Writing Reflection #8

Welcome back blog followers,

So, it’s Monday April 30, 2012 and you know what that means, time for yet another writing reflection. This reflection will be focused on Newspaper Blackout Poetry.

I personally like doing Newspaper Blackout Poetry Newspaper Blackout Poetry. I think it is fun. I’m not sure if I did this assignment correctly.

I had trouble finding my first article because I guess I wasn’t looking in the right newspapers. It took me two classes to find the first article but I finally found an article on Whitney Houston’s death. I made my poem about music. The first poem is kind of messing and a little hard to read because the words I needed, weren’t in the proper order.

The second article was hard for me because none of the articles I found could relate back to the music theme. I finally found an animal article, so I decided my theme could be poems from the Metro newspaper since that is where I found the first article. This poem is less messy and is easier to read.

The third and last poem I found is also about animals. This poem is probably the most organized and the easiest to read out of the three poems. I found this article in the Metro newspaper also.

I wish I could find another animal article so that could be my theme but I searched in many newspapers over the weekend, but could not find any animal articles.

I am happy with the poems I came up with.

Makes Newspaper Blackout Poetry unique from the other types of writing we have done this semester (listogrpahy, doodling, six word memoirs, moments) is that the words were there for us to use, we just had to pick the words out.  For the listogrpahy we did at the beginning of the semester, we had to come up with the ideas from a list; this is nothing like Newspaper Blackout Poetry. Doodling is nothing the same as Newspaper Blackout Poetry because we had to draw things when we did the doodling. Six word memoirs and our moments are like the listography in the sense of us coming up with the ideas.

While doing Newspaper Blackout Poetry, I found myself searching for the correct words after I found a got an idea. I found it hard to not summarize the article but transform it into a new idea.

That’s all for now but come back later to see more of my blog

♥ Michelle

Reading Refliction 7

Welcome back blog followers,

So, I just realized that I never posted my reading reflection 7 from Monday. 

Book: Sisterhood Everlasting 

Author: Ann Brashares

Pages read: 1-42

In the prologue, it tells us all about the four friends. It also lets us know that this book will take place 10 years since the day that the pants where lost in Greece. The girls are about to turn thirty. None of the girls have children. I wonder why this is? I hope they explain this later on in the book. The prologue also tells us that Bridget got injured except it doesn't tell the reader how or when she got injured. I wonder if it will be explained later in the book. 

In the first chapter, we are told about how the girls, I mean women are up to in the last ten years. 

The chapter starts with Carmen sitting in a chair getting her makeup done. It then explains that she is an actress in a TV series. It also tells us that Carmen is a friend with a guy named Jones. Who is Jones? Maybe a boyfriend? I hope they explain this later in the book.

The chapter tells the reader that Tibby moved to Australia. What I wonder is why she decided to move so far away from her family and friends? 

They don't really explain what Lena is but I'm guessing she is an art teacher at some school because it mentions that she put her feet up on her desk and balanced sketchbooks on her lap. Is she an art teacher? 

Lastly, The chapter wraps up with telling us about Bridget's life. It tells us that she is still with Eric (the guy she met at soccer camp in the first book) and that they have moved four times in the last year and a half. Why is this? It really doesn't tell us. Eric and Bridget talks about future plans (a.k.a. marriage) in which, Bridget has no plans to get married in the near future. I wonder why this is? Does she not love Eric that much? 

The second chapter starts with Carmen going to meet Jones. I'm guessing he is her boyfriend because he is calling babe. A couple pages in, it says that Carmen's dad is coming to visit her. He is coming to visit her because he is lonely after his wife (Carmen's step mother) Lydia died. What did she die from? Why can't Carmen's dad live with Carmen if he is so lonely? 

The chapter then switches to Lena. Lena can’t get over Kostos and I’m wondering if he will show up later in the book. Will Lena try to get him back?

