What teachers really want to tell parents, by Ron Clark, is mainly about how frustrating it is for teachers to deal with parents. The way parents handle grades, how they treat the teacher, how some parents make excuses for their kids, and how teaching positions have been opening because of teachers quitting from all the pressure.
   What teachers really want to tell parents, by Ron Clark, is a well written article, but I think it is a bit unfair, because he never mentions the good parents. Clark never mentions the parents who are harder on their kids. I have a parent like that, and it has taught me a lot. They don't make excuses for me, and pressure me to do my best. But, I also agree with it. Too many parents don't blame their kids, and try and make it look like the teachers fault. "I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks. His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May." Just a part of the article, describing parents' excuses. This, unfortunately, happens too often. Parents blame the teacher, and how the teacher isn't fun enough, how the teacher makes too many jokes, and not enough learning, the list goes on. Teachers work very hard at what they do. I mean, you try stepping into a teachers shoes for a day. Not elementary. High school or college. It is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Dealing with sensitive girls, boys who think they know everything, or the feeling that you have a student who could do so much better, but wont listen to you. Teachers don't deserve this, and they never should.

PLN #10

  In Praise of the F Word, by Mark Sherry, Sherry describes his personal experience with the word flunk and fail. His son is going to flunk a class, and when he informs his son of this, he picks up his act and gets his grade to an A.
   In Praise of the F Word by Mark Sherry, is a well written short paper on students grades. His son was "a world-class charmer," and barley got by with his bad grades. Until they met his English teacher, Mrs. Stifter. "'He sits in the back of the room talking to his friends,' she told me. 'Why don't you move him to the front row?' I urged, believing the embarrassment would settle him down. 'I don't move Seinors, she said, 'I flunk them.'" Sherry was suprised by this, and he soon realized the briliance of it. I agree with what the teacher said. I think teachers are too easy on students, and too many students are rude to the teacher, especially substitutes. I know my grades would be better if teachers where harder. Yes, it is my responsibility to be a good student, but it would he;p if teachers gave me a shove and said to focus, to point out when I am doing something wrong. We start to talk to our friends, and totaly forget what we are suposed to do. I love good, kind teachers, but high-school is finally a change. The teachers don't pat you on the head and say, "Good for you! You got a C+!" No. In High School, the teachers say, "C'mon, I know you can do better than this!" They urge us forward, make us do better. The F word is a frightening word, especially for students. Hearing that, at least for those of us who care, is horrifying. What is mom gonna think? What is dad going to do? Can I get it up in time? Why do I have this grade? And nowadays, we have more teachers like Mrs. Stifter. I am gratful for teachers like that, who are not afraid to day the F-word.

PLN #9

      In the article, "The Penny Debate," written by Susan Deadley, briefly describes the detailed facts on how some countrys', such as Canada and the US are thinking of getting rid of the penny.
      Susan Deadley does a fantastic job of explaining the plan. There are both good and bad sides to the penny. One could be rusty, and the other could be shiny. (just kidding). It is proved that the poor will get poorer, because they may collect pennies to buy themselves food, and people don't usually drop nickels or dimes. Pennies are also great for fundraisers, penny horses, collecting, and giving people good luck. ;) (see a penny, pick it up, and all day long, you will have good luck!) The penny is perfect for those little kids. The penny horse cant be the nickel horse! PLUS, nickels cost even MORE to make. Pennies cost 1. 26 to make, nickels cost 7.7 to make. And, LINCOLN is on the penny! Where will he go if they get rid of the penny??? On the million? That means getting rid of the statue of liberty. I strongly think the penny should be continued to be used. Maybe they could just make less of them.

http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/i/penny_debate.htm

PLN #8

   The article, "What's Wrong With the Teenage Mind", by Alison Gopnik, describes the average teenage mind and why it's the way it is, that teenagers are going through puberty sooner, and maturing later, and that the average teen is losing energy, gaining more 'confidence' and becoming more sloppy.

