Thinking Outside The Box

Plato focuses on the point that if we don't expand our reasoning and thinking skills we'll forever be ignorant and not see beyond the shadows casted by the fire in the cave.  However if we were able to think outside the box we'd be able to experience the outside light and become intellectuals escaping the "hell" that was inside the cave.  Sartre uses a more literal form of hell being the room and their close minded thinking led them to continuously torture each other for eternity however if they were to overcome their initial judgements of each other according to Garcin they could be redeemed.  Unfortunately none of the characters were able to help each other escape hell because they couldn't overcome their own ignorance.  Sartre's version of hell was hell because it was very monotonous and never changed the environment and the way they thought similair to Plato's in that the prisoner's never saw beyond the shadows.  Freedom of thought and expanding their mind only came when they were willing to make a change such as how change could've occured if the three dead characters from No Exit could've changed themselves.

Sonnet

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd,

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

Nor shall Death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

–William Shakespeare

AP Hamlet PLN

http://millsenglish.com/wordpress/?cat=16

I picked this site because it seems very similair to our own blogs and program also the layout was very nice.  If I ever needed help on things outside of Hamlet this site also has information about other books and videos about the books.

http://litcharts.com/lit/hamlet/backgroundinfo

I feel like this site gives a good summary of the story and if I ever needed to refresh my memory of a particular scene or idea I could use this site as my source..chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2006/Mathews.pdf
http://www.shakespearehelp.com/hamlet.htm

This site is kind of a hub of information about Hamlet and I could use this site to find out anything I wanted to about the story because of how large its collection of sites is.

http://www.sccenglish.ie/2011/01/hamlet-resources.html

This site has a wide variety of ways to learn about Hamlet, it has videos, podcasts, and summaries done by other students which gives a similair perspective of the story to someone like me.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/teaching-methods/3544.html

This site is the work of a collaboration of teachers that interpreted Hamlet and then tried to simplify it for people to understand it easier.  It also helps you appreciate the literature and the characterization more than I might've originally.

Who was Shakespeare?

Little is known about Shakespeare and most the facts only lead to vague parts of his life, we know that he was born a hundred miles away from London and that he had two sisters.  Nothing is recorded of his education, he eventually married an older woman and had twins one of which died.  His career was successful and he eventually opened up his own theatre.  I think highschool students don't like hearing the name Shakespeare because they just think of his work as...work, instead of entertainment.  I can start to appreciate how much effort he put into his writing and all the literary elements while still writing in iambic pentameter.  I think that he was a great writer its just his work can be hard to understand since it was written in an older form of english which I still struggle with understanding.

To Facebook or not to Facebook?

When I first made a Facebook I thought "Dang this is a pretty handy site that has alot of utility" after reading this article I can understand why they'd have to focus on creating such an appealing site in order to lure in users.  I think that Facebook will always be a viable and reliable way to get in touch with people however, Facebook being able to track and record where we go online and then be able to hand that information away makes me uneasy.  I think that the best way to decide whether or not to use Facebook is evaluate how much you get from the website opposed to how much of your privacy is being invaded.

Vocab Midterm Autopsy

When I took the midterm I didn't expect to get a perfect score, and while I'm semi-content with my score I feel like I could've done better.  I think that I kept losing focus during the midterm and wasn't paying enough attention to what I was doing but next time I'm going to devote my mind to doing well on the final during the final, so that I know what I'm fully capable of.

Midterm Reflection

I felt really confident during the midterm that I was going to do well because as I read the words I had a pretty solid understanding of what each of them meant and I honestly think I'll remember them for a long time.  The only thing that went wrong for me was when I started each section I wrote down all the numbers but not all the letters because I thought I'd run out of time, so near the end I forgot which definitions I'd already used and I got kinda frustrated re-reading them all over again so by the end I might've used some of the definitions twice whereas it would've been easier for me to write out some of the last words' definitions instead of matching.

Study Schedule

I plan on studying for the midterm whenever I want to because if I don't really want to study then I won't do it well or with any real effort.  Eventually I'll have the time to apply myself to studying fully and want to, then I'll do it but I'm not going to force myself to or that will just make me do worse on the test. 

Hamlet Questions

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?
I know that the story is fairly dark and sad, and I also know that it has a sad ending but besides that nothing.

 b) What do you know about Shakespeare?
I know that if all my english teachers were 12 year old girls he'd be their Jonas Brothers in that they all admire him imensely.  He was apparently a genious for only having so few words to work with, I respect him in that he was able to write entire plays in iambic pentameter.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?  
I think students frown when they hear Shakespeare because students never read him on their own time which means he's just another word for an assignment.  If students didn't think of him as a complex assignment and just another author with a message I think he'd be more likeable.

d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
I have a pretty bad memory so I might just forget it no matter what we do but it'd be great if we could have a Hamlet parade that'd be awesome because parades are really fun and that would make Hamlet more exciting.