The third chapter starts with Carmen on her way to meet her dad at his hotel, which is only a few blocks away from where Carmen is shooting her TV series. Carmen can’t believe that her dad looks so different since his wife died. This chapter explains that Lydia died from breast cancer a year and a half ago.  Carmen asks about her stepbrother, Paul. Her dad tells her that Paul has just got back from Afghanistan. Is he a shoulder there or something else? It doesn’t really explain this. Her stepsister, Krista, has three children. In the other books, Carmen’s relationship with Krista was not that good. Will the death of Lydia bring the stepsisters closer together?

Yet again, the chapter goes to Lena’s life. This chapter explains that Lena’s grandparents died and now it is up to Lena’s dad to decide if they should sell their house in Greece. But, why wont Lena’s dad sell the house?

That is all I have read so far in the book.

♥ Michelle

Y Daycare

So, on April 10th, 2012, I made a post about my work experience class at the Y daycare. Here is an update on how that is going. I still love it there; the kids get so excited when I arrive at the daycare around 2:45pm everyday. There are parts that I could do without. Like, when the kids think they don't have to listen to me when I ask them to do something.

 One example of what has happened while I was at the daycare. Yesterday, a 4-year-old boy spit me at because I asked him to not push another little boy. He didn't think I had the right to ask him to stop, so, he decided to spit and curse at me. Like really, a four year old should not be doing either of these. I was surprised when I heard the things that came out of his mouth. Of course I didn't get mad. I tried to calm him down so I could talk to him. One of the other teachers there came over when she heard and saw what he did. She took him inside to calm him down. When his mom came to pick him up, one of the teachers told his mom what he did and she said that it was fine because he does that at home. This made my mad but I didn't show it. Like really, it's ok that your son is swearing and spiting at people? He may do it at home but he is not allowed to do it at daycare. The other kids don't need to hear this kind of stuff. 

Another example that I could do without is when the kids cry. Today, while we were outside, I was playing with this 18-month-old girl named Sophia. I turned away for a second to talk to another little girl. When I turned back, I saw Sophia was standing on the pavement and crying. I made my way over to her and her older sister, Mia, came running over to me and told me that Sophia was bleeding. I rushed over to her and only saw a bit of bleed on her forehead. One of the other teachers came over and picked her up. When Sophia’s back was towards me, I saw that the back of her head was gushing with blood. The teacher took her inside to clean her up and returned with an ice pack to put on her head. Sophia was crying and not wanting to keep the ice pack on her head. She motioned for me to take her, so I placed her on my lap and she allowed me to put the ice pack on her head. A few minutes later, she didn't want it anymore so I decided that I should try to distract her. I took her over to the slide she loves to go down, and she forgot about what had happened. 

The kids at the daycare seem to cry a lot. Maybe it is become they are only little but they seem to like to hurt each other. I have several kids each day come up to me and say that someone hurt them. 

An example of this is, I had a boy come up to me and tell me that one of the girls bit him on his arm. I went over to the little girl and asked her why she did that. She told me that the boy had pushed him and made her bump her head. 

I'm making the Y daycare kids sound like they are all bad. But truthfully, the children are 95% of the time good. 

I will be sad when my work experience is over at the beginning of June. I plan on talking to the director of the daycare about possibly working there in the summer. The kids love me and it sounds like the other teachers would like if I would come there in the summer. I will have to just wait and see. 

 

Summary of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants books

Hi blog followers,

So, you may have seen I finished my "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" book last week. My mom got the latest book in this series. The book takes place ten years later after the 4th summer of the four friends lives. But, before I start reading this book, I decided to do some research on the other three books in this series.

In the second book (The Second Summer of the Sisterhood), while Bridget, Lena and Carmen are looking forward to spending the summer together, Tibby goes off to a film school camp. Bridget finds a bunch of letters from her grandmother (her mom’s mother)

In which her father has hidden from her. Bridget decides to go visit her grandmother in Alabama.

Carmen goes on her first real date, in which the story follows her through the ups and downs of dating. Her mother also goes on a date, in which Carmen doesn’t like and tries to stop the relationship.  

Lena is still madly in love with Kostas. Lena broke up with him because of the long distance between them. 

Like I said above, Tibby goes off to a film camp. Her relationships with Brian and her own mother are damaged throw out the story.

