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So Long CE9

This year was unimaginable. I don’t think I can really tell you how I felt throughout this year. Cyber-English was a great class. I learned so many new things and I think I became a better student to.  Because of this class I have accomplished so much and I know that what I have learned here might and probably will help me in the future.

Throughout this year I have learned many things in this class. Many things that I have learned this year will help me throughout high school and after it. With learning on how to build my blog I learned how to be more technically efficient. I am able to build a whole new blog and change how it looks and what is inside of it.

My grammar has grown throughout this year and so has my writing. After almost every “and” in my writing I would put a comma. Obviously that is not correct. I also learned that in this class I can write almost whatever I want to say. I have written that so many times in my blog but I still find it awesome. In most classes you can’t say what you truly think without getting downgraded.

A big change that I have found this year that surprised me is my reading habits. I used to never read. after we read speak I found more books by the same author that were great. I never really enjoyed reading that much for a while. I think it is important to find a book once in a while and really find one that you will enjoy.

 Writing is something I have always kind of enjoyed, but never really took a good swing at it. At first I saw how many mistakes I was really making but than I was able to fix them and continue. I now not only write for my blog but I also write my own stories and poems. I really do enjoy writing. It is something anyone can do when they are bored and they want to get the random and creative ideas out of there head. And if you put them on paper or save them on a computer they could become something useful possibly one day.  

 The best book I read this year was Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. She also wrote the book speak that we read in class which I also enjoyed very much. Twisted was full of possible real life drama. That is why I loved it so much. It was written mostly for teens and that might be another reason why. The real life drama that I read about in the book I could have easily found in school if I looked. It was real true pain and having a fantastic story line with it too.

I was not really ever nervous about making a blog. I was very excited when I found out we would be building our own. The only thing I was worried about was keeping up with what we needed to do and put into it. I eventually found out that that would not be too much of a problem. Building my blog was very fun and I am very happy we did it.

Having a wiki does not really affect how I learn. When we first started I was very excited to build and make it. When we first started it I was a little confuzzled. Once I was able to catch up on the project it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was still a great thing to do though because it got me to learn something I probably never would have. It really didn’t affect my learning that much though and I really don’t use it at all now.

Now that I look back and see all the things I have written and learned I just cant believe it. This class was nothing like any other English class I have ever taken. I would just like to say thank you to Ms. Degenhardt and Ms. Hogue for teaching me this year. They are wonderful teachers and for all you Freshmen next year I promiss you all will like them.

Posted in Cyber Journal.

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By Drew T – June 3, 2011

Newspaper Project

EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!! Read all about it. Macomb Times is the cheapest paper of price.

Posted in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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By Drew T – May 31, 2011

I’m Done

I read the book Catalyst by Laurie Anderson. For my genre piece I wrote a poem that shows how Kate acts and feels through the novel. Through my poem I hope you will understand the pain that Kate lived with during her last year of  high school having so many obsticals in her way.

I guess this is it,

I’m done with the pain,

There is more fight left inside me,

I’m done playing your childish games,          

There is no more reason to cry or shout,

Because my heart is telling me to just get up and walk out,

Love and laughter is all that I need,

So just leave me alone for I do not need,

Any yelling or screaming in my life anymore,

Because my heart is to tired, it’s just another chore,

Why is the earth filled with envy and greed?

While we sit around looking for a plea,

Bargain with god, its never going to come,

So we do it ourselves, that’s what will make us strong,

Helping others whenever I get the chance,

Even when I do not get to dance,

For the joy that I deserve,

Even though I get shot down I still get up,

Death is just so absurd,

Why kill a little boy with a plan,

To grow and be what ever he wants to be,

Unlike his mom, who is not lucky to be,

Just like mine, life is just ugh,

I’m done, I’m out!

But then I turn around because I still feel I need to help out.

Posted in Catalyst.

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By Drew T – May 20, 2011

My Helpful Reviews

When writing a blog post I always put myself into what I say. My friend Jessica T and I always would read each others posts to get some background.  We would both put our own unique personality into our writing in order to express ourselves in what we thought. One we had finished we would always ask the other what they would think. In her writing she always put herself out there one hundred percent. She would always flat out tell you how she feels about every detail she could think of. I was always amazed by how powerful her writing could be. I could really tell how she truly felt about what she wrote. I would always try and do the same. In my opinion my own writing lacked such heart. My posts would have my personality in it but I would just give more facts than my true self and what I feel into it. We would never really criticize each other but we would just give some ideas of what the other could do. Everyday I felt my writing was more powerful and I felt I put my own feelings in more and more. If we had never started looking over each others work I don’t think I would be where I am today with my writing. I still have a long way to go I know that. But I love that I am now able to put in all the fact I need into my writing and still put in what I feel, and I am proud of that. I am very thankful of Jess. She is an amazing writer and I think that everyone could use a friend to help them review there own work. That way you can figure out what you can say so that way real people that you know will be looking at it will be able to see and feel what you write.

