter the "real world" chances are you'll be a lot more successful than those who chose to take their four years of high school as least serious as possible. Everyone expects life after high school to be a whole new world, which it will be in some areas because we will all have to be much more independent but in a lot of ways it's really quite the same. Most of us will still be going to school to learn to get us to our intended career path and those who aren't are probably going to be going to work every day. The hardest thing is to find a balance between things you WANT to do and things you HAVE to do. Too much or not enough of either would result in going insane. I know that sometimes I struggle with procrastination and a lack of motivation but then again, who doesn't? I'm not worried about my life after high school because with the expectations that I have for myself I know that I will get where I need and want to be.

Vocab Spring #3

apostate: a person who forsakes their religion/cause
effusive: overflowing
impasse: a situation or position with no escape
euphoria: a state of intense happiness and self-confidence
lugubrious: mournful or gloomy
bravado: a pretentious display of courage
consensus: majority of opinion
dichotomy: division into two parts
constrict: to draw or press in
gothic: medieval
punctilio: a fine point of conduct
metamorphosis: a complete change of form
raconteur: a person skilled in telling stories
sine qua non: 
quixotic: extravagantly romantic or chivalrous
vendetta: any prolonged and bitter feud
non sequitur: a statement containing an illogical conclusion
mystique: a framework of doctrines, ideas or beliefs
quagmire: anything soft or flabby
parlous: dangerous 

VISUAL STORYTELLING

Visual story telling such as movies are so effective because of how personal they are, creating a possible strong connection with the audience. The characters coalesce with the story line and as the movie goes on it becomes more and more real. While watching movies, we are hearing the story while also seeing the story as it progresses and reaches its apogee. This is disparate compared to just reading a story because more than just words are used to express characters and moods. Movies are so popular because they are made to be entertaining which is another reason they are so effective.

PROFILE IN COURAGE

When the movie first started I was expecting it to be a story following the lives of a few physically disabled men but I was completely shocked when they introduced the sport of wheelchair rugby for the first time. You could not get me to play the sport while being healthy so it was crazy to see how brave those men are. After all being in such tragic accidents it would be so easy to give up on life considering the endless amount of difficulties and struggles they must face but the men in the movie don't share that mindset. They still go through life with a motivated attitude and use it to compete in a sport made just for them. They make the best of the situation and love the sport that they get to play.

VOCAB SPRING #2

accoutrements: personal clothing or accessories
-My aunt has the most accoutrements of anyone else I know, her outfits are never boring.
apogee: the highest or most distant point
bicker: to engage in peevish argument
coalesce: to grow or come together into one
contretemps: an embarrassing occurrence
convolution: a coiled or rolled up condition
cull: to select or choose
disparate: essentially different
dogmatic: pertaining to
licentious: going beyond proper limits
mete: to distribute my measure
noxious: harmful to health or physical well-being
polemic: a controversial argument
populous: heavily populated; crowded
probity: honesty
repartee: a quick and witty reply

VOCAB #1 PERFORMANCE REVIEW

I did well on the vocal quiz but I realized that I need to stop focusing only on the definition on the word and think more about how and when the word is used. Defining the words is always the easy part for me because that's just memorization but using and putting the words into sentences takes a little thinking and really proves understanding of the word.

VOCAB SPRING #1

adumbrate: to report in an outline 
apotheosis : highest point of a story, the climax

ascetic: self disciplined when comes to indulging
bauble: small trinkets or decorations
beguile: to charm in a deceiving manner 
burgeon: to grow rapidly
complement: to bring to completion or perfection
contumacious: stubborn
curmudgeon: badly tempered person
didactic: in a teaching manner
- I was sure to adumbrate all of the information into very organized notes during the lecture.
-Once I reached the apotheosis of the story I could not put the book down.

-When my mom goes on a diet, she remains completely ascetic, never giving into temptations.
-My room is full of baubles, I collect little knick knacks.
-My sister is notorious for beguiling to get her way.
The flowers in my grandma's garden burgeoned.
-The scarf was the perfect complement to the rest of my outfit.
-You are so contumacious, you can never admit when you're wrong.
-Nobody wants to be around a curmudgeon who is always grumpy.
-My sister is very didactic when helping me with my math homework.

HACKING MY EDUCATION

Whenever we discuss hacking this course with our personal interests and taking our education into our own hands I become so overwhelmed. Some have such clear ideas about what they want to do and where they want to go and what they can do to get there and I still haven't figured all of that out yet. There's tons that I want to do and so much that catches my interest but I'm not sure that I've found my passion yet. I get so anxious because I'd like more than anything to have this all figured out but that's not the case. My plan is to really think hard about what I can do in this particular course that is going to help me in the long run, and maybe even help me put an end to all of my doubt.

THE CHOICE

The choice thats being referred to in the title is whether the little girl is going to take her medicine, or the "poison" on her own or if her parents are going to have to force her to take it.  Although it is a real choice there is no alternative. No matter what the little girl chooses she is going to have to take the medicine. The word "poison" is used when talking about the medicine because that is exactly what it is. It's a poison taken to kill the cells, not just the bad ones but all of the cells in order to eliminate the ones that may be dangerous. The little girl wants to play with the toys intended for older children because she knows that with her sickness she may not live to be that old so she argues that since she might not have the chance she wants to play with that toy while she can. I do agree with her because knowing that your life possibly may be cut short i would want to get the absolute most out of it just as she does. If playing with a toy intended for a child a few years older makes her happy then I don't see even the slightest problem with that. If there was a possibility that I might not live past the age of 30 there would be so many things that I would feel pressured to do so before then, so many actually that its hard to just pick one. I would focus mostly on traveling and seeing parts of the world other than where I've grown up. It would be important for me to get out of here and go to all the places that I want to go to and see before I die. Forcing the uncomfortableness of the medication and horrible taste on their daughter was really their only choice. A few moments of a bad taste is worth an attempt to add time to their daughters life. Suffering is unfortunately most definitely a part of life and love. Everyone will suffer from their own troubles and have to watch those they love most suffer as well. Sometimes there won't be anything you can do which will make the situation even more difficult to get through but it's just a part of life.