Response to Tony Gurr's blog

Tony Gurr's blogpost about "Motivation" explains how teachers should motivate students towards their own goals and help them create their own learning. From my understanding about his belief in freedom and education, he believes that limited freedom in learning prevents students from further development within themselves. In other words, limited freedom in education prohibits students' abilities to extend and reach for their own motivations and goals.

           Finding a motivation or a goal may be a broad topic for many students. How are they supposed to know what they want in life if they have only experienced such little part of "life" and the "world". This is where teachers kick in to help.

           There is, indeed, countless number of ways teachers could properly educate students. However, rather than searching for the "BEST" way to council students toward their goals and superior education, investigating some of the "WORST" educational method may be a better start.

 This is one of the many pictures Tony Gurr used to explain his opinion and position in "Motivation and Education." "Kids' don't LEARN (from):" this got me thinking, 'why are teachers struggling/trying to find ways to best educate their students, when really, all they need to do is to avoid the worst ways.'

           I believe that every educational method has its purpose (pros and cons); however, some methods are outdated and no longer useful. Before the development of technology, memorization was the key to success. Therefore, tests and quizzes were mandatory. However, the advanced technology we have today makes every fact "googleable." It is now the matter of how one chooses to use the knowledge internet provides, which determines their success or failure. It is time for teachers to open up their eyes upon a new skill of creativity and helps students properly use the knowledge provided for them. As easy as it sounds, this does not happen without students and teachers bonding together.

           "Kids' don't LEARN: .... from people they don't like!" This has to be the best statement I've heard in a long time. It is Very (times 100000) true that students don't learn from people they don't like. Think about it, even talking, or looking at a person you hate sometimes makes you mad which makes learning IMPOSSIBLE. This makes the positive bonding relationship between students and teachers CRUCIAL in education. However, there are many obstacles that can easily break the good relationships.

           Some educators believe that students are irresponsible and should only do what they are told. This is one of the most common ways teachers lose their positive relationship with students. It is true that most students in high school are not yet ready for complete freedom. However, high school students certainly deserve to have a voice in the educational system. With the intelligence of teachers and free minds of students, I believe, the "BEST" education can be formed.

           Teachers try to motivate students to reach their goal. However, I believe helping the students to realize what their goal is and their high potentials is more important than just motivating students who may be clueless about what their goal is.

          As mentioned in previous paragraphs, limited freedom does prevent motivation towards one's goal. Nevertheless, the process of realizing one's goal and learning about oneself may be just a little bit more important. Overused limitation in education a fence that blocks students from learning about themselves and constantly changing world around them.

 

 

 

Tony Gurr's way of blogging is very cool. I definitely found it less boring than reading a paragraph after another. The pictures were also very fascinating, they really helped me get a better look into his position in the topic. However, there were some pictures I did not fully understand.

 

Tony Gurr's blogging techniques also reminded me of a recent project I did in English class called "Poetry in Motion" It was very cool to see that putting words into an art of pictures and being able to express one's opinion through blogging was possible. I would definitely want to try this method of blogging later on =)

 

YAY!

Heyyyyy~ We hit 2000 page views! The school year is almost ending and I would like to say that it's been a pleasure to be in such a wonderful group blog. Have a good day everyone! :)

Response to Tony Gurr's Motivation

        The blog post “Motivating our LEARNers…or ‘Co-Creating’ a CLIMATE of LEARNacy?” by Tony Gurr explains to teachers that instead of trying to motivating students, they should listen to the students’ opinions and guide the students through their OWN learning. However, despite the effective presentation method and persuasive visuals, I personally disagree with the main message the author is trying to spread.

        The presentation format of Tony Gurr’s blog post is very unique. Half of the post consists of words while the other half is all visuals. The made the post very interesting and easy to read on, despite its long length. However, some of the pictures presented are somewhat irrelevant in my opinion, or need further “googling” to clarify. This may muddle the main idea of the post. For example, I couldn't (and still cannot) understand the picture that showed “I am back, therefore I am”. I do not see any connection of that section with motivation and learning. Other than that fact, the blog post was relatively pleasant to read and understand.

       However, I do not completely agree with the ideas that Tony Gurr is presenting to us. He said that teachers should give students their own choices on deciding what they desire to learn; teachers should guide students to follow their passions. Although this may work with some parts of a course, it will not be able to fully take over the curriculum. Not everyone is capable of independent exploration with minimal teacher interference. A great way to explain this is with the Genius Hour Passion Projects we have been doing in our English class over the semester. Despite all the fun and freedom we had, I still feel like we did not completely cover what we are supposed to learn. Yes, we did obtain a valuable experience by creating a new sport, and we did learn a great deal about the history of magic, but there was also a downside. Genius Hour took up a great deal of time that could be used for other approaches to learning, such as formal essay writing. This may seem boring, but in my opinion, but it is a more efficient way to develop English skills. On top of that, sometimes too much freedom will also lead to laziness, low-quality/irrelevant work. As a student, I feel that we do not have enough base knowledge, skill, or discipline to make choices that will benefit our learning.

