Hello new APELC students,
Don't be afraid of the upcoming year. Maybe you have heard some negative things about the course, but in all honesty, it's not scary. With supportive, helpful and communicative teachers like Mr. Yost and Ms. Pronko, someone will always be there to help you even if you don't think you are ready to write another essay or annotate another reading passage. You can talk to them about anything, ask them to give you suggestions on every assignment, and simply trust in the fact that although your grades (at first) may not reflect what you think you're capable of, they will rise by the end of the course, along with your character and ability as a student.
For me, personally, I know that this is true. My very first essays (the one assigned over the summer and the first timed essay we did in class) earned a score of a 3 and a 4. Previously, in honors english classes, most of my papers earned an A or a high B. I walked into this class thinking that it would be easy because it was mostly writing, and the lowest grade I had ever gotten on a paper was an 85. When the 3 (around a 65%) went into Sapphire, I was almost certain that I would be getting a C for the year or worse. I wasn't sure how I would be able to survive AP English with writing skills that I originally thought were good that actually were only worthy of a low D. However, my last two essays written (one a take-home essay scored by Mr. Yost, and the other an in-class essay scored by my peers) scored an 8 each. I know personally that my writing improved over the length of the course, and I know that the writing of my peers have as well. The average essay-writing score improved about 3 or 4 points for the class as a whole, and when the time came to take the AP exam, I know that we were all prepared to the best of our abilities. By the end of the year, I know that you will feel the same way.
An important thing about this course is that you should remember to keep your head up, that you are a good student, and that you are trying, even if your Sapphire is reporting numbers that you've never seen in your grade book before. If you have to, don't even look at Sapphire. Sapphire can, in some cases, only bring you down and checking it every two days does nothing to improve your self esteem as a student. So instead of worrying about your grades, try to concentrate on writing more. Do practice essays at home. See Ms. Pronko or Mr. Yost during study halls to hear what they have to say about your writing. Bring in more than one paper, so they can identify common mistakes that you make and help you correct them going forward. All the help that you need to do well is available, as long as you ask for it.
So sure, in the beginning of the year, you may not feel ready to do well in the class. But, as Mr. Yost pointed out, APELC wouldn't exist if everyone was a rhetorical master as they entered it. But if you stick with it, do your work, and ask for help when you need it, you will be successful coming out of it.
Good luck, remember to relax, it's only school, and have confidence in yourself!
Sydney Hale
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
TOW #29
The main claim made in the documentary was that bullying is a serious problem that can do more harm than some of us may think. I know that at Wissahickon, or at least in my personal experience at Wissahickon, I have never experienced the harsh realities of bullying, but in this documentary I have seen firsthand that it can lead to self harm, depression or suicide. Because of this, school officials should treat bullying with the utmost importance. As shown in the video, administrators say to the parents that they will do everything to stop what is going on, but people simply don't know the extent or aren't willing to go to the extent that they need to to stop the bullying that is going on. Parents who care about their children aren't even aware because the kids are scared to inform their parents of what's going on. In many cases like these, the bullying is then left unattended and simply becomes worse, as the bullies themselves realize that there is no negative consequence for picking on someone, as long as it makes them feel good.
Because of this, I fully support the stance that we need to educate people about and try our hardest to prevent bullying. The cost of losing a child to bullying is far greater than the cost to simply go to schools and help administrators understand how to deal with bullies, or helping kids understand that bullying is always the wrong thing to do. Documentaries like Bully should be shown in our own high school and the anti-bullying message should be a more prominent one in assemblies, posters, or on the morning announcements.
Because of this, I fully support the stance that we need to educate people about and try our hardest to prevent bullying. The cost of losing a child to bullying is far greater than the cost to simply go to schools and help administrators understand how to deal with bullies, or helping kids understand that bullying is always the wrong thing to do. Documentaries like Bully should be shown in our own high school and the anti-bullying message should be a more prominent one in assemblies, posters, or on the morning announcements.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
TOW #28
The documentary that I watched, called Bully, was about bullying in schools across the country, and the negative effects that it can have on the lives of many children. The people who made the film, the Weinstein Company, wanted to do a documentary about something that was important to the American people to try to make a change, and this was the exact way that they decided to go about it. The documentary features first-person accounts of people who have dealt with bullying and who have been negatively affected by bullying, including parents who have lost their kids to suicide because of bullying in school. Their stories and personal accounts make the documentary heartfelt, sincere, and beneficial as far as knowing how far bullying reaches to the hearts and minds of the kids and families affected.
The purpose of this documentary was to highlight bullying and the trauma that it can cause for everyone involved. People who are bullied have different negative reactions, ranging from suicide attempts, both failed and succeeded, self harm, or bringing a gun to school buses to protect themselves from the bullies. Families of bullying victims have to sit by and watch their children suffer, helpless to do anything but take them out of the school they were bullied in and move elsewhere. For families where this is not an option, they may lose their child to suicide or watch their child be thrown into juvenile detention centers for finally striking back against the bullies.
The most useful device in this documentary to highlight the main idea of the film were the personal testimonies of children who had been bullied or who were being bullied, or of parents who had lost their children to suicide. Truly heartbreaking scenes where parents break down because of the loss of their child made a very strong emotional appeal to the audience and made them understand the need for a change in how school systems approach and deal with bullying. The serious consequences of being a bully or having been bullied need to be more at the forefront of our minds when we think about the education system, and the documentary wanted to make that point.
