This is NOT phoebe’s blog

yesterday, actually, I made a picture of Christmas. I have another one which I will post later on. (I hope)

Ah!! It is so not clear. It says “And I say Merry Christmas to you!!! And there is a present that says to: ME

What did you think of the questions?

They were related to everyday life and i think there is nothing wrong with them. (maybe execpt the romantic relationship part)

Do you think you answered truthfully?

Yes. Since I know what kind of person i am already, i wasn’t surprised of my results.

Are the questions applicable to you at this age?

Some of them. Actually, no, most of them did. The part probably not was the romantic relationship part.

What other questions do you think should have been added?

I think that it should be more of your attitude to life. I don’t know, there were alot of questions.
What was your score? What does this score mean - according to the website? What does this score mean according to you?

I don’t want to tell the whole world. Unless you visit my xanga(my newer one) and nobody knows which one it is, you won’t know.

After taking the EQ assessment, what do you think of it? What will you do now?

I don’t know. I really don’t care about what it says about my attitude. I think I’m fine the way I am.

As almost teenagers, you’re all at an age when things are changing within your body and your mind. You’re no longer little kids, yet you’re not really teenagers yet. The way people (your teachers, parents, etc.) treat you is also slowly changing. You used to be more pampered and watched over. Now you’re expected to all be independent and responsible. You have projects to complete, assignments to turn in, practices to go to, friends to meet, and so many other deadlines and such to accomplish.
Given these expectations of you, think about the questions below and answer them honestly in your own blogs as a new post.

Do you think your parents can / should trust you with things that you do in school, at home, and else where? Why do you think so? or Why not?

Yes! Definitely!~ I love to be independent and I hate it when people have to watch me to make sure I do something.

Do you think your teachers can / should trust you with things that you do in school (regular schoolwork), at home (assignmentss/projects), and else where? Why do you think so? or Why not?

Yes because they SHOULD know that we are already ready to be responsible and that they should know that we are old enought to be trusted.

What are your main complaints about school at this point in your life?

The teachers always doubt us. We can never do anything ALONE until after the teacher debates on whether or not he/she would let us. Sometimes they don’t and sometimes they do. Yes, we have messed up sometimes and the teachers NEVER give us a second chance to change our mistakes.

What are your main complaints about home at this point in your life?

I never get enough privacy. My mom, dad, and brother are always crowding into my personal space. When they do that, I never can do something I want to do without them prodding me, asking me what I’m doing, and just being plain annoying. I try hard to ask them to stop but the words never come out and I’m always just am embarassed when the idea comes to me to ask them to stop now.

What can you promise yourself that can make you a better person / a better student?

I don’t know except that I would rather be more assertive when I’m doing things and be more confident of myself and not be timid to say things…. 

Do you think your friends can / should trust you with things (objects, secrets, etc.) Why do you think so? or Why not?

Yes because I have proven to myself that I can keep a secret. Now with things, I can be careless with them.

Do you think you need a lot of privacy in school / at home? Why or why not?

Definitely Yeah!!! Some people in the class are just ………  not considerate of others with either things or others. They don’t show that they care and they are always mean. (well sometimes when I ask them to stop.)

After looking for famous French middle schools, for an assignment, I came across Japanese uniforms. Don’t they look so familiar? Actually they are our cherub’s uniform! Imagine that. I got this from Wilkepedia.

Today we had Mr. Maiquez’s mom as a sub. For K-touch, I on level 14 I think. Yesterday, I did 11 lessons!! Yeah! They were so easy to do. (I guess)I don’t know what that says. I just like the penguin. I was supposed to watch happy feet. I don’t like musicals though….

Since Les Mis is already over, I decided to tell you about it. This musical is based on Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserable. This story is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables

Les Misérables contains a multitude of plots, but the thread that binds them together is the story of the ex-convict Jean Valjean, known in prison only by his prisoner number, 24601, who becomes a force for good in the world, but cannot escape his past. The novel is divided into five parts, each part divided into books, and each book divided into chapters. Each chapter is relatively short; usually no longer than a few pages. Nevertheless, the book in its entirety is quite lengthy by usual standards, well exceeding twelve hundred pages in unabridged editions. Within the borders of the novel’s story arc, Hugo fills many pages with his thoughts on religion, politics, and society, including his three lengthy digressions, one being a discussion on enclosed religious orders, another being on argot, and most famously, his epic retelling of the Battle of Waterloo.

After nineteen years of imprisonment for stealing food for his starving family, the peasant Jean Valjean is released. However, he is required to carry a yellow ticket, which marks him as a convict. Rejected by innkeepers who do not want to take in a convict, Valjean sleeps on the street. However, the benevolent Bishop Myriel takes him in and gives him shelter. In the night, he steals the bishop’s silverware and runs. He is caught, but the bishop rescues him by claiming that the silver was a gift. The bishop then tells him that in exchange, he must become an honest man.