        As a high school student, I understand that our teachers try to find a balance between what we NEED to learn and what we WANT to learn. However, I don’t think that we are ready to have that freedom. We still need a superior guidance to push us forward and see that we complete all our work. Freedom is not a right; it is a responsibility, a discipline. Until we show that we have enough willpower to control ourselves – I do not believe we have done so yet – we are not ready to hold this burden.

Response to Tony Gurr's blog&blogpost

"Motivating our LEARNers..."

      When I first opened Tony's blog from the link Ms. Lees posted, his blog design and atmosphere struck me as a simple, even playful blog. His title "allthingslearning" does not follow any normal "Titles Spaced and Capitalized Evenly" rule, and is just splat onto the top in a large font that makes his blog seem different. I feel it is a bit messy actually, with the huge list of links and sites right under the title, but I think it works. His blog is just simplistic and kid friendly so there doesn't need to be sub folders and dividers to sort everything. I am not saying it looks unprofessional, but it is just unique.
      His blog posts, particularly the post on 'Motivation', is also very fun to read. He incorporated many graphics into his post (more than half was graphically illustrated, which he created himself- wow) to make it more interesting and exciting. It is really cool how he illustrated quotes, such as this one:

 

This way of incorporating visuals actually reminds me of the recent "Poetry in Motion" project we had to do.  Any examples of Poetry in Motion you can find is pretty amazing itself; how people find ways to illustrate words. I actually made one too based off a song lyric. It is just on the post underneath this one, but here's the link.
      I found the content of his blog post a bit confusing at first though. There are definitely a lot of references in his post (at least I think they are referring to something I don't know?), and only a few of them I understood. I found many things just random as well. Maybe I just do not get his point and relation he is trying to make. For example:

"the Secret"??? I really don't get this part...
      Anyways, I do agree that if you want to motivate students, teachers must provide them with choices, not just restrict them to certain limitation. Teachers must let student have a say in learning, and listen to their voices (unless they are stupid nonsensical). Teachers must care about their students and treat them with respect as well.

Remember the GOLDEN RULE:

 

LUKE 6:31

      I believe Ms. Lees tried to have a more interactive and motivational learning experience with us, the students, by doing the "Genius Hour" projects. She let us choose our own topics on anything. I found this project really fun to work on, and it really showed my motivation in the end. At first both Stella and I were planning to make only 1 or 2 stop motion videos, but in the end we came out with 4! Ms. Lees would ask us for our opinion of how the projects were, and even what we should do for other projects (eg. the Chrysalids novel small assignment). This was truly a class I was motivated in (funny because English may as well be my least favourite subject).

Demons by Imagine Dragons

My Poetry in Motion video has been having troubles rendering... I will upload it ASAP!!

Okay, so after rendering it, I am now uploading it onto youtube, unfortunately it is not very fast.

"Uploading your video. 278 minutes remaining."

DONE (:

 

When the curtain's call

Is the last of all

When the lights fade out

All the sinners crawl

I want to hide the truth

I want to shelter you

But with the beast inside

There's nowhere we can hide

Don't want to let you down

But I am hell bound

This is my kingdom come

This is my kingdomcome

At first I was not planning to put the song with the lyrics, that way it could be longer and more like a simple 'poem'. BUT I decided against it since I did not want it to be slow (and boring), so I put the song along with it~ :3 That is why it seems short, but there is still 10+ lines (12) okay?!

Feel free to leave a comment/suggestion because I did work hard on this because I found it very fun XD
Criticism is acceptable. I already know some of my timing is still off.. =__=''

Poetry in Motion: On Top of the World

This is just the first ten lines that was due today, I actually had it done last night, but I didn't want to post it until I added more, but I didn't have the chance to, so enjoy! 

On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

(If the quality is bad, try this link)

I actually wanted to finish the chorus as well, but I had to have this done and posted for tonight, so this is just a PREVIEW version. I will add more to the video and re-post it when I finish the chorus! 

Digital Poem "Fate"

Sorry, it's a bit late, but here is the digital poem:

http://youtu.be/t6GMcuX3mBo

It lags a bit, so please don't be picky on the bad quality.

Poetry in Motion Question

How did you guys record it? I don't seem to know how to turn powerpoint into a video....

It's death again by Mark R Slaughter

here is the link you my vedio 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVd152b2FAE

It took me like an hour to post this !! lol

Digital poetry- Sympathy by Emily Bronte

Hey guys, here is my digital poetry. It's on "Sympathy", by Emily Bronte.

Excuse me for the bad quality and random lags; my computer was acting weird.

neative campaigns should be illegal in canada

Negative campaigns should be illegal in Canada

           Negative campaigning is an act in which one party tries to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies. It is true people are drawn to controversies, scandal and anything negative, however, campaigns that abuse this opportunities for constructive criticism for the purpose of misleading people's judgment should be illegal.