When Bridget goes and meets her grandmother, she learns all about her mother and herself. Her grandmother lets Bridget into the world her mother grow up in and it explains why Bridget’s mother ended up taking her own life.

 Source: (http://booksandmovies.colvilleblogger.com)

The third book in the series (Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood) finds the best friends just graduated from high school and trying to figure out who they want to be.

Carmen takes a job taking care of Lena’s Greek grandmother (the one in the first book) to earn some money. Carmen also meets a boy during the summer. The story follows Carmen on her adventures of dating. While all this is going on for Carmen, her newly remarried mother gets pregnant and Carmen is not happy with this.    

Lena wants to keep doing her art but her father is not happy with this.

Tibby experiences a family crisis while her relationship with a male friends goes beyond “just friends”. 

Bridget is still trying to figure out all the information she got about her mother’s death. Eric (the guy she met at the soccer camp in the first book) returns to try to get Bridget back.

Source: I found this summary on a power point I found online

The fourth book (Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood) is the last book in the series (of their teen years).  This book takes place the summer after their first year of college.

Lena attends a painting class to try to get over Kostos and becomes involved in a summer romance. She also is brought face to face with the one person she hoped to forget about, Kostos. Mean while, Effie (Lena’s younger sister) goes to Greece and ends up losing the magical pants.

Carmen goes to a drama camp at a university and falls under the spell of a classmate and forgets about her friends and what the pants represent.

Bridget goes on a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey after finding out that Eric is going to Mexico without her. At the digging site, she falls in love with a follow co-digger (I don’t think that’s really a word); however, Bridget can’t have him because he is a married man.  

Tibby leaves behind a person (Brian) she loves with the hopes he will be there when she returns. She attends summer classes in New York City. When Brian goes to visit Tibby in New York City, they make love and Tibby thinks she maybe pregnant (she doesn’t end up being pregnant). They break up and Brian ends up dating Effie. When Tibby finds out, she is not happy and tries to get him back.   

Source: http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780385729369-10

and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Forever-in-Blue-The-Fourth-Summer-of-the-Sisterhood/108474865843535

So, now you know what happened in the other 3 books in this series. You are now caught up with the books. I hope the last book will be as good as the first four books. 

Writing Reflection 7

Hi blog followers,

For this weeks writing reflecction, I will do the same thing as I did last week (visiting 3 of my classmates blogs and leaving a comment).

The fisr person I decided to visit was Carly's blog. I saw her digital footprint and I think it's cool and well drawn.

http://carlyblogsnow.blogspot.ca/2012/02/digital-footprint-doodle.html showComment=1335206717959


The second blog I visited was Katarina's. I saw she had a picture of John Lennon and she said he is her idol, but she didn't say why.

http://creativewrtiting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/im-not-going-to-change-way-i-look-or.html?showComment=1335208excpet 143392


The third and last blog I visited was Beth's blog. I saw she has a picture of her puppy. I love animals and whn I saw this picture, I know I had to leave a comment about how cute the puupy was.

http://bethradons.blogspot.ca/2012/03/personal-addition.html showComment=1335231457675

Writing Reflection 6

(Part 1)  I would like you to visit 3 classmates blogs, and leave meaningful and significant comments that encourage a discussion. When you leave a comment, I want you to cut and copy the page specific blog address/URL and post it in your blog as part of your Writing Reflection.

Comment 1

My first comment I left on someone’s blog was Lexi’s. I saw she had a picture of a sad looking student that had projections around her of judgement.

http://forcedtostartblogging.blogspot.ca/2012/03/personal-addition_13.html?showComment=1334601941861#!/2012/03/personal-addition_13.html

Comment 2

The second comment I left was on Hannah's blog (not the one in our afternoon class). She did a post about an old show that was on PBS when we were little. I decided to post a comment because I loved the show.

http://grandoptimism.blogspot.ca/2012/02/my-digital-footprint.html

Comment 3

The last person's blog I commented on was Kaitlyn's (in our class) blog. She had posted a personal addition about Lolita dresses. I like the dresses she posted.

http://rodiansinger.blogspot.ca/2012/03/my-god-i-absolutely-love-lolita.html?showComment=1334607913907

(Part 2) I also want you to discuss how the process of commenting went:

• Where did you leave comments? Why did you select that post to comment on?
• What are the characteristics of a "good" comment?
• What are the characteristics of a "bad" comment?
• What are some benefits to commenting on other people's blogs?
• What are the benefits to receiving comments on your blog?