   Alison Gopnik, the author of "What's Wrong With the Teenage Mind", in my opinion, couldn't be more correct because of everything that goes on at school, and who the students are that lie within. I personally have definitely been hearing more complaints from older people, especially those in the 50's and 60's, about how the 'generation of now' is more gory, dark, and unsafe. The teenage mind is fine, it's just what the teen's are deciding to do with it. For the teenagers, wearing a tank top with your bra straps showing is normal, or a guy sagging his pants so low you can see his under-garments. It is just what is happening now, and what is popular. Some don't even think they do it, but students want their peers to acknowledge them. It means something when the most popular kid in school says hi in the hallway, or when a cute boy talks to the small dork in the back. That feeling is almost unbearable as it is amazing. It is almost impossible to love something when everyone else hates it. In this time, it is thought of as weird if you graduate High School a virgin, or liking a band everyone else thinks is gay. Students are making practically all of their decisions based on what other peers say and do. If it means buying a certain brand, or trying drugs or having sex... a lot of students say they will never do it, but when the time comes, it feels as if there is no other choice.

Question for PLN #7!

   If teachers had never been hired and we never had school, what do you think the world would be like?

PLN #7

Summary:
               In the article, Where would we be? written by me, http://arapahoehighsarah.blogspot. com/2012/10/article-where-would-we-be.html, , the I state my opinion on how teachers are so unfairly paid. I argue that football players are paid too much. I gave proven details on that information.

Response:
               I strongly approve of the fact that Football players are paid way to much and all they do is play! Yes, they get hurt, but it is still their choice to do it. Teachers give there own time, and lives to provide for us. We always complain about how much homework we have, but think about how much the teachers have! 25 kids per class, 4 classes a day, 100 students in a day, 3 assignments a week... that means they have to grade 300 assignments for 100 students a week. That is 70 assignments more than we have per day!(assuming 5 assignments per day). Teachers work incredibly hard to get there pay, which (in my opinion) isn't half what they deserve. I have actually heard a teacher complain, and yet... they are most likely to work at the same school all of there lives, always saying how much they care about there students. Teachers have stepped in front of guns for there students. They aren't teachers just because they need a job. It takes a truly good and kind person to become a teacher. They have to care about the students, the kids. They have to be willing to give what should be there time to help us when we need it. They have there own family, and decide to call off meetings to help you. One did that for me, and her and I where as close as a teacher and a student can be. I love all of my teachers, and will never be able to thank them enough for that they have done for me, and other students who haven't realized just how much the teachers care... and are payed.

Article: Where would we be?

   People say that the world has been in existence for 4.5 million years. We have learned billions of things as humans... by teachers. Think about it! Where would our world be with out teachers? They have been teaching the WORLD for 4.5 million years. For those who believe in dinosaurs, who taught the dinosaurs to... well, live? What about Adam and Eve's children? Who who where they taught by? There parents, there teachers. The world would be no-where without our amazing teachers. Teachers have been known for saving there students. Several teachers have stepped in front of pistols to save there students.  Teachers make an average of $49,280.
   Football, soccer, tennis, track, ping-pong... just a few of the 200 sports that entertain humans. Practically every sport requires a ball, strong peoples, and screaming fans. They have broken there necks, just to entertain us. They have been playing for years now. Where would our world be without sports? Without the Superbowl? Professional sport players make an average of $2,000,000.
   What point am I trying to make? Look again at the VERY REAL information above. Who seems more important? For those of you who say the football players... yikes. So, you think football players are more important? Than think about this... who taught the football players? There coaches right? Well who taught the coaches? The teachers. They have been our source of life for 4.5 million years. That is more than twice the amount the average foot ball player makes in a year. Is there something wrong with that? I strongly believe so.
   For a long time, I have been thinking about how much my teachers mean to me, and how much closer I've gotten to be close to them. Our world would be a disaster without teachers. If no one taught anyone anything, we would be a catastrophe. No one could talk, write, drive, walk, think, live. We wouldn't be able to teach our children, or know what they are trying to say to us. The baby teachers help us learn how to take care of our first. Without them, we couldn't take care of our children.  Well, you could probably raise your child, and perhaps even there's, but after that... your baby would grow to be somewhat of a zombie (if they even lived). Teachers are the source for our pay in our adult lives. They teach us how to do our jobs, how to survive in the real world, away from our parents' wings. Teachers care about there students, enough to give up time with there family. So many teachers in the past have given there time to help me. Some have even been there through my personal life. My 6th grade English teacher was like a 2nd sister to me, my Science teacher from 6th grade helped me get through some pain at O.D.E. My English teacher said not that long ago, "I've been so busy grading your tests, that I haven't been able to see my husband!" (whom she JUST married) Our world would die if we didn't have our teachers... every single one of them... from Kindergarten to being a Senior in college... even after that. But if school just stopped and all the teachers where fired, what would society do? We wouold be relived. "Yay! No more school!"
   For a short time, I have been thinking about how funny people get about sports. I mean, I understand why people get excited. I'm not saying ban it or anything.. it's good to have something exciting to look forward to. A lot of  peoples defense to football payers would be that they, "break there necks, and become paralyzed for life, just to entertain the world." And they do, players have died from accidents like that, but that's there choice. They know what they are getting into. If football and sports just suddenly... stopped, I bet you $200 that people would get upset. But we wouldn't go crazy! The world wouldn't end! People would find something else to love. The professional sport players could become someone else, and keep living their lives.