           The saying "Politics is a dirty game" not only sounds very convincing, but contains a kernel of truth. When it comes to negative campaigns, the media plays a supportive role in encouraging sensationalism. Since voters are continuously engaging with and are exposed to negative campaign ads during the election, it is likely to affect the voter's choice. The voter's choice can be, therefore, easily triggered by false and misleading negative campaigns. Advertisements target the subconscious mind and shape the opinions and therefore the reality views. This is primary goal of marketing: by play enough ads over and over again, it seeks to gain supporters and followers by consumers believed in the product/information that is being sold.

           Negative campaigns do not only lead supporters to mistrust the candidate being attacked, sometimes, supporters also become disillusioned and deterred by the seemingly juvenile "tit-for-tat" negative campaigning tactic. Negative campaigning can lead to the loss of respect and feeling of irritation in the voters for candidates. Attacking once another without proposing viable solutions or tactics to overcome impeding social, political and economic challenges can very well irritate potential voters too.

           Negative campaigning is not always successful, and even if it is, it still draws away the candidate's own votes for disrespectful act they've shown to the public.

           Negative campaigns only confuse the voters, appeal to them in ways that propel anger and frustration, and does not necessarily guarantee the gain of their own votes. So why even use such useless tactic during such important times? Negative campaigns are a waste of resources which should be banned for defenestration or societal ethics.

"Citizens in Canada not only have the right and privilege to vote, but a duty to do so responsibly."

Ever since the confederation of Canada in 1867, the country developed both a responsible and a representative government - a form of democracy. This gives the right for citizens to participate in politics and allows ALL legal citizens to vote for the candidate that they support. Currently, every citizen in Canada has the right to vote if they are 18 years of age or older on the General Voting Day for the election. However, we don’t simply have the privilege to vote, it is our duty to do so.

When a person votes, they are able to pick what they think is best for their future. Although lots of people say that becoming informed about the candidates is too time consuming, it is worth it. Voting means that you care about how your life and the society are going to develop. For example, if one is concerned about the environment, they can vote for a party that supports the development of green energy. Only when a candidate is elected, is he/she able to fulfill their promises made in their campaigns. Therefore, it is imperative for one to actually go vote for the party that they believe in.

Voting also ensures that the government is in balance. If a party wants to form the government, they would need to present their ideas and visions. To get more votes, their ideas would have to be more reasonable and appealing than those of other parties. This would keep the parties more honest and in check. If not a lot of people voted, it means that they don’t care about how their country is governed. Therefore, the government might be run by a small group of people who do not follow the wishes of the majority of the population. The biggest part of democracy is the right to vote; if no one cares about voting, do they even care about democracy?

By voting, one can create a trend that motivates others to vote as well. In the past election, there is only a 52% turnout rate. Nowadays, lots of young people do not really care and are not interested in politics. This is causing a problem because in the future, it would be these people running the country. If one young adult decides to talk about voting, lots of other people may become more informed and also decide to vote. In the end, that one person may bring lots of others to vote just because they mentioned about the election.

        Democracy is the most ideal form of government in the world. It provides equality and representation for all the citizens of a country. Voting – the main component of democracy – is to ensure that all of this is real. It is the mechanism that keeps democracy and dictatorship apart. It keeps governments more efficient and in check. Ultimately, it is the people’s responsibility to keep democracy alive in their country. Each ballot that is put into the box means another step to a more stable nation.

English Student Vote Responses

3. Citizens in Canada not only have the right and privilege to vote, but a duty to do so responsibly.

                After the fighting and negotiations from the colonies of British North America in the Rebellions of 1837-1838, Canada was formed. Along with the new Dominion of Canada, responsible and representative government, meaning democracy, was also established. If the colonies of British North America fought for the right to a responsible and representative government, then obviously in this new era, Canadians should not only have the right and privilege to vote, but a duty to do so responsibly.

The right to vote does not necessarily mean that the citizens of Canada will vote responsibly. On May 14^th 2013, Elections B.C. reported by CBC News said that the overall turnout for Election Day has been declining for decades. In 2009 51% of the province did not show up to vote, down from 70% in 1983. Why does this happen? One possibility is that people believe that even without their vote, the party they want to vote for will win. The problem with this is that, what if that vote is the one vote they needed to win, but those people decided that it was not necessary? Another possibility is that people just do not care. They believe that their voice will not be heard. But the power of one vote can change who will lead our government, who will change our province or country for the better or worse. If people continue to think that their ballot has no meaning, the outcomes of these elections can be horrifying. 

What does responsible voting mean? Voting responsibly means to know the party, to know their platform, and to know where they stand and how they can help our province or country. Knowing these few things about the parties running will help Canadian citizens make informed and well thought out decisions. Without knowing these things, how is it possible to know who will be a good leader for our future? Making a decision based off of what name sounds the best is not the best idea, and is definitely not being responsible. Doing a small amount of research will benefit every single citizen within the province or country, because the decisions made on Election Day will last 4 to 4 ½ years.

Considering the turn up for the past Election Days, the results of any election can be drastically changed if the other 49% showed up. If people in the past fought for the right to a responsible and representative government, then we should not take their efforts for granted and make our vote a responsible one. This will make sure that the –cracy stays in the demo- (Greek origin). 

