Blog #10

What stands out to you most in your eleventh grade experience at our school?

It stands out to me how many things an eleventh grader has to do. Its like there is never really a time when you are like I have absolutely nothing to do or work on. We have many things to worry about in junior year like SAT's and writing resumes and cover letters for internship and already thinking about what college you want to go. Sometimes being in 11th grade can be a little stressful but its important to just do your work and do everything on time. What stands out to me the most in my eleventh grade experience at our school is how we actually get to have an internship in something we are interested in. Also how we get to write resumes and cover letters and learning how to write them, this can really help me later in the future when I apply to a job.

What stands out to you most about your Humanities class?

What stands out to me about my Humanities class is how we are more independent now and we are treated more like adults now. For example, for the American Icons project Randy never asked to read our paper and we never had to turn it in to him so he could read it, we turned it in until we were sure it was perfect. We on our own had to go to him and ask him if he could please read our paper if we wanted feedback from him. Also, in the quizzes we need to take this week, we are the ones that decide when to take each one of them. Also with the Theater Project we all have important jobs in the play that we have to accomplish and we all have to work with each other because we, as a class, are the ones that are going to make the whole play, Randy will help us but we have be the ones that do mostly all the work.

What have you read that made you think this year (in or out of school)?

In math class, we read the article "Rice Paddies and Math Tests" from the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. This article was about how Chinese students are usually better at math because their numbers are shorter and that way they learn them faster also the way they say their fractions is very easy and that way easier to understand. It also talked about hard work and how the farmers that work in rice paddies are successful because of all the hard work they do and how they spend so much time everything is perfect in their rice paddies like the water levels and the amount of rice. Like he said in the article "working really hard is what successful people do." This made me think about school and how I have to work really to make sure I turn in my work on time and so that it is the best work I can do. I need to make sure to put all of my effort in everything I do and make sure I always work hard on everything I do.

What have you noticed about your growth as a writer?

I think I have grown as a writer this year because of all the writing tips I've learned so far. Now everything I write I try to balance out my ideas with my words so that I don't have so many words with a little bit of ideas or too much ideas but with so little writing. I also remember on the first days of school when Randy put us with a partner and one of the partners had to look at a picture and do their best to describe it so that the other partner would be able to draw the same exact thing. This was kind of difficult because you had to find the exact word so that your partner could understand what you were saying, you had to be able to put that picture in their mind so that they would be able to draw it. This helped me see that when I write I have to make sure to use the write words and descriptions so that the reader can have an image in their mind of what I'm talking about.

What goals do you have for your next month? What is your plan to reach towards these goals?

My goals for the next month in humanities class are to try and add more writing tips in my writing and also try to read more books. I plan on achieving these goals by reading through my writing and then seeing places where I can add writing tips also maybe asking for some help from my classmates. I plan on going to the library more often to read more books and maybe ask humanities teachers for recommendations on books. Also I really want to do my theater job right and be able to work well with everyone else in the class to make sure that the play turns out great. I plan on reaching this goal by making sure I work a lot with the project manager and with Naxiely to make sure everyone is doing their work and to make sure everything is okay. Also reading books about plays or looking at the resources Naxiely and I found to get ideas or just to make sure we are doing our job right.

Blog #9

What aspects of the play stand out to you?

What stands out to me about Hamlet is how there are so many things going on and its barely the beginning of the play. For example, we know that the king of Denmark (Hamlet's dad) died and his brother took over the throne and married Hamlet's mom. Then there is the dead king's ghost that appears at night. Then there is Hamlet's madness that we are starting to see and also Polonius comes into the story with his son Laertes, that is leaving to France, and his daughter Ophelia, who Hamlet is in love with. Then there is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the players. There are many characters in the play and they are all very different from each other with different roles in the play but they all somehow connect with each other to form the story that takes place in this play. It also stands out to me how we can see many different things in the play like love, murder, family, friendship, betrayal, and many other things.

Post images that represent three key moments in Hamlet, and write a short description of each, including the Act & Scene.

This is an image of what Hamlet's dead dad's ghost might have looked like. The ghost appears in three scenes so far. In Act I Scene I, IV, and V. I think the most important so far is the when the ghost talks to Hamlet in Act I Scene V because that's when we find out why the ghost is in the story and also when Hamlet starts thinking about revenge and since that point his "madness" starts.