   As I stated before, I don't want anything to happen to the sports. They are fantastic!!! I myself love to play spots, and love to cheer for my own High School teams, but is it really necessary for them to be paid so much money, just to play? Teachers are the worlds power, and they are paid 20¢ compared to the football players. I find it extremely important that we cut professional sport players pay, and give more to the teachers. After all, where would we all be without them?

PLN #6

Summary:


  In the video, “What if...” by our very own Mr. Karl Fisch, he slowly goes over the time in schools... all the way back from the 1700’s! It basically goes over how much our society depends on what we use in schools, and who believes in it, or disagrees. Mr. Fisch starts with a teachers conference in 1703, with the quote, “Students today can’t prepare bark to calculate their problems. They depend on their slates, which are more expensive. What will they do when their slates break?” As the video progresses on, playing a classic piece of music, he goes through time...  telling the watcher how many times teachers tried to tell society what would happen. The video simply starts with slates and how students depend on them so much, that when they break, the students won’t know what to do. Then it moves to ink in 1815, and what will happen when the pencil breaks? 1928, The Rural American Teacher states how now even pens with dipping ink is leaving, and being replaced by fountain pens, setting them up for extravagance they aren't going to have in business. 1941, PTA Gazette, “Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of our country.” 1950, students can’t use calculators... it will make them forget  how to use the tables in the back of their books. 1980’s teacher, Math teacher from 1989, another teacher from 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, the list goes on! All these teachers coming together, one voice of a different time, all trying desperately to show who the students of america are turning into! The last quote, from Mr. Fisch himself, is him stating to his class, “Turn off and put away all cell phones, IPods, and electronic devices in class!”  That is how much our country has changed in 300 years! From worry about slates and paper, to IPods and cellphones. The last slide of the video, states something short and simple. “What if... WE HAD LISTENED?”

Response:


  The... moving, beautiful, amazing video, “What if...” by Mr. Fisch made me think. Is our society really that dependent? Do we really need all of this... junk to survive? What would happen to the world if everyones IPods stopped working? What if electricity died? What if the world went black? 300 years ago, that didn’t matter... because we weren’t so dependent. The children played in the streets, and didn't need ipods or laptops for entertainment. But as time wore on, things were invented, cars were invented. People became more lazy and didn’t walk, now they had something to take them wherever they wanted for a small price. Then phones, then cell phones, than radios, computers, do I need to continue? Our country has changed immensely, and Karl Fisch proves an amazing point. What if we had listened? How much different would our world be if we had listened and believed the teachers? I strongly agree with the point Mr. Fisch made in this video, and respect him for saying so.