Reflection of the Vote (Media Influence)

   In a democratic country, election is essential for the future of a society. A vote can not only determine the victory of a party, but also affect how the country develops. A vast majority of people claim that media plays an important role during the election season. However, others argue that media does not really have any effect on the voting. There are various factors that account for the sharp contrast between the two views. Therefore, this issue should be viewed and analyzed in multiple perspectives. 

   It is irrefutable that media has been considered as one of the most major elements to determine the outcome of an election. First of all, an election cannot leave the help from social media, such as television, radio and internet. In this case, using these types of media can spread the information and process of the election wider and more efficient. For example, during the election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012 president race, media, television and internet in particular, broadcast each debate they have to all of the America citizens. Since each debate between the two celebrities is successfully broadcast, the citizens can make their consideration more carefully on the voting. In addition, media has the advantage for citizens to share their personal opinions about the election, which can possibly influence others as well. In this sense, different opinions between residents also have the potential to change the result of the campaign. Last but not least, media can provide celebrities who attend the election a stage to spread their thoughts and plans faster and clearer. It contains more information than the campaign posters back in the old days and expresses the information to every resident who needs it. As a consequence, it is undeniable that media and the result of the election have a vital connection.

   Skeptics, however, disagree with the above perspectives. In their opinion, every vote comes from the result of resident’s consideration. It has nothing to do with the influence on the media. Internet and television are just ways to get information about different parties. However, every vote is the result of debating inside one’s mind, whether vote for this party or the other. Secondly, the debate between the party’s leaders and the celebrities is more accurate and essential than the arguing between some random people talk on the media. Therefore, skeptics insist that only the debates between the campaign celebrities are worth to listen and listen. Lastly, fake messages that are made for attacking certain parties purposely are crucial to be aware of. One of the disadvantages of the media is that any information can be provided for the residents. Consequently, not relying on social media is the best method to avoid this type of situation.

   In view of both justifications, it is fair to say that media can be a major factor of an election’s outcome. The efficiency of the modern media helps citizens to save time, but also gather more information as they wanted. However, at the same time, it is also vital to beware of the false or fake messages about certain parties. As a result, we could conclude that election is a personal voting thing. Nevertheless, with out the support of the media, the results of the election can be vary.


                   

Voting Strategies and their PROS & CONS

      It's that time of the (4) year again, where overturned billboards of dressed up candidates line the streets and lawns. Spam calls and messages from pestering strangers clog your phone and LAN lines. That's right, it's election season; specifically the provincial elections. This means it is time for those old enough to get off the couch, and go vote. Sounds easy enough- just get a ballot, check a box, and throw it into a big box. It is true that all you have to do to cast your vote is just that, but you must give your vote a little more thought.

      Voting in elections is important in a community; it is a method to officially appoint a candidate to take care of your community, and make important decisions. Knowing how substantial the leader of your community is, and how their decisions can even affect you, it is essential to think before you cast a vote.

      A simple way to decide who to vote for is to just pick whichever party you agree with most. If you are more concerned of our economy and debt rather than poverty or the environment, choose the party who shares your vision. If your chosen candidate wins the riding, it adds to the number of total seats your favoured party has within the legislature. The con of this strategy is that you may not entirely agree with the certain individual of the party you like. Just because candidates are in the same party does not mean they all have the exact ideals as you for all of Canada. This would mean your own little riding area may not be run the way you prefer. You must decided whether you will vote for your party or your candidate; your country or your community.

      Another strategy people use to decide who to vote for is to vote against whichever party/candidate they disagree with most. Sometimes people just don't like any of the parties and candidates. They don't understand any parties' vision, they don't agree with any candidates after listening to them. At this point, the only thing they can do to have a say in the election is to vote for their least hated party/candidate. Voting for your least hated party will still affect the numbers, and even play against your most hated party. There is not much you can do if you hate all your voting choices, just think of your vote as an attack against one particular party/individual (rather than your support of them).

      Of course, voting is not a mandatory action for citizens. Of the BC citizens eligible to vote this year, only an average of 51% actually voted. Those who did not cast a vote may have just been too lazy, busy, forgot, or just did not care for their government. Not voting could also be a choice if you truly hate all parties/individuals evenly. There is no benefit for you in voting, so why bother with wasting gas to drive to the nearest voting station.

      If you do end up at a voting station for some reason (maybe by tagging along with a companion), or still feel you must have your say, another voting technique you could use is to spoil your ballot. This doesn't just mean to simply cross all the candidate options off, but maybe you could write down what you think of our government decisions. Your ballot will definitely be read by some volunteer working at the stations, and depending on how outrageous your statement is and who picks it up, it could possibly even make it onto the news, just like this one did.

      Our democratic system was made to enable us to appoint our own leaders that we agree with. Thinking of it this way, you should vote for who you sincerely want as your leader, and your country's leader. If there is absolutely no one or party you would support, I still say you should go get your ballot. Boycotting the election will just give everyone a bad impression of you - that you don't care. If you spoil your ballot in a more effective way (as I mentioned above), and if many people do the same, your voice will (eventually) be heard.

