Blog Posts

Life AND 192 Years?!

9/16/2018

This guy. ^^ Him. Right up there. Antonio Maurice Gee. He's 21-years old. He's in prison for brutal assault. Although he did not murder anyone, he assaulted people and was sentenced to life...plus 192 years.

When you read something like that, what are your initial thoughts? "Although he did not murder anyone, he was sentenced to life in prison PLUS 192 years." Think about that a bit. There are people who murder multiple people and get out of prison after about five to ten years. Without a murder conviction, do you immediately think the punishment fits the crime?

Now allow me to explain what he did.

Gee's indictment says that he committed armed robbery, burglary, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, false imprisonment, and cruelty to children, all while under a restraining order. That's reeling enough. But even more reeling is who he inflicted his wrath upon.

In December, 2016, Gee broke into the home where his ex-girlfriend lived with their two children, a one-year old daughter and a five-month old son, and his ex's grandmother, and wreaked havoc.

Gee hit the grandmother with his fists so badly that she needed facial reconstructive surgery. He also stabbed her in the face. While his ex-girlfriend shielded their daughter to prevent Gee from stabbing the child, he cut his ex, knocked out her teeth and Tased her in the face. Then, the most horrific assault of them all: he Tased both of his children before he stole the women's phones, car keys and credit cards.

After his conviction, some still say the punishment does not fit the crime, and that this conviction "sets a dangerous precedence in all other cases." If Gee's punishment is this harsh and he did not kill anyone, "Why not sentence all other non-capitol offenses in this manner?" What do you think his punishment should be?

Read the commentary above, then, thinking about Gee's vicious attacks, comment on the following: "How do beliefs, ethics, or values influence different people’s behavior?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

DISCLAIMER: If you do not respond AND comment on TWO others, you will not receive credit for this assignment. It's all or nothing.

Due: Fri., Sept. 21, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

Home Shoot Home

9/12/2018

A white police officer killed a young, black man. Again.

This one, however, is the most bizarre. This one has more questions than answers, puzzle pieces than clarity.

On September 6, on the edge of downtown Dallas, at an apartment complex, a white, female officer entered a young man's apartment and killed him in his own home. He was not a criminal. He was not resisting arrest, selling cigarettes, holding a toy gun, driving while not signaling or reaching for his identification as instructed. He was simply living. That's all anyone knows at this point.

Although the Texas Rangers are investigating, there are still many unanswered questions. But one thing is clear, black people are sick and tired of mourning and burying black boys, especially because of white police officers. I hope the "legal system" gets it right this time.

Although I have noted it many times before, I am compelled to repeat it again: There is something sinister about a certain group of people feeling like they have the absolute right to walk inside a church, a movie theater, a concert..or right inside a home..and kill black people. And like Jean Botham wanted to know, "Why did you do that?" Because all heaven knows black people don't know why.

Do you?

Read the commentary above, then comment on the following: "What impact does power or the lack of power have on certain groups?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Protest is Patriotic

9/5/2018

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick was in the media for kneeling on the sidelines during the presentation of the US national anthem in protest of police brutality. Skewed by the media and our own president as disrespecting the flag and those who fought for our country, Colin's gesture made many people around the world despise him.

Including the NFL.

But Kaepernick kept protesting. Silently. Adamantly. Fervently. And suddenly, many more celebrated him for being courageous enough to stand up for what he believes in.

Including Nike.

In celebration of their 30th anniversary, "Just Do It" campaign, they are celebrating "Kaep" with an ad campaign that has rocked the entire nation. (You can see it in the image above.)

But with troubles still abound, Kaepernick decided to file a grievance against the NFL for collusion. Not one team would hire him. But even though no such trial has begun, Kaepernick has secured the bag! Although the means by which he did it cost him his football career, a better career was underway for him: creating a foundation that raises awareness on higher education, self-empowerment, and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement in various scenarios. And moreso, he'll have Nike's support, and covertly, the NFL's.