The purpose of this documentary was to highlight bullying and the trauma that it can cause for everyone involved. People who are bullied have different negative reactions, ranging from suicide attempts, both failed and succeeded, self harm, or bringing a gun to school buses to protect themselves from the bullies. Families of bullying victims have to sit by and watch their children suffer, helpless to do anything but take them out of the school they were bullied in and move elsewhere. For families where this is not an option, they may lose their child to suicide or watch their child be thrown into juvenile detention centers for finally striking back against the bullies.
The most useful device in this documentary to highlight the main idea of the film were the personal testimonies of children who had been bullied or who were being bullied, or of parents who had lost their children to suicide. Truly heartbreaking scenes where parents break down because of the loss of their child made a very strong emotional appeal to the audience and made them understand the need for a change in how school systems approach and deal with bullying. The serious consequences of being a bully or having been bullied need to be more at the forefront of our minds when we think about the education system, and the documentary wanted to make that point.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
TOW #27
In my TOWs, I've noticed an improvement in terms of how I analyze the content. In the assessed TOW as compared to TOWs, I was able to analyze the context, color and purpose of the picture presented, whereas with the first picture I analyzed, I almost summarized what was being shown. Now, in later TOWs, I understand more fully what is expected from the short analyses, and am able to complete them more with this in mind. I believe that I at least mastered identifying the author's purpose, which was incredibly helpful in my analysis essays going forward. When it comes to making improvements, I could still learn to further explain what the devices were that the author used to achieve his or her purpose, as this is what usually made my analysis essays in the 4-6 range instead of 7-8. Sometimes I stated the purpose in a confusing manner and other times I was simply commenting on the article, instead of actually analyzing what the purpose of it was. Overall I believe that I did benefit from these assignments because I was able to refine my skills for the analysis essay, which left me better prepared for the things that I ended up finding very easy at the end of the year, like argument and synthesis, and was glad that they are a part of the curriculum.
Monday, April 28, 2014
TOW #25
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/president-obama-regrets-not-spending-more-time-mom-142912498--abc-news-politics.html
As mother's day draws nearer, many of us are thinking about how we will celebrate the holiday or what we will do to show out moms that we appreciate all they do and have done for us. Many are also remembering mothers that have passed on, and looking back on all the good memories that they had shared. Barack Obama is no different, and says that one of his biggest regrets from life, at his current age of 52 years, is not spending enough time with his. She died in 1995, while he was in his 20s, and he knows that between 20 and 30 he didn't reach out to her much, as he was busy with other responsibilities. He, however, looks back on that time with regret, thinking that he could have taken some time out of his day to see how she was doing or bring her gifts, or simply spend some time with her. He feels that family is the ultimate source of happiness and that he can raise his daughters to become wonderful young people.
As mother's day draws nearer, many of us are thinking about how we will celebrate the holiday or what we will do to show out moms that we appreciate all they do and have done for us. Many are also remembering mothers that have passed on, and looking back on all the good memories that they had shared. Barack Obama is no different, and says that one of his biggest regrets from life, at his current age of 52 years, is not spending enough time with his. She died in 1995, while he was in his 20s, and he knows that between 20 and 30 he didn't reach out to her much, as he was busy with other responsibilities. He, however, looks back on that time with regret, thinking that he could have taken some time out of his day to see how she was doing or bring her gifts, or simply spend some time with her. He feels that family is the ultimate source of happiness and that he can raise his daughters to become wonderful young people.
IRB Intro #4
For my 4th marking period IRB, I plan on reading The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson.
TOW #24
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/clippers-wear-warm-up-shirts-inside-out-to-protest-alleged-comments-by-team-s-owner-202850099.html?vp=1
It has been revealed that the owner of the Clippers, Donald Sterling, has said racist things regarding blacks and bringing black people to his games. These racist remarks have left millions in shock and in anger regarding the fact that he is still in a position of power over the Clippers team when the league has a zero tolerance policy for racism. The Clippers team, as part of the body representing the Clippers organization, wore their warm up shirts inside out in response to the allegations, so the Clippers logo was hidden from view. They also dumped their Clippers logo warm up jackets at center court, with the logo facing down. This statement made by the players regarding how they feel about the open racism in Donald Sterling's case shows that they know that although they are a basketball team and there is basketball on the court, they have lives, values and feelings off of the court as well, and believe that they needed to do something to protest their owner's tactless comments.
It has been revealed that the owner of the Clippers, Donald Sterling, has said racist things regarding blacks and bringing black people to his games. These racist remarks have left millions in shock and in anger regarding the fact that he is still in a position of power over the Clippers team when the league has a zero tolerance policy for racism. The Clippers team, as part of the body representing the Clippers organization, wore their warm up shirts inside out in response to the allegations, so the Clippers logo was hidden from view. They also dumped their Clippers logo warm up jackets at center court, with the logo facing down. This statement made by the players regarding how they feel about the open racism in Donald Sterling's case shows that they know that although they are a basketball team and there is basketball on the court, they have lives, values and feelings off of the court as well, and believe that they needed to do something to protest their owner's tactless comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)