This picture is of Act I Scene III, this is when Laertes is about to

leave and gives Ophelia advice about Hamlet and then we also see Polonius, who gives advice to both his son and his daughter. I feel like this moment is important because at this point we are basically introduced to three characters; Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia. We also get to know Polonius a little better and we start to see him a little more often after this scene. We also get to know more about Laertes's character, who will later on in the story be very important. Also, Ophelia is important because, as Polonius later tells the King and Queen, Hamlet is in love with her and they think that might be one of the causes for his madness.

This is an image of Gertrude and Claudius and they are in a couple of scenes so far but I would want to focus on Act I Scene II because that is when Claudius and Gertrude are first introduced and that's when we start to see how Claudius doesn't really care that his brother died and just keeps thinking of taking over everything. Also, how Hamlet doesn't like how his uncle married his mom and is basically the only one that is sad because his dad died while everyone else seems to have forgotten.

Blog #8

What stands out most to you about the overall Icons project? Why?

It stood out to me how all the people in our class had a different icon. We never, as a class, had a problem because a lot of people were doing the same icon or were talking about exactly the same thing. Everyone had their own personal definition of an icon and everyone had different ideas for their own project. This stood out to me because even though we are all similar in some ways we still like way different things and think way differently. Also, we all took the project we were given and took it in different directions.

How do you feel about the experience and your work now that the project is nearly complete?

I felt like this was a pretty good project where I learned a little more about everyone and I even learned a little more about myself and the important people in my life. I felt accomplished when I read my artist statement for the last time and when I picked the final picture to use in my project. It felt good to have written my artist statement and after a long process of drafting and revision finally looking at your paper and feeling accomplished.

What are your thoughts as we get closer to publishing our first book?

I think the book will turn out really good because everyone had very nice, creative and interesting pictures and also very good artist statements. I am excited to see how the book turns out and I am looking forward to looking at my classmates' work.

Blog #7

What were the best elements of the Icons work that you have seen exhibited in the Commons and on the blogs?

The best elements of the Icons work that I have seen exhibited in the 11th grade commons are probably the pictures and use of writing tips in the artist statements. I was impressed as I looked around at the different pictures because most of them were very creative and professional and they really connected with what they were talking about in their artist statement and it connected with their icon or icons. Also, many of them were taken from different angles and had different light and brighteness and some people even had costumes and props in their pictures which made the pictures look very nice and interesting. As I looked through the artist statement I noticed that many people used different writing tips in their writing, for example the "make meaning early" one and also "the loop."

What stood out to you and why?

There were many pictures and artist statements that stood out to me while I looked through people's work but one that really stood out to me and that I really liked was Jazmine Miller's artist statement. Jazmine's artist statement had really good transitions, it had lots of information because she was talking about Rosa Parks so she really talked about who she was and gave us information about her. She also had a good comparison between her grandma and Rosa Parks and how they both connected to her and her life. She had lots of detail and flashbacks and memories. I also liked how she used the concerts, not pancakes writing tip because she started with a memory and she ended really good too and this held up the middle. She also used the make meaning early writing tip and overall I thought it was a really good artist statement.

Blog #6

His Teachings, My Lessons
Cristina Michel

"You have to kick the ball with the inside part of your foot because if you kick it with the front you might get hurt or kick it wrong," my brother said as we played soccer three summers ago. The sun was over the horizon with its rays shining their last minutes. The darkness of the night was starting to set upon the sky as the cold wind blew through my hair. I ran faster and faster with the ball between my feet as my brother tried to take it from me. My heart beat faster every second and my eyes stared straight at the goal. All I could think of was scoring that goal to make my brother proud. Suddenly, as I was about to score he took the ball and started running to the opposite side and as soon as I looked back he had already scored a goal on me. "See that's why you have to watch out for the people around you and be faster! You have to be fast!"
We all have or had at some point someone we look up to, someone we would like to become or just someone we admire. For me that person is my older brother, Caesar Michel. Caesar was the one that taught me how to play every sport I know and was the one that encouraged me to join a soccer team. He is the only one in my family that shares my great passion for soccer. Every time he has time he plays with me and helps me get better at it. He believes in me and knows I can be good at anything I put effort and time in. Sometimes when I'm feeling like I'm not good at soccer and that I should quit he lets me win just to make me feel better. He always makes sure I'm laughing and if I'm not, he'll ask me what's wrong. He knows me well enough to know when I have a problem.
Caesar has always been inspired by my dad because of "all the lessons and teachings he gives us," Caesar said. He tries to do whatever he can so that we have a great education and so that we are healthy and happy. When I sometimes think of my brother I think of my dad because in pictures of when my dad was little he looked a lot like my brother. My dad has always been inspired by his dad because he says he was very honest and generous. My grandpa loved his family as much as my dad loves us. When I ask my dad a question he is always honest, he says things directly and straight without changing anything. I can also see this in my brother. Every time my dad can, he donates to people in need, which is something that I’ve also seen my brother do. Caesar has taught me so much throughout my life that I know I can teach everything he has taught me to my niece and nephew. I have also started teaching my niece how to play soccer and I always tell her everything my brother would tell me. "Kick it with the inside of your foot." I hope that I will be as good of a teacher as my brother and dad and grandpa were. I also hope my niece and nephew pass on those teachings and lessons to their next generation.
My brother has always inspired me to do well at school and play sports. He has always been my helper, no matter what question I have, he'll try to answer it the best he can whether it is a question about my homework or a simple question about whether my clothes match or not. He has always been my friend and even though, like every brother and sister, we fight but soon get over it as we start to laugh and forget about it. I am very lucky to have him as my brother. “I was born to protect you,” he usually says when he notices someone has hurt me or sadness over my face. His bright eyes and his smile that tells me “Everything is okay.”