Here's how:

Kaepernick has a deal with Nike worth millions, and it includes an apparel line. And until 2028, Nike secured a deal with the NFL as their official team apparel designer for the entire organization. That means *when* Kaepernick comes out of this mess with the NFL, the $126M he's already worth, will increase. And every time someone supports NFL through Nike, they'll be supporting Kaep too! #securethebag #theyjustdidit #kaepjustdidit #imwithkaep

Read the commentary above, then comment on the following: "What are the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice, and how does an individual's response to them reveal his/her character?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

MASSive Head Ache

8/27/2018

Another mass shooting. This time, over a video game tournament.

There is something terribly wrong in a world where people feel like they have the absolute right to get angry and have a grown up fit and then kill people because they were either not taught a basic kindergarten-level rule: you win some, you lose some.

That's exactly what appears to be the case for shooting suspect David Katz. On Sunday, August 26, 2018, Katz attended a Madden Football video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, apparently lost the tournament, then using a handgun, allegedly killed two people and injured nine others.

No one knows why he did it. It doesn't matter why he did it. Knowing why may help to wrap your mind around things, but ultimately, "why" is just a bandage. It doesn't heal the hurt. Thinking about the whys, solutions and what-ifs only adds to the coffin of carnage and makes for a massive headache trying to figure out how to move forward or what to do about guns and people with guns to prevent the next mass shooting.

As Katz's smoking gun cools from his mass murders committed with a gun, what will we do and who will we blame? The guns? The people with guns? The government? Each other?

Read the commentary above, then comment on the following: "To what extent do gun control laws violate The Second Amendment Rights of some in order to protect the country from those who snub their noses at the law?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than seven (7) sentences and no less than five (5).

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Finals

5/31/2018

I cannot believe that it’s time to go already! Up to this point, I still can’t believe I’m a teacher. I thought teaching on the high school level was not for me. Until I started teaching, I had never lived my life governed by a clock. I awoke when I wanted. I rested when I wanted. I built businesses when I wanted. I lived what I loved. My life was calm. I meditated, walked and I wrote. All day. Every day.

Nevertheless, the Universe shifted and brought me here. To you. As your teacher, and for many, your mentor and sounding board. And in the most unsuspecting ways, you’ve all changed my life professionally and personally in every way. In a little over three months, I tried to give you everything I have in me as a writer and as a teacher. I didn’t do it just to educate you academically, but personally, socially and universally as well.

I’m not sure I accomplished all that I could. Lord knows I tried. But I don’t dwell on shortcomings. Everything in THIS life happens exactly how it’s supposed to. I’m humble enough not to need acknowledgement for my deeds. Instead, “the proof will be in the pudding.” That means, one day, you’ll write something or read something or hear something that makes you say, “I remember my 12th grade English teacher, ms. d., taught me that” or “my 12th grade English teacher, ms. d., drove me CRAZY saying that all the time.”

Nevertheless, this has been one of the most amazing, eye-opening experiences of my life! The lessons I’ve learned from the countless personalities I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting to learn, has been extraordinarily enlightening. I would be remiss if I didn’t let each of you know that I was always watching. If we never said more than two words to each other, or conversed incessantly, I know you; I saw you; I heard you, I enjoyed you, and most importantly, I uplifted you and listened to you when you had a light bulb moment. No student I had went unnoticed in my classroom or in my heart.

Although it’s hard to say goodbye, it’s inevitable—we must. So, as you move forward in your lives, and others, to the next grade, always educate yourselves about something. Remind yourselves of things you know. Educate yourselves on things you don’t know and always go toward what’s challenging. But no matter what you do, as I’ve done in my life, do it without abandon, with the notion that a Higher Power is always watching. Question everything and keep forgiveness close. Own you. And never forget, Live What You Love! I Do! ™ —ms. d. I write (and now I teach) for the very reason I breathe. . . Be balanced. ‘Ase!
Comment on the following: "Write a brief note expressing your thoughts about this school year: this class, my instruction, your progress, your growth, your fears for the future, your plans, challenges, highs, lows or anything you’d like to tell me.

It can be strictly school-related, personal, professional, goals—anything you want to share with me so that later when I’m thinking about my memories of you, I’ll have something that will help me remember you, and how you shaped the pattern for my following years as a high school teacher, mentor, listener and confidant."

