NPR, a.k.a National Public Radio, has a segement on once a week called "This I Believe." It's a really good show that began almost 50 years ago and was brought back because of overwhelming demand. Basically what it is is simply important and prolific people speaking for a brief time about their most deeply-held beliefs. I am going to post a link to it on the blog, and this month you are going to do an assignment related to one of the podcasts from the show. To that end, this week's blog question will prepare you to think about it. So, onward and upward.
Have you ever thought about what the guiding principles in your life are? By guiding principles I simply mean the things in life that you truly and fundamentally believe; the beliefs that shape your decisions when you find yourself in a position where you have to make one. Perhaps it is the notion that "everyone, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has something to teach us" or something as common as the idea that "all men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights...among them...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" or "treat others the way that you wish to be treated" or "blood is thicker than water."
Those are just some generic examples, but your challenge this week is explore some of your own core beliefs and choose one guiding principle that you would like to shape your journey into adulthood and throughout life. Don't get caught up in tired cliches or age-old aphorisms, be creative, be yourself. What I mean is, really think about the beliefs that you hold near and dear to your heart and try to capture them in your own words. Talk about why these beliefs are important to you and how you came to recognize them. (400-450 words/75pts)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Communication Nation
Writing.
For some of you, the bane of your existence--for others, your reason for living. (OK--scratch that, I am feeling very emo for some reason).
Take two...
Writing. Some of you hate it, some of you don't.
(Blah. Ewwwww. That is horrible).
Yeeeeesh, one more time...
Writing. Hateful chore, dreadful stalker lying in wait to destroy your lofty GPA...OR instrument of intellectuality, gateway to the green grass of good grades? :o)
Which is it for you? Why?
This blog, for some of you, is the most public your writing has ever been. When I say public--that is what I mean--all of your peers can log on at any time and read what you've written. In fact, they have to.
Does knowing that you are writing for a public audience ever influence what you say? What about how you write? Do you find yourself being more conscious of your grammar, mechanics, diction etc knowing that any one of your friends (or not-friends) may be reading your thoughts and ideas?
Now, translate that question into everyday conversation. Many of you have different groups of friends; "AP" friends, athletes (not trying to say they are mutually exclusive, but sometimes they are), party friends (no details, please--I may never recover), and maybe neighborhood friends that don't go to Oak. Do you ever find yourself speaking to them differently than you do some of your other friends? How about your family members? Me? If so, why? If not, why not?
Finally, do you think you are judged on how well you speak and write? If you do, by whom? How do you feel about that?
(450 words/65pts)
For some of you, the bane of your existence--for others, your reason for living. (OK--scratch that, I am feeling very emo for some reason).
Take two...
Writing. Some of you hate it, some of you don't.
(Blah. Ewwwww. That is horrible).
Yeeeeesh, one more time...
Writing. Hateful chore, dreadful stalker lying in wait to destroy your lofty GPA...OR instrument of intellectuality, gateway to the green grass of good grades? :o)
Which is it for you? Why?
This blog, for some of you, is the most public your writing has ever been. When I say public--that is what I mean--all of your peers can log on at any time and read what you've written. In fact, they have to.
Does knowing that you are writing for a public audience ever influence what you say? What about how you write? Do you find yourself being more conscious of your grammar, mechanics, diction etc knowing that any one of your friends (or not-friends) may be reading your thoughts and ideas?
Now, translate that question into everyday conversation. Many of you have different groups of friends; "AP" friends, athletes (not trying to say they are mutually exclusive, but sometimes they are), party friends (no details, please--I may never recover), and maybe neighborhood friends that don't go to Oak. Do you ever find yourself speaking to them differently than you do some of your other friends? How about your family members? Me? If so, why? If not, why not?
Finally, do you think you are judged on how well you speak and write? If you do, by whom? How do you feel about that?
(450 words/65pts)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
"Welcome to Hogwarts"
Did you hold the door open for anyone today? Did you let anyone step in front of you on your way into school, the cafeteria, a classroom? Lend anyone a pencil, pick up a fallen book or paper? For most of you, the answer is probably yes, you did in fact do one or more of those things. All of you are well-mannered, considerate and generally just a nice bunch of kids. So, for today, or the next 4 days as it were, let's take that one step further. This will require a bit of imagination, introspection and innovation, so again, don't sit down to this blog on Wednesday night at 11pm and think you can do a respectable job on it.