PLN #5

                                                                                                                                           Sarah Jenkins
                                                                                                                                           Period 3



   In the story, A Single Lucid Moment, by Robert W. Soderstrom, a man and his wife, whose names are never revealed, are working with the peace corps, living in a small town called Maimafu, and the story accomplishes telling the reader about the people living in the town, how they live their lives. They are surrounded by kindness and generosity from these people. There is even a man with Down Syndrome who goes from home to home to work or play. They all know each other and take care of each other. During the day, the women would plant and cook throughout the day, and men would harvest the coffee trees. When they arrive, the bamboo-hut that had been built for them had a beautiful garden out front and flower petals on the walk to the front door. Later that night, they shared their stories with the people, and showed them pictures. One of them was a picture of 2 homeless men, begging for food. Curious and rather disturbed by this picture, the tribe offers them a kind home. They offer to even plant another coffee tree in their name. The husband sends a letter to America, requesting them to be sent there, but America never writes back. Disappointed and hurt, the people of Maimafu continue on. But it makes the American couple realize, as said in the story, “...that the worlds purest form of brotherhood can often be found in the smallest of villages.” 
    The story, A Single Lucid Moment, by Robert W. Soderstrom was an emotional story for me. It almost sounded unreal me to hear that there were actual people out there who would take in a stranger they didn’t even know and take care of them! Imagine how much that would mean to someone.They are so kind and loving to the husband and wife. I would love to go there, just to meet them (and to get some of that coffee ;) People here in America would walk right past them or throw them some change. There in Maimafu, they would probably be sick to think about them shivering. This article is well written and descriptive of everything, the setting, (the coffee the teaser!), and all the characters. I recommend this to anyone who wants to be moved.

PLN #4

   In the intriguing article, "High School Only Shorter", written by Sue Shellenbarger, she describes how easily students have graduated from high school early. For example, Nicholas Myers of Fishers Ind., graduated High School in only 3 years. All he did was take senior classes early and finished extra courses online. Unfortunately, he had to pass up on Senior Prom and a special trip to New York. But now, at 18, he says it was all worth it. He was awarded $4,000 from the state of Indiana to be used at a state-approved college. In 2002, 2.9% of students graduated in 3 years. In the 1990's, it was only 1.5%, says Elise Christopher, a scientist and researcher for the National Center of Education in Washington. Jenifer Dounay Zinth, a senior policy analyst with Denver-based Education Cummision, says that Proponents are eliminating "senioritis", when students are lazy. Of course, there is a down side to a 3 year diplomacy. Critics aren't sure if students are ready to go to college at 17. Mrs. Zinth says that a lot of people think 4 years is best. Roland Priebe helped his son, Luke, graduate in 3 years. He says that his sons' learning level was faster than what school was giving him. And the 3 year diplomacy was perfect for them. Luke had to take a lot of extra courses and exams beyond his level, but he got through it, and went to Brown University. He said it was a lot of pressure and stress, and he was so happy for the break after graduation. But then there was a Laura Paul. She wanted to graduate early for a different reason. She wanted to move to a more diverse, cosmopolitan school. But her mother said no, she said her daughter was too young and she didn't want her to move so far away. So Laura went to nearby Boise State University. She was actually pleased. There were a variety of people there. A breast cancer survivor, people from Pakistan, Africa, and a man in his 50's. She says it was the best decision she ever made, to graduate early.
   The article, "High School Only Shorter" is a very interesting read. Sue Shellenbarger does a fantastic job telling others about 3 year graduates. When it comes to 3 year diplomas, I don't have a lot to say. I dont believe it is wrong, people can do what they want with there lives, but in a way, 4 years brings more of a future. It brings more opportunities and better pay. It would be nice to get out of school one year ahead of everyone, but they built school to be 4 years. I mean, if this "3 year diploma" was realistic, wouldn't they have made High School 3 years instead of 4? I think we are meant to be in school 4 years. But if some people want to work harder and exhaust themselves, they can go ahead. But I believe that being in school for 4 years is better for students futures as responsible adults for our future.

PLN #3 (Is Google Making Us Stupid?)