Julius Caesar Essay revise

Power usually corrupt the one who holds it.                                                             

The striving ambition for power can seem to be the road to perfection; however, power might be the exact cause of a downfall. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of power is to possess control or command over others; to have authority. Having such superiority and influence may be appealing to some but, due to the amount of responsibility and pressure, others avoid such a position. However, these are not the only negative aspects of having power. In fact, having power can cause the loss of self control and allows greed to easily take over. In other words, if not monitored carefully, greed can easily corrupt those in power.

           Karl Marx is best known as a revolutionary communist, whose work inspired the foundation of many communist regimes. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Marx’s ideology of communism was based on a classless society and his philosophy was to abolish private property and socialize all means of production so that no man or woman would ever have to fear poverty. However, greed being an innate characteristic, which easily corrupts peoples’ minds and damages what was initially a positive intention, can cause those with power to become corrupt. Therefore, being unable to manage or suppress these immoral urges can result in devastating outcomes, such as a harsh, dictatorship style society.

           North Korea’s first leader Kim Il Sung, originally rallied troops to fight against the Japanese who ruled over Korea however after they gained their independence, and the amount of respect and power he had grew, his selfish desires took over and he became a corrupt leader. The power Kim Il Sung had turned into greed, “an excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions” (Dictionary.com), which resulted in the devastatingly impoverished state they are in now. Still to this day, countless lives are being lost and too many vulnerable citizens are laboring hard each day, just to feed themselves one or two poor quality meals, while the government of is ordered to spend revenue on building nuclear bombs. It is unfortunate how the desire for ultimate power has blurred what is moral and resulted in citizens facing great poverty and depression.

            Another example of a powerful leader who became corrupt is Emperor Caligula. Caligula began his political career as an admired leader, freeing unjustly punished prisoners and staging lavish events such as chariot racing and gladiator shows; however, soon he became a cruel and unpredictable leader, quoted by Biography.com. His desire for ultimate power and greed caused him to introduce heavy taxation on his people, for his own personal expenditures, stated by bbc.co.uk. Furthermore, similar to the North Korean leader, Caligula also forced his citizens to declare that he was a living god and erected statues for worship. Overall, it is evident that with power comes possible corruption. People in power seem to develop a sense of entitlement and superiority, which is why they easily become corrupt.

           In conclusion, having absolute power can easily lead to extreme greed, causing one to corrupt. Therefore, it is necessary for people to recognize and control these selfish urges and make sure the misuse of power or mistreatment of people does not occur. In the words of the Dalia Lama, individuals need to cultivate their power within: to understand and to know oneself and his/her ability to extend empathy to other living beings, instead of seeking control for their own benefit. Then, international communities need to intervene and protect the lives of innocent victims in countries with corrupt rulers, because is not that what being a global community is about? On the whole, people need to be active members of society making sure they do not allow their status or social hierarchy to influence the way they behave or what they believe, and make sure to value each life and the mistreatment of individuals is condemned.  

 

julius caesar essay revise

There are positve and negative consequences for being too loyal

             In the words of renowned writer and thinker, Napoleon Hill, "Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life." Loyalty, the noble and idealistic quality we wish existed in all of us through the thick-and-thinks of life, comes in many forms: we are faithful to our loved ones, to the greater institution to which we belong, and perhaps we may also commit ourselves to our hearts. However, there is a danger to excessive loyalty like all things in life. Loyalty must never be trusted and followed without being questioned, for misused loyalty can harm and wreck havoc if not kept in check.  

             During the years of the World War I (1914~1918), millions of innocent people were murdered by Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party. Although an estimated number of 11 million people were killed in the horror known as the Holocaust, Hitler did not personally kill many himself. He authorized the mass extermination of Jew and other minorities. The Nazi soldier, without taking their own opinion into consideration, blinded themselves with loyalty and killed countless innocent lives. Loyalty is sometimes misused in such ways and causes millions of deaths. However, loyalty is also abandoned in other cases.

             There was a terrible story on the news about a murder of a young girl, allegedly by two brothers, who have since been arrested. Ironically, it was their mother who realized their treacherous involvement and turned her own sons in. This tragic story illustrates a perfect example for how family loyalty sometimes must be abandoned for the justice. If the mother had not turned her own sons in due to her sense of obligation to protect them from suffering, the boys would not have realized the grave crime they had committed against humankind by killing their own sister. Despite all the reasons to protect her son from shame, guilt, and more, the mother chose to abandon loyalty for fairness.

             Loyalty is a rich characteristic which is essential for peace, love, or any other relationships. It is indeed one of the most important characteristics we must all have which brings many benefits along with it. Nevertheless, it also causes millions of lives and injuries if misused. Loyalty must always be paired with what we feel and think is right. In addition, loyalty must be questioned and challenged, as did the mother who turned in her own sons for the murder of her daughter. Blind commitment to what we perceive to be correct causes more suffering and halts progress and development in all aspects of life. Loyalty without ethics is futile.

