Journal #5: “The Irony of Education”

Why is it that in North America we (as a society) seem to take education for granted? In other countries students will take any opportunity they can get to improve themselves. In our society, educators sometimes have to take extreme measures to perform their function.


Ever since we were five years old, we have been going to school. We all remember that first day we ever went to school, four or five years old, screaming and crying telling our moms we didn't want them to leave. But, after all the screaming and the crying we ended up having a pretty good day. We started to enjoy school and were excited when we got to go. As we got bigger and in the older grades, the teachers seemed to be more mean, the homework was harder and school wasn't so fun anymore. I don't know if it is us as teenagers or if the teachers actually did get more mean, but school was no longer as exciting as it used to be when we were in kindergarten. Each year, we go to school from September to June and hope that the years fly by. We would much rather be hanging out with friends than stuck inside of a classroom.
We, as north Americans, have always just been expected to go to school. We feel at times like we were never given the option as to whether we want to go or not. So many people don't see the point of school and think that it is a waste of time. In my opinion, i think that there are many classes that I have taken that i don't understand the importance of. But i do think that school is very important. I enjoy school, I like the extra curricular and I like almost all of the classes I have taken. I like being taught within a classroom setting and I like almost all of my teachers.
I cant believe the number of people that do not care about school and who just drop out. Or even worse the people who sit in class with the potential to do well but just don't care enough to try. We are lucky as North Americans to have such a great education system and it is sad that many people take it for granted.
In many countries, there are children that wish that they could go to school but they don't have the opportunity. But, if someone told them that they had to go to school they would be more than happy to go. There are some kids that would give anything in order to go to school. Then there is us, we go when we feel like and we skip if we feel like it.

Journal #6: "Technology: The Myth"

One of the great myths of modern times is the idea that new technologies improve a person’s quality of life. Yet no one has ever demonstrated that access to computers increases a person’s literacy or numeracy skills. Likewise futurists in the 50's predicted that we would be enjoying a three day work week by now since machines would be doing all the manual labor. What do you think? Is your life better now than it would have been 100 years ago because of technology?

Everywhere you look there is technology and every person uses technology in today's society. When we go to school we use computers for research and for completing projects and assignments. When we go home, we are surrounded by a ton of technology such as: televisions, stereos, fridges and much more. When we go to work there is computers there that we use, they are accurate and efficient. Almost everyone has a cellphone and an i-pod or MP3 player. There is technology wherever you go.
People have become reliant on their technology and some would even say that they could not live without it. I think that it is amazing how much our society relies on technology. I am not going to say that i don't appreciate how easy life seems with technology. It is just crazy to think that people actually believe they would not be able to live without their cellphone or without checking Facebook to find the latest news on who is dating who. I mean of course these people could live without technology. What do they mean to say, that if we took away their cellphone they would quit breathing and they would die? Of course not, we know that is not the case. People could live without technology. There have been many people before us who made it through life just fine without the technology that we have today.
As far as me, i don't really think that technology is terrible. However, I do think that some people have gotten far to lazy by using it. I think that it does make things easier and sure that's nice. But maybe we, as a society, are relying a little too much on it.
I believe that with the technology we have in modern day society, life is a lot easier than it was 100 years ago. Now instead of walking everywhere, we have the luxury of cars and now we can drive where we want to go. Instead of washing clothes by hand and putting them up to dry. we now have a washer and dryer that does that for us. Also, we now have computers that we can use to communicate with others and to use when we need to research something.
As good as technology is, there are many negative things that technology has done. One thing that technology has done has decreased the number of jobs available because now instead of using people to do manual labour, we have machines that do the work for us. Also, technology has made less people socialize with one another face to face. There could be a room full of people but they are probably texting or listening to their I-pod and not even acknowledging the other people in the room. It is kind of crazy actually. I hang out with my friends and we are all just texting away and not even talking to each other really.
Technology has definitely changed our society in many good and bad ways.