                                                                                                               

   The article "Is Google Making us Stupid?" written by Nicholas Carr, they enlighten the reader how much the world has changed thanks to internet and computers (electronics). Mr. Carr explains and proves how the world has changed since the 1800's. He interviews and researches over 10 people, stories and books that speak about the same topic. Maryanne Wolf, writer of Proust and the Squid: The Story And Science of the Reading Brain, says, "We are not what we read, we are how we read." She is stating that your life depends on the way you learn. Such as, if you read on a nook, you like and believe in technology. If you read hardbacks, or paperbacks, you are more traditional. Friedrich Nietzsche, a writer back in the 1820's, use to hand write his work. After type writers came out, he bought one, and his friends noticed a change in his writing. "Your writing is already graphic and 'terse prose' , but now it is even more so." He explains that working on the type writer made his eyes tired and he didn't have near as much patience as with his own paper and pen. Carr believes that, "The brain is almost infenitly malleable. People use to think that our mental mesh work, was largely fixed by the time we reach adulthood." A Joseph Weizenbaum, a computer scientist, observed that in the book, Computer Power and Human Reason, written 1976, states that even timekeeping has gone electronic, in to sleep, to eat, to work, to rise, we stopped listening to our senses and listened to the clock. Fredrick Winslow Taylor celebrated his 1911 treaties, The Principles of Scientific Management,was to identify and adopt, for every job, the "one best method" of work and thereby to effect "The gradual substitution of science for rule of thumb throughout the mechanic arts." Overall, the article clearly states how the internet has affected our country's, our cities, our lives, and the world. 
   I strongly agree with this article. Total 100% is correct in my opinion. I'm not saying that internet is bad... "Ban Internet!" No! I wouldn't be me without the internet. But, it has affected millions of lives. People never can sit through  book anymore. I even find myself putting down books sooner than I normally would. As Maryanne Wolf says, "We are not what we read, but how we read", tells me that in a way, we have become electronic. No, we have not become robots. I am simply stating that it is crucial now to have some sort of entertainment. People now have to depend on other things to stay occupied. People are losing there imagination slowly, letting it die and rot as you become older. Except for those who still read. I have spoken to people who say, "I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I love to role play! I love to be the dragon banished for being good. Or the mermaid who makes peoples life miserable, or a pirate, or...". Those are the people who don't spend 3 hours a day in front of a computer or IPhone. I love the internet and couldn't live without it... there you have it. I just proved in that statement that I, and all the million's out there couldn't survive without Google.

PLN #2

                                                                                                                                           Sarah Jenkins
                                                                                                                                           Period 3



        In the story, A Single Lucid Moment, by Robert W. Soderstrom, a man and his wife, whose names are never revealed, are working with the peace corps, living in a small town called Maimafu, and the story accomplishes telling the reader about the people living in the town, how they live their lives. They are surrounded by kindness and generosity from these people. There is even a man with Down Syndrome who goes from home to home to work or play. They all know each other and take care of each other. During the day, the women would plant and cook throughout the day, and men would harvest the coffee trees. When they arrive, the bamboo-hut that had been built for them had a beautiful garden out front and flower petals on the walk to the front door. Later that night, they shared their stories with the people, and showed them pictures. One of them was a picture of 2 homeless men, begging for food. Curious and rather disturbed by this picture, the tribe offers them a kind home. They offer to even plant another coffee tree in their name. The husband sends a letter to America, requesting them to be sent there, but America never writes back. Disappointed and hurt, the people of Maimafu continue on. But it makes the American couple realize, as said in the story, “...that the worlds purest form of brotherhood can often be found in the smallest of villages.”

A Vision of Students Today

                                                                                                                                           Sarah Jenkins

                                                                                                                                           Period 3

     In the video, “A Vision of Students Today”, created by Kansas State University, it demonstrates our current system of how technology is used in classrooms. It starts in an empty classroom, no speaking, just music, and people have written on the walls and chairs to describe, ‘If walls could talk”. Then, the classroom is suddenly filled with students. Not using their mouths to speak about what they do in class, they use their laptops and notebooks. They show us how they are constantly distracted by technology.

     I strongly believe that in the video, “A Vision of Students Today”, created by Kansas State University, shows to me that people are not doing as well in school as they were 50 years ago without computers, and I believe that technology has taken over us, our time, and our minds. The students in this video explain to us, flat out, why our country is failing... technology. I believe technology has taken control of us, even when it comes to school work. I heard a girl in the hallway telling her friend she was on Facebook during English. It is now a habit in the human life to need technology. We could not survive without it, is what some people think. But look back 100 years ago... we sure seemed fine then! To me, it is obvious that it is because of technology we are in the state our country is in today. I'm not saying I hate technology. I myself use it frequently. But, I still believe that it is something like a virus that has spread... and plans on staying forever, while getting bigger, hammering itself further into our lives.