I left comments on people’s posts that sounded interesting to me and that I could connect with. I think a good comment included questions and if you can personally connect with the topic. I think that a “bad” comment would be a one sentence comment and not really going deep into the topic. I think commenting on other peoples blogs is a fun idea to do because it shows them that people care about what they are posting. If no one comments, it probably will make the person feel like blogging is just a waist of their time. I haven’t received any comments on my blog.

Reading refliction 6

The following is read between April 10^th, 2012 and April 16^th, 2012. So, I finished my “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” book over the weekend.

Chapter 18 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

Why does Lena think she is adopted?

Effie (Lena’s younger sister) has a boyfriend at home but is flirting with boys in Greece

I think it is cute that Lena can’t stop thinking about Kostos

I think it is sad that Kostos lost his parents and brother in a car accent when he was only little   

Carmen’s story

I think it was good of Carmen to send her dad money to repair a window she broke

Bridget’s story

So, did Bridget have sex with Eric?

Is Bridget going to become depressed like her mother?

Chapter 19 questions, comments and predictions

Tibby’s story

Tibby should have not told Bailey about Carmen’s personal life

I hope that Bailey didn’t have to go to the hospital for anything serious

Bridget’s story

I think Eric and Bridget should not be flirting

Chapter 20 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

Why is Kostos swimming around naked in the ocean?

Tibby’s story

I think it’s sad that Mimi (Tibby’s hamster) died

This is the chapter that we first get to meet Tibby’s dad

Carmen’s story

Why did Carmen’s parents hide the fact that they were devouring when Carmen was a child?

Chapter 21 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

What is the legal drinking age in Greece?

Tibby’s story

Tibby thinks that if she forgets about the world, Bailey will not be in the hospital about to die

I think Tibby should go see Bailey before Bailey dies

Who goes to the hospital at midnight to see someone?

Carmen’s story

I hope Carmen’s father will take in the comments Carmen said while on the phone with her

Chapter 22 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

Why is Effie bugging Lena about liking Kostos?

Tibby’s story

How did Bailey know that Mimi died?

Carmen’s story

I think it was right of Carmen to decide to go to her father’s wedding

Chapter 23 questions, comments and predictions

Carmen’s story

I like that no one said anything about Carmen wearing the pants in the wedding photos

Chapter 24 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

Why does Lena want to change her flight plans?

Where is she going?

Tibby’s story

This is the chapter that Bailey dies

Follow up

I think sending a pair of pants around the world for a summer is a good idea. It kept the four best friends connected when they were not together.

Work Experience

Work? I wouldn’t call what I do work. I volunteer at the YMCA daycare every weekday from 2:45pm until they close at 6pm. I have a spare last period, so I go there when fifth period ends. I go involved with the YMCA when I signed up for the trial run of the work experience program here at school.  

I love going to the YMCA daycare. I’m in the preschool room which have children as young as 18 months to 6 years old. Your probably are thinking that I made a mistake while typing the age group but I didn’t. There are really children as young as 18 months at the daycare and yes, some kids are still in diapers. I have not yet been asked to change a diaper but if I was to be asked, I would have o problem with that because I have practise from babysitting young children.

The children and the staff at the daycare are all friendly and welcoming. The children get so excited when they see me walk through the doors. I have only been going there for a week but already I feel like I’m apart of the daycare. Last Wednesday, I told the kids that I wouldn’t be back until Monday (today) because of a thing I had at school for grad fashion show and because of Easter. The kids were sad because they wanted me to come everyday.

The daycare staff have asked me to come up with some activities to do with the children, but I can’t think of gams that all different ages can play. I f anyone who reads this can think of an activity/game to play, please leave a comment below. This would help me so very much.