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.
2. At the end of your comment, write Please post OR Please do not post.
3. This is a test grade.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Thurs., May 31, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

This is America Pt. 2

5/11/2018

Please click on the link below to complete this week's Mixed Ink assignment in Canvas. The assignment has also been posted here for your perusal.

Canvas

Last week, using this online platform we discussed things not always being what they seem. We took time to watch, analyze and interpret what we think the motive was for Childish Gambino's, "This is America."

This week, I want to take on the stories that are being told and the historical context that is being revealed throughout the video. Often, artists use symbols, motifs, innuendos, imagery and other literary devices to send covert messages about matters that touch them in some way. In exchange, they sometimes create timeless pieces that are discussed long after the lights have dimmed on the work itself. "This is America" is one such instance where an agenda is being presented.

In several interviews, Childish Gambino has refused to reveal his intent because he feels that it is not his place to explain what's in the video. He wants viewers to be free to "watch [it] and walk away with whatever you need to walk away with."

Instructions:
1. Watch and analyze the video again.
2. List all of the symbolism you found with a brief interpretation of what you think it means.
3. You must respond to at least two other students as usual.
4. Complete a One-Pager based on the video and all the commentary you have written and read about "This is America." Click here for instructions on your One-Pager.

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Mon., May 21, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

The following is for Seniors only!

1-4. Complete these items.
5. Watch the video again, carefully. Then, in a well-developed essay, with a clear thesis, and clear TOK connections, "Analyze the strategies Gambino uses to convey his arguments about contemporary race issues in the US."

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

This is America Pt. 1.

5/11/2018

Please have your parents watch, analyze and discuss the video with you for a clear understanding of the content/meaning.

For millennia, artists, of all genres, have created music that delve into social consciousness. The goal is to "awaken" society to anthropological, sociological and psychological problems and injustices and spark movements for change.

Unsurprisingly, from Bob Dylan's "Time's They Are Changing," Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," and Lead Belly's "Goodnight Irene," to Sam Cook's "A Change Gone Come," Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam," and Marvin Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)," protest songs have ridden the waves of every generation of music that sails along because, more than any other art form, music is universal and far-reaching.

Today's protest songs are no different. They reach far and tell a different story about the false social constructs that portrays America as a melting pot, the land of the free and opportunity, a place where all men, who were created equally, can be treated...well...equally.

But things are not always as they seem. And Donald Glover, Jr., aka, Childish Gambino, is letting the world know that the more things change, the more they stay the same, especially when it comes to ideological constructs such as gun violence, police brutality and racism that America is grounded in.

Watch and analyze the video above. Then, explain the meaning of the video and what the artist's motive was for making the video."

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Slavery...A choice?

5/4/2018

Critics

The View

Good Morning Britain

Revolt

Commentary

People are entitled to their opinion, right? Then why is it that every time Kanye West gives his opinion, it sounds bizarre, vapid and offensive?

He didn't disappoint when he appeared on a video that TMZ published on May 1st. He had some critics. He had some supporters.

The question remains, however, did he make some valid points? Some people feel that he is a genius because most geniuses are viewed as "weird," "crazy" or different. But at what point does your genius get in your way to be respected or taken seriously?

On the other hand, some believe that West is mentally ill and suffering a mental breakdown. I want to know what you think.

Watch the videos above..the large one with the image, then the links under the heading "Critics" that I have provided. Read the Tweets on the Revolt site. All of them. All..so that you can make some informed opinions. Then, let me know what you think below.

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Will is Always Welcome

4/9/2018

There's an adage that goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." And, although the world in which we live is ever-changing, there are some things that are still the same. Gender inequality, unequal pay for women, global warming, racism, classism, poverty, homophobia...one of these issues will effect one of you in some way. Whether it's directly or indirectly, you are affected.

But you have a job to do. A challenge. Be the change that you want to see in the world. A student said recently, "I'm only one person. I can't change anything." But we now know today, that's simply not true. You can be a force by yourself. But when more people join you to make improvements to the world for the greater good, you become a movement.

I challenge you to take the first step. No. Matter. What.