            

 

Link to the news article about the two brothers killing their own sister.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/girl-allegedly-killed-by-brothers-for-marrying-against-family-approval-246970

JC essay 2 REVISED

Link to old/first essay (non-edited):
http://errorerrorerror404.blogspot.ca/2013/04/julius-caesar-act-ii-essay.html

Revision index:     ADDED      REMOVED

        Princess Peach is kidnapped and taken away to Bowser’s castle - again. Mario goes on a quest to rescue her by himself, and miraculously defeats Bowser with three jumps - again. Good, nice-looking guy beats bad, mean-looking guy; this stereotypical, repetitive theme has been present in video games, movies, cartoons, and novels for as long as I can remember. In reality, people with evil intentions walk our streets every day, and have learnt to disguise themselves behind smiling masks. It is no longer a simple matter to just avoid dangerous looking people, so you must be wary of your surroundings and take whatever actions that may make you feel safer.

      Just like the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” don’t judge a person based off of their appearance. It is frightening to think of, but criminals have developed various different methods to hide themselves from plain sight. Let's say you (a girl) is sitting at a bar, and a smiling, happy-go-lucky guy walks over and offers to buy you a drink. He initiates a harmless little chat with you as you both sip your margaritas. He suddenly points towards the stage where a tomato was thrown at the singer. You turn behind you to witness the chaos ensued, laughing. In the seconds you turned your gaze away from your drink, he plops in some invisible powder, a.k.a. date rape drugs. You can imagine what happens afterwards. The girl may not have actually trusted the man, but she let her guard down since he was so friendly. This is a common story that many women have fallen victim to. You cannot expect every friendly person you come across has a goodwill. In fact, most criminals assume that roll in order to get close to their targets. If you ever feel something is wrong, don’t dismiss the feeling; act on it, stop it.

      Everyday, stories of theft, foul play, murder, and other horrible deeds show up in the media, revealing humans’ twisted nature. So many of these news stories appear that we are no longer shocked to hear a man charged for killing another man. Whenever I hear these gruesome stories, what surprises me most is not actually what happened, but who did it. Sure I can understand a random bystander unfortunately getting hit by a drunk driver, and even a man assaulting his own wife due to marital problems has become common, but what about brothers killing their own sister? Mothers killing their own newborn baby? Students killing their own teachers and classmates? These are all true stories that have happened before in our "normal" world. It is just outrageous and sickening how criminals reason for the sinful acts they committed.

      Now that you are well informed of the dangers anyone can be to you, what is the safest thing you can do? Sure you can hide in your parent’s home for the rest of your life, but that is not what I am encouraging. I am not trying to give you a phobia of people and make you doubt everyone around you; rather, live your life how you always have, just be careful of who you put your trust in. Follow your gut feeling, and if ever your intuition tells you something is off, take action and make it stop.

“ Love all, Trust a few ” - William Shakespeare.

JC essay 1 REVISED

Link to old/first essay (non-edited):
http://errorerrorerror404.blogspot.ca/2013/04/pre-julius-ceasar-essay-1.html

Revision index:     ADDED      REMOVED

     We all want it. We all desire it. We all thirst for it. Power. Admit it, every one of us craves for some form of power over our lives. It is a natural feeling that we human beings have, drawn from the yearning to improve and better ourselves, and for some, to stand above others. However, with everyone desiring power, you will no doubt, face many adversaries.

     So, with all our need for power, what is power specifically? I am not just talking about the flashy KA-ME-HA-ME-HA finishing blows video game characters use, but there are actually many ways to interpret power. In the past, different social standings were harshly discriminated against. Those of higher class, often consisting of rich aristocrats and royalty, held more power, and basically controlled the government, ruling over the area and people. Those in power were often rich aristocrats or royalty. Leaders/Commanders of armies also had a lot of power, since they had thousands of soldiers in their command. Money, influence, and control allowed many to rule over the majority of the population and land. Racism was a common sight in the past as well. "White supremacy" in America allowed the slavery of millions of Africans.

     Today, our public perception of power is a bit different quite similar. Political leaders and parties run our government more fairly, and royal families are still respected. Money and wealth is still a huge part of our society, as many would agree, "money is power". It is reasonably true that in our economy system, though, with money you can get you what you want and do what you want. If we accept that money equals power, then we could say that famous celebrities have power. Celebrities woo the crowds, gain popularity, increase their influence over the media, and ultimately earning loads of cash off us - the audience. A different technique to earn money would be using your brain. Another common idiom is "knowledge is power." I would agree to this too, since in a literal sense, being smart means you will get a great, well-paying job, earning you lots of money. On the other hand, wisdom will give you a greater insight on the world itself. You will become brighter and wittier, letting you problem solve and control the situation better. If used correctly, knowledge is powerful.

     Possessing power feels great and all, but it will most definitely lure in opposition. There are over 7 billion people living on the Earth today, each with their own point of view; cognition, so there is bound to be someone who envies or disagrees with how you use your power. Jealousy is also a common emotion I am sure we all have experienced. Whether it is your money, status, influence, popularity, or knowledge, having someone envious of you is not rare. If people don't want your power, they may just be against your views/opinions. You have the power, and the more you have, the more influence you have on the world. You will become a huge threat if your ideals clash with other people's. This is how enemies are born.

