Why should we continue Blogging?

Sorry, I wasn't able to finish this on Friday because I had to attend the LEO CLUB SPAGHETTI FUNDRAISER DINNER.

Dear Ms. Lees, teacher of our favourite class, English

I come forth with these three statements to tell you why we should continue Blogging and with reason of course! I do hope you consider these reasons for better of our class and work environment.

Reason 1

A Essential Tool

In today’s world, social communications had advanced to such a state, where we can send messages in near instantaneous speeds to other people around the world. In our Information Age today, it is much faster and cheaper to use social communication tools such as Bloggers or Facebook than it is to send a physical form of a message. I realized that digital communications is an essential tool to know and use in a future office environment just 10 years later. For my Blogger group to complete the project, we must cooperate within each other and dusciss what we must complete within a deadline. I believe that our Blogger project, is one of the best way to experience working, communicating, and troubleshooting in a team environment with digital communication tools, which is a skill we must learn for a future office job 10 years away, in our Information Age.

Reason 2

A good working environment

Do you think a teenager would be more comfortable working in front of a paper or in front of a screen? I feel that providing the appropriate environment, where the user is comfortable and able to write is a important factor to consider. Blogger, I feel gives a more appropriate feel of a work environment, where the eyes are staring at a screen, not a paper, where teenagers feel most comfortable. Blogger is similar to popular social tools such as Facebook or twitter. I believe that Blogger provides a better user-friendly work environment for the writer, which would be important when it comes to work efficiency.

Reason 3

Work Efficient

To be efficient at work is important in today’s office environment. Typing on Blogger or even any social media on the computer is much more efficient than using a lead pencil to write on a piece of paper, especially in larger-scale projects where stress has to be taken into consideration. Writing is much slower in terms of “word per minute” when comparing to using a keyboard. Therefore I believe that Blogger is a much better educational tool for both the teacher’s ease and the student’s relief.

I hope you have taken these into consideration Ms. Lees!

Sincerely from your much-needing-improving block 1 student...

Jonathan Zhan

Question 5 Revised

Question 5 - Students often have difficulties relating to Shakespeare or other writers from the past. However, they do not have as much trouble relating to characters that are set in the past, as in historical fiction. Choose one of the main characters, Peter, Kit, Sir Philip or another (approved by me first) and persuade me that as characters we can still relate to them today. You may want to start with their characteristics and then think of present day examples that are similar.

                Shakespeare, kings and queens of the past, and great explorers of their time, do you think you can still relate to them now? Although it can be difficult to relate to characters in the past, it is usually because of the narrow thinking about the changes of the time frames, people tend to think that there are no connections between themselves and the past. Different places, dress attire, and language, make people think that too much is different to relate to any of it. And though how it seems , it will be easier to do so if you examine their character traits, lifestyle, living standards, and personal goals, and compare them to our own. For example look at the novel Cue for Treason and the character “Kit.”

                Everyone has character traits, and this is in the past, the present and will be in the future. Kit is a fifteen year old girl who lived during the Elizabethan era in England. She is very smart, cunning, and witty. She can get what she wants done, done. Also very resourceful and thinks fast to avoid anything potentially harmful to herself.

“‘Yes I have no father or mother. Or five sisters,’ she added with a laugh. ‘I had to invent them to account for the way I knew how to curtsy and all that.’” Pg. 86

These days, kids, teens, even adults, quickly make up things to please, control or just to avoid hurting others. For example, parents tell young kids that Santa didn’t give them gifts because he forgot to visit the house, to avoid seeing their children unhappy, while the real reason could be because of bills waiting to be paid, resulting in the inability to provide their children gifts for that Christmas.Gifts, food, clothes and such were also dependent on the social status and how well off your family was.

                Even during the Elizabethan era, there was a large gap between the high class and the lower class. Kit is considered to be a “higher class” person during that time. She lived in a mansion, on a large estate, which will soon become her won when she is old enough to take over the name of the land. Although at first it does not seem like it, she has the manner of a fine lady, is used to eating fine foods, and living in comfort. This description of the “high class” hasn’t changed much from then till now. On the other hand the “lower class” has. From farmers then, farmers now who sell their produce become large companies. But compared to today’s people holding lower paying jobs or none at all now, shows that the economy has changed as so has the government. Even though there are the "high class" they also had their own problems to deal with, often it was family related if not otherwise.