Blog #5

What writing tips seem most useful to you so far?

The writing tips that have seemed the most useful to me so far are the first ("Writing is thinking and so is reading"), the third ("Activate your verbs"), and fourth ("Concerts, NOT Pancakes") writing tip. The first writing tip has really helped me so far to balance out my ideas and my words because I usually have so much ideas but so little of writing and it has also so happened that I have so much words but there are not enough ideas on my paper so then it just becomes boring. This writing tip has really help me improve in how much I write and how well I write it. The third writing tip has helped me to use stronger verbs instead of a lot of other little verbs, this has made my writing have a little more action. The fourth writing tip has really helped me to improve on my intro/beginning and on my ending because now I try to make them really good and put everything else in the middle so that the beginning and end holds up the middle.

What would you like our editors to focus on when they look at your work?

I would really like my classmates to focus on whether or not I am including the writing tips in my writing because the writing tips really help you improve on your writing so then if I include the writing tips in my writing then my writing will improve. I would also like them to focus on whether my writing makes sense the first time they read it because I usually just write out my ideas or thoughts or just how it makes sense in my mind but then when you read it you have to read it twice or more to actually know what I'm talking about. I also think grammar and spelling are important.

What are you hoping to improve in your writing?

I'm hoping to improve in my writing on being able to express my ideas in the right amount of words because I usually write a lot but then at the end the reader starts to get bored because its just so long and it doesn't have enough ideas. I also hope to improve on "showing not telling," which is using a lot of descriptive words and sensory detail to show the reader what you are talking about. Also, making my writing more strong and meaningful so that when the reader reads it they get impressed by my writing and actually want to read it.

Blog #4

The two icons I'll be talking about are my brother and my dad. These are two main icons in my artist statement. They are the two main icons in my artist statement because I am inspired by my brother and my brother is inspired by my dad.

Caesar Michel (My Brother)

1.

(In the picture: My brother and I on my 6th birthday.)

2. Quotes said by my brother:

-"I was born to protect you."

-"It is always worth trying."

-"Our dad has always inspired me because of the great person he is and all the teachings and lessons he gives us."

3. I will try to incorporate more dialogue in my artist statement and use some of his quotes because so far, in my artist statement, I only write about how he protects me and how he's a great brother but not about how he is like or the things he says. I feel like adding dialogue to the artist statement will help the story be more interesting and it will better describe how my brother is like around me. Also maybe write some of our conversations and maybe describe some of our childhood memories. I was thinking of maybe starting the artist statement with a flashback of a childhood memory and then that would describe how he's been there all of my life.

4. These 3 resources come from the book the current seniors wrote last year. These resources/artist statements helped me think of more ideas for my own artist statement like adding dialogue, a memory and other things.

-"My Brother, My Keeper" by Monika Consunji

-"My Inspirational Bro" by Brandon Rojas

-"My Right Hand" by Raul Escobar

Jorge Michel (My Dad)

1.

(In the picture: My niece and my dad.)

2. Quotes always said by my dad:

-"Life is full of problems, you just got to find your way out of them."

-"Do things right and it will always pay off some way or another."

-"Education is the key to life."

