Classwork Shakespeare Voki 1: Original Sonnet

Mitchell, Georgia, Brooke and Patrick's recording of the original poem.

Homework Post 22: Shakespeare Research

Feel free to pause and read each slide, looking back I realise I didn't leave enough time to read some of the longer slides :)
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare
http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323 http://www.william-shakespeare.info/ http://www.state.tn.us/environment/tn_consv/archive/starlings.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scottish_Play

Homework Post 21: Book Description

I've just finished a book called 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky. The book is set out differently to normal books, and is basically a series of letters written to someone only known to be 'friend' from a person with the alias of 'Charlie' who heard about this 'friend' from some of the girls at his school. Charlie begins his freshman year of high school a bit distraught because of the death of his only good friend Michael, who committed suicide several months before. He does not feel that he can lean on his parents or older siblings for support, because they never truly understand him like Michael used to. Charlie also explains that the only other person from his family he ever felt close to was his Aunt Helen, but she was killed in a car accident on his seventh birthday.

Charlie soon makes friends with two seniors, Sam, and her step-brother Patrick. Throughout the story, Sam, Patrick, and Charlie's English teacher Bill introduce him to many new experiences and the letters he writes show his growth. During this time a lot of different things happen ranging from school, to family, to dating issues all of which are documented in his letters. The further along you read in the story, the more is revealed explaining Charlie's current situation, and his past, all of which revolves around the fact that he is the kind of person known to be a 'Wallflower' (someone who prefers to watch life, rather than actively participate in it).

I love the book, and although it's kind of sick and disturbing and inappropriate at parts, it's still good :)

Homework Post 20: Instructions for Awesome

Homework Post 19: Poem

(A Sonnet, I wrote this before I read that thing you said to someone who asked what type of poem we should write. And I liked it so I'm not going to change)

Mirrors  

Able to make imperfections enhance 
coming away happy is unlikely. 
Never quite the same upon second glance 
it will make you rethink its loyalty.

Indirectly, the reflections murder 
by manipulating society. 
Teasingly it asks, still want that burger?
A photo shop induced anxiety.

To question its views though, no one daring 
despite some distortion at its surface. 
Believing lies, and soon second guessing 
people kill themselves inside without trace.

Whilst razor sharp edges have ways to cope 
your own insecurities hang up rope.

Homework Post 18: Most Inspiring Teacher

My most inspiring teacher ever isn't one I have this year, but my English teacher from last year, Miss Schroeder. She never failed to keep class interesting whether through the actual work she set us, or the way she reacted to things that happened whilst we were there. For just about every single one of our assessments she extended the criteria allowing us to push the boundaries of normal class learning by either making a movie, powerpoint, or even writing poems instead of writing out boring old Positive, Negative, and Interesting tables. She also let us play mass class games and let us have movies playing in the background whilst we worked.

The best thing about Miss Schroeder though was definitely her attitude. She was a complete and total free spirit and stayed calm despite anything that was thrown at her (sometimes literally). In fact right now she's on maternity leave and I think her kids going to be one of the coolest alive just because of what a great person she is. Yep. Miss Schroeder's awesome (and not because of the fact she sent people out to go and catch rainbows, or the time we had a class party in English, or when she accidently dunked the pom poms at the end of her beanie into her coffee, or when she always gave Shelly half of whatever she happened to have for lunch, or when she pulled our entire class out of module because we were bored, or when she let us just hang around or leave stuff in her class or, or... there's too many things) but because of her appropriate teaching methods ;)

Homework Post 17: Olympic Opinions

Tae Kwon Do first appeared at the Olympics in Seoul, Korea during the 1988 Summer Games as a demonstration sport. Once more it made an appearance as a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. It was made an official Olympic sport in the year 2000 at the games in Sydney Australia, and has been at the games ever since. I don’t think Tae Kwon Do should be included in the Olympics as it fails to convey the true spirit of the sport.

There are two main Tae Kwon Do organisations around the world; the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, and the International Tae Kwon Do Federation. At the Olympics, the World Tae Kwon Do version of the sport is played. This version makes a mockery of what Tae Kwon Do actually is, displaying an undisciplined and reckless competition between athletes. An example of this is the way the athletes compose themselves throughout the sparring matches. Their constant screams, celebrations of scored points, and attitude towards the referees not only shows their lack of sportsmanship, but their lack of understanding for the art side of the martial art.

This sport has come under fire by the IOC, having been threatened to be removed from the Olympic Summer Games. The action came about after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when one of the athletes after having been disqualified from his match, earned a lifetime ban for firing a kick at the head of the man refereeing his match. I think this assault should have sealed the fate of Tae Kwon Do at the Olympics, hopefully saving many martial artists from the disgrace it puts upon them every four years the games come about. As it has not yet been removed, I think the IOC should push for it to be taken off the list of 28 games to be played in Rio, 2016. Not only would this removal stop Tae Kwon Do from being ridiculed by the public every four years due to the reputation it has managed to gain, but it'd also save me from having to explain that I don't do that Tae Kwon Do. I do ITF Tae Kwon Do, the more respectable version of the sport.