                Kit has changed throughout the book as she disguises herself as a male character to flee from an arranged marriage with Sir Philip Morton, a noble who wants her land to expand on his own. Even though many people do not notice it, arranged marriages still do exist today. The joining of two large companies or groups for better business is not unusual. Many top line businesses in Hong Kong have their children arranged to marry, just to stabilize or affirm their future plans for the business or themselves.

                What is the purpose of life? To achieve the goal we want. All goals are different; meaning for some people will have to go the extra distance just to achieve what they want. Kit is very persistent, and will go as far as she can to achieve her goal. Because of this persistence, she goes such lengths to disguise herself as a male, not only so she can be unrecognized by Sir Philip, but to also sneak into a traveling theater company, to go far from her home in Cumberland.  During this time she finds her love for theater, hoping to become a better actor (actress).

                Seeing how present day lifestyles, living standards, goals and character traits can show how many things are similar, whether in the past or the present, we can relate to characters, even if it is set a century ago.

Should we continue Blogging?

      I believe that blogging is a useful tool that lets students be creative, connect with the world of technology, and learn to comment and post on a blog. Doing this will help students with their comprehension skills, while they are learning to criticize their peers. With this, it is easier to learn how to comment and post knowing that there is a wider audience reading what you have written.
      The negative effects are that, some students may find it easier to slack off and not do their homework thinking that their teacher won't find out, but in reality, it is easier to know if you did it or not. Also, it is easier to get sidetracked because you still are on the internet, meaning that there are ads and Facebook and everything out there to distract a student from their work.
      After all of this, I still believe that blogging is very useful and we should still use it, but with some rules and regulations. If not, then we will have half the class with unfinished work still waiting to be done.

Should we use Blogger?

   Many positive things can come from a learning experience such as blogger. Yes, I said a learning experience. Although blogger may have the same fundamentals of writing your thoughts down and sharing as any normal paper assignments, its very different and has much more to offer. One thing that is key I believe, is learning from your peers through reading their post and from their comments. You will see that as a student that more than one person has something to offer.
 
   Although a negative the biggest con of blogger is that if none of your group members are participating  you cannot learn from your peers.The solution is simple, though  harsh. It could be a very necessary action to disband the group members who are not producing posts. It wouldn't be any help to switch back to paper because if people are not doing their work on their blogs what makes you think they'll do work if it is on written paper? They opportunity is very good with the blogs. It teaches teamwork and problem solving with your groups because your group might face a challenge that requires you to work together to solve.

  I have found another good learning intention. The future of the world is without a doubt going to be a very advanced place technology wise. You do not want to be, like many seniors, caught in the past. That is why it could be very useful to use technology early in diverse ways such as education, as you can see in this clip. http://universe.byu.edu/index.php/2011/11/22/kindergarteners-use-ipads-not-chalkboards/ I believe that using blogs has more positives than negatives so should keep continuing using the blogs.

 

Question 2 - Entertainment Media (Revision)

Throughout the centuries, entertainment media has become a great achievement of human development. It reflects, carries on, and influences our culture, social value, and even political ideals. In the Elizabethan Age, the theatre was the only source entertainment media; now, entertainment media has all kinds of forms, such as TV, books, drama, and films. Though it is very different from the Elizabethan Age, but it still functions the same.

Humans are interesting creatures, they are easily affected by the surrounding people’s saying, but they do not admit it. When they see a political campaign advertisement, they are aware of the message it is trying to deliver. But when they are watching iCarly or American Idol, they have no caution of the delivering message. So do the people in the Elizabethan Age!

In the Elizabethan Age, the theatre actively spreads new ideas. They influence culture, social value and political ideals. Geoffrey Trease’s historic fiction novel Cue for Treason lively reflects theatre’s influence based on Shakespeare’s life experience, through a boy named Peter‘s eyes. In the age of Renaissance, many new ideas start to spread through the media of theatre. Famous writer Shakespeare, as a humanist, put many of his ideas into his plays. For example, the Romeo and Juliet, which focuses more on the relationship between people and people, such as Love and Hatred. It is totally the opposite of the Roman Catholic Church’s idea, which emphasizes the relationship between human and god. They weaken the authority of the Catholic Church. Shakespeare’s plays also bring a revolutionary change to the English language. More vocabulary, phrases, jokes are made. We are still using some of them in the modern days.

