Christmas time again. Its such a wonderful holiday, with many different traditions. There is Santa Claus and his reindeer and baby Jesus in a manger. Christmas is a time to celebrate family. It its the time to give and receive gifts. I love everything about Christmas. I love the colors, music, movies, and the overall feeling of Christmas. When I was younger, it used to be all about what my mom had gotten me and whether or not it was on the list I had given her.
I remember one year when all I really wanted was these Airwalk shoes. On Christmas eve, my mom allowed us to open one present and I remember choosing the one that I thought was going to be the shoes. When I started tearing the paper off, I could see the Airwalk symbol and I was really happy, until I opened the box and in it was puzzle pieces. All I wanted to do was cry. But instead I told my mother that I loved the present. Later that night, my mom surprised me with the shoes that I had asked for.
Every year I love watching all the Christmas movies and shows that they play on television. I love all the old classic Christmas programs, they are my favourite. But in general I just love the Christmas shows. I like watching them with my family and drinking some hot chocolate.
Another thing that I really enjoy is the music. All the songs are so cheerful and fun to sing along to.
Christmas is such a great time of year and I am always excited when it comes around. :)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Journal #15: Digital Education
How do you feel about blogging now that you have had an opportunity to develop a history with it over the past two and a half months? Do you feel that you are more or less organized and productive than you would be "the old fashioned way?" What are some of the advantages? What are some of the drawbacks? What advice might you give to students starting the course next semester about how to get the most out of their blogging experience?
Before this class, I would have probably never started using a blog. I had always heard of people using them and writing down their opinions on issues and sometimes to just rant about something. But I never gave a thought to using a blog of my own. At this beginning of this class, when using a blog for our journals was mentioned, I wasn't too thrilled. I am not a huge fan of computers because I can barely work them and I just don't like spending to much time on them. I don't have a computer at home and I think that its good. I think that kids spend far to much time on them. But back to the whole blogging situation after two and a half months, I now know how to fully operate this website although I am still confused about the whole diigo thing. Ha ha.
I find that I am a very organized person, so using this blog as opposed to a pen and paper hasn't changed my organizational skills. I keep a journal at home and I enjoy writing in it, but this blogging thing has had its advantages. It has saved many trees that this class would have other wise killed by printing and writing on paper that would have ended up in the garbage. So for our poor trees, this blogging has been great. Also another advantage to this whole blogging class, I don't actually have to carry my heavy bag around because I don't need my binder. Some disadvantages of blogging would be that I don't have a computer so when I go home, I cant work on my blogs or anything unless I go to my aunts and use the computer. Another disadvantage would be that this blogging stop doesn't have spell check or anything, so there are times when I have to go back and edit my blogs after publishing because I notice spelling and grammar mistakes.
To the kids that are taking this class next semester, I would tell them that this a great class for creativity and in order to develop your writing and helps computer challenged people like me figure out how to create blogs. ha ha.
Journal #14: Nurturing Your Inner Writer
To what extent are people born writers? How much are they able to cultivate the writer within through education and experience?
What activities and experiences can you engage in in order to develop your inner writer? What part of your past has best helped you become the writer you are now? How motivated are you to continue developing your writing ability over a lifetime?
I think that if everyone put the effort into that they could write. Some people say that they are not creative and they cant write because of that. But as we have learned in writer's craft, the first thing that a writer is taught is to write what they know. So really anyone could write something. I mean yes there are people that are just born to write it seems. But to a certain extent we could all write if we really wanted to. I think that with education people can learn proper sentence structuring, literary devices, and spelling which would definitely improve a persons quality of writing. I also think that a lot of people use their personal experiences as something to write about and most of time they make interesting stories.
To develop your writing, I think you can explore other people's work and that will give you different views on topics and it will help you create your own opinion base.
What activities and experiences can you engage in in order to develop your inner writer? What part of your past has best helped you become the writer you are now? How motivated are you to continue developing your writing ability over a lifetime?
I think that if everyone put the effort into that they could write. Some people say that they are not creative and they cant write because of that. But as we have learned in writer's craft, the first thing that a writer is taught is to write what they know. So really anyone could write something. I mean yes there are people that are just born to write it seems. But to a certain extent we could all write if we really wanted to. I think that with education people can learn proper sentence structuring, literary devices, and spelling which would definitely improve a persons quality of writing. I also think that a lot of people use their personal experiences as something to write about and most of time they make interesting stories.