Look at the video, then comment on the following: "What does this video show about the world in which we live?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Poetry and the Planet

4/3/2018

April is National Poetry Month AND Earth Month. But here's the thing: not many believe that global warming is real. I do. Do you? We continue to be wasteful, over-consuming, greedy, gluttonous and self-absorbing. Have you ever thought for once what your actions are doing to the world?

Don't think you have an impact? A student said to me recently that one person can't change the world. Lies. Here are some "one persons" who did:

Malcolm X
The Buddha
Socrates
Jesus
Martin Luther King
Michael Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Mother Theresa
Gloria Steinam
Mahatma Gandhi
Joan of Arc
Rosa Parks
William Shakespeare
Johan Sebastian Bach
Pablo Picasso

Should I go on? It just takes...one.

Directions: Watch the video above. Read the commentary after, then comment on the following: "What is one thing you WILL do this week to save the planet?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., April 6, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

Lunch & Learn

3/25/2018

All these school shootings are really starting to disturb me. They are making me afraid for humanity. As I’ve thought more about it, I’ve realized that in addition to a gun problem, America has a people problem. We don’t like each other! But then I wonder, why don’t we like each other when 90% of the time, we don’t even know each other.

Then, I thought about a column that my friend, diversity and inclusion expert, Risha Grant wrote just this year. She wrote that when people hear the word diversity, they roll their eyes, think of this word negatively as if it’s a rare disease. I’ve even seen people say it with air-quotes. Teenagers react the same way.

But like Risha noted, people see diversity as a problem. However, diversity is not a problem. It is a strength. The people, are the problem. I agree. And it starts when we’re young.

According to Risha, in our follow the leader culture, people feel emboldened to say things they haven’t said aloud before. It has become acceptable to bully and display hate toward others. She said Dr. King would not be proud of this America.

But despite the ill-feelings that people have toward each other in the world, Risha undoubtedly believes that despite all our issues, there are great people doing great things and love will always win over hate. She challenges you, and generations that follow, to leave this place better than we found it. Stand up and fight for those who are less fortunate or systemically underrepresented.

As a start, we can get off social media and talk to each other when we are amongst people. We can pick up the phone and talk instead of text. We can volunteer together. Anything. The gesture doesn’t have to be big. After all, “little things mean a lot.” Just do something to get to know someone who is different than you.

So, what are you doing to make America better than you found it? As the beginning of a solution, this week, you will be challenged socially more intensely than you ever have before.

Follow the instructions below for this week's Lunch & Learn Challenge, and have fun doing it!

1. Find someone of a different race/ethnicity or religion that you do not know and ask them to lunch.

2. While at lunch, choose one and discuss for about 5 minutes:

Make a connection between Christmas and a lorry
Make a connection between a park and a camera
Make a connection between light and an apple
Make a connection between a sign and a computer
Make a connection between the beach and a car
Make a connection between coffee and chocolate
Make a connection between a pig and a fish
Make a connection between a television and a plan
Make a connection between snoring and a vote
Make a connection between a potato and a shoe

3. For another 5 minutes each (10 minutes total), discuss a challenging moment in your life and exchange experiences on how the other person might have handled it.

4. As your Reflection, by Friday, answer the questions below:

How was this experience?
What did you discover about the student you lunched with?
What ideas did they contribute to your experience and how can you implement some of their ideas in other areas of your life?
How was lunch!

5. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., March 30, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

March 21st, 2018

3/21/2018

A 9-word essay. Write one.

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., March 23, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST

You Do This...

3/4/2018

We all have something we're good at or we're responsible for or are born to do.

Truth.

Without a doubt, I'm why my students think deeper. When people read my poetry, I'm why they think harder. I'm why people swell with emotion when they read my memoir or my edits to their writing. I'm why I write for the very reason I breathe.

Read the commentary above, then comment on the following: "I'm why..... [fill in the blank]." (That means YOU..not me.)

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.
Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Locked & Loaded

2/25/2018

Guns in schools. Are we ready? How would you feel if you had a pistol packing teacher for your English or Math class? Or the class you fell asleep in every day?

After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting last month in Parkland, Florida, Trump wants to arm teachers. In some states, teachers think it's a crazy idea. In other states, like Ohio, teachers are already packing.