Now, with more advanced technology, entertainment media can reach all kinds of people. Many political parties have noticed its power and influences. During the 2011 federal election of Canada, the New Democratic Party wisely uses this “ancient media”. Political campaigns are made into cartoons, instead of a real Stephan Harper, the NDP uses “Tiny Stephan”! And, these cartoon advertisement are often played after American Idol, and are everywhere on YouTube and Facebook, which doubles the effect. It is hard for people to refuse its message. We all know the result of the election, the NDP triples its seats in the House of Commons and becomes the Official Opposition. More people’s voice can be heard in Ottawa. The NDP would not make this achievement without the entertainment media.

Now, humans are in their twenty-first century, but they are still such interesting creatures. They develop entertainment media to influence themselves. Who knows if it is wise or not?

Question 3. Revision

  Peter is the main character in the novel, "Cue for Treason". Peter is also the protagonist.Question three asks if Peter is a hero and if so what type of hero. Also, what other type of hero in history could you compare Peter to. To answer this question you must analyse and questions Peters action in the novel.
 
The usual characteristics of a hero could be such things as brave, selfless, caring, and kind. Peter suits these characteristics. The reader could question if Peter was brave or not because early on in the novel peter fled instead of facing Sir Phillip.This could also be an example of selflessness because he risking endangering friends and family by leaving them with an enraged, Sir Phillip. The reader would have to find the answer to this question with their own thinking.

 But first ask yourself; would a true hero such as Superman run away from Sir Phillip? Well probably not due to the fact Superman has super strength, flight and laser eyes.Use a different example perhaps. Would Mahatma Ghandhi run away from Sir Phillip I would not think so. Despite the one-in-a-million Ghandhi, Peter is brave, he threw a rock at Sir Phillip, joined the Secret Services of the Queen, and made a daring escape out of captivity.
 
Would Peter be an accidental hero or a hero such as a fire man who risks his/her life every day doing their profession? There could be debate over this. On one hand Peter was part of the secret services of the Queen. Which would make it seem like it was Peter's job saving the Queen and doing all the other heroic tasks. Peter is more likely an accidental hero because he was acting out in the moment heroines.

QUESTION 1 - Revision 2

As expected, the Revision 2 of Question 1 would come out on Friday. The purpose of Revision 2 is to make appropriate changes according to what and how Ms. Lees specified. Revision 2 is done after the corrections made during class time on Nov. 10th 2011.

This IS the FINAL version of the Question 1

Additions, Edits and Refining

Added - Explanation of Dilemma

Added - How is the topic a Dilemma

Peter is in a dilemma...

If Peter runs away from the law, represented by Sir Philip, he is protecting the identities of people who participated in the wall smashing while costing his own life branded as a criminal.

If Peter stays and faces Sir Philip, he would be arrested, tortured for the identities of the farms who participated in the wall smashing and most likely executed.

Both choices, whether he runs away or face his troubles are neither practically acceptable.

Added - The author’s implementation

The Geoffrey Trance, the author of Cue for Treason implemented such a dilemma purposefully, to further explain and elevate the conflict, personalities, and social level between the main protagonist, Peter Browning and the main antagonist, Sir Philip Morton.

The dilemma explains how the level of tension between the protagonist and antagonist are elevated, how Peter ran away further maddened Sir Philip to man-hunt him. The event also tells us of the social level of the protagonist and antagonist, why Peter has to fear and hide from Sir Philip, the law of Cumberland.

Added – Ordinary opinions about the question

Ordinary people also understand this question, if you want to see their response, go to the

following link...

http://www.sodahead.com/living/do-you-face-your-problems-or-just-run-away-and-hide/question-1597485/

Added – To stay and face your troubles

Refined – Mini-Summary

Peter Browning is a son of a Cumberlandian farmer. Peter is on the run from the law when he intentionally threw a large rock at the wealthy noble, Sir Philip. Peter, the son of a common farmer and is powerless compared to the noble, he chooses to run away and hide from the law, represented as Sir Philip. In Peter's situation, is it better to run away from your troubles, or to face them?