Posted in Cyber Journal, Uncategorized.

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By Drew T – May 11, 2011

How To Tell a Persons Worth

Kindness and compassion are the true measure of a person’s worth. That is so true for all of the characters in the book. “Mr. Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he would get him back if it took the rest of his life.” that is what helps determine what a person is worth. To the entire town he is now nothing but a piece of garbage. Almost the entire town loves Atticus and thinks it was very fine of him to protect Tom. Atticus protecting Tom determined how much he was worth himself. Helping out an African-American in court accused of raping a white woman. That takes a lot of courage and compassion for him to do that in a town that is “separate but equal”. Calpurnia helps out with the family and is kind to them. She sometimes gets a bit frustrated with the kids but I don’t blame her. Our parents probably did the same to us when we did the same things like that. Her being able to help out around the house is kind to all the family, neighbors, and kids just shows how much she is worth. In the African-American community she is somewhat a respected person. She knows what is right and never backs down from it. She is a very important person to Scout. Scout is a very bright individual. She cares about her family a lot and also the community. She is a little rough sometimes and gets into a couple a scrapes, but nothing to big. She always is worried about Jem what he looks sad. All these things added up show how much she is worth. In my opinion she is a very important person in the town. There are not a lot of girls in the town her age and yet she gets along just fine. The adult woman are trying to turn her more lady like and they are starting to get some results. She loves her father dearly and enjoys talking to him.

Posted in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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By Drew T – May 9, 2011

Playlist of a twisted life

 Three Days Grace – Pain

This song really describes Tyler in this book because of all the emotional and physical fights he has throughout this book. The song talks about the agony that he faces, but that it is better to have felt the pain, then to have never felt it at all.

The Killers – When You Were Young

This song is about going through life waiting for something reat to just jump out at you so you can fix your life. Then how you look back on life and wish you could go back sometimes because of the good time you used to have. “They say the devil’s water it ain’t so sweet. You don’t have to drink right now. But you can dip your feet. Every once in a little while” Tyler takes risks through this book and I think that verse in the song sums that up nicely.

Skillet – Awake and Alive

This song is all about doing what is right even if the world doesn’t want you to or drags you down. In the last section of the book that is what Tyler does. He starts to make everything right. He even takes his dad’s gun and throws it into the river. He gets all things straight with the police. He makes things right with his family and friends.

Skillet – Hero

In this song it talks about needing someone to help you through all the issues in your life. Tyler’s friends Yoda is kind of like that, but he can’t really do anything. the entire song talkes about being on the edge and not knowing what to do, but at the same time doing what you need to do. That is another one of Tyler’s problems. In the end just like the song he puts himself in harms way and ends all the problems.

Suicide Silence – Fallen

Having thinking Tyler found the way to happiness with finally getting the girl he wanted and life was starting to get on track it all just blows up in his face. All he can feel is pain and cheated out of happiness. Feeling so close he just now feels crushed for doing what was actually right.

Escape the Fate – Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliché

Getting picked on by his old bullies, on the verge of committing suicide at one point, and losing his girl. He just wants to slow things down and leave. But he cant because otherwise thing would just get worse.

Escape the Fate – Webs We Weave

Life is down hill and lost in the lies. Tyler does not know what to do. Life is just full of trouble and he is lost in it.

Posted in Twisted.

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By Drew T – April 29, 2011

Why Is It Important To Me?

Bing able to choose my own book for independent reading is important to me. So far for this quarter I have already finished one book. I’m really not all that much of a reader. Usually when I finish a book I say how I am glad that is over. A little over fifty percent of the time I don’t like books teachers pick out for me. But since I was able to look around to find a book I was able to find one a really enjoyed. The book that I chose for this quarter was “Twisted”. When I finished reading the book I just took a deep breath and set it down. I thought of how wonderful it was and how much I enjoyed it. It really had seemed to connect with me. Another great thing about being able to choose my own book is being able to read at my own pace. Usually when a teacher picks out a book for you have deadlines to meet for chapters. Sometimes teachers will even get angry if you read on ahead. When I get to choose my own book I get to read at my convenience. That really is important to me because then if I don’t have the time all I am able to do is skim the book and look for details. Reading might not be the most fun thing to me but I do enjoy it. It is important to me whether I am able to pick out my own book or not.