Six years later, Valjean has become a wealthy factory owner and is appointed mayor of his adopted town, having broken his parole and assumed the pseudonym of Père Madeleine to avoid capture by Inspector Javert, who has been pursuing him. Fate, however, takes an unfortunate turn when another man is arrested, accused of being Valjean, and put on trial, forcing the real ex-convict to reveal his true identity. At the same time, he meets the dying Fantine, who had been fired from her job at his factory and has resorted to prostitution. She has a young daughter, Cosette, who lives with a corrupt innkeeper and his selfish, cruel wife. As Fantine dies, Valjean, seeing in Fantine similarities to his former life of hardship, promises her that he will take care of Cosette. He pays off the innkeeper, Thénardier, to obtain Cosette. Valjean and Cosette flee for Paris.

Ten years later, angry students, led by Enjolras, are preparing a revolution on the eve of the Paris uprising on June 5–6, 1832, following the death of General Lamarque, the only French leader who had sympathy towards the working class. One of the students, Marius Pontmercy, who has become alienated from his family because of his liberal views, falls in love with Cosette, who has grown to be very beautiful. The Thénardiers, who have also moved to Paris, lead a gang of thieves to raid Valjean’s house while Marius is visiting. However, Thénardier’s daughter, Éponine, who is also in love with Marius, convinces the thieves to leave.

The following day, the students revolt and erect barricades in the narrow streets of Paris. Valjean, learning that Cosette’s lover is fighting, joins them in order to protect Marius. Éponine also joins. During the ensuing battle, Valjean saves Javert from being killed by the students and lets him go. Javert, a man who believes in absolute obedience of the law, is caught between his belief in the law and the mercy Valjean has shown him. Unable to cope with this dilemma, Javert kills himself. Valjean saves the injured Marius, but many others, including Enjolras and Éponine, are killed. Escaping through the sewers, he returns Marius to Cosette. Marius and Cosette are soon married. Valjean loses his strength to live as the last thing he lived for in his life, Cosette, no longer needs him. Marius is convinced Valjean is of poor moral character so steers Cosette away from him. Marius learns of Valjean’s good deeds too late and rushes to Valjean’s house where he lays dying. As Valjean’s final act he reveals his past, noble and not-so, to the pair and then dies with them clasping his hands.

For activity #5 — you will create an online word processing account with WRITELY - www.writely.com.If you already have an account, then go ahead and help others.

Directions:

1. Open a new TAB - (Ctrl + T) then go to www.writely.com on that other tab. Keep this blog on this tab so you can go back and forth between instructions and work area.
2. If you have a GMail account or a Google account, then enter that information in the upper middle right side of the page.
3. If you DO NOT have a GMail account or a Google account, then sign up for one. Click on the link “Create a Google Account” in the lower right side of the page.
4. You need to enter a current email address (Yahoo Mail, Gaggle, etc.)
5. Then choose a password that YOU WILL REMEMBER and enter it twice.
6. Then type in your FIRST name then LAST name in the spaces.
7. Then you’ll see a graphic image — which is actually a word. Type that word in the space provided — letters are NOT case-sensitive so you can type in upper or lower case.
8. Once everything has been entered, click on the button: “I accept. Create my account.”
9. A new account will be created for you.
10. You then have to go to your current email address (the one you typed in the page above) to check your email. Look for an email from Google and click on the verification link. This will verify that you actually signed up for a Google account. Once you do this, you will be able to login to WRITELY — which is actually owned by Google.
11. Once you successfully sign in, you will see an editing screen that looks like a typical word processing program.
12. Wait for instructions at this point.
13. If you come across problems at any point above, ask your seatmate or me for assistance. Try to solve things on your own first, then ask for help if stuck.

Having an online word processing account is very handy. You can go into the internjet anytime to access your files online. JUST MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR USERNAME and PASSWORD SAFE! You don’t want anyone snooping in your account and messing around with your files. Also, LOGOUT once you’re done working on a computer.

With an online word processing service, you can easily create files as if it were a program on a typical computer. The great thing is the ability to save somewhere on the internet! Your files need not be stored in flash drives that could get lost or erased — and you can access your files in whatever computer that has internet access.

Try to use your WRITELY account in school. Then blog about your experiences.

As you begin to use this online word processing program, what are the benefits that you can see in such use?

I don’t know. So far I haven’t had the time to try it yet. I don’t really know what it’s for except that you can “safely ” chat. I’ll chat with Clarissa since she doesn’t have a msn.
What are the challenges in using an online word processing service?

Since I don’t really know what it’s for, I don’t know.

What do you like about it?

I just like the fact that finally I will be able to talk to Clarissa in the internet.
What don’t you like about the idea and service?

What is it for anyways? I really don’t see why I need to have one. oh well
What could you do to improve on this concept / service?

If they change the way I formatted my paper, I don’t really know what I can do except write a complaint about it? This is my first time dealing with Gmail.

Do you know of any other online word processing service out there? (I’d like you to stick to this one — WRITELY — a.k.a. - Google Docs. But I’d like you to search for other online word processing services. Blog about these services — write a little bit about these, include links to the services.

I don’t even know what an online word processing service is. I think it’s bothersome that I have to have another long e-mail. Oh, well. It’s good typing practice.

For those who you who missed Les Miserables 2 weekends ago, here’s an ethical dilemma from the musical.