Vocab #7

Aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm
The scientist couldn't identify the aberration in his microscope.
Ad hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration
The verdict was ad hoc.
bane - (noun) something causes misery or death
Crashing into the ocean was the pilot's bane.
bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos
The political debate turned into a bathos of unwanted information.
cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
The crowd was cantankerous with the comedian.
casuistry - (noun) moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading
The docile priests practiced casuistry.
de facto - (noun) in fact; in reality
The criminal was sentenced to life time imprisonment when de facto he was innocent.
depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action
Pirates are a depredation to villages.
empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings
Mother's have empathy towards their daughters.
harbinger - (noun) an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage
Michael Jackson dying was a harbinger of his songs suddenly becoming popular again.
hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the
pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle
Hedonism can be compared to capitolist America.
lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality
The old woman was lackluster after her husband died.
malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted
The revolutionists were malcontent.
mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear
Chubby Checker has a mellifluous voice.
nepotism - noun favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Old Town Market's owners have nepotism.
pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to
A pander might say "Pimpin ain't easy."
peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed
The seven year old child commit a peccdillo but was arrested by the cop anyway.
piece de resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
The piece de resistance of Paris is the Eiffel Tower.
remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
The trial had to wait so the alleged criminal was remanded into jail.
syndrome - (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease
He had spots on his body which is a syndrome of chicken pox.

Vocab #6

beatitude- Supreme blessedness
The goddess possesed extreme beatitude.
bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)
Mr. Eudall was a bete noire.
bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome
The rainbow bode a great day.
dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
My first grade teacher's heart was dank.
ecumenical- Universal
The knowledge that we're all diferrent is edumenical.
fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate
The crowd was fervid for a new president.
fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant
His breath was fetid.
gargantuan- of great mass
My procrastination has led to a gargantuan amount of work.
heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity
During Tupac's heyday he had the whole west coast behind him.
incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare
The test was an incubus of my fears.
infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation
The infrastructure for the building was sound.
inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
The crafty student inveigled her teacher into giving her an A.
kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement
Kudos to Ron Paul for being an excellent human being.
lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift
Gold medals are a lagniappe at the Olympics compared to the title.
prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
Romney's speech was prolix.
protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
It is an honor to be a protege to a prestigious person.
prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied
If a prototype is successful it alludes to further success.
sycophant- A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer
Sycophants aren't very fond of insulting people.
tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words
Dr. Preston gave an example of a tautology in class.
truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously
The servant had to truckle before the king.

Vocab #5

acumen-keen insight.
He seemed to have an acumen for all my problems.
adjudicate- to settle or determine.
Can you adjudicate this volatile situation?
anachronism - something or someone that is not in its correct historical time.
Back to the Future is an example of an anachronism.
apocryphal - of doubtful authorship or authenticity.
The forged letter was of apocryphal background.
disparity - inequality
There is a disparity of successful and unsuccessful people.
dissimulate - to disguise or conceal under a false appearance.
The under cover agent had to dissimulate his identity.
empirical - derived from or guided by experience or experiment
The scientist was empirical with his methods.
flamboyant - strikingly bold or brilliant; showy
The parade was flamboyant and exciting.
fulsome - offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive;overdone or gross
The Queen of England's decor is fulsome.
immolate - to sacrifice
He had to immolate his freedom after being arrested.
imperceptible- very slight, gradual, or subtle.
There was an imperceptible smile on the comedian's face.
lackey - a servile follower
Mr. Malaina has a loyal lackey that resembles the KFC colonel.
liaison - a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection.
He was a liaison between the two countries.
monolithic - consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken
The Washington Monument is monolithic.
mot juste - the exact, appropriate word
He couldn't think of a mot juste.
nihilism - total rejection of established laws and institutions.
Anarchy is a form if nihilism.
patrician - a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.
The Queen of England is a patrician.
propitiate - to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.
He had to propitiate himself at the interview.
sic-to incite to attack
Don't sic your dog on me bro.
sublimate-to make nobler or purer
Catholic priests sublimate children.

AP Book

I chose to read the book Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe because the plot seems really interesting that a doctor responsible for saving peoples' lives would sell his soul to the devil to gain the knowledge of saving lives.  I think thats really ironic and an original plot that should contain insight as to what the doctor was thinking at the time.