Posted in Cyber Journal.

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By Drew T – April 28, 2011

What A Role Model

The children learn right from wrong through many events in the novel, but Atticus teaches them specifically about being kind to other people and doing what is right. He serves as a great role model to not only his kids, but all the children. When Atticus caught the kids playing there Radley game the second time he told them how wrong they were to do that. “So that’s what you were doing, wasn’t it… putting his life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood”. After he had said that Jem stopped playing the game. But then he was really angry at his father. But you have to learn from your parents one way or another and I think Atticus did the right thing. The first time the kids were caught playing the game Scout backed out right away. She knew that if she continued to play the game that she would get into big trouble. Atticus will always stand up for what he believes is right. Throughout the trial he has been setting that example for the kids. In the town of Macomb the city is segregated. Some of the people in the town are not racist at all, but most people think that they would still stay away from the other. When Atticus takes this case he is choosing to help out an African American. Many people call him insane or insult him for doing so. But he knows that he has a moral obligation to do this. He knows if he does this that his kids will probably go in his footsteps and do the same. Scout already has done so by going to an African American church. When the story was first getting started Atticus did another thing that was a great thing to do for the kids. When Scout started school she was told not to read anymore. She had even gotten in trouble for already knowing how. But then Atticus told her that she could still continue by cutting a deal, he had made her overfilled with joy. Atticus is a good role model for children, and I think he will be for the rest of the story to.

Posted in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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By Drew T – April 25, 2011

It only matters if you use it

To be honest, I don’t really check power school. I know what I hand in, and when I get my papers back I can see what grade I got on them. It’s easy for me to see then if I am doing well in that class or not. But I do know that it is important for some other students. I now people that check it everyday because they can’t wait to see what there grade is. It seems to be very important to them, because they like a constant update on how they are doing. But another thing is that some teachers don’t put the grades in right away. Again I will say that I don’t really mind about that since I just wait for my paper to come back to me. Some teachers hand the papers back before they are put into power school. A lot of teachers like to use both power school and the old fashion book organizer technique. That way if they make a mistake on power school they can look back in the books to see what it should be. Power school is important because that is what determines what is on our report cards. That is why some students check it also I think, so to make sure that there is no mistakes. Just recently I started using power school. I used to think that it was pointless and that I really didn’t need it. Within the last week I have been using it almost everyday. It allows me to access my grades wherever there is a computer with access to the internet. I think it does help me be a better student. It allows me to see what I have been doing so far and how well I did it. I like it, but it all depends on how much you need it. I probably will be using it more now but it still won’t really affect me in to much in a way. But I know it could help me if I were to use it a bit more.

Posted in Uncategorized.

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By Drew T – April 4, 2011

Waking Up

I had found out that her body had been discovered in a shack five miles away from the camp far into the woods. When I told Nan I did not know what to say. She was in terrible pain. But at the same time I could see she was relieved. Maybe she at least wanted her to be found. Missy was my baby and she will never be back. When this letter came I just wanted to burn it. But eventually Nan had told me to go. I had pretty much lost faith in god. When I leave I feel I am setting out on a new journey in my life. When I get there I look around. The shack is small but there are three people inside the shack sitting there looking at me. An African woman stands up. She walks over to me and looks me in my eyes. She tells me her name is Elouisa and how she is the one who sent me the note. She says that she also referred to as papa to a lot of people. One man stands up then and walks towards me a little. He is from the Middle East I can tell that much. He tells me that his name is Jesus, and that he is Jewish. He greets me with such hospitality and a firm handshake. He also tells me that he is the gardener’s assistant. Then finally a little Asian woman gets up and walks towards me. She tells me her name is Sarayu and that she is a gardener. For days I talked to them, trying to recreate with my connection with god or I guess I should have to say them. They treated me with great hospitality. They were kind to me and talked to me about everything. They were able to understand me and see what had built inside me over this time. Finally I knew I had to go. I felt like the weight of the world had been taken off my shoulders. But I knew I still had some figuring out of something’s they said. They used a lot of metaphors that I did not yet completely understand. Once I got out of the woods and onto the highway I tried to figure them out. They stumped me and I just could not put the pieces together. All of a sudden I just saw a bright light… and then everything turned dark. Opening up my eyes everything looked fuzzy. When I looked around the entire room was white pretty much. Then everything became clear and I saw Nan. I looked at her and all of a sudden I realized everything about life and god.

Posted in Uncategorized.

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By Drew T – April 4, 2011