Friday, January 29, 2010

012910

There have been a few things going through my mind for a while now.


Guess what?! This is the new semester! & I'm already slacking. screw this. I was supposed to start fresh. But that never happened. I'm not excatly sure what I got in my report card. But I know for a fact they aren't the grades I want my parents, those people that look at your grades when you apply for colleges, or anyone else to see. So this quarter and semester, I am going to try much harder. And hopefully I do better. The thing I need to focus on the most right now is spanish and history. I really need to start doing my work in those class. I need to start actually paying attention in all my classes, and try to learn everything. Everytime a new semester or a new quarter begins, that is what i always say. But i always end up doing exactly the opposite.


We have about four and a half more months of school left. This school year is going by really fast. I mean, we've already been through the first semester, and before we know it the second semester is going to come to an end. Then we will be preparing for testing. It will be a huge pain. Then school is going to end, & we will be welcoming summer. As soon as we walk of the school on the last day of school on June, we wont be sophmores anymore. We will be juiors. The seniors this year aren't going to be here anymore. Oh man, its scary looking ahead at the future.


The other thing on my mind right now is that I recently got a job offer at my mom's work. She works at Waters Edge Lodge on Bay Farm. Her boss says she will give me the job as soon as I get my work permit. I'm really juiced. I mean, I will have to spend time with my mother more often, but hey, at least I make money, right?

Right now I also thread other peoples' eyebrows. They are actually paying me now. My mom's co-workers want me to come back and do their eyebrows every two or three weeks. Thats actually a pretty fun way of making money. I actually get a job doing what I like.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

final.

10. Where do you get your ideas for blog post topics? What inspires you to write?


Most of the times, I write about how my week went. When I can't think of anything to write about, That is what I settle for. Out of my 15 posts on my blog, only about half of them are about a specific topic. All the rest are all about how my days are going, or my plans for the rest or the upcoming days. Sometimes, I get ideas from whats right in front of me and sometimes, i get ideas from my friends. They help me get through my writer's block, and sometimes, they give my good topics to write about. On one of my post, I wrote about my phone. I remember, when we went to the computer lab, I didn't know what to write about and I was playing with my phone. When I looked at it, I remembered all the good things and the bad things that came to my mind about my phone. I thought it would be a good topic to talk about since I didn't know what else to write about.
The thing that inspires me to write is the thought that maybe a few years from now, I can look back to all of my post and hopefully admit and see that I improved a great deal. For example, in the beginning of the year, when I first started writing on my blog, I wrote all my stuff in one paragraphs. There were no breaks, and I had all kinds of off topic things in one blog. It was kinda random and very hard to figure out for some people.
My other inspiration is that since I'm writing about my week or my days, I want to keep track and remember all the events that happened during that week.


7. What have you learned from your struggles with writer's block? Why do you tend to get stuck? How do you tend to get unstuck? Notice any patterns?


Most of the times, I will think of something to write about, then write about 100 words, but then have nothing more to write about. When i think of a good topic to write about, I get the feeling that I will be able to finish it, but at the end, it just ends up sitting in my google docs with me never looking at it again.
I think what I have learned from my struggles with writer's block is that everyone will have it, it doesn't matter who you are. You will get it when you least expect it. Well maybe not, but you will every once in a while.
i learned that to over come writer's block, you have to keep all your options available. If you are writing about one topic, and suddenly something other than that topic pops into your head, open a new tab and write the new thing down. Then if you cant think of anything more to add to it, go back to the original topic and continue working on it as much as you can.
Just keep writing whatever you can think of, who knows, maybe it'll actually be a good thing. I tend to get unstuck my keeping a few tabs of google docs new documents open. On one document, I'd have something I actually want to talk about. On the next, I'd write some random things to get over the writer's block, like how things are going, or how I'm feeling at the moment, or just anything I can think of. I write for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then by that time, I'd have something I want to say or write on my original blog. Sometimes, the other document could actually work as your post for the week and you would have two post, which you could post for two different weeks.


8. How do you like having a blog? How has blogging changed the way you write, the way you think, or the way you think about writing?