"Doesn't it get to be too much," asked Brianne Solomon, a teacher in West Virginia. "On top of all the things we do, to have to remember when we're supposed to use a gun?"

A guidance counselor in Baltimore, Maryland, thinks often about a time he had to tackle a student to the ground who shot a classmate in the back with a gun in their school's cafeteria.

He told the New York Times, "Never have I thought, 'I wish I'd had a gun,'" and that he thinks the president's idea of arming teachers is "simplistic and misguided."

On the other hand, according to the New York Times, "more than 100 districts in Texas" have been arming teachers with weapons since 2007, and Dallas Republican and State Representative Jason Villalba thinks that the president has recognized that teachers carrying guns is "clearly...the solution to the problem that we're seeing around the country."

And the world, continues to turn...

Read the commentary above, then comment on the following: "What would schools become if teachers are armed with guns in schools?"

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Peril or Prosper?

2/23/2018

In the next 10 years, will your ages will range between 26-28-years old. Based on the statistics from the clip you just watched, will you be perishing? Or will you be prospering?

When I observe teens today, I get anxious about where they will end up. I listen to complaints about school work or having to read novels. I notice the effort and skill put into sneaking on phones or listening to headphones versus any effort or skill put into doing class work. I wonder what they are thinking when they ask to go waste time in the restroom. I wonder if they think adults do not know.

For some, any focus is difficult to detect. What motivates them besides, music, entertainment, food and trends? Do they weigh their investment on brand name clothes, shoes and gadgets against their return? What do they get? Do they not consider that they might be left behind? Do they look at the destitute on the streets and wonder, "what's the difference between him/her and me, 10 years from now?"?

Then I observe the ones who are focused. What motivates them to get to class on time and work hard when they get to school? How do they fight off the struggles of peer and societal pressures? How are they preparing to not be left behind?

As you just saw in the clip, technology is becoming...is already...a "thing." Do you have the skills to survive in a technologically advanced world?

Assignment. Watch the video above, read the commentary after it, then blog about the following: Knowing the habits and work ethic you have today, and considering the stats in the video, in 10 years, will you perish or prosper? How?

1. INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

2. Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five.

3. You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Mixed Ink...

1/18/2018

NO MIXED INK THIS WEEK!!!

Regrets? Do You? Should You?

1/6/2018

As you grow into who you will become, sometimes it is wise to look back on your life and reflect on things you've done, things you want to do, and things you'd change or keep the same.

While you're still young, now is the opportune time to make mistakes because at this stage in your life, most of them can be corrected. Whether it's in your personal life, school life, work life or relationships with people, you want to always strive to do your best and not blatantly be a sore.

You are in the exact place in your life where you want to pause, look at how your life is going and make plans on how to proceed. This is also the time to assess what kind of person you are. Do you give up easily? Do you look at mistakes as just that, then move forward as you correct them? Or, are you the kind of person who blames everyone and life for all the things that have gone wrong in your life?

Now is the time to look at the person in the mirror, and while you're young, reflect and decide how you will adjust moving forward. Your adjustments may be to stay the same, continue to improve, or make a total makeover of your actions and life as it is so far. Either way, it's not too late until you wake up one morning and know that some mistakes you've made have completely changed your life in such a way that it's too late to change.

Comment on the following prompt: Discuss any regrets that you might have about this school semester and also what you will do to adjust moving forward.

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Net Neutrality

12/19/2017

Today, net neutrality keeps the Internet free for both consumers (you) and businesses (Amazon, Netflix, etc.).

However, it appears that the FCC is about to either repeal or dismantle net neutrality rules. Currently, talk of net neutrality is a hot topic, especially on the government level where the FCC's opinions are being questioned.

From Amazon and Netflix, to ATT and HBO, many companies have strong opinions about what net neutrality would do for their business. Many consumers have also weighed in and some are quite frankly, afraid.

Instructions: What is your opinion of net neutrality, and how do you think it will affect businesses and you?

INCLUDE IN THIS ORDER: Last name AND first initial AND class period.