“Jean Valjean’s Conscience”

In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, the hero, Jean Valjean, is an ex-convict, living illegally under an assumed name and wanted for a robbery he committed many years ago. [Actually, no — he is only wanted for breaking parole.] Although he will be returned to the galleys — probably [in fact, actually] for life — if he is caught, he is a good man who does not deserve to be punished. He has established himself in a town, becoming mayor and a public benefactor. One day, Jean learns that another man, a vagabond, has been arrested for a minor crime and identified as Jean Valjean. Jean is first tempted to remain quiet, reasoning to himself that since he had nothing to do with the false identification of this hapless vagabond, he has no obligation to save him. Perhaps this man’s false identification, Jean reflects, is “an act of Providence meant to save me.” Upon reflection, however, Jean judges such reasoning “monstrous and hypocritical.” He now feels certain that it is his duty to reveal his identity, regardless of the disastrous personal consequences. His resolve is disturbed, however, as he reflects on the irreparable harm his return to the galleys will mean to so many people who depend upon him for their livelihood — especially troubling in the case of a helpless woman and her small child to whom he feels a special obligation. He now reproaches himself for being too selfish, for thinking only of his own conscience and not of others. The right thing to do, he now claims to himself, is to remain quiet, to continue making money and using it to help others. The vagabond, he comforts himself, is not a worthy person, anyway. Still unconvinced and tormented by the need to decide, Jean goes to the trial and confesses.

Did he do the right thing? Why? Why not?

Yes. It is because it is not right to 1. impost as someone else, 2. break parole, 3. let someone suffer because of a minor misunderstanding of people. Oh, and I also think that he SHOULD NOT keep silent about something that HE did wrong and should be punished for it and not that person.

What do you think?

I think that he is selfish for thinking that way. I congratulate him for confessing although that was a bad move for him. It’s a bad move in a way, but I think confessing is better than keeping quiet.

Here’s an ethical dilemma from http://www.goodcharacter.com. Read it through and answer the questions at the bottom through your blog. Be honest and natural in your answers. Please answer in full, complete sentences.

Sam knew something was weird the second he got to class on Tuesday morning. He saw kids whispering and pointing at him. Some were looking at him funny. He sat down next to his best friend and picked up the graded report the teacher, Mr. Crosby, had graded over the weekend. Sam looked at the ” A-“ and forgot about the rest of the class for a minute. He had worked hard at that report and was thrilled it had paid off. He looked up and saw a bunch of kids staring at him. While the teacher cleaned up the white board, Sam whispered to Dylan, “ What’s going on?” Dylan, looked down and said quietly, “Conner told everyone you copied your report from the internet.” “ But, that’s a lie!” Sam said. “I never cheat and everyone knows it.” He was hurt and angry. He couldn’t focus the rest of the morning in class.

At recess he went up to Conner and asked him if he had really told everyone he had cheated. “ It’s no big deal,” Conner scoffed. “ I only told a few people. Lighten up. It was just a joke.” Sam turned and walked away. He wanted to yell at Conner, or hit him, or something. He just wanted to make Conner feel as bad as Conner had made him feel.

For the next two days, Sam avoided Conner but Sam and Dylan made up as many lies as they could think of about Conner to get back at him. They told kids that he was jealous of anyone who did well in school because he almost failed fourth grade last year. They told the girl Conner liked that he still wet his bed sometimes. But it wasn’t helping. Sam was still just as mad at Conner. In fact, all he thought about now was Conner and what he had done.

On Friday, Mr. Crosby had all three boys stay to talk with him during recess. He told them they had until the end of recess to work out whatever it was that was going on between them. If they had not all forgiven each other by the end of recess, they had to go to the principal’s office. Then Mr. Crosby left the classroom.

The three boys stared angrily at each other waiting for someone to say something. Sam didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that he was tired of being mad and hurt. What could he do to make it stop? And what did Mr. Crosby mean by all forgive each other?

Guide questions:

Do you think all three boys need to apologize? Why or why not?

Yes. Even though I’d probably already have gotten into a fight with him, I still probably think that all of them, wait no, only Dylan and Conner should because they were the ones being mean.

Who do you think is the most guilty of doing wrong. Why?

I think it is Conner because he’s the one that is the person to be guilty for “joking” about Sam copying his report from the internet. And, oh, he started the whole thing and if he hadn’t told everyone that, then everything else wouldn’t have happened.

Do you think it will improve their friendship if Sam forgives Conner?

I don’t really think so. Like this idiom, “once bitten, twice shy”, Sam has been hurt once and he is more cautious about Conner and his friendship.

Have you ever been in a position like this? What happened? Would you make the same choices if you were in the position again?

Actually, I think so. In 5th grade, a girl named —- started making “jokes” about me. All I did was confront her but then, I, like Dylan and Sam, told some things to some people. I felt much better.
Is there someone in your life right now that you might need to forgive for something?
What does it feel like to forgive someone? Why do you think that is?

Actually no. Except I think that someone in this class should apologize to me for telling someone that I “lie”. Right now, I hate that person so much that I just want to kill him everytime I see him.

I found this and I thought it is a good welcome sign for the blogs.