Ok, so imagine, one morning, after a kindly old wizard--who bears a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore--visits you, you awaken with the power to give one person anything in the entire universe. What would it be and why?
Now, that question, while startling limited in word content, is not as simple or straighforward as it seems.
I am not actually asking you to go ask someone what wish they would like to have granted (which seems like the obvious assumption given that I started off talking about wizards and magic),I am asking you what YOU want to give someone if you had the power to give them anything, and I am asking you to explain that choice. Additionally, because there is always an "additionally," I would also like to know what advice you would give this person after you have bestowed this "gift" upon him or her.
(500 words/60pts)
Ok, so imagine, one morning, after a kindly old wizard--who bears a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore--visits you, you awaken with the power to give one person anything in the entire universe. What would it be and why?
Now, that question, while startling limited in word content, is not as simple or straighforward as it seems.
I am not actually asking you to go ask someone what wish they would like to have granted (which seems like the obvious assumption given that I started off talking about wizards and magic),I am asking you what YOU want to give someone if you had the power to give them anything, and I am asking you to explain that choice. Additionally, because there is always an "additionally," I would also like to know what advice you would give this person after you have bestowed this "gift" upon him or her.
(500 words/60pts)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
It Was...Cool...No, That's Not Right....Damn....
'Ello Poppets!!! Happy New Year!!! First, let me just say, although I welcomed this break with open arms, I missed you all terribly mid-way into it. True story. I am sure we will all be sick of each other soon enough--but until then, onward and upward!!! (I kid about the sick of each other part--of course I kid!)
Let me take you to a place you may have been countless times in your life--I know I have. Your telling someone--your best friend, significant other, parent, teacher or whatever--a story. It's a great story, rife with vivid imagery and catchy dialogue and suspense and all the hallmarks of a great story. And then, you get to the best part, the juiciest detail, the apex of this recount that is going to knock your listener right on his or her butt, and you are trying to describe this one moment...and you can't think of the word to give that moment its due justice. You are literally stumped for a word and you end up going with some lame synonym that pops into your head (probably from Bunje's damn SAT Vocab list) but you know that your story falls flat because that was SO not the word you wanted. Ever happen to you? Why, do you think?
Well, I have a theory. It's in its nascent stages, but a theory nonetheless. I have procured said theory by perusing ( a word that does not mean what many of you think it means, incidentally) The Global Language Monitor. This site is dedicated to tracking trends in language, specifically the English language, and it is chock full of all kinds of fascinating facts about word etymologies, global trends, colloquialisms etc. It's really cool, especially if you're a geek like me (and many of you are--don't even try to front).
Anyway, it was while I was on this site today that my theory began to crystallize about why we, at the worst possible moments, are suddenly at a loss for words.
According to the GLM, English passed the 1,000,000 threshold on June 10, 2009 at 10:22 am. Know what the millionth word was?? "Octomom." Which is just one more posit to the idea that popular culture is the crux of societal knowledge. Let's hear it for Perez Hilton! But, as usual, I digress.
Anyway, 1,000,000 is a pretty impressive number by any standard, especially when you consider that the French Language has fewer than 100,000 words total. The average human has approximately 14,000 words in his or her repertoire. Shakespeare had 24,000--1,700 of which he made up--floating around his brilliant brain. Man, I love that guy.
So, all this to say..what? Well, even with all of those words zooming through the ether, the bottom line is there is sometimes no word to describe, define, pinpoint or whatever, the "undefinable." That's why we can't finish the story in the scenario I mentioned earlier. Undefinable words usually fall into one of three categories: feelings, abstract concepts and phenomena.
When I say feelings, I mean like, that sensation that washes over you the first warm day after a long, cold winter when you are driving in a car with all the windows down and radio tuned into your favorite song. Or, the feeling you get when you just get your crush's phone number and you're staring at your cell phone, sweating, pacing, wondering if you should start to dial.
Occasionally, mixed in with feelings are some abstract concepts, like the idea of strength, character, courage etc.