You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Soundtracks & Movies

12/11/2017

What were you born to do? Do you know? Here's a hint: according to author, Steve Olsher, in his book, "What is Your WHAT?," he says it is "the one amazing thing you were born to do and is comprised of your inherent gifts, the vehicle you will use to share your gifts with the world and the people you are most compelled to serve."

Some people know, it appears, from birth what they want to do with their life, and chase it with strategic abandon until they become the John Coltranes, Nat King Coles, Beyonces, Martin Luther Kings, Malcom Xes and Michael Jacksons of the world.

Then you have multipotentialites. According to Emilie Wapnick, author of "How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who Still Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up," a multipotentialite has "many interests and creative pursuits."

So, how do you know? Some people spend their entire lives just living, not knowing what their purpose is or purposes are. Then some spend their entire lives chasing a dream that they never wake from.

Do you hurry and wait? Or hurry up and get to it? A clue: the famous Leonard da Vinci said, "people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happen to things."

So...you decided. You don't have much time no matter how old you are. Make life happen.

Comment on the following prompt: Your life is a movie. Based on all the movies you know about, write one title that would describe your life now or 10 years from now, then write a list of ten songs that you know of that could match that movie title and serve as the soundtrack for your life.

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., Dec. 15, 2017 11:59 p.m. CST

Social Media?

12/3/2017

Social media says a lot about how we behave as a society. It dictates how we think, shop, interact, and look. If affects how we see ourselves and how others see us. It is the dictator of perception.

Nevertheless, it is important that people do not lose themselves in the melee. Is it possible to live in a world without social media? What would that look like? If it's not possible, how do you keep your balance in a world so off-balance with smoke screens and mirrors?

Instructions: Caption the image above in 10 words or less. Anything over will result in a 0 for not following directions.

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

You will not be able to read other captions in an effort to avoid redundancy.

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., Dec. 8, 2017 11:59 p.m. CST

Who Will You Blame?

11/26/2017

At the beginning of my teaching career, I was a new teacher on fire. I wanted to change the industry of education by using my passion for learning as the fuel to propel all educators to give a damn. I promised to teach all my students everything there is to know about literature, words, writing, writers and especially reading!

So, I created this blog, R.A.W., EPIC Content, rubrics and my version of Socratic Conver-stations. I was on fiyah!

Then, just when I was floating on a cloud, an email from a parent poked a hole in my bubble and deflated my soul. In it, she blasted me for giving work that she claims her child did not have the resources to complete. She wanted her child out of my class. The expletives she used were not warranted for even the devil. But there I sat. In front of my computer. Reading my death warrant.

Then I wondered: what exactly did this parent expect me to do? Not teach her child? Allow her child to live in a world where her child could not read, write or communicate beyond a 5th grade level? Then who would she blame?

All too often, people blame others for their shortcomings. Not often enough, do people take responsibility for their role in their shortcomings.

Can you imagine a world, community or even a school, where people, citizens...students...always admitted to creating some of the situations that they find themselves in? One of my teacher mottos is: I don't give grades, I write down what you earn. That way, when my students receive failing grades and they claim, "She failed me," I always ask, what did you do? Was I supposed to do your work for you? Makes me wonder. Will you fault others for your shortcomings? Will you become a "blamer?"

Comment on the following: Read the quote in the image above, then defend or challenge whether the statement is correct. Please be concise and make your point. Diatribes do not mean quality.

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Keeping Up Appearances

11/19/2017

According to recent NPR (National Public Radio) poscasts, TEDtalks, news reports on crime and other unfavorable experiences, many minorities feel that we have to code switch in order to do the most basic task of all: live.

In 1986, an article was published in Ms. Magazine about journalist, Brent Staples, who decided to code switch after intimidating a white woman on the street. She thought he was a "thug" and ran off. Instead, he was a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago, there to earn a Ph.D in Psychology. At six feet tall, he looked intimidating to her as he walked hurriedly behind her on the street, at night, trying to get where he was going.

Even I, in 2017, was told by a white colleague that, upon first meeting me and seeing my striking red hair, he thought I was "ghetto" and not very smart. I wondered why since I'd never opened my mouth to say anything to him except, "Hi."

Should code switching be a requirement for minorities?