To

Geoffrey Trance’s novel, Cue for Treason takes place during the Elizabethan times, a time where social inequality in terms of powers and wealth were at its highest. Peter Browning, a powerless son of a poor farmer is on the run from the law represented by the powerful Sir Philip, for actions he did against the noble’s repression on the people. Is it better for Peter to run away from troubles he committed, or to face them?

Refined – Example: Mao ZeDong and the Long March

In 1934, during the Chinese Civil War, Mao, and the People’s Liberation Army of the Communist Party is on the verge of defeat by the antagonistic Kuomintang (KMT). The communist forces then made a daring retreat, to escape from their troubles with the KMT, just like how Peter in “Cue For Treason” ran away from Sir Philip. The retreat caused hardship to the soldiers participating, like how Peter was reduced to the travelling poor in Elizabethan England. The Long March at the end was successful; the communist forces managed to gain strength and support from the farmers and at the end, defeated the KMT in the Chinese Civil War.

To

Mao ZeDong, the leader of the Communist Revolutionary Army is on the verge of collapse during 1934, by the US-backed Kuomintang. The Chinese Communist armies then retreated to the North, hence called the Long March. Being pursued by the Kuomintang and local warlords, the communist armies ran, travelling through the impassable mountain passes of China. At the end of the retreat Mao’s surviving army accomplished, and saved itself from complete annihilation from environmental extremes and the Kuomintang. Mao’s Long March is an example when running away from troubles can still save you.

Revision 2 Final

Geoffrey Trance’s novel, Cue for Treason takes place during the Elizabethan times, a time where social inequality in terms of powers and wealth were at its highest. Peter Browning, a powerless son of a poor farmer is on the run from the law represented by the powerful Sir Philip, for actions he did against the noble’s repression on the people. Is it better for Peter to run away from troubles he committed, or to face them?

Unusual for a beginning of a novel, the use of dilemmas is common in novels to elevate the rising action from the initiating incident between the protagonist and antagonist.

Peter Browning’s Dilemma:

If Peter runs away from the law, represented by Sir Philip, he is protecting the identities of people who participated in the wall smashing while costing his own life branded as a criminal.

If Peter stays and faces Sir Philip, he would be arrested, tortured for the identities of the farms who participated in the wall smashing and most likely executed.

The Geoffrey Trance, the author of Cue for Treason implemented such a dilemma purposefully, to further explain and elevate the conflict, personalities, and social level between the main protagonist, Peter Browning and the main antagonist, Sir Philip Morton.

The dilemma explains how the level of tension between the protagonist and antagonist are elevated, how Peter ran away further maddened Sir Philip to man-hunt him. The event also tells us of the social level of the protagonist and antagonist, why Peter has to fear and hide from Sir Philip, the law of Cumberland.

Running away to deal with troubles or problems is debatable, however it purely rest on the situation. Common minor problems or conflicts would be resolved immediately, such as quarrels or arguments. Larger conflicts that may have a life-changing result (Peter’s situation), may be unresolvable by the protagonist and it may be more favourable to run away from your troubles than to face. Large conflicts could be running away from the law, away from death, fear or uncertainty.

Let us take a tally of such situations when it is better to run away from your troubles than to face them…

Mao ZeDong, the leader of the Communist Revolutionary Army is on the verge of collapse during 1934, by the US-backed Kuomintang. The Chinese Communist armies then retreated to the North, hence called the Long March. Being pursued by the Kuomintang and local warlords, the communist armies ran, travelling through the impassable mountain passes of China. At the end of the retreat Mao’s surviving army accomplished, and saved itself from complete annihilation from environmental extremes and the Kuomintang. Mao’s Long March is an example when running away from troubles can still save you.

Ordinary people also understand this question, if you want to see their response, go to the following link...

http://www.sodahead.com/living/do-you-face-your-problems-or-just-run-away-and-hide/question-1597485/

At the end, is it really better to run away from your troubles or face them? Well it really depends on how YOU would want to deal with things!