     Power is an overwhelming tool that can benefit you in many ways. It is something everyone seeks for their own purposes, whether for the greater good or selfish ideals. Many attempt the journey to obtain it, struggling to acquire it for themselves, in the never ending power-struggle.

Julius Caesar Act II essay - "Power always corrupts the one who holds it." -REVISED

Throughout the long history of mankind, there had been countless wars and conflicts that caused suffering and death. Territory, freedom, and resources, are just several causes of the conflict. Ultimately, all of the bloodshed was merely a struggle for one single capability, power. Whether it is a vicious dictator, or a group of supporters of peace and freedom, power is certainly the answer to their visions, it can make their dreams a reality. Power is a key that unlocks many locks, including corruption. In the modern day society, power can be defined in many ways and is used for various purposes: good and bad.

        What exactly is power? No two people will have the same interpretation of this capability. Moreover, our views of power change as time passes. In the past, when humans hunted animals for food, power would may be  defined as physical strength. The leader would be the strongest as he was the greatest at hunting. Thousands of years had passed, and now, in the era of technology, people have developed an entirely different perspective. Nowadays, those who have intelligence, creativity, or money are usually considered as “powerful”. Other forms of power can also include support, privacy, or communication. Nevertheless, one shared characteristic of all these forms of power is the ability to change. Power can influence people, by persuading them, or by force.

        Sometimes, power is given to people for the benefit of everyone. An example is our democratic government. An individual gains support, which is a form of power. When an individual gains enough support, he/she is elected to represent the people. A government in power tries to make the best of their power by governing the country well. Peace organizations function similarly. They gain support from people who have the same insights, and as they grow more powerful, they become more influential. At that point, these organizations would be able to make differences in the world. Power, when used properly, can be a gift to humankind; a blessing to the world.

        On the contrary, power can also be a poison and a curse. Too many people in the history have gained too much power and fell into darkness of corruption. Like power, corruption can also take many forms. Greed is one of them. As one gains power, they might abuse it for their own benefits. An example is bribery in the government. This causes much harm to the citizens because they are being deceived and their rights are violated. Pride is another form of corruption. Too much power sometimes makes an individual think that he is above everyone and is invincible, leading to impaired judgment. In fact, one of the main reasons that led to the downfall of the Napoleon’s great empire was pride and overconfidence. A more modern example of pride leading to wrong decisions is Steve Jobs. As he became rich and famous, he had also let pride bury his humanity and morality. Jobs was harsh on his employees and did many unethical things such as denying his child. This shows us how much a person can change as he/she becomes powerful. As humans, we have a bright side and a dark side; there is always a temptation. One should handle power carefully, and resist the temptation of corruption.

        It is almost certain that equality between humans will never exist. No matter what happens, there will always be some individuals who are superior. However, this is not necessarily a problem as most people with power handle it correctly. Unfortunately, there are still the few who stray towards the dark paths of corruption, causing harm to others. Therefore, it is crucial that we make careful decisions when supporting others to gain power, or perhaps, handling power ourselves.

“It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.” -REVISED

      Us, teenagers, have idealistic minds that still think that the world can be perfect. “It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.” As a teenager, inexperienced and yet to be exposed to the dark realm of the world, it is fairly easy for me to simply disagree with this statement. Unfortunately, the reality is that wrongdoings occur every day with the purpose to fulfill great visions, as well as personal desires. Although both reasons cause harm, the former is justified, while the latter is not.

        It is inevitable that extreme measures are taken to achieve goals. Some of them involve the benefit of lots of people. In these cases, especially, there is (are) an “antagonist(s)” who is (are) “stealing” from others. The antagonist is stealing the rights, freedom, or other things from the majority. A famous example of this situation  is the French revolution. The few members of the upper class and the nobility were seizing all the power and forcing the middle-lower class people, the majority, to endure hard lives. Lots of reformers had goals to convert France into a democratic government. In this case, it was virtually impossible to do the "right thing" to reach the goal, even though it had good intentions. There was no choice but to fight poison with poison – to achieve peace by rebellion. English philosopher John Locke once said that if a government is not governing correctly, people are responsible to overthrow it. Although rebellion or war may be morally incorrect, it is necessary for the greater good.

        In some situations, there is no choice but to do the wrong thing in order to reach the right goal. However, in other situations - situations that we deal with everyday, we do have a choice. In our daily lives, we constantly compete with others for personal goals or desires. The repetitive occurrence of this throughout our relatively long life finally led us to think that it is sometimes easier to take the shortcut. Take this into consideration: two people are in a company with the same experience and seniority. A space is open for one person to get promoted. Each person works very hard to win the employer’s attention until one day, one person found out that there was a way that would ensure his promotion. He goes about in the company and spreads some bad rumors about the other person. As a result, the employer favoured him, and he got promoted. What he did was wrong, but he still reached his goal. In real life, out in the world, this is happening excessively, leading people into believing that “if I don’t step over others, others will step over me.” To achieve goals that involve selfish desires, it is not necessary or justified to do wrong things. Unfortunately, it is the reality, and it is not going to stop or change.