Code switching is when minorities change how they look, speak, live or behave in order to live as "American" as possible. In this big melting pot of America in which we live, why is that necessary?

We do it for many reasons: in order to get the jobs we want, live in the neighborhoods we want, or be accepted by non-minorities.

Click on the two videos above, then respond to the prompt below.

Comment on the following prompt: To what extent should minorities change their appearance, how they speak, live and behave in order to seem less intimidating?

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class hour.

You MUST also respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Since Looks Can Kill

11/12/2017

"Beauty is only skin deep." It is in the "eye of the beholder." But when the eye is a camera lens and the beholder is a multi-billions in advertising and fashion dollars, then beauty is defined by eating disorders/mental illnesses that dictate society must be thin.

There are a few game changers. Plus-size yoga instructor, Jessamyn Stanley, urges women "to fight skinny stereotypes...no matter what their shape or size," and Sarah Rae Vargas is big, bold and beautiful.

Nevertheless, with so many strides in reshaping other "societal norms," the definition of beauty is still heavily debatable.

Click on the image to read the article. Look at all the images as well. Then, comment on the following prompt: How much responsibility does the media have in defueling society's image of beauty?

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

These are blog posts, not essays. Your responses should not be lengthy. Be concise. Make your point, and move on.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Guns. Who's Controlling?

11/5/2017

Texas is notorious for its big image. Big hats. Big trucks. Big food portions. And, big numbers of murder victims from mass shootings with big guns. The latest? A mass church shooting.

There is something terribly wrong in a world where people feel like they have the absolute right to walk inside a church, a movie theater, a concert..or anywhere..and kill people.

That's exactly what happened Sunday morning. As churchgoers clutched Bibles, prayed, worshiped God and pronounced their faith, a gunman walked inside and, with a big Texas-size gun, murdered more than 20 people in cold blood.

No one knows why he did it. It doesn't matter why he did it. Knowing why may help to wrap your mind around things, but ultimately, "why" is not a problem solver, resurrecter or bandage. It doesn't heal the hurt. It simply adds to the coffin of carnage that, once and for all, needs to be laid to rest when a solution is reached on what to do about guns, or people with guns.

As the smoking guns cool from the mass murders committed with them in this country, what will we do and who will we blame? The guns? The people with guns? The government?

Comment on the following prompt: To what extent do gun control laws really protect people from being killed by guns?

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

You MUST respond to at least TWO other posts from any student. Your replies cannot be identical comments on different posts and posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will earn you a zero. Make sure your reply addresses the comment that you are responding to.

These are blog posts, not essays. Your responses should not be lengthy. Be concise. Make your point, and move on.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Low-fat Pig

10/31/2017

According to news reports, Chinese scientists have genetically modified pigs and "created" pigs with 24% less body fat than normal pigs. The plan is to make pig meat less expensive and "healthier" for human consumption, so they genetically modified pig genes with rat genes to make their body temperatures rise in colder weather. Slimmer pigs? Healthier meat: bacon, pork, ham and pork rinds.

Comment on the following prompt: To what extent should scientists manipulate genes to create genetically modified foods for the sake of artificially "fixing" the health of humans, instead of encouraging exercise?

INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five. You must also reply to TWO classmate's posts. You cannot post identical comments on different classmates' posts. Posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will not earn you a passing grade. Make sure your posts address the reply that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

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Mixed Ink

Mixed Ink is our class blog, the window into our souls. It was designed to improve students' writing, critical thinking and communication skills by giving them a platform to provide meaningful content based on their interpretation of what they see.

Although the students receive a grade based on a rubric for completing this assignment, they are not graded on complexity of thought. This is a place where students of all levels can freely, confidently and creatively express themselves and their opinions in a nonjudgmental platform. They are required to respond to and critique each other, but degradation, slander, lewdness, etc., will not be tolerated.

Bridge Builders

All subjects are vital to learning, but English is the bridge of communication. So let's build the arch, one word at a time...

Grading Rubric

Learning Objectives

Communicate effectively
Be aware of current events
Write concisely
Boost critical thinking skills
Be accountable
Follow directions
Have a voice about what goes on in the world around you