My Favorite Childhood Fairytale

                                                                                                                                                       Sarah J.
                                                                                                                                                     08/26/12
                                                                                                                                                      Period 3



   When I was a child, every single Sunday after Church, I remember running into my old fashioned family room and flipping on the TV. I would anxiously await for the screen to come on. As soon as it did, I would push in the old tape I had prepared that morning. And my favorite childhood movie would come on, Thumbelina, the original written by Hans Christin Anderson. The old windmill would appear on my TV as I shrieked out in excitement. The many names of the people who made this movie would pop up in a yellow plain font. One of the songs that would be preformed later in the movie called "Let Me Be Your Wings" would play. As it moved away from the windmill it zoomed out and stopped at the sight of a town, which looks like a town from the 1800's in France.
   "Once upon a time in Paris" is the first thing you'll see, when suddenly, a large swallow swoops down and grabs your attention. It feels as though you are flying on his back as he enter the town. He sings a tune about following your heart as he circles around a fountain. His wing dips in as he soars back up. He introduces himself as Jacquimo, with a very French accent. He states that he loves beautiful things and that nothing is impossible if you follow your heart. He fly's into a shattered window in an old library. He starts to speak of romance and how much he loves fashion and stories. His favorite though of his many books is a story of romance and doing the impossible. The book opens and the story of Thumbelina begins.
   "Once upon a time, there was a lonely woman who wanted a child of her own. One day, she went to a good witch and was given a seed and was told to grow it in a flower pot. And soon, it tuned into a beautiful flower. It opened with the woman's kiss, and inside was a tiny girl, with long orange  hair in a blue dress." Oh, the beginning of my favorite story. Unfortunately, poor Thumbelina was so tiny, that see was accidentally misplaced! Everyday was a challenge, and the animals on the farm had to watch where they stepped! She was almost baked in a pie for heavens sake! Before she goes to bed, her mother tells a story of a fairy prince marrying a princess fairy. Falling asleep with the book standing open next to her walnut of a bed, a runaway fairy prince stops at her window and startles her awake. First, she is terrified of the prince, when she realizes he is her size! He takes her for a ride on his bumblebee a he sings he the love song, "Let Me Be Your Wings", the whole time, keeping the secret that he is the prince. He drops her off at home, telling her she will marry him, unknowing what is going to happen.
   Later that night, a jealous frog of Thumbelina's voice kid-napp's her. When she awakes, she is on a boathouse, and the frog tells hr she is to marry her son, Grundel! Terrified, she escapes and now is alone, in the middle of a snow. She almost freezes to death, when a mouse takes her in. Meanwhile, the prince is searching for her, when it starts to rain and his wings are torn and he falls into an ice cold lake. He was thought to be dead. Thumbelina is informed of this by the mouse. Heartbroken, she runs to a bug, to try to find her way home. He also enjoys her singing and says he will show her if she sings at his ball  that night. He dresses her as a bug, hoping no one will notice. He spins her too fast on the dance floor and her costume comes off! Embarrassed, he calls her an outcast and a hypocrite. Fleeing once more, she learn that the frog is on her tracks, looking for her. Losing hope, she travels to a mole and she is frightened by the pinned butterfly's and his fear of the sun. After she losses all hope of returning home, she agrees to marry the mole. As she walks down the isle, the frog bursts in and says he wants to marry her, when next, the prince comes in, unmelted from the ice by friends who have been keeping her safe without her knowing it.
   Singing one last time, for her brave prince who fought off everyone who stood in there way of love, he lifts her off her feet and fly's her to the fairy court. They marry in front of her mothers' house, who is overjoyed to see her. They glide down the isle, Thumbelina's vail flowing in the breeze from the fluttering gold fairy wings around them. The Princes' Bumblebee comes swooping down and picks them up. Thumbelina throws her bouquet, and they seal the story with one last kiss. "And of course they lived happily ever after."
  

Hey World! This is a test post! Prepare for awsomeness!!!!