        As living creatures, we follow the concept of “the survival of the fittest”. We do anything to survive, to live better, even if it means to act against our morals. However, as humans, we are unique in a way that we accommodate the disadvantages of others. We care for each other and unite to accomplish certain goals, goals that serve for the greater cause. Sometimes, it is necessary to carry out extreme measures for this reason, but  it is justified, as the world is imperfect and sacrifice is inevitable. As a teenager with an idealistic mind, I would dare to write, that one day, the world might just be free of these dark realities. Alas, in order to achieve that goal, lots of lines separating good and bad would have to be crossed, over and over…

Positive Change Can Be Brought about Through Violence - Revised

       During the development of our society, violence has appeared in our world many times, in almost everywhere. Some argue that violence should be prohibited and forbidden for all purposes. However, others disagree, claiming that violence is necessary in the world that humans are living in today. There are various factors that account for the sharp contrast between the two views. Therefore, this issue should be viewed and analyzed through multiple perspectives.    

      

       It is unquestionable that discipline supports modern society, without which, one cannot live in this peaceful world. However, where does this discipline come from? In my opinion, violence has played a major role in discipline. Discipline is not possible to present without the support of violence. In addition, people argue that violence can only harm others in a negative way. My question is did they ever think about it positively, such as the use of violence to protect others from unfair issues? For example, during the French revolution, the lower class rebelled because of the unsatisfying lifestyle and endless problems caused by the monarchs. Last but not least, violence is necessary for a country to survive on this planet. The military, one of the most significant departments of a government, needs violence. Without it, the country can never be secured for its citizens. Malcolm X states that “sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down.” In my opinion, an effective way to stop violence is to use violence.

       On the other hand, there are many negative results that were caused by abusive violence in the past centuries. The first standpoint to mention is that overly abusing violence can cause significant physical damage towards the person. Statistics showed that one in every forty people is in a relationship with some kind of violence. What is even more worrisome is the fact that assaulting someone physically could also lead to the victim being mentally harmed, women in particular. Facts have proved that one in every four women in America who committed suicide did so because of domestic violence. In addition, the government has demonstrated violence in a variety of ways such as heavy taxes or the lack of personal rights. This inequality could trigger a revolution in the country. It is irrefutable that a revolution or a rebellion could end a huge amount of lives. Therefore, the last point is the fact that violence does not only cause damage, both physically and mentally, but can also lead one to death.

       In view of both justifications, it is fair to say that violence can ruin one’s physical ability, mental ability, and even their whole lives. Nevertheless, our community cannot be established without violence. From my perspective, if the amount of violence used is controlled, it can bring positive changes. In contrast, overly abusing violence will only lead to tragedies. 

English Essay for Julius Caesar Act I – REVISED

Writing prompt: There are positive and negative effects of being too loyal.

Are you loyal to any person, place, or thing? Being loyal is a good thing and it shouldn’t be taken for granted. However, sometimes when a person is too loyal there are positive and negative effects that can affect you.

Be loyal. Most people think of it as being loyal to a friend, or to an activity that they love and want to pursue. Sometimes being loyal doesn’t always imply other people, although most of the time it does. People are loyal to their promises and commitments which are to usually other people, but sometimes keeping your word to yourself is also a good thing to be loyal to. Being loyal to groups like clubs is also important because you have work and responsibilities within the group. I am loyal to my air cadet squadron. I know I am because I take pride in what I do there, and take everything seriously and finish things on time. Many positive things can come out of being loyal.

Loyalty can result in many things including becoming trustworthy, more responsibilities given, and you just feel like you are a better person in general. These are only some of the things that you may feel as “the positives” of being loyal. There are many more that revolve around these main few. Being more trustworthy makes a person also become dependable and they are relied on more. Confidence can be gained from being loyal because you know you are a responsible, reliable, and trustworthy person. When you are given more responsibilities in a group that you are loyal to you feel like you are more valued within the group and you feel like you’ve gained status within the group. This happens in air cadets as well. When you are loyal, and go to all the parades every week, you gain ranks, and with every rank you gain, you get more responsibilities. These are things that come out of loyalty. Although there are many positive things that come out of being excessively loyal, the negative consequences will still have the possibility of being there.

What negative consequences are there for being too loyal? I believe that the main negative consequences are that the other persons or group you are loyal to can become too powerful. Also because of this, you become a follower, instead of a leader. When one person becomes too powerful, they think less of your loyalty to them and because of that they take advantage of you. Another negative consequence is that the other party will become annoyed by your loyalty and doting, or that they may feel suspicious of why you are so loyal, and believe that you are after their power, possessions, or status. These are what I believe to be the main negative consequences of being too loyal. Others include missing out on other activities because you are too involved with the activity you are loyal to, or that you can feel left out if everyone else is, for example, drinking bubble tea, while you promised your best friend you wouldn’t.

Loyalty shouldn’t be taken over the limit. If you are too loyal, although you feel like a better person for always being there for your friend, or for taking your responsibilities seriously for your group, you could be used and taken advantage of if you are not careful. Loyalty should be done in moderation, where it won’t hurt you, or other people.

Revisions are in RED.