Journal #7: "The Best When"

Assuming for a moment that you could transport anywhere you wanted, where and when would you rather live? No society that you know even a little bit about is off limits. You might want to consider your quality of life, societal expectations of men and women, health, access to education and recreation.


I used to think about what it would be like if I could transport anywhere. I used to wonder what places I would go and what I would get to experience. I would think for a while and then I would realize that there are many places that I would want to go. But, every time I would want to return to my home. I like the life I live nowadays, for the most part. I mean if I could change certain aspects of my life well then I would take full advantage of that. But this was the life that I was given and so I have to make the best of it. I cant let obstacles stand in my way of enjoying life. I like knowing that when I get sick I can go to the hospital and they will find a way to help. I like knowing that I can get a career and not just stay at home and have kids and clean the house. I like knowing that I can freely practice religion if I wanted to and I don’t have to worry.
There are places that I would like to travel to like: Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg and also I have always wanted to drive from one side of Canada to the other side. I would want to travel with my husband or even my mom.
The first place I would want to travel is Italy. I have seen pictures and that country looks really beautiful. I also have some family that live down there because that is where my biological father is from. We have studied about Italy and I have seen movies in which Italy has been described and I think it would be a great place to visit. This would be my first place that I would want to travel to because ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to go there.
The second place I would want to go to is Ireland. Again I have seen pictures of the landscape in Ireland and it looks really beautiful. I think that it would be a good experience to go and visit her. I also think it would be cool to learn more about the culture and living conditions of the people who live there. This would be the second place I would visit because I really want to go there and see what its like.
The third place I would want to visit is Luxembourg. There was an exchange from Luxembourg that had come to my school who I was really close to. He was a really amazing person and we learned a lot from each other. I was really upset when he left because we had been inseparable and did everything together. He had come to Canada for six months and he had not really known much about Canada so I taught him what I knew. He had turned eighteen when he was here and he had never Tim Hortons so I brought him there. But anyways, I would really love to go and visit where he had come from because I think it would be a great experience and I would get to see him.
The last thing I have wanted to do was drive across Canada and visit the beauty of our country because there are many nice places to visit. This might actually be the first thing I do before visiting other countries. But I guess I will have to see.

Journal #8 Important people

Sometimes when I think about all the things I have been through, I think about how it was possible for me to make it through it. I have been through many hard times. There have been times when I thought that life really sucked and that it couldn't possibly get any worse. When I think about how I made it through everything, I realize that without the amazing people in my life it wouldn't have been possible.
Of course, i have great teachers who help me within the classroom setting, they help me achieve good grades. They work with me everyday and make sure that I understand what I need to know in order to be successful. There have been many teachers who have helped me and have showed that they care about not only my grades but the hard times I was faced with at home. When I was at my old school, my grade eleven English teacher Mrs. Haaf was really the only teacher that I liked. But at Stamford there are many teachers that have been amazing with both me and my family like: Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Gaines, Ms. Mc Allister, Mr. Baty, Mr. Pierce, Mr. Martin and Mr. Mac Donald. All of these teachers have either helped me or helped out my family. But without the amazing teachers I have, school would not be that great for me sometimes.
Then there is my brother and sister. We don't always get along but I mean we are siblings and we have our little arguments from time to time. We are all different and have different opinions and think differently. My brother is big on sports and watches nothing but football. I cannot tell you how annoying it is when my brother is hogging the TV watching boring football. But other than his sports thing him and I are actually really close even though he is four years younger than I am. He is also really protective of my mother, sister and I because he feels he needs to be. My sister is a little more kept to herself unless she is upset because then she will let us know. We get along fairly well but she is involved in a youth group so she is busy a lot. But, I know if I need anything my brother and sister will be there for me in a heartbeat. We have been through a lot together and it is nice to talk to them.
There is also my boyfriend Drew. He has been really amazing when it comes to the things that I have been through at home. He has seen and heard things that I really wish he hadn't but he has been really supportive. He is very good to talk to even though he sometimes doesn't know the right thing to say. He is always there when I need someone to sit with me while I cry. He is also really good with my family. He hangs out with my brother and is a positive male influence on my brother. he takes my brother out and protects my brother like he would if he had siblings. He is an amazing person and I am so lucky to have someone like him.
But the most amazing person in my life is my mom. She has been through a lot and sometimes she just wants to be alone. But she has been staying strong for my brother sister and I. She is trying to do the best she can for my family. She is getting better everyday and I am really proud of her. She is the best mom anyone could have and I am lucky that I have her.
All the people in my life have been really supportive and without them, I am not sure that I could make it through the day.