And I know we have all experiences some weird phenomena-type occurences that we write off as "coincidence" which is a catch-all word that doesn't really encapsulate the notion that, for example, when someone you know gets pregnant suddenly all you see are pregnant women or maternity stores or baby paraphenalia. Or, when you buy a new car you begin to notice that there are 4 of that same car within a mile of your house.
All of these things and so many more, despite the much-vaunted number the GLM is broadcasting about the English Language, simply do not have a word that really captures the essence of their true meaning.
That is, until this blog.
Your task this week, Langers, is to put a word to those notions, concepts, feelings and/or phenomena. So, first I want you to think of one of those moments--the feelings, concepts or phenomena that you personally have experienced. Then, I would like you to talk about the "synonym" that would closely describe it, even though you know in your heart that synonym doesn't do it justice. Then, in a whimsical fit of language acquisition, I want you to MAKE UP a word that would better describe what you're talking about. Hell, if Mary Poppins can do it, why can't we?
(65pts/450 words)
Let me take you to a place you may have been countless times in your life--I know I have. Your telling someone--your best friend, significant other, parent, teacher or whatever--a story. It's a great story, rife with vivid imagery and catchy dialogue and suspense and all the hallmarks of a great story. And then, you get to the best part, the juiciest detail, the apex of this recount that is going to knock your listener right on his or her butt, and you are trying to describe this one moment...and you can't think of the word to give that moment its due justice. You are literally stumped for a word and you end up going with some lame synonym that pops into your head (probably from Bunje's damn SAT Vocab list) but you know that your story falls flat because that was SO not the word you wanted. Ever happen to you? Why, do you think?
Well, I have a theory. It's in its nascent stages, but a theory nonetheless. I have procured said theory by perusing ( a word that does not mean what many of you think it means, incidentally) The Global Language Monitor. This site is dedicated to tracking trends in language, specifically the English language, and it is chock full of all kinds of fascinating facts about word etymologies, global trends, colloquialisms etc. It's really cool, especially if you're a geek like me (and many of you are--don't even try to front).
Anyway, it was while I was on this site today that my theory began to crystallize about why we, at the worst possible moments, are suddenly at a loss for words.
According to the GLM, English passed the 1,000,000 threshold on June 10, 2009 at 10:22 am. Know what the millionth word was?? "Octomom." Which is just one more posit to the idea that popular culture is the crux of societal knowledge. Let's hear it for Perez Hilton! But, as usual, I digress.
Anyway, 1,000,000 is a pretty impressive number by any standard, especially when you consider that the French Language has fewer than 100,000 words total. The average human has approximately 14,000 words in his or her repertoire. Shakespeare had 24,000--1,700 of which he made up--floating around his brilliant brain. Man, I love that guy.
So, all this to say..what? Well, even with all of those words zooming through the ether, the bottom line is there is sometimes no word to describe, define, pinpoint or whatever, the "undefinable." That's why we can't finish the story in the scenario I mentioned earlier. Undefinable words usually fall into one of three categories: feelings, abstract concepts and phenomena.
When I say feelings, I mean like, that sensation that washes over you the first warm day after a long, cold winter when you are driving in a car with all the windows down and radio tuned into your favorite song. Or, the feeling you get when you just get your crush's phone number and you're staring at your cell phone, sweating, pacing, wondering if you should start to dial.
Occasionally, mixed in with feelings are some abstract concepts, like the idea of strength, character, courage etc.
And I know we have all experiences some weird phenomena-type occurences that we write off as "coincidence" which is a catch-all word that doesn't really encapsulate the notion that, for example, when someone you know gets pregnant suddenly all you see are pregnant women or maternity stores or baby paraphenalia. Or, when you buy a new car you begin to notice that there are 4 of that same car within a mile of your house.
All of these things and so many more, despite the much-vaunted number the GLM is broadcasting about the English Language, simply do not have a word that really captures the essence of their true meaning.
That is, until this blog.
Your task this week, Langers, is to put a word to those notions, concepts, feelings and/or phenomena. So, first I want you to think of one of those moments--the feelings, concepts or phenomena that you personally have experienced. Then, I would like you to talk about the "synonym" that would closely describe it, even though you know in your heart that synonym doesn't do it justice. Then, in a whimsical fit of language acquisition, I want you to MAKE UP a word that would better describe what you're talking about. Hell, if Mary Poppins can do it, why can't we?
(65pts/450 words)
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