The daycare has a little play structure outside in a gated area that when the weather is nice, the kids go and play on. Last Wednesday, since it was nice out, we went outside and the kids were putting rocks down my shirt. I didn’t mind because I could tell that they were having fun.

I have my little group that just love to be around me. It includes two twin sisters who are four years old, three girls how are all three years old and a little two year old boy. The boy has a blue strip in his hair.

Sometimes, I can’t understand some of the kids but the other kids can and they tell me what was said. Some of the younger kids can’t really talk but can say a couple of words.

I’m teaching some of the older preschoolers how to read. I have a badge that says my name and volunteer on it. They can recognize letters, so now they just need help reading.

I'm hoping to get a job there at the daycare in the summer. 

♥ Michelle

Reading Reflection #5

Hi blog followers,

So, I have continued to read my "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" book. The following I have read between March 31,2012 and April 9^th, 2012

Chapter 10 questions, comments and predictions

Bridget’s story 

Is she trying to impress Erik (the couch at her soccer camp) by playing really well during her soccer games?

Chapter 11 questions, comments and predictions

Lena’s story 

I think the best friends will understand if Lena tries to wash the blood off the pants after her grandfather got into a fight with another guy

Tibby’s story

How does Bailey (the girl who fainted at Tibby’s work) know where Tibby lives? I think this is kind of creepy since Tubby has never brought her to her house

Carmen’s story

She sounds like a math nerd because she likes to do math even on her summer vacation

Why won’t anyone tell her about Lydia’s (her new step mother) ex husband?

Chapter 12 questions, comments and predictions

Tibby’s story

I predict Tibby and Brian (a guy Tibby interviews who plays video games at the 7-11 across the street from Tibby’s work) will fall in love by the end of the book

Bridget’s story

Should Eric and Bridget be flirting if he is a couch at the camp?

Lena’s story

Why wont Lena’s bapi (grandfather in Greek) talk?

Chapter 13 questions, comments and predictions

Carmen’s story

I think Lydia’s comments about Carmen’s dress fitting was rude because she pretty much was saying that Carmen was too fat to be in her wedding

Tibby’s story

What made Tibby decide to interview random people instead of focusing on a story line?

Bridget’s story

Why is Eric playing hard to get if just last chapter he was flirting hard core with her?

Chapter 14 questions, comments and predictions

 Tibby’s story

Bailey sounds like she is not afraid of dying (she has cancer)

Lena’s story

Why are people hiding staff from Effie?

Carmen’s story

So did Lydia tell Carmen’s dad about the dress fitting or not? Because he doesn’t seem like he is mad about how Carmen acted

 Chapter 15 questions, comments and predictions

Carmen’s story

Doesn’t Carmen’s dad care about her walking out?

She should try talking to her dad about how she feels instead of just keeping it inside and being angry all the time

Lena’s story

She doesn’t think that if she walks by Kostos at work, he will not think she looks like a stalker?

Chapter 16 questions, comments and predictions

 Lena’s story

I wish there was a part in the back of the book to tell me what all the Greek words that appear in Lena’s story mean

Is Lena’s grandmother trying to get Lena and Kostos to fall in love?

Chapter 17 questions, comments and predictions

Tibby’s story

Why is Tibby so tired when Carmen comes over?

Why does Tibby have to do everything for her mother and siblings?

♥ Michelle

Writing Reflection #5

My “Moment”

Last week, we had to finish our rough draft of our “moment” and then colour code it. I was able to finish it by the end of class. I liked doing this because it allowed me to re-read my “moment” and search for certain topic. I found out that my “moment” is far from being done. I still need to add more elements to the story so it is more story like and less just telling what happened. I should add more dialogue.

Blogging

I still want to learn how to upload videos on to my blog. I have a couple of cute videos of my cats that I want to share but I don’t know how to upload them. Every time I try, it says the video can’t be uploaded. I would love to learn about Twitter, I think it would be neat to have people follow me except I don’t know who would because I’m not that exciting. I would probably follow celebrities on Twitter.

Next Project

I think it would be cool to do Fan fiction as the next project. I had never heard of Fan fiction until today when I goggled it.