Recent update
- Earth Hour
- More Questions to Think About
- Propaganda
- The Wave Questions
- Last Week in Class
- Questions to Think About
- Highest-Paid American Athletes of 2007
- Last Week in Class
- Half Year Reflection
- Today in Class: Feb.20
Earth Hour
March 20th, 2008 by samkon5
Today in Global Issues class we talked about some of the cool things people are doing to lessen their carbon footprint. In class, we are also making our own project to help the school become greener. During discussion, a world wide project came up called Earth Hour. It is a really cool idea that was started in Australia last year. The idea is to turn off all of your electricity useage for 1 hour some time on March 29. Last year it was mainly in Australia and Oceania, but this year it has gone global. Last year alone, even though there was not as great participation as expected this year, enough energy was saved to run 48,000 cars for one year!
Visit the the link above to go to the sight and sign up and join Earth Hour and help fight cclimate change.
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More Questions to Think About
March 19th, 2008 by samkon5
“The past is never dead, it is not even past.”
What does this quote mean to you?
This quote brings up a good point, but it is a little fuzzy in the wording. I beleive it is saying that we should not forget the past. There are many ideals and events that should be remembered and not ignored. We cannot live in the past though, and we must try to forgive our transgressors and we must be able to move on and not allow events of the past to hang us down. Many of the conflicts and hatred going on in the world today are because of what has happened before and the groups are not able to forgive each other. Not only do countries and other big bodies of people be able to move on, but the normal people like us need to be able to ,especially.Holding on to grudges and past conflicts only causes more agnst and tension causing more confict, eventuall, becoming a vicious cycle that is nearly inescapable.
How does this connect to The Wave?
The theme in this quote is one of the under lining messages in this book. The only reason The Wave was started at Gordon High was because of the actions of the German Nazis in WWII. That is a prime example of how the past isn’t dead, or even past. The should not ever forget the events that happened, but, again, we must not dwell in them. We need to learn from the mistakes made from the past peoples of the world.
How doe this conect to American History?
In American History, there are also many lessons we need to take in order to keep from more wrongdoing. For an example, the Civil Rights Movement is something to be remembered and not forgotten also. We, as pcitizens of this planet, need to know that all people are created equal under God and our differences should not make us think down on others.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 1 Comments
Propaganda
March 19th, 2008 by samkon5
In relation to The Wave and how we see it in ou every day lives, we have been discussing the meanings, uses, and technique that propaganda uses to gets its meaning across. Propaganda is when a message is trying to be sent via the news and media sources that try to convince someone to think a certain way. Here is an example of propaganda dealing with one of the biggest propaganda wars in history, The Cold War.
There are still examples of modern day propaganda on many different global issues. Many of the propaganda of today is about America and The War on Terror.Propaganda is very one sided in almost all cases, most of it conveying a message that is against something.
Posted in The Wave | | | 1 Comments
The Wave Questions
March 17th, 2008 by samkon5
Have you ever been forced to join something against your will?
No, for the most part, I haven’t been forced to join something or take place in something by any one but, maybe my parents. I have defiantly been asked and pestered and influenced to take part in some things that were not high on my list of priorities. As a teenager, I feel we all are influenced by the media to do and choose what is “cool”, like i-pods, expensive gadgets and/or clothes, and everyhting else that is “cool”. I would say it is a good thing to be able to be free-thinking and not easily be swayed by the media or others, but, I am not completely sure it is not a good thing.
How should we behave if we see someone being taunted or bullied by a group of people?
We have always been taught to not intervene and go get a teacher. From past conflicts I have seen and been a part of, principals and teachers can worsen therealtions of the quarreling sides. I will admit, usually they will get the issue resolved, but only after more tension and unrest. When problems are solved by the students, they can get out out of hand quickly, but, more easily. I belive also, if you are able to do something about it you should not sit back and watch.
Should we try not to get involved or should we intervene?
Continuing on my last point, I think you should intervene, but only to a small degree and especially if you have nothing to do with the conflict. Problems usually start off between to small groups and quickly gain more people and quickly get more complicated. When fights start to break into sides, if possible, it is probably bes to stay neutral. As Darrius Rucker sang in Hootie and the Blowfish,”There is a fine line between right and wrong” and what you should do may change from conflict to conflict. They should always, at first, be tried to solve peacefully.
Posted in The Wave | | | 0 Comments
Last Week in Class
March 8th, 2008 by samkon5
We talked about:
This past week was a short week with onkly two days. Even though, we did a lot of work on the blogs and such. On Monday, Mr. R introduced us to a post titled School Writing written by one of his fellow blogging colleagues. Mr. R’s friend wrote about how pointless writing is, if it is not meaningful or heart felt. He also wrote how important writing skills are and that they should be laernt well, just not in a forced, unmeaningful environment. After our class discussed and wrote a comment on School Writing, we discussed some blogging tips and cleaned up our sites a bit. Our next class we had some thought provoking questions to answer about The Wave. The questions are in the previous post. I thought they really had very good and interesting points.