Journal #9: "Lockdown"

The world is a different place than it was prior to the shootings in Montreal, Columbine and an number of other places. How much do you pay attention to violent issues in the media? How safe do you feel in school? What suggestions do you have for finding our way (as a society) to a more peaceful state? Do you have any thoughts, comments, opinions or suggestions about the situation at Stamford on October 14th, 2009?

I can honestly say that I don’t watch the news on TV, there always seems to be something esle that i would rather watch on television. It’s not that I don’t care about issues that are going on in the world because I do. But there are so many stories that are sad or that I would just rather not hear about, so I avoid watching the news. There are so many bad things that happen in the world and it saddens and sometimes disgusts me at things people are capable of doing. But, I have heard about the various shootings that have happened within schools such as Montreal and Columbine and it never ceases to scare me. I mean what terrible things could have possibly happened to the people who get the idea that they want to go into a school and start shooting at people. My mom told me that when she was in school, the idea of a kid coming into the school and shooting up the place did not cross either the students or teachers mind. She said that she thinks that it is crazy that now a days we have to worry about whether or not someone is going to get upset and take their anger out with a gun at school. Before the famous shooting at Columbine and Montreal, I believe that schools did not take gun and bomb threats serious. I mean I do not think that they wanted to imagine or believe that a student would come into a school with a gun or bomb, therefore they did not take the threats seriously. However now, school administrators are seeing that some teenagers are not afraid to bring a gun or bomb to school and use it on other people, if they deem it necessary. so now whenever there is a threat of a bomb or gun, the school adminstrators take action into figuring out who, what and why the threat is being presented. But why is it that the world has gotten to the point where we, as students, cant go to school knowing whether or not it will be a regular day or a day in which there is a threat made?
Nowadays, we have to worry about whether someone could come to school with a gun or even bombs and threaten our lives. The school is supposed to be a safe learning environment where we get the education we need in order to work towards our future. But, schools are no longer seen as safe as they used to be. There are kids that are scared to go to school. And why? They are scared that something bad might happen to them while they are there. they are worried that they may get hurt at school.
But personally, I do feel safe within my school because I know that my school takes all the appropriate steps when a threat is made. I know that they do what they can to insure that no one in our school is seriously hurt, if hurt at all. I know that the administrators within our school do their best to prevent any student from getting in harms way whether it be a gun threat or any threat in general.
On October 14th, when the threat was made of a bomb within Stamford, I know that our staff and principals did what they could in order to make sure that everyone was safe. The staff checked all the classrooms and we even went into a lockdown. Our teachers made sure that no one panicked and made us feel safe.
But, I really don’t think that there is a way to completely prevent threats of bombs or guns within schools. If a student really has the intent of bringing either a gun or bomb to school and threatening the school, I believe that they will find a way. I believe that we could try to see any warning signs that a threat may occur.
It is scary to think that people could possibly come into the school and threaten the lives of their peers. But, it seems that the world has become unsafe whether we are at school, the grocery store or even the comfort of our own homes.

Journal #10: "What is Poetry?"

Reflect upon your past experience with poetry, as well as your idea of what poetry is. How useful, in your opinion, is the study of poetry? How open-minded are you about our study of poetry?