To develop your writing, I think you can explore other people's work and that will give you different views on topics and it will help you create your own opinion base.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Journal #13: Writing as a Lifestyle
What do you think about the writer's lifestyle? How much of it appeals to you? Which aspect least appeal to you. Can you envision yourself doing the job? Describe how writing might either fit into your lifestyle or become your lifestyle in the future.
As with any career, writing as a lifestyle would have its ups and downs. Philip Roth mentioned that writing is a profession in which no one can help you . I totally agree with that statement. I know that the only time I really want help from someone when I am writing, its when I want someone to look over it and edit it. I believe that to write you have to reach within yourself in and find something that will appeal to you and that you would be able to write. I think that writing can be a difficult but rewarding task. Some times as a writer you get writer's block and then you are totally unsure of what to write and when you try to write you just delete it. I have a habit of keeping everything I write though. I find that sometimes I will go back and use things that I may have written down a while back and just never used. But, as far as writing as a lifestyle, I don't think that it would be for me. But I really do enjoy writing because it gives me the opportunity to express myself through journals, poetry and sometimes even short stories.
There are many people that do write as a lifestyle but I would feel as if there was more besides writing that I could be doing. A lot of writers struggle before any of their work is recognized and before they begin making any money for their work. I am not sure how some of those people who spend years writing and don't make any money, can support themselves. It is so expensive to live now a days, so i would want a job that I knew for sure I could make money doing. I think that instead of writing as a lifestyle, I would write as a hobby. I would write whenever I had the time and when I thought that I had a good idea. I love writing and I will continue to do it in the future but it wont be my lifestyle.
As with any career, writing as a lifestyle would have its ups and downs. Philip Roth mentioned that writing is a profession in which no one can help you . I totally agree with that statement. I know that the only time I really want help from someone when I am writing, its when I want someone to look over it and edit it. I believe that to write you have to reach within yourself in and find something that will appeal to you and that you would be able to write. I think that writing can be a difficult but rewarding task. Some times as a writer you get writer's block and then you are totally unsure of what to write and when you try to write you just delete it. I have a habit of keeping everything I write though. I find that sometimes I will go back and use things that I may have written down a while back and just never used. But, as far as writing as a lifestyle, I don't think that it would be for me. But I really do enjoy writing because it gives me the opportunity to express myself through journals, poetry and sometimes even short stories.
There are many people that do write as a lifestyle but I would feel as if there was more besides writing that I could be doing. A lot of writers struggle before any of their work is recognized and before they begin making any money for their work. I am not sure how some of those people who spend years writing and don't make any money, can support themselves. It is so expensive to live now a days, so i would want a job that I knew for sure I could make money doing. I think that instead of writing as a lifestyle, I would write as a hobby. I would write whenever I had the time and when I thought that I had a good idea. I love writing and I will continue to do it in the future but it wont be my lifestyle.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Journal #11: Childhood
The idea that childhood is a special time and that a child's innocence should be protected largely originated with the Victorians. Before that, children were sent to work in factories as soon as they were old enough, often working 10 hour days at the age of 7 or 8. Chimney Sweeps used to employ even younger children since they could be dangled from a rope and used to knock soot and highly carcinogenic coal dust out of chimneys. By the time these young people reached the ripe old age of 15 or 16 they were adults for all intents and purposes.
Now, as a society, we have reached a point where we try to insulate children from the more unpleasant and laborious aspects of life but we have also delayed adulthood for many. Some "children" (perhaps you know some?) continue to live in their parents' basements until their late twenties. What do you think? How much (and from what) should children be protected? How well are we handling this issue now as a society? What kind of childhood will you try to create for your own offspring? What expectations will you have? What are some of the most valuable experiences and lessons from your own childhood that you will try to pass on to the next generation?