Vocab

Accolade:Sign of praise, public recognition
The fireman recieved accolades for saving a baby from a burning building.
Acerbity:Bitterness
There was much acerbity at court for child custody shortly following a divorce.
Attrition: Loss of personell, wearing away at surface
The attrition of the small business eventually led to bankruptcy.
Bromide:Unoriginal saying
YOLO is a bromide.
Chauvinist:Somebody with sense of superiority
A chauvinist doesn't have many friends.
Chronic:Long lasting, always present
After taking AP classes I have chronic headaches.
Expound:Describe and explain something
My teachers expound their course material.
Factionalism:Conflict between groups within a larger group
There is factionalism in small countries in Africa.
Immaculate:Clean, faultless
A woman's closet is immaculate.
Imprecation:Curse
The witch's imprecation was dour.
Ineluctable:Not to be avoided or changed
Your fate is presumably ineluctable.
Mercurial:Lively and unpredictable
Lil Jon is mercurial.
Palliate:Reduce intensity or severity of something
She tried to palliate the death of her mother with chocolate.
Protocol:Code of Conduct
There is a formal prtocol at a wedding.
Resplendent:Dazzling
The parade was resplendent.
Stigmatize:Label as socially undesirable
As a society we tend to stigmatize cannibalism, and rightfully so.
Sub Rosa:Secretly or privately
Lets have a sub rosa conversation on your innermost secrets.
Vainglory:Excessive Pride
The international champion of lacrosse has vainglory.
Vestige:Trace of something gone
There was a vestige of blood at the crime scene.
Volition:Ability to choose
The president must have volition.

Socratic Seminar

I think that everyone who contributed to the socratic seminar had something interesting and important to say and offered a unique perspective.  Although I feel like after the first 10 minutes or so the arguments kind of went in a loop and new ideas weren't being developed which is why so few people partcipated.

Reflections on Week 1

Are there any factors that you think are going to affect your participation or experience in this class? (Access to a computer, cell phone, transportation? Family that can help or hassle? Friends that can help or hassle? Scheduling factors that can help or hassle?)

This year I'm not going to be able to keep my blog up to date all the time because I have limited access to a computer and the internet because I've been spending alot of time at my great uncle's house who doesn't really use technology at all.  I also might miss several days of school this year (occasionally consecutive) because I'm trying to make it to nationals for mixed martial arts which requires alot of training so I'm expecting to be missing alot of school.

Think of an awesome (or the best ever) learning experience (or an experience where you changed) What was it you learned? [call it X] Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or ?) How did you know what was happening? 

I'm not sure of THE BEST learning experience I've ever had but I do remember a teacher that I had in Jr. High his name is Mr. Peterson and I remember him being a great teacher because he could not only relate to his students but he also trusted them and had very few rules in his class.  You'd think having no rules in a class would be hectic however all the students respected him because of his lack of rules.  I think that was a great learning environment cause well ya know.


What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning? How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life?


Well I don't think I'm concerned about anything IN the class but I am kinda concerned about the AP test later this year, I'm excited to learn practical information that I can use the rest of my life such as time management which we learned sophomore year.

Additional Thoughts: Jane Austen/Montaigne

If I had more time I probably would've done a prewrite and thought out what I was going to write beforehand, but since I didn't have much time I just kinda started writing and hoped as I went along that it'd all turn out alright by the end.  I don't think my essay turned out to be a complete failure but I know it wasn't my best work.  After I left I forgot all about the essay and socialized with people, it wasn't until I got back that I thought, "Oh yea I'm supposed to finish this essay in twenty minutes....". It took me a few minutes to change my mindset back to working but ya know I got it done. NO BIGGE!

Assignment #1

Why am I taking this course?  Well to be honest you're not the first person asking me why I'm taking it and I know I can't really give a specific answer, however I can give a wide variety of vague reasons.  First of all I can't express how much I enjoy being around intelligent people, I figured the smartest kids would be taking AP classes and I want to hear what they think and their opinions on matters.  Most people in average classes I wouldn't say are ignorant but they don't seem to care about education or global issues and I think that if I'm around people who care then maybe some of their good nature can rub off on me and I can improve by being in their company. 

I'm not really nervous about anything in the class I'm more worried about my own performance, for example this blog assignment was posted in June and I'm doing it now in August :P.  I'm both nervous and excited for my potential to grow in this class if I utilize what I've been given I can become a much better person in leaps and bounds however if I slack then I'll just be wasting my time, and time isn't something you get back.

My only goal in this class is to be happy and content by the end of the year because I know that I set my standards high and if I'm truly happy with what I've done this year and am convinced I've tried my hardest then I'll consider myself successful in this class.