When I first walked into English, I expected us to be doing a lot of hand works, book reading, & all that other crap we did in last year's English. Well, guess what? We kinda do the same thing. We have at least one homework every week, & that is do a blog post. It has to be at least 300 to 400 words. Having a blog isn't bad at all. I feel like I will always have this blog with me, since this is all saved up on the Internet, rather than it being in paper and just placing it in my bag. Placing things inside my bag isn't a very good idea to place things inside my bag. You will never see it again if you do. Before I started blogging, I never had a full reason to blog, & since it wasn't required I would always put it off. Now that its an homework assignment, I know for a fact I have to finish and turn it in, and I actually try to do good on it too.
But anyways, back to the topic. Blogging has changed the way I write because it has made me have to recognize all my grammar error. I just recently found out that Google docs has spell check, so that's going to be a big help, especially since I'm not that great with spelling. It has also made my work and writing go from complete crap to something actually worth reading. Blogging is a much faster and easier way to write rather than on paper, & by doing this, more people can view your work and give you feedbacks. It can make you a better writer.
Blogging hasn't really changed the way I think much. It lets my mind explore into lots of different topics. Since Sutherland is okay with almost any topic. It doesn't have to be on a specific topic.
It also lets you go on other people's blogs, and lets you look at their blogs, and comment on it. It can also give you lots of different ideas for your next blog. It lets you search for people who are doing similar topics as you and you could collaborate with them and talk about it. Try to think of ways to make your writing better.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

writing groups

What are some things you'd like to get out of writing more collaboratively with peers?


I'd like help getting through writer's block. My group could help me with things I'm writing about if i get stuck.
My group can give me advice on how to fix up my writing and proofread my works.
They can help me with redundency. Its hard to find things to cut down especially since its my own writing and it feels like everything belongs there.
I'd like to talk through my ideas before writing them down and they can give me some topics to write about. If I already know what I am going to write about, they can add to the things I already have.


What are some things you'd be willing to contribute to a writing group?


I could help edit and proofread there works. I could also comment on their blog posts after they post it up. I could read people's drafts and catch little errors they made. Tell them what's good and what needs work.


Is it more important to you to work with friends, or with people who are writing the same types of things you are? (Of course, it's possible to have this both ways...) Explain why.

To me, I work better when I'm working with my friends because my friends wont feel the need to be hesistant on whatever it is that needs fixing and they will be able to tell you what they thought of your writing.

What are some "rules" (or at least guidelines) you'd like to see in a writing group?


I think it would be better if a lot of the feedbacks or comments were to be privated. Unless you want to show it to the public. We should get to everyone and be able to hear what they have to say. Not just one person.

Friday, January 8, 2010

the week after winter break.

So this week was our first week back from break. I was not ready to go back to school at all. I had not finished my home works. I was sure I wasn't gonna be knowing anything that was going on in the class.

Monday was an interesting day. Pe was not fun at all. The good thing about pe was that we only had to run 25 pacers. We didnt do much in math either. We just took lots of notes. History was extremely boring. We had to go through a really long lecture. English wasnt that bad. But sutherland wasnt here tho. We had a sub, and watched TED. We had to do a quickwrite. it wasnt that bad. Spanish was an okay period. we didnt do much, she went over what was gonna be on the test. Chemistry went by pretty fast.

After we got back from the break, it felt like the break was so long ago or that it never happened at all. Everyone was tired of school. There was so much going on, with finals comming soon. Its in about a week. We only have one more week. great. Its gonna be hell trying to get all my missing assignments and everything else on time before the semester ends.

Today is friday. it is currently 9:32 pm. Today school was good. We had push up test in pe. you needed at least 8 for girls and 115, i think, for the guys. I did excatly 8 of them. We had a group quiz in math. it was pretty easy. my group was smart so we got the work done early. For history, We went over the homework, took some lecture notes, & ms. casper just talked. At the end of the period, we had to turn in our notebooks for her to grade. My notebook was organized okayishly, so i should get at least a C. In english, we talked about the quickwrites and then went over the finals hw. Lunch, I hung out with Daryl and a group of people. We just walked around for a bit. we watched a movie in spansih. I have no idea what the movie was about. In chemistry, we went over the homework and got the finals preparation.

After school, I was with Christina, Brianna, Fifita, Natalie, and Brenda. After a few minutes, I left and called Lizzy. We were talking until Daryl came back. Daryl, Teresa, william, courtney and I were on oak and central. After courtney and william left, Daryl, Teresa, and I walked to ozone. After a while we went to the metro store. Teresa wanted to look at a blackberry. We started walking to park ave. I had to wait for my dad to pick me up so I went over to my friend's house.