First of all, I think it is crazy when there are people that are in their twenties not doing much with their lives and living off their parents. By that age they should be out in the world trying to create a life separate from the ones they had with their parents. They should be out getting jobs and making families of their own. They should not be still living with their parents. My cousin is twenty two years old and has graduated from home school but is still living in his parents basement. He does not have a job and all he does is party. He is a really smart kid and could be making something of himself but instead he is just living with his parents still and having everything handed to him. I think that his parents should sit him down and tell him that he need to get a job and start making a future for himself. I think people like him need to smarten up and start living independently making a future for themselves.
As little kids, our parents try and protect us from everything and to a certain degree that is their job. Our parents don't want us to get sick or fall off our bike and hurt ourselves. Parents who are having difficulties in their marriage also try to protect their children form seeing that. But when a child becomes an adult, the parent can no longer protect their child as much whether they like it or not. The child needs to face the world themselves. If the parents have taught their child well, then the parent should not be worried to realize their child into the world. But if the parent did not teach their child well then they should be worried about what might happen to their children.
When I have children, I am going to teach my children all they need to know in order to be successful in life. I am going to install the good morals and values that my mom installed in me. I am going to teach my child to have good manners and to know right from wrong. I will make sure that my child is never exposed to some of the horrible things I have been through. I don't want my child to have to live through the same horrible things that I have been through. But I will let my child know that life is hard and sometimes they will have to struggle. I will make sure that my child is strong, independent and is a leader. I want my child to know that they can do anything that they can put their mind to. I will do all that I can to make my child a good person. But once my child reaches a certain age I can only hope that they keep the morals and values that I install in them.
As far as expectations, I would just hope that my child reaches their potential and that they never just settle. I hope that they dream big and reach for the stars. I hope that they will grow up to be well-rounded individuals. I hope that they will always respect other people and be a nice person.
Now, as a society, we have reached a point where we try to insulate children from the more unpleasant and laborious aspects of life but we have also delayed adulthood for many. Some "children" (perhaps you know some?) continue to live in their parents' basements until their late twenties. What do you think? How much (and from what) should children be protected? How well are we handling this issue now as a society? What kind of childhood will you try to create for your own offspring? What expectations will you have? What are some of the most valuable experiences and lessons from your own childhood that you will try to pass on to the next generation?
First of all, I think it is crazy when there are people that are in their twenties not doing much with their lives and living off their parents. By that age they should be out in the world trying to create a life separate from the ones they had with their parents. They should be out getting jobs and making families of their own. They should not be still living with their parents. My cousin is twenty two years old and has graduated from home school but is still living in his parents basement. He does not have a job and all he does is party. He is a really smart kid and could be making something of himself but instead he is just living with his parents still and having everything handed to him. I think that his parents should sit him down and tell him that he need to get a job and start making a future for himself. I think people like him need to smarten up and start living independently making a future for themselves.
As little kids, our parents try and protect us from everything and to a certain degree that is their job. Our parents don't want us to get sick or fall off our bike and hurt ourselves. Parents who are having difficulties in their marriage also try to protect their children form seeing that. But when a child becomes an adult, the parent can no longer protect their child as much whether they like it or not. The child needs to face the world themselves. If the parents have taught their child well, then the parent should not be worried to realize their child into the world. But if the parent did not teach their child well then they should be worried about what might happen to their children.
When I have children, I am going to teach my children all they need to know in order to be successful in life. I am going to install the good morals and values that my mom installed in me. I am going to teach my child to have good manners and to know right from wrong. I will make sure that my child is never exposed to some of the horrible things I have been through. I don't want my child to have to live through the same horrible things that I have been through. But I will let my child know that life is hard and sometimes they will have to struggle. I will make sure that my child is strong, independent and is a leader. I want my child to know that they can do anything that they can put their mind to. I will do all that I can to make my child a good person. But once my child reaches a certain age I can only hope that they keep the morals and values that I install in them.
As far as expectations, I would just hope that my child reaches their potential and that they never just settle. I hope that they dream big and reach for the stars. I hope that they will grow up to be well-rounded individuals. I hope that they will always respect other people and be a nice person.
Journal #12: Almost Eighteen and Confused about my Future
What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Teacher? Doctor? Actor? If you ask most people my age, they have a pretty good idea of what they want to do with their life. I mean most of my friends are now in university and working towards their desired career. But nope not me. I am almost eighteen years old and I have already graduated from high school. But instead of me being in university studying for a future career, I am still in high school. Its not that I don't enjoy high school because I do. But I really wish that I would have been as prepared as my friends and know what I want to do with my life.