I love poetry. When I was younger, I used to write a lot of poems. If I was upset I would wrote poems because I seemed to have so much that I wanted to say. I would write poems upon poems and I would keep a journal underneath my pillow, just in case I had a sudden urge to write something. There were times when I would wake up at night and start writing down things. I didn’t want to forget what I was thinking because I thought that they might make a really good poem. I used to write about many different things. What I would write, depended on how I was feeling when I was writing. I read my old poems now and I can still imagine what had happened or what I was feeling when I originally wrote my poems. I believe that with some editing and re-wording of some of the poetry, they have good potential. I still write poems but not as much as I used to. I find that now instead of writing poems I tend to just keep a journal. I like writing down my thoughts and opinions in a journal because is it helpful for me, in order to clear my head. Every night before I go to bed I write down how I am feeling and any significant things that may have happened in the day. Sometimes I find writing in my journal is better than talking to someone like my mom or my friends. I find that there are times when I can write a poem from feelings or events that I have written in my journal. I enjoy both reading and writing poetry. Although, there is some poetry that confuses me, I like to read them and try to figure out what their meaning is.
I think that poetry is feelings, thoughts and opinions on certain topics that are written in creative ways such as rhyming patterns. Poetry has a sort of magic to it, the way words can be used to express feelings and make you feel a certain way. I believe that the best poetry is probably written when someone has a lot of emotions that they just let loose in the form of writing. I believe that when someone just starts writing without a lot of planning, it can be beneficial because you don’t think too much. When you just write from the heart, you could produce some really meaningful pieces. I believe that once the person has written everything down, then they could go back and add in the rhyming schemes and words that may work better.
In school, I think that the study of poetry can be a little tedious for teachers. There are students that enjoy poetry and then there are students who do not like poetry at all. I believe that people either like poetry or they do not. So the study of poetry in school can become pointless for some groups of kids, if they really don’t care in the first place. I know from past experiences in school that some kids do not appreciate the value of poetry and make it hard for other kids who actually want to learn. I believe that in our writers craft class that, we as students are interested in writing may have more of an open mind to learning about poetry. But, some people may like writing poetry and some may not.
I always get excited when teachers say we will be doing a poetry unit. So I am looking forward to what we will learn in this class about poetry. I hope that I will learn more about effective poetry writing. I believe that I will enjoy this poetry unit.

Journal #3 "The Pen is mightier than the Sword"

Writers have an extraordinary potential to change people's minds and to create revolutions. Reflect upon some of the radical changes that have been wrought by such texts as The Declaration of Independence, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Communist Manifesto. What issues or topics are you interested in exploring in your writing? What changes do you feel are worth making?


When it comes to writing, I usually write about something that interests me or something that I can relate to. If I am given a topic and it doesn't interest me or I cant relate to it in some way I have a really hard time writing. There are a few issues that I find I can write well on and that is because some of them I can relate to and some really interest me. An issue that has really affected me was being raised in an abusive relationship. An environment that no women, man or child should have to live in. But, I did live in one and there is nothing that I can do to change that.
When people try to write and talk about this issue and don’t know what they are talking about, it really upsets me. They always say that they know what they would do if they lived in that situation. But I really doubt they would know what they would do. When you think that a man has come to be the father that you never had and he begins to abuse your family, it is hard for you to know what to do. You want to help the man and try to help him get better but he never changes. People also always say how could a women put herself and children through that, maybe because that women is scared if she lives he will kill her or her children. I really believe that unless someone has lived in an environment like I have they cant talk about it.
I believe that in the long run living the way I had has made me a stronger person. But I remember nights laying awake listening to my mom cry and beg for him to stop what he was doing. I remember walking and running for miles and miles just to get away from him. Sometimes we would walk in snow, rain, and scorching heat but we had to get away. I remember all the times my mom had gotten hurt and all the times my brother, sister and I were as well. No one knows what its like to wonder whether your mom would still be breathing when you woke up in the morning, unless you have been through it.
No one knows what its like to have all your money stolen from you because he is spending his money on things other than food and bills, unless you have been through it. There are just certain issues that people should not talk about unless they know what it is like and I feel like abusive home environments is one of them.