3. I will try to write more about my dad in my artist statement because so far I only wrote a little how my brother is inspired by my dad but I didn't really go in depth and I didn't write how my dad also inspires me. I feel like I should also go into depth on how my grandpa inspired my dad and how my brother, dad and grandpa all connect to each other. Also explain more why my brother reminds me of my dad and say all the things they have in common. Also, talk about all the lessons my dad has gave my brother and I and how he has taken care of us and helped us and how my grandpa helped him. This will help the continuum of my artist statement be more clear.

4. These 3 resources are websites and students' work that I looked at to give me more ideas on what to improve in my artist statement.

-http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=storycorps

-http://dp.hightechhigh.org/~rscherer/alumni/aforsythe/Eleventh%20Grade/Humanities/AmericanIcons.html

-"My Right Hand" by Raul Escobar

Blog #3

Caesar Michel (My Brother)

1.

2. "I was born to protect you."

"It is always worth trying."

"Our dad has always inspired me because of the great person he is and all the teachings and lessons he gives us."

3. I will try to incorporate more dialogue in the artist statement and use some of his quotes. Also maybe write some of our conversations and maybe describe some of our childhood memories.

4. "My Brother, My Keeper" by Monika Consunji

"My Inspirational Bro" by Brandon Rojas

"My Right Hand" by Raul Escobar

Jorge Michel (My dad)

1.

2. "Life is full of problems, you just got to find your way out of them."

"Do things right and it will always pay off some way or another."

"Education is the key to life."

3. I will try to write more about my dad in my artist statement and connect it more to my brother and grandpa. I will try to write more about how my brother reminds me of my dad.

4. http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=storycorps

http://dp.hightechhigh.org/~rscherer/alumni/aforsythe/Eleventh%20Grade/Humanities/AmericanIcons.html

"My Right Hand" by Raul Escobar

Blog #2

Caesar Michel (My brother)

1. What does this icon represent to you? Why?

My brother represents my helper, my brother, my protection, and my great friend. My brother represents my helper because he always tries to help me and no matter if its a question about my homework, college, school or just a question about whether my clothes match or not he is always willing to help. He represents my brother because like other brothers we sometimes fight and things like that but at the end we start laughing about it and forget about it. He represents my protection because he always protects me against people or things that could hurt. He also represents my great friend because all of my life he's been there in the good and bad times with me and I remember that when we were little we would always be playing around the house and still now we go play soccer every time we can. He was the one that inspired me to play soccer and he was the one that basically taught how to play most of the sports I know.

2. How did this icon become important to you?

My brother became important to me because of all the things he's helped me with and taught me through out my entire life. He's one of the most honest people I know. He is always giving me advice to help me succeed in life. My brother is a very important person in my life and sometimes I don't know what I would do without him.

3. Who or what did this icon inspire?

My brother inspired me to start playing soccer. He also inspired me to do very good at school and to in the future go to a good college. He inspired me to do more sports.

Mayra Rivas (My sister)

1. What does this icon represent to you? Why?

My sister represents my second mom, my role model, and my really good friend. She represents my second mom because she's been there my entire life because she's my oldest sister and every time my mom and dad would go on a trip, my sister would be the one that would take care of me. She would buy me clothes and take me to places and make food for us. She represents my rode model because I've always looked up to her because she's a really great person that will always give without expecting something in return. She'll always give money to the homeless and give her clothes out for donation. She a very kind person and I have learned so much great things about her. She represents my really good friend because I know no matter what I can just to talk to her about anything and I know she will always give me the best advise she can and help me.

2. How did this icon become important to you?

My sister became important to me because as long as I can remember she's cared about me and cared about how I am and even now that she doesn't live in the same place or even close to me she still calls me every week and asks me how I am and every year on my birthday she'll send a gift and call me.

3. What have you learned from your icon?

I've learned a lot of different things from my sister. She taught me how to write, she taught me how to swim, and most important of all she taught me to become a better person. She taught me to give to the people that need and to give without expecting anything.

4. Who or what did this icon inspire?

My sister has mostly inspired to try to accomplish my goals no matter what and always do the best that I can. She has also inspired my other sisters to study a lot and work hard for what they want.

San Francisco

1. What does this icon represent to you? Why?

This place represents where I was born, where my parents met, where some of my siblings were born, where most of my dad's family lives and were my sister lives. There are just some many memories of San Francisco and for my entire family San Francisco represents a very special place. We all love San Francisco.

2. How did this icon become important to you? This place became very important to me because this place is were my family basically started and I love spending summers visiting San Francisco. Its the place that when I go I feel like home and I can just think back to so many stories I've heard from there before.