I recently went to a university/college information session and I was given a sheet in which I was supposed to fill out what schools and programs I wanted to apply for. But how can I apply to schools, if I am not even sure what I want to do with my future. I was very discouraged leaving that presentation, especially when everyone around me seemed to know exactly where they were applying to.
I know what my passions are. I love drama, English, writing and sociology. I also really like working with kids. I want to help make a better future for the future children. I mean I sometimes think that I want to be a teacher and sometimes I think that I want to go to school to become a youth worker or something along those lines.
It is almost coming time (again) where I should be applying to university and I am totally unsure of what I want to even apply to. I am so worried that I will go to become a teacher and realize that I should have went and done social work.
It is such a hard decision at the age of seventeen having to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have a hard time deciding what I will wear in the morning or eat for dinner. How am I supposed to decide what to do with my life?
I recently went to a university/college information session and I was given a sheet in which I was supposed to fill out what schools and programs I wanted to apply for. But how can I apply to schools, if I am not even sure what I want to do with my future. I was very discouraged leaving that presentation, especially when everyone around me seemed to know exactly where they were applying to.
I know what my passions are. I love drama, English, writing and sociology. I also really like working with kids. I want to help make a better future for the future children. I mean I sometimes think that I want to be a teacher and sometimes I think that I want to go to school to become a youth worker or something along those lines.
It is almost coming time (again) where I should be applying to university and I am totally unsure of what I want to even apply to. I am so worried that I will go to become a teacher and realize that I should have went and done social work.
It is such a hard decision at the age of seventeen having to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have a hard time deciding what I will wear in the morning or eat for dinner. How am I supposed to decide what to do with my life?
Journal #4: Young Love
Love. What is it? Does anyone really know? According to the dictionary love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Well that may be true, all people define love in a different way. I believe that when you love someone you cant stop thinking about that person because they are always on your mind. Its when you know that you would do anything for that one person, including giving your life for them. Its when you feel like your life would never be complete unless you had that person in your life. To love someone is to let someone into your heart. To take a risk at getting your heart broken. Love can be beautiful and love can be painful, but I believe it is something that everyone wants to experience at one point or another. Who wouldn't want to feel love for another person. Who wouldn't want to know what its like to have someone love you? Everyone falls in love at one point or another.
But one thing that really bothers me is when people tell me or other young people that we are too young to fall in love. Is there a specific age in which people can fall in love? No, I don't think so. When you find that one person and fall in love, it could be at any age. So why do people say things like "no you cant be in love, you are too young". I believe that a person can fall in love when they are a teenager. There are many couples who have fallen in love when they were teenagers and who are still married to this day at the ages of sixty.
Love happens sometimes when you least expect it. I don't think that there is a specific time that you can say that you will fall in love. There is the people who fall in love from the first look or the people who after a little while together fall in love.
I know that I have been with my boyfriend for a while and I love him. But, my grandmother and mother say that I am too young to know what love is. Every time they say that it really bothers me. I mean how do they know? They don't know how I feel about him and when they ask and I tell them, they don't believe I could possibly love someone at the age of only seventeen.
I believe that love will happen when you least expect it. It is such an amazing moment when you find the person you love.
But one thing that really bothers me is when people tell me or other young people that we are too young to fall in love. Is there a specific age in which people can fall in love? No, I don't think so. When you find that one person and fall in love, it could be at any age. So why do people say things like "no you cant be in love, you are too young". I believe that a person can fall in love when they are a teenager. There are many couples who have fallen in love when they were teenagers and who are still married to this day at the ages of sixty.
Love happens sometimes when you least expect it. I don't think that there is a specific time that you can say that you will fall in love. There is the people who fall in love from the first look or the people who after a little while together fall in love.
I know that I have been with my boyfriend for a while and I love him. But, my grandmother and mother say that I am too young to know what love is. Every time they say that it really bothers me. I mean how do they know? They don't know how I feel about him and when they ask and I tell them, they don't believe I could possibly love someone at the age of only seventeen.
I believe that love will happen when you least expect it. It is such an amazing moment when you find the person you love.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)