I learned:
This week Mr .R did not bring anything new topics besides those questions. He did show me some helpful hints and tips on the Internet and blogs. Our discussion questions renforced the how much of an impact text and writing can have on people’s thoughts and opinions. I had never really thought about in both ways like the question made you to correctly answer the question.
I daydreamed:
We keep pretty dicussion light and my daydreaming time was cut short. We keep busy by constantly using the computer and thinking. While I was writing my response to the questions, I thought a little bit about the Holocaust and the brutality and severity of it.
I wanted to say:
Since we had to think about both sides of the Holocaust, I wanted to say more about my htought on the other side. Such as, without bad they cannot be an evil.
Posted in Last Week in Class | | | 0 Comments
Questions to Think About
March 5th, 2008 by samkon5
On the topic of the Holocaust during WWII.
“Forget about it. It happened once and the world learned its lesson. It’ll never happen again.”
Do you agree?
No, I don’t agree with him at all. One of the main reasons history is taught in school, is to teach to learn from our mistakes. History is important in teaching us how and when we should solve our issues. If we did not learn from the mistakes of our history, many of the same problems would arise and the world would be at war more often.We have to be able to take what we learn from history and apply it to here and now for our sake and our posterity.
Should we try to forget evil events, and trust the goodness of human nature?
Is evil an outside force, or are we all capable of evil acts?
The first point goes along with my first paragraph. We, most defiantly, need to learn from predecessors and their right and wrong decisions. The second question brings up a very good point. I do belive that we all are capable of evil acts and of gracious acts. Some people may be more suited for one or the other, based on where they grew up and who their family was and other things,but truly, I think it comes down to personal decisions and who you are as a person and if you are capable of controlling your thought and feelings. Many of the evil doers have probably had wrongs done to them and they feel as they should avenge wrongs done against them. The same goes for the people famous for their good deeds. They had a troubling past, but they choose to handle their problems differently and do good instead of lashing out on the world.
Posted in The Wave | | | 1 Comments
Highest-Paid American Athletes of 2007
March 3rd, 2008 by samkon5
I found this here and found it to be quite amzing and interesting. I beleive that athletes defiantly make tooo much money. They do deserve quite a bit for their insane athletic ability, but, again, this is a great example of how econmoy is at the top of the food chain in the power pryamid. This chart also shows me how much we forget the little guys and , at the bottom of my power pryamid, the defenseless. I can only imagine what good could be done if 1 million was taken away from all of their salaries.What do you guys think about this chart?
Posted in Sports | | | 3 Comments
Last Week in Class
March 2nd, 2008 by samkon5
We talked about:
We went over quite a few topics last week.We started by discussing some of the poem writing skills and what to avoid when writing poems, to keep simple. Mr. R mentioned sustainability and education and their close relationship. We briefly discussed the need for education in order to have sustainability. On quite a different topic, we talked about the importance of blog safety. How and what to do in and around blogs. Mr. R showed us what a world networking can open for you. He talked about some of the neat people he met through networking and shared what he had learned and they had taught him. We also started our new novel The Wave. The Wave talks about the Nazis and facism. Finally, we were introduced to a quote “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.We discussed our thoughts briefly and then wrote about what we thought.
I learned:
I was shown the power words and literature can have over people’s opinions. really and truely, literature can have a huge amount of changing people’s thoughts.History has shown that words have near infinite power in changing ideas. In connection, I was also shown what power an education can hold if in proper use. I like to think of education as the master key that opens ever door, and with an education and willing heart in hand, anything may be accomplished. In accordance with The Wave, I learned more about the ability to control that comes with power. Also, how power corrupts its holders and how it affects you and I.
I daydreamed today:
I daydreamed about some of the scenes in The Wave. I thought, what would it have been like to have been in school in the 60s? What did a conceantration camp really look, feel and smell like? Would I have the courage and boldness to stand up against the Hitler regime? I also daydreamed I was back in bed, sleeping the night away.
I wanted to say:
I know what Hitler did was evil, cold-hearted, hipocritical, and mostly inhumnae, but doesn’t there always have to be a bad and an evil? Who should we give our power to if the holder cannot be trusted?
Another thing we did this week, was a power pryamid. This is how mine went.
Economy
Government
My Parents and other adults
The Internet and other sources of Media
Myself
Younger Children
Animals and Vegatation
The Defensless
Posted in Last Week